Page 176 of Moonlit Fate

I pushed past the diminutive shifter. “Do you really think I’m capable of sleep right now, Mia?” I snapped.

“No.” She grabbed my wrist, preventing me from leaving. “These are restorative. Ilaric helped boost my magic as I distilled them. They should replenish the energy that your body’s lost from the multiple shadow walks.”

Feeling like an ass, I embraced her, seeking a moment’s refuge in her comforting presence. “Sorry,” I whispered into her hair.

She patted my back. “No need for that now, Atticus. It’s what family does. We’ll do what we can to find out anything about Aria, but you need to be safe.”

Downing the potions, I handed her back the empty bottles, my throat tight with so many emotions,

I said my goodbyes and went outside, shifting into wolf form as I passed through the camouflaging curtain of trailing ivy and ferns. Lifting my snout in the air, I sniffed deeply, parsing out the distinct odors, the different trees. I caught the scent of a roe deer somewhere close by, but I disregarded everything until I found the familiar combination of lavender, chamomile and a scent uniquely Aria. I ran toward it.

Suddenly, the scent disappeared. I shifted back and looked for signs of a struggle. She wouldn’t have allowed herself to be taken without a fight, but there were no visible signs.

Would she have gone up to the old battlegrounds to continue honing her mental shields? Only one way to find out. I was trying to stay upbeat, but the dread wasn’t lessening. Gathering the shadows, I envisioned the field, its eerie, otherworldly aura, and stepped forward.

It was like stepping through an unseen veil that separated one world from another. I paused, feeling like I was trespassing on sacred ground. No matter how many times I came here, that uneasiness never lessened.

Nothing indicated that Aria had been here recently, but I searched diligently, fearing she might have fallen ill or suffered an injury.

“Atticus.” The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, a whisper woven into the wind. I turned sharply, assuming a fighter’s stance, muscles tensed and ready for any threat.

Light gathered like mist, swirling in front of me. It twisted and spun until it solidified into the figure of a tall, ethereal woman. Philesia. Her presence commanded the space, ancient power emanating from her with such force that I took a step back.

I stared at her, not trusting myself to break down. Cracks formed in my composure, and I was dangerously close to breaking down.

“Troubling visions cloud my sight,” Philesia said. “The path ahead is shrouded in darkness.”

“Tell me,” I demanded, a knot of worry tightening in my gut. For the love of the gods, no riddles, please.

“Be cautious,” she warned. “Danger lurks in the very shadows that serve you, waiting to ensnare those who tread unwarily.”

And there we had it, infuriatingly cryptic words that only fueled my need for a direct and honest reply. “What is it, Philesia? Is it Aria? Is she...” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the question, fear constricting my throat. She couldn’t be gone from this earth.

I stepped closer. Her form flickered like a candle flame, struggling against a breeze. “Is she okay?”

“Your father has taken her,” Philesia replied. Her luminous eyes, usually shimmering with a celestial light, were clouded with concern. “I’m sorry, Atticus, I was unable to intervene. The magic he used to cloak himself is very powerful.”

My stomach sank. I’d underestimated Caius, failed to grasp his true intentions. I’d brushed off his reference to Aria as a ploy to provoke me, when he’d likely already devised a plan to take her.

My blood turned to ice as I recalled the void at the end of her scent trail, the lack of struggle. He must have threatened me and manipulated her into giving herself over to save me. He’d taken something special and was attempting to snuff out her light. But why? There had to be more to it than an old grudge.

“Can you get her out?” I demanded, refusing to cower before her.

She shook her head. “Her cell is cloaked in dark magic. The spells woven into the prison’s fabric are beyond my immediate reach. It would take days to unravel without causing harm.”

“Days we don’t have,” I hissed.

“I’ve always believed that as gods, we must allow fate to run its course and allow you forge your own path. But Caius is playing with a dangerous magic. I cannot help you physically, Atticus, but I will share this knowledge with you.” She hesitated as if finding it difficult to go against her own rules, before tracing patterns in the air that glowed faintly for a while. “Old magic, complex and vicious runes, guard her.”

“Can you explain it in simple terms?” I asked, frowning at the patterns in the air.

“The network of runes forms a labyrinth designed to serve as a conduit to extract energy and capture it...” She trailed off at my frown. “Basically, they’re depleting her strength little by little.”

My stomach roiled, sending bile up my throat. “How?”

“The runes are siphoning her strength and magic,” she explained. “Aria’s own power fuels them. It will keep taking from her, slowly sapping her magic until there’s nothing left.”

“Then we have to break it. Now.” I looked past Philesia almost as if I could see through the veil to where Aria was held.

---