Page 75 of Synodic

“How do you feel?” I asked tentatively.

“Better,” he said, idly fidgeting with his ax. The pallor of his skin was almost back to its healthy bronzed glow, but the look on his face was withdrawn…aching. And while immense relief swept over me that the moss had worked, a tiny fissure cracked in my already broken heart and I brought my fist to my chest, trying to ease yet another invisible break.

“I can’t thank you enough for all you did for me last night,” he said quietly, and I paused. “Without you I would have died, most likely very slowly and painfully.”

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you die?” I replied, telling myself that was all Rowen and I could be. Friends.

His breath trickled over my lips, burning me with the kiss he said should never have happened.

Seeming to remember his own words, Rowen further retreated behind his mask of stone, shutting me out. I painfully extricated myself from his indifferent stare and stood. I wouldn’t press him about last night. He would tell me when he was ready.

“I’m going to go wash up by the river,” I said, grabbing my dry pants by the fire that was nothing more than faint embers, just like the flames of my soul.

Rowen sat forward with a grunt. “Then we will make our way back home.”

Home.I liked the sound of that.

Rowen shifted, examining the moss bandages that had saved his life. His whole stomach flexed, revealing each and every block of abs, his muscles moving in the most hypnotizing ways.

Friends,I reminded myself again.Friends. Friends. Friends.

I quickly made my way to the river and cared to my morning needs. I splashed the cool running water on my face and shoulders and scooped in a handful to rinse my mouth. Before sliding into my pants, I washed the caked blood from my thigh. Rowen’s red life force was a reminder we had made it through the night, but not unscathed, not untouched.

The water-swollen ground imprinted with the weight of my footfalls, and the soaked trees dripped with the overnight rain. But it wasn’t a cleansing or a promise of new growth. No amount of rain would bring the dead parts of the forest back to life.

My purpose glared me in the face, and the wind stirred around me in a gentle yet urgent nudge. I needed to get back and focus on learning how to harness the Alcreon Light. The power stifled within me was Luneth’s only hope.

I was almost back to our hollow cavern when I heard voices echoing from inside. Without thinking, only reacting, I sprinted towards the dark opening.

Inside, Rowen stood next to Takoda, Demil, and two other warriors I’d seen training but had yet to meet. One of them being the petite woman who trained with Dyani.

I ran to Takoda and threw my arms around his lean body. “You’re alive!”

“I made it back to the village and gathered volunteers to help trace your steps. We made it to the waterfall’s edge. There didn’t appear to be a struggle so we assumed you jumped. We’ve been scanning every cave along the river line for hours,” Takoda said, releasing me from his hug. His calm aura set me at ease and I was relieved we wouldn’t be making the journey back without him.

“It’s good to see you, my friend,” Rowen said as they clasped each other’s arm just above the wrist and embraced.

Takoda gestured to the moss bandages at Rowen’s side. “I am glad to see you’ve made it through the night.”

“A thanks owed to Copeland,” Rowen said clinically, but the slight tick in his throat betrayed our moment of passion.

“Then my gratitude is to you, star-touched,” Takoda responded with a slight bow and a hand to his heart.

Demil scanned the cave through narrow eyes as if trying to discern what could have transpired here in the night. His gaze raked over me, snagging on my slackened lacing and wild hair. I tried to keep my face passive, not revealing a single secret. “Couldn’t let him die thinking he was saving me now, could I?”

Takoda’s mouth pulled into an amused smile. “Indeed. Come, let us leave this place.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I was ready to leave this cave, along with a piece of my heart inside it.

* * *

After hours of walking on foot and being fed rations by our rescue party, I realized just how far the raging river had carried Rowen and me. I shuddered remembering tumbling through those endless violent waves. They seemed an impossible thing to have survived. But Rowen and I had survived, that, and much more.

Just when I thought we should be coming up on the Wyn village, a frigid draft wafted over me and settled into my bones, causing my hairs to stand on end. Something felt terribly wrong. I looked to Rowen, Takoda, and the other two warriors, but none of them seemed to notice or be affected by the icy wind that had me stopped cold.

“Copeland?” Rowen asked, sensing my abrupt change.

“Do you feel that?” I whispered.

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