Page 46 of Veil of Shadows

CHAPTER 14

The second Jax and his friends knew that Bastian had been sleeping in the barn recently, they turned the entire sleeping quarters and storage room upside down looking for more clues. Their movements were quick, efficient, and methodical. It was obvious they’d conducted work like this before.

“Nothing, my prince,” Phillen finally said when the last storage trunk had been emptied before being carefully restowed. One would never have known it’d been rifled through from how carefully each item was returned to its precise location. “Only that bed smells of him.”

“And from the faintness of it, it’s been two days since he slept here.” Jax raked a hand through his hair. Potent spikes of magic billowed in his aura. “This doesn’t make any sense. He slept here recently, but nothing else in this room belongs to him. And the biggest question remains unanswered.Whyis he even here? He never showed any interest in the Centennial Matches or competitions before.”

Phillen laid a hand on Jax’s shoulder. “We can figure those answers out later, but remember that he likelyishere. Somewhere. We’ll find him.”

“But if he hasn’t been here in two days, he could be anywhere now,” Trivan countered.

“He’s right.” I stepped closer to Jax. “I’ll travel to the Veiled Between again. It’s the only way to know for certain. I can try to demand better answers from the semelees.” But I twisted my hands. I’d done Jax’s calling less than a week ago, and oftentimes, the semelees wouldn’t answer me if I pressed them again on the same subject too quickly. They could be finicky like that. It was why I had to wait so long between callings if it was for the same fairy.

Jax’s lips pressed into a thin line. “No.”

“But if I go again, I might?—”

“I saidno.”

I inched closer to his side, and my gown flowed around me. “But if we can’t find anything else to explain where he currently is, and he doesn’t return here, then what choice do we have? We’re at a dead end.”

A muscle pumped in the prince’s jaw, and his eyes darkened into chips of ice. “No, Elowen. I’m never doing that to you again. We’ll find him another way.” A fearful look passed over his face, and I wasn’t sure if it was from remembering the state I’d been in after his calling or if it was due to the reality that Bastian might never be found.

“Is there any way you could travel to the Veiled Between andnotdo a calling?” Alec crossed his arms, his eyes assessing. “You know, go there looking for yourself so you’re not affected by another’s magic?”

I fingered my collar. “Honestly, I don’t know. Every time I tried previously, I was never able to because of this.” I tapped on the gem. “It always punished me. And this collar’s always prohibited me from using my magic to my full extent, which would be required if I wanted to do a calling of my own. Butnow that it’s loosened...” I shrugged. “It’s still doubtful, but I suppose I won’t know for certain unless I try.”

Jax’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you telling me you’ve never gone to the Veiled Between for yourself before?”

I shook my head.

His nostrils flared, and a dangerous seep of power swelled in his aura. “You’re telling me that your former guardian only ever allowed you to use your magic for himself? He never allowed you to do anything for your own good? Not even before that collar was put on?”

“I mean, I have traveled there alone, not in a calling, but that was when I was young and my powers first emerged. Those ventures were allowed so I could learn my magic, but I wasn’t strong enough then or knowledgeable enough to ask the semelees anything.”

Jax stabbed another hand through his hair. “That total and complete selfish arsehole.”

Trivan cocked an eyebrow. “How many times have you tried to venture to the Veiled Between for your own benefit?”

My cheeks flushed. “I only do so now when it’s truly needed.” I thought back to what I’d done when Jax had initially abducted me and I’d needed to delay them, or when I’d done it to break through his locking spell in the palace. “But each time, it takes a great toll on me because of the collar’s punishment, and I’m never able to stay in the Veiled Between for long. The collar would likely kill me if I tried to do that.”

Alec put his hands on his hips. “Perhaps you can do a calling on your own now that your collar’s not so tight. Maybe you should try it, to see if you can locate Bastian without Jax’s magic hurting you.”

A slow smile spread across my lips. “I can certainly try.” But then my smile dimmed. “Although, I don’t know how agreeable the semelees will be. Oftentimes, when I ask them the samequestions too closely together, they ignore me. I usually have to wait several weeks before pressing them for more details.”

“Ignore you?” Lars’s eyebrows shot up. “But you’re a lorafin. I thought they had to obey you?”

“If I was their queen, they would, but they still consider me a princess, so...” I raised my shoulders. “They sometimes won’t respond to me.”

“That doesn’t bode well.” Phillen crossed his arms. “What have your scholars told you, Jax, about lorafins with collars? Do you think Elowen could do her own calling now? Maybe later when the time has passed and the semelees will answer her?”

Jax’s brows folded together, a groove appearing between them. “Lorafins in the history books haven’t worn collars. Elowen’s unique in this aspect.”

“Right, but like Elowen said, we don’t know what she’s capable of now since it’s loosened.” Trivan grinned wickedly. “Which means there’s only one way to find out.”

“And if that doesn’t work, perhaps you could do a calling for one of us, Elowen?” Alec asked. “We’re not as magical as Jax, so you shouldn’t be as affected. Could you ask the semelees about Bastian for one of us instead? Would that work?”

I sighed. “With enough time passing, yes, I could try that. But it wouldn’t work if I did it right now. They can’t be fooled even if I’m there and channeling another fairy’s magic. They likely still won’t answer since it’s the same question so soon to the last time I asked.”

---