Page 31 of Compass Points
Beyond each house, away from the lake, were smaller subsets of homes for court officials. From the point cresting the ridge, they could see three of the four houses and none of the village. Suden, Osten, and Vesten houses jutted right up to the lake. Each house’s door led out directly to beach and water.
Only Norden was hidden away. Well, not exactly hidden. It was still a large estate like the others. Once you were on the lake, it was plain to see along with the rest, but from the ridge, only the path headed up a small hill was visible. Norden house sat on top of a hill. The extra tree cover added a layer of protection and mystery, like that which had always shrouded the house itself.
Rose didn’t need conversation as she drank in the sights long forgotten. She spent most of the way down trying to sneak peeks of Norden house between the canopy of trees. As they made their way to the communal stables on the Northwestern bank, she registered that Luc was riding much closer to her than he had been their entire trip.
He was close enough to reach out and touch. Their horses fell into step next to each other, and his eyes raked over her. She guessed he was silently observing the wonder and terror crossing her face as she began to re-experience Compass Lake.
Magic, Norden magic, reached out and wrapped around Rose as if it would never let her go again. She felt warm and safe momentarily before opening her eyes and remembering where she was.
She had run from here without a second thought when her world shattered at sixteen. She never thought she’d be back.
“I knew we’d be back,”Arie spoke to her as his bird form landed on her shoulder.
“That makes one of us. Have I told you I’ve got a bad feeling about this?” she replied. “I want that on the record when this all goes to hell.”
“Of course you do, but as your beautiful and dangerous Luc has pointed out multiple times, you seem to have been backed into a corner by your morals.”
“He’s not my Luc,” she whispered.
Luc turned at his name from her lips, noticing the bird on her shoulder. His half-smile tilted dangerously as he realized they were talking about him.
“I’d take that wager,”Arie replied as they rode into town.
Chapter Eighteen
Compass Lake Village sat at the end of the mountain path they traveled, the northwestern bank of the lake. It held the communal stables, market, town square, and other necessities.
Just past the square were some boats pulled up on the shore, which were considered the only public entry to the lake, aside from the Compass houses. The most natural path to each of the houses was by boat.
Luc offered Rose his arm as they left their horses with the Suden grooms and made to follow the path through the village leading to the lake. Cautiously accepting, she reminded herself why she was there.
For Tara. For others like her that had succumbed to the mist plague. To stop more people from losing their friends and family.
Whispers and stares followed Rose and Luc through the streets, though no one dared to meet the Suden Point’s eye or question him directly.
They stopped for bread for dinner. The baker didn’t look familiar to her, though she was sure the shop had been there when she was younger. The baker barely made eye contact as he passed back the change to Luc.
“Good to see you again, sir. Glad you made it back safely.”
Luc’s face gave nothing away as he responded as if he were speaking about the weather. “Has the news reached here of the last mist attack?”
“Yes, sir, multiple small villages up north by Lake of the Gods fell.” He hesitated. “Did you have a productive trip?” he mumbled as he passed the bagged bread to Luc.
“I suppose that depends on the definition of productive,” he replied, and he pulled Rose closer, sliding his arm around her waist. The baker’s eyes locked on the motion, Luc’s touch seeming to confirm his suspicions about the nature of their relationship.
Rose was amazed by the baker’s bold stare as his gaze moved from the Suden Point’s arm to Rose, then quickly back to his notes and tallies behind the counter. The Suden Point certainly hadn’t answered his questions about the mist, but he gave him something more exciting: confirmed gossip.
When they found themselves at the boats, she did not doubt that Luc’s plan for her cover would succeed. Not only had every eye in the village been on them and their proximity to each other, but none of the other Compass Points had appeared.
She felt confident that word would spread that she was romantically involved with the Suden Point without talking to any courtiers. Things were going just as Luc had anticipated.
As they got into the boat, Luc took up the oars and started them in a clockwise loop around the lake. Though it was a relatively small lake, just over a mile in circumference, they were headed from the Northwestern corner to the Suden house at the southern point. This little boat ride would take them most of the way around—an obvious promenade to solidify their story.
The Suden Point was at home, and he had company.
“How’s this going?” she asked when they were finally far enough away from shore.
“They seem very interested in you, don’t they?” he drawled, and actually smiled at her as he paddled them forward.
