Page 58 of When Storms Awaken

“And yours?” Tess asked as she peered through the fog, trying to make out Nik’s frame through the dense mist.

“A combination of the two as well.” Puck gave her a playful nudge. “But there are only so many spells that can work on the skin.”

“Could a Stormshade get some of those?” I asked.

“Skin spells? Of course, I don’t see why not.” Puck smiled as Nik’s outline appeared on the pillar through the fog, quickly descending. There must be handholds, I realized, but the fog was so dense they were invisible to us. He dropped the remaining fifteen feet to the ground and landed in a crouch, a grin spread across his face.

“All clear,” he announced, “I see Saanvi, I only wish I could send her a raven. We will have to greet her the old-fashioned way.”

“Saanvi?” I asked, I hadn’t heard him mention that name before.

“An old friend. She will guide us through The Shadow, she just doesn’t know it yet. No way to send her word ahead of time that we were coming.”

I nodded as he picked his pack back up and we continued on walking between the two pillars.

As soon as we had passed through, everything before me changed. What had appeared as nothing but long expanses of grass and uncut wildflowers was in reality a bustling city set on the edge of a busy port. The docks full of people coming in and out with their goods. The buildings were mostly made of stone or brick, with cedar shingles and small windows. They were multiple stories, some with thatched roofs, and they looked worn, as if they had withstood the test of time.

The townspeople were dressed in long cloaks and breeches with tunics and boots. Some women wore muted dresses outfitted with layered skirts and floral designs, but most were dressed in working gear. Horse-drawn carriages hurried back and forth as people outside their storefronts called out to those passing by, trying to hawk their wares on the busy street.

“It’s a glamour”—Nik smirked—“the city is hidden to those who don’t know where to find it.” Nik caught the attention of a man in a cap and boots pushing a wheelbarrow full of sage. He appeared to ask him for directions as the man began pointing and gesticulating.

“I’m pretty sure I know where to find Saanvi, I just wanted to be sure,” Nik said as he rejoined us, adjusting his cloak to hide most of his face. Nik had been right, we did blend in with these cloaks.

We started down one of the city streets, evading the pushy shop owners and keeping our heads down as to not draw any attention to ourselves. Tess stuck close to my side as Nik and Puck led the way through the spiraling cobblestone streets. The city was nestled between the port to the right and the sloping cliffside to the left. There were streets that twisted and turned up the cliffside, and we could see the larger, more affluent, houses nestled along the cliff higher up. The city appeared as if it was constructed in layers, and there was something to see no matter which direction you looked.

Nik caught sight of what must have been Saanvi ahead of us and he pushed ahead, greeting her with a tight embrace. A tingle of jealousy crept up my spine as she turned to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek.

She was gorgeous, naturally. Her long black hair was fastened into a tight braid down her back and her terra-cotta complexion was unblemished, her eyes darkly lined with kohl. She wore a cloak fastened at her neck with the hood thrown back. Beneath it she wore tall boots, breeches, and a white tunic tightly secured with a blue velvet corset.

“Saanvi!” Puck called out as he caught up to them, pulling her into an equally deep embrace. It appeared they hadn’t seen each other in quite a while.

“What the hell are you two knuckle-heads doing back in Prins so soon?” she asked, taking a step back and examining them at arm’s length.

Nik nodded towards me, and Saanvi’s eyes went wide. “We found some newbie witches in the human realm and wanted to show them a day in the life of an Istmere witch.”

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me?” she asked.

Saanvi was tall and lithe, but with a feminine and athletic silhouette. One I would kill for. I felt like a short, frizzy, thing next to her and I pulled my cloak tighter around myself self-consciously.

“Saanvi, this is Diana.” Nik grabbed me by the hand and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Well, that was a good sign at least. Maybe this Saanvi was more like an old friend, or a sister to them.

“And this is Tess.” Puck shot Nik a pointed glare as Tess stepped into our circle, nearly as tall and just as lithe as Saanvi.

“Ah, yes. Tess. How could I forget,” Nik replied tartly.

I nudged him in the side playfully. “Be nice,” I uttered under my breath through a clenched smile.

“So, what do you lot need? Youalwaysneed something.” Saanvi laughed.

“We need you to take us through The Shadow,” Nik answered.

“The Shadow. Of course, I should have known. And you’d like me to take you right now, I presume?” she asked.

“If you can.” Nik nodded. “We want to make it to Eight Bells with enough time to reserve a few rooms before the tavern fills up and they’re all booked for the night.”

Saanvi nodded and turned to glance down the road both ways, “Well then, come along.”

She led us deeper into the city and I could see ahead of us that Prins sloped sharply downwards into what must be The Shadow, then rose again on the other side. There were multiple sets of steep staircases that lead down into the pit, and from here all you could see were the rooftops of the buildings below.

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