Page 20 of Compass Points
She shrugged and turned to go.
He stepped forward to catch her shoulder. “I’m Aiden,” he said, seemingly unwilling to lose her attention just yet.
“Hi, Aiden.” Her hand returned to its outstretched position.
“Fine,” he grumbled as he reached his hand out for hers.
“There, that makes us officially friends,” Rose said as she broke the shake. “At least, that’s how I think it works.”
Aiden’s mouth quirked up at the corner. “How do you know? Do you have any friends?”
“Well, no.” Rose paused as she thought it over. “Do you?”
Aiden thought about it. “I have one friend, but no one can see him.”
Rose swore she saw his eyes flash grey again before returning to their piercing blue. “Well, I think we could be great friends. That is if you’re ever not so busy.”
“Where have you seen me?” Aiden asked. His back straightened at her attention.
“In the yard and in that room with the desks. But you always seem to have adults with you. Are those your parents?”
A dark look crossed his face. “No, my parents are never with me. It’s probably my tutors.” His eyes lit up as if he’d just had an idea. “Do you want to watch the Ceremony with me? It should be starting soon. My dad’s almost finished speaking.”
“The Norden Point?” she questioned. Magic started to swirl around them. The Ceremony was indeed about to begin.
“Yeah.” Aiden sounded unimpressed that his father was the leader of their people. They watched together as the Norden Point, having finished his speech, loosed his water magic into the lake, pushing all the water to the center, creating a geyser-like explosion.
Chapter Twelve
The day’s ride to the village left Rose’s thoughts spinning again. They should be able to catch up to the trader before they moved on. That left her to wonder what they would do when they found them. Luc remained categorically unhelpful in his answers.
There couldn’t have been more than twenty homes in the village as they rode in with a large black bird circling above them. The village square was already empty. Night was falling. If the trader had stayed, the tavern would be the place to find them.
“I’ll do a few laps of the village, don’t worry about me. Just figure out what the Suden Point is up to,”Arie said to her as she and Luc stabled their horses at the lone tavern. She nodded, hoping he could see the gesture as they walked to the entrance.
“What’s the play again, Luc? We’re at the point where you might need to tell me the plan,” Rose tried once more before they walked through the door.
“Just follow my lead.” His reply was calm as he pulled open the tavern door and motioned Rose forward.
Rose sighed and walked in, following Luc to the bar.
“Why don’t you go grab a seat,” Luc said once they’d placed their order. The bartender behind the counter was getting a bottle of whiskey off the shelf. “I’ll wait for the drinks.”
Rose nodded, still unsure what they were doing, but at least she’d get a drink out of it at this point.
She sat on a stool at the end of the bar and examined the room and its inhabitants. Like the village, the tavern was small, with few tables. The stools at the bar were mostly filled with lively groups discussing the day. Rose got the sense the town didn’t get that many travelers, and though the establishment also had rooms available, its main fare was the food and drink served there.
She identified three groups as her gaze roamed the room. A few men were at a table playing cards and drinking, a man and woman were having dinner at an out-of-the-way table, and she could hear the lively chatter of a group of tradespeople gathered at the opposite end of the bar, talking about the workday.
She’d bet the person they sought was in the more active group at the end of the bar. She looked back to Luc to see how much longer he’d be with the drinks. He seemed to be flirting with the bartender as she handed over the glasses.
Rose rolled her eyes.
The scent of pine and cinnamon filled her nostrils—magic. She’d smelled this before, in her island home when they’d fought the mist monster. This must be Luc’s magic. She looked again as he engaged the bartender in conversation. Rose saw the moment Luc’s hand slipped while reaching for the drink. She would have missed it if she hadn’t been searching for it. She did not think it was an accident as Luc’s hand touched the bartender’s skin, and the smell of his magic strengthened.
The bartender’s eyes went momentarily blank. If Rose hadn’t been staring so intently, she wouldn’t have seen the brief flash before the bartender leaned forward toward Luc. Finally, he took the glasses and turned away.
“What. The. Hell,” Rose mumbled under her breath as Luc handed her the drink.
