Page 66 of The Arrow and the Alder

Seph dragged her hands over her face and opened her eyes, which was when she caught sight of a glimmer of white on the table before her.

It was the ivory bow—the one Alder had given her—and beside it was a note. She grabbed the paper and took it over to the candle, where the bold, yet elegant script came into focus.

“Whatever you decide, this belongs to you.”

There was no signature.

Someone had also left traveling clothes draped across her empty bed: pants, boots, a loose tunic, and a long mahogany coat trimmed in silver enchantments.

Had Abecka left these?

Seph read the words again before setting down the paper and lifting the featherlight bow.

Whatever you decide…

What was there to decide? Even if a waydidopen at the warfront, Seph was still left with one cold, hard truth: they only hadthree monthsuntil the curse destroyed the worlds.

The world could end, and she could still be waiting.

With sudden decision, Seph changed into the attire, surprised by how perfectly everything fit. Though she supposed it wasn’t so surprising; Abecka and Seph were built the same. She laced up her boots, loosely braided her hair, grabbed the bow and quiver, and headed out the door.

She made a few wrong turns along the way and eventually stopped when her path broke into three.

“Are you lost, Your Highness?” said a little voice.

Seph whipped around to find the child with lavender eyes regarding her with open wonder. She was a sprightly thing, all knees and elbows, and she didn’t appear to be much older than Nora. Though that meant very little in kith years.

“I was trying to get to the training yard,” Seph said. “Are you able to point me in the right direction?”

The girl cocked her head, much like a bird. “You’ll want to retrace your steps to the tunnel, then you’ll need to walk down where you mistakenly walked up. Three right turns and over the bridge, and you’ll see it.”

“Thank you,” Seph said after a moment. The child did not talk like a child. “What’s your name?”

“Rasia of Bellenore.” She spoke with such authority that it made Seph smile. “The training yard is empty for now, but the others are restless with Prince Alder’s mission ahead, so if you wish to practice alone, I wager you have one hour.”

Seph’s smile faltered. “How do you?—”

But Rasia of Bellenore grinned and scampered off into the shadows and out of sight. Seph stared in her absence, wondering at the girl before walking on to the training yard.

As Rasia had said, it was empty.

What a strange little girl!

The yard overlooked a wide veil of falling water, and Seph had first spied the space on her way to the gathering yesterday, noting the half dozen kith practicing with swords and bows. There’d also been targets floating about, but she saw none of those now. Was it something she needed to conjure? Perhaps she should have asked?—

The moment she stepped onto the floor, energy tingled through her body, particularly at Rys’s ring. A silvery orb appeared. It hovered like a small moon at the edge of the yard, pulsing like a beating heart, while its center darkened to the color of wine.

There you are.

How fascinating that it should react to her person. Did it respond to any body that set foot upon this platform, or was it responding to something else? Was it…responding to hereloit?

You are more kith than you realize.

Seph drew an arrow and nocked it in place. The orb moved as though triggered by her action and began floating across an invisible arc.

Fascinating.

This was so much more effective than her stationary targets back at home.

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