Page 48 of Forsaken Secrets

19

Kaiya

The forest sped by as we walked, creatures peeked out occasionally, but none dared to approach.

We'd tried discussing the weather, but I was terrible at small-talk, so we'd fallen into a companionable silence.

A low voice spoke as we drew close to the ruins. It seemed to come from the clearing …

I looked at Eli, but he just shrugged. Had someone else seen the cliff face and guessed what was underneath?

Surely it was too soon for that …

We crept closer, searching the clearing until we glimpsed a sliver of orange light splaying from one of the collapsed alcoves.

I motioned for Eli to follow, and he dropped behind me as I snuck through the ruins.

Lynk sat atop a weathered bit of column, muttering as he sorted through piles of paper. He'd let his hair free from the leather, and I had an odd urge to see if it felt as soft as it looked. The heat from before unfurled in my belly …

Gods! What was this? First Eli, and now Lynk?

No. No. My body would not get the best of me.

What was he doing here, though?

"Are you two going to just stand there and watch, or can we start hunting?"

I stared at him, jaw agape. "Wait … what?"

He just quirked a brow and grabbed another piece of paper. "Well, when the two of you practically yell your plans while you tromp through the forest, what do you expect?"

We hadn't been that loud, had we?

Eli stepped in front of me, arms across his chest. "What were you doing on her land, mage?"

Lynk's brow lifted as he looked Eli up and down. "I was hunting — as one does, being a monster hunter and all. Besides, I thought I was the mage who saved your sorry asses from falling off a cliff yesterday. So, maybe you should be a bit more grateful. Unless that was some other set of idiot mageling kids?"

My heart leaped into my throat, and I stared between him and Eli.

Did he just call us magelings? Us? As in me and Eli?

Eli's shoulders stiffened, and he sent a questioning look back at me. I just shrugged, hoping he'd take it all as the ramblings of a crazy man.

But it made me wonder …

Could Eli be a mage?

No. Surely not.

I'd have felt something sooner, if so. Wouldn't I?

I hadn't really pushed to check his korra, though. I'd heard it was risky when there was a chance other mages were near, so I tried to use my magic as little as possible.

"Kids? Did you just call us kids?" Eli's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I stared at him, mouth agape. That was what he'd pulled from the conversation? That Lynk thought we were kids?

Lynk just went with it, though, shaking his head and looking back down at his papers. "Are you not a kid?"

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