Page 59 of Quest

“Once our quest ends, I’m determined to embark on an entirely new one—an expedition to capture your heart.” His hand reached for mine, his touch carrying a silent promise that what had happened here wouldn’t be forgotten once we stepped back into reality.

I squeezed his hand in affirmation, my own promise. “I will hold you to that, for I’m not ready to lose my favorite foe.”

He laughed and pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek before we walked back to camp hand in hand, our spirits as intertwined as our fingers. We held on to each other as long as possible until we were forced to let go. But even when our hands parted, the magic of what had transpired within the pink-dappled canopy of the grove lingered within us, forever altering our hearts and reshaping our futures in ways we were only just beginning to imagine.

CHAPTER 23

The first flicker of unease crept up my spine as I searched through my pack, expecting the familiar rough texture of my disguise herbs and the little pot of ointment but instead finding only the worn fabric lining. My breath hitched, a chill unrelated to the evening air enveloping me.

No.

The pouch where I kept my collection of essential herbs and compounds—crucial to maintaining ’Ren’s’ appearance—was missing, along with the near-empty jar of premade paste. Panic began to seep in as I considered the possibilities. Had I misplaced it, or dropped it during today’s travel? No, I was meticulous with my belongings, always securing them with extra care to ensure nothing could be lost.

Which meant someone had taken it.

My heart raced as I discreetly scanned the camp, my gaze flitting from one comrade to another, before finally settling on Kael. He was ostensibly engrossed in sharpening his blade, but his sharp gaze met mine more frequently than chance would allow. Each look he sent my way intensified the unease twisting inside me. Could he be the culprit? Was he attempting to reveal my secret? The thought burrowed into my mind, a doubt impossible to uproot.

Feigning a calm I didn’t feel, I rummaged through my belongings again, hoping desperately I had simply overlooked the pouch. When the search once more proved futile, I emptied the contents onto the ground, my eyes frantically scanning over every item as my breath began to come in quick gasps. Panic clamped cold fingers around my throat as the reality set in: the herbs that were essential for my masquerade were truly gone.

In my paranoia Kael’s watchful eyes felt oppressively heavy, his expression appearing almost smug to my suspicious imagination. If he was the one behind his motives eluded me, but the suspicion rooted itself more deeply.

As dusk deepened into night, my anxiety escalated. The herbs I needed weren’t just rare, but chosen for their potency and effectiveness in maintaining my disguise. Replacing them in the wilderness would be a daunting task, especially with my unfamiliarity with the area’s foliage. Yet urgency dictated I at least try; common herbs might suffice to cobble together a weaker illusion that would certainly be better than nothing at all.

My disguise weakened with each passing hour; I knew that by morningRenwould fade, the illusion of my masculine features as well as the faint stubble along my jaw dissolving into my true feminine features to reveal the truth I wasn’t ready to share.

Desperation spurred me into action. I warily eyed the sinister shadows stretching from the trees, weighing my options. I yearned to ask Darcel to accompany me, but he was currently absorbed in discussion with Sir Jiang over a map, and would be difficult to involve without raising suspicion; whatever excuse we might concoct to explore together so late at night might be just as exposing as my fading disguise. The urgency of maintaining my secret compelled me to venture out alone, despite the potential risk.

I waited for a moment when everyone was occupied and quietly slipped away from camp, Lumis clutched in one hand. My goal was to scour the surrounding woods in hopes of finding replacements for the herbs essential to my illusion spell or, at the very least, something to delay the degradation of my disguise. As I ventured into the night’s cool embrace, I thought I sensed Kael’s watchful gaze tracking my every move.

The forest at night transformed into a mysterious realm where sounds and shadows wove together into a tapestry beneath the darkness. My footsteps were hushed against the soft earth, barely perceptible as I stealthily navigated under a canopy dappled with starlight filtering through the leaves. Each rustle in the underbrush and each snap of a twig breaking the silence sent a jolt of tension through me, echoing like a warning of a potential pursuer lurking nearby.

Yet strangely, amidst the gripping fear, part of me felt invigorated. My herbalist instincts awoke, finely tuned to the whispers and silent songs of the plants around me, imbuing me with unexpected confidence. My fingers brushed against the foliage, my eyes searching the underbrush beneath the dim light for the familiar shapes and patterns of useful herbs. Lumis obligingly illuminated my path but was silent when I begged for inspiration on choosing plants; I wasn’t sure whether he didn’t possess extensive herbal knowledge or whether he was refusing to aid me in my continued deceit.

I continued deeper into the woods, the bundle of herbs I carried growing heavier and my victory over each acquisition marred by the growing realization of their inadequacy; none of these plants were potent enough to replicate the spell I desperately needed. Without my original supplies, by dawn, Ren would permanently vanish.

Lost in my search, time slipped away unnoticed. The forest thickened around me, the trees seeming to close in, as if guarding their secrets. Although I had picked a remote spot well away from the main path and hadn’t noticed anyone following, with each step I couldn’t shake the persistent sensation of being watched.

As I knelt in a moonlit clearing to examine a promising cluster of ferns, a twig snapped underfoot, setting my heart racing. I froze, listening intently as Lumis flared brightly in warning. Another slow, deliberate step shattered the symphony of the night. I slowly turned to see Kael emerging from the shadows, this spot too secluded for his presence to be coincidental. I rose to my feet, drawing the hood of my cloak up to shield my features from view as I faced him warily.

His expression was unreadable, but his eyes caught the moonlight with a chilling sharpness. “Well, this is an unexpected encounter.” His tone feigned surprise, but something about his manner suggested he’d anticipated he’d find me here, as if every step I had taken was all part of some carefully laid plan.

My heart pounded wildly in trepidation for the encounter I’d been subconsciously expecting ever since finding my herbs missing, and with every prickle against the back of my neck as I traversed the woods, suspecting I was being followed. “What are you doing here?” I stammered.

He chuckled, a dark sound uncharacteristic with the friendliness I’d come to associate with him. “You thought your absence would go unnoticed? The entire entourage is looking for you after we realized you were missing.”

Undoubtedly Darcel’s doing. The man was too protective for his own good.

Kael surveyed the growing pile of herbs beside me with a critical eye. “Seems like a strange time to be out gathering when you could just wait until morning. Looking for something specific…Ren?” His usually warm voice now carried a sharp edge that hadn’t been there before, an emphasis on my name, as though he knew it wasn’t my true identity.

My mind raced for a plausible excuse, but the isolation of our surroundings left little room for pretense. “Just gathering some herbs.” I knew the explanation hardly clarified why I had chosen such a late hour and had strayed so far from camp. “The ones I need are best picked beneath the moonlight.”

I strove to keep my voice steady despite the tremor of fear that threatened to betray me. Kael had never given me reason to think he’d harm me, but our encounter felt too orchestrated to be mere chance, signaling that he wanted something…and I was alone with a man whose motives were now shadowed by doubt. His assurance that we were alone chilled me more than the evening air.

Kael stepped closer, his gaze flicking first to my hands—stained with soil and sap, the physical evidence of my desperation—then to the bundle in my arms, and finally back to my face. “I can’t imagine what herbs would be worth such a risk. These woods can be tricky—easy to lose one’s way…or one’s self.” His words felt loaded with implication, probing for a reaction. “Or is there another reason you’re so far from camp,Ren?” Once again he emphasized my assumed name in a way that sent a shiver down my spine, making the shadowy forest around us feel even more foreboding.

I rose slowly to my feet, forcing a calm I didn’t feel, my hands clenched at my sides to still their trembling. I struggled to speak, but fear thickened my throat, trapping my words.

Kael advanced another step. “Ren isn’t your real name, is it? Nor does anyone but me know you’re here; your fiercely independent nature finally works in my favor. Now let’s stop this charade, shall we?”

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