Page 39 of Synodic

“No,” I replied way too fast. “I mean, that’s not necessary. I don’t want to put you out of your own bed.”

“Why?” He set his eyes on me with a hardness that wasn’t there a moment ago when his hands were on me. “You already seem quite acquainted with it, Copeland,” he said, cold and detached like it was a knee-jerk reaction to fill peaceful moments with unpleasantness.

If my eyes could scorch him where he stood, he’d be a heap of ash. “Well, I was going to suggest you sleep on the floor in here, but the dirt outside seems more fitting.”

“As it happens, I quite enjoy sleeping under the stars,” he said, side-eyeing me with no emotion while he hefted a rucksack over his shoulder.

I clenched my teeth. Why was he pulling me close one moment only to push me away the next?

Takoda disappeared through the circular door, shaking his head as if he was all too familiar with Rowen’s mood swings.

Rowen exited closely behind him but stopped halfway through and turned to look at me. “Please be here in the morning. I’d hate to send a search party out to find you,” he said, his forest eyes flashing through the darkness before he vanished.

Too tired to fight these sleeping arrangements with any real conviction, I brought myself back to Rowen’s bed. Lying down, I could smell the masculine scent of his sheets wafting around me. It was comforting and robust, and I curled deeper into it.

I was about to let darkness sweep over me when I heard Rowen and Takoda right outside the dome. “How could Erovos have known she was here? All the summoning-demons have been destroyed.” Rowen spoke furiously, and I could practically hear his pacing through the walls.

I fought to stay awake, wanting to hear more.

“It seems someone has betrayed us,” Takoda answered solemnly. “But if Erovos was absolutely certain The Marked were here, he would not have sent the fool Graem.”

“Agreed. Erovos must have sent him ahead as a scout. Whoever revealed this to Erovos had not yet known she is a woman.”

“We have saved a bit of time where Erovos is concerned, but others will become curious as word of her spreads. Secluded as we are, containing this information will not be easy, especially with a betrayer in our midst.”

The wind knocked out of me at the revelation of his words. I’d barely had a chance to catch my bearings before a new piece of the puzzle was revealed to me—each more unimaginable than the last. There was someone in this village I couldn’t trust. Had I seen their face in the crowd? Had I already met them? Despite how this land lowered my walls, I would have to be on guard.

I couldn’t make out Rowen’s immediate reply, but the words I heard next were coated in seething rancor. “When I find whoever did this, Takoda. I will kill them.”

It sounded like he had just sworn an oath, an oath to the black pits of hell.

* * *

The next day I woke to sunlight leaking through the dome and birds chirping in a strange yet beautiful harmony. The embers of the fire had long since extinguished and a cool breeze prickled along my skin, beckoning me out of bed. My aching limbs felt much better and my bruises were now only faint blemishes, but I was still tired. I’d had a deep sleep with absolutely no astral traveling so I’d assumed I would be more rested than this.

Finishing up in the en suite, containing a simple lavatory and sink, I noticed someone had laid clothes out for me on one of the wicker chairs. I changed into the leggings and dark blue vest that laced up the front and came to a point at my navel. I slipped on the waiting pair of boots, surprised by how well everything fit.

I exited Rowen’s home, still stunned by the beauty of the village and mantle of day-lit stars. The chatter of everyday life immediately greeted me as men and women busily sorted herbs, prepared food, and stored spices into intricately woven baskets, while others sharpened tools, gathered timber, or carved away at pieces of wood.

Children squealed as they chased each other playfully, and little girls with white-plaited braids ran up to me, placing tiny flowers in my palm before skipping away like woodland sprites.

A child of about twelve bounded up to me and skid to a stop. I immediately recognized him as the boy who smiled at me after meeting Nepta.

His hair was cut short around his pointed ears, and his deep dimples were ever-present like the stars. He wore loose burlap pants bunched around the ankles and a sleeveless juniper tunic. I noticed he had stray twigs in his unruly hair, and his feet were bare and filthy. It looked like he’d just returned from an adventure of epic proportions, filled with hidden trails and secret hideaways.

“I’m Ven,” he said, his brown eyes alight. “I saw you yesterday.”

“I remember,” I replied with a smile, and his grin widened.

“You slept past midday!” he exclaimed as he handed me a honey-drizzled biscuit wrapped in a wax leaf. “Rowen said he had better things to do than wait around all day for you, but he promised me that if I brought you to him when you woke, he’d teach me to throw like him.”

I accepted Ven’s offering and took a bite, savoring the rich flavors that oozed and melted on my tongue. “That’s very sweet of you, Ven. Would it be alright with you if we left him waiting a bit longer?” I asked, annoyed with Rowen’s hot-and-cold behavior.

The boy’s smile nearly exploded at the prospect of a little mischief. He took hold of my free hand and began pulling me through the village. “How about I show you around?”

Impressed with my partner in crime, I allowed myself to be shepherded along by him. Plus, I was itching to explore this alluring new world, and a guided tour was as good as it could get. He tugged me excitedly behind him, so I quickened my pace, chuckling to myself as I took another bite of biscuit.

Ven spared no expense in describing every single thing within sight as we strolled through the sculptured walkways and open organic paths. It was information overload, but I made sure to file away the important bits about common trails and discernible landmarks.

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