Page 12 of Bound Paths
Her magic loved it here, and it would love it even more when Luc and his magic returned.
She folded her arms over her chest as she did a final survey of Compass Lake. The lights were already out in Suden house. Talking to Aaron tonight had been difficult, but it was a good start. She would need his help for what came next. Rose was headed beyond the veil. Whether Zrak took her or the veil-cat-shifting Vesten Point, she would get there.
Rose tossed the small bag she still carried from travel into the corner of the room. Rooting around, she pulled out a change of clothes and readied herself for sleep. She caught her reflection in the mirror in the connected washroom. It was no surprise that she looked as tired as she felt. The woman staring back at herwas no longer daydreaming about what went on inside this fancy house. The Norden house and court were hers. No matter her current grief, she welcomed the responsibility of being Norden Point.
If initially reluctant, her strides with the other Compass Points proved she was right for the position. Her perspective was good for them, and she was coming to rely on the relationships she developed with the other court leaders. As she’d said to the elders, she had already learned much from Juliette and had no doubt she’d learn more. And though many underestimated Carter’s strength, she valued the calm reassurance and quiet challenge he offered.
Ready for bed, she slipped under the blankets. She doubted she’d be awake when Harriet returned with the food. It was her first night on a mattress since Sandrin—with Luc. The now familiar pang in her chest, that space shaped for Luc’s magic, threatened to make itself known. With it, the fears and worries she wasn’t ready to confront.
If only she had as much confidence in herself as Luc did. She pulled the covers tightly around her shoulders, reminding herself that she would get Luc back—end of story. She must have convinced her body as well as her mind because she was asleep as soon as she nestled into the pillows.
“Forgive me,Rose. I know you’ll come for me.”
Rose fell to her knees, mouth open to scream, but no sound came out. The familiar ache in her chest throbbed, demanding her attention. She rocked forward, collapsing into herself as fear, heartbreak, and anger struggled for dominance.
Her chest pulsed.
No, not her chest. The heart of her magic.
Part of her knew she still slept, but another part pushed away the messy emotions and focused on her internal lake of power. She followed the familiar wind, this time a gentle breeze across her lake, deep in the center of her magic.
For all her emotional turmoil, this was a place of peace. The waters didn’t ripple with her changing moods, and the wind didn’t rage, threatening the trees along the shore. It was a place of stillness—one she desperately needed.
Rose knew the other Compass Points didn’t begrudge her grief, but they also needed her to push them forward. Carter wouldn’t have shared his shifted form, and neither would have shared their knowledge about the Lady of the Veil without her prodding. They were making progress. She wouldn’t leave them to be consumed by grief now.
She had worked too hard, and they had too much left to do. Not just saving Luc and the continent but also shaping the future she desperately wanted.
Rose stood at the lake’s edge. Dreaming or awake, her magic thrummed in her chest. She was so close to that place where Luc’s magic should be. Her gaze searched the water’s depths again for the familiar tunnel that led to Luc’s power. This was the place—the ache she constantly felt. Unsurprisingly, there was no dark pit at the bottom of her lake now.
She let out a breath. Had she expected one?
She sat down on the shore, her fingers digging into the sand. Rolling up her leggings, she dipped her bare toes into the water. Simply touching it enhanced the feeling of peace in this place. Ripples cast out from where her foot broke the surface.
It felt good. She let her head fall back as she dipped the other foot in. The hum of her magic pumped through her body as naturally as blood.
The water called to her. Placing her feet in it wasn’t enough. It was a siren song she couldn’t and wouldn’t ignore. Before realizing what she was doing, she stood and dove in. Every inch of this place was hers. Nothing could stop her.
Easy strokes led her to the center of the lake. She couldn’t keep her gaze from dropping to the lakebed below—a final check for the connection to Luc’s magic. No dark shadow was waiting there, but she found herself diving below the surface anyway—just in case.
Her water magic granted the ability to breathe underwater. She could stay below as long as she desired. Diving to the bottom, her gaze raked the earthen crater base.
What was she looking for?
The water rocked with her body’s disturbance of it. The sand on the lakebed shifted with her waves. Her gaze locked on a dark streak that emerged through the dirt.
She dove deeper so her hand could brush over the streak. It was smooth and solid, like a diamond pressed under hundreds of years of pressure. It hadn’t been here before. She was sure of that.
Intrigued now, she created more waves with her magic and brushed the sand back to further uncover more of the new material. This had to mean something. She pushed her water magic further, removing the sand from the lakebed, fully revealing what was beneath it. The pattern of black fissures spread out in spider-like webs across the entire lake floor.
Whatever this was, it was new, and she refused to discount the fact that it was right where Luc’s magic should be.
Her fingers stretched to trace another streak of the material. It was hard and unyielding, unlike the wet dirt she could usually sink her toes into. The way the material cut across the floor was like a work of art. It was all jagged edges and strong lines, muchlike the image of Luc’s uncompromising cheekbones or the arch of his brow when she amused him.
Now, she was just seeing what she wanted to see.
Rose swam a bit higher, leaving the material uncovered so she could see the entire pattern from a single vantage point. It was so much a part of the lakebed that Rose wasn’t surprised she hadn’t noticed it from the surface. More lines branched out than she’d initially realized. This new solid material was wholly interwoven with her lake.
She dove back down, her hand reaching again to touch whatever it was. It may have been new, but it didn’t feel unknown. It felt distinctly a part of her, like the lake itself. Examining the material, she would swear it was a smooth black…stone. It brought forth an image of the onyx gemstone in the Suden ring.
