Page 26 of Bound Paths
Juliette closed her eyes and moved her lips. Rose couldn’t hear the words. She wondered if it was a way to set her intention, to tell the magic she gave this freely for the Osten fae. Something caught in Rose’s throat as she thought of all the times Juliette had been down here alone, doing this exact ritual, with no one knowing the burden she carried for her people. Rose kept her eyes focused on the Osten Point. Juliette may not need it, but Rose wanted to acknowledge the weight the court leader silently carried. The weight of the burden must be heavier than Rose could imagine—being the only way to sustain the Osten’s magic. Her only partner in this endeavor was a mercurial god who couldn’t be bothered to share his plans. Juliette’s gaze connected with Rose’s as if she could read her thoughts. She nodded in recognition, then turned to the wall and spoke.
“Zrak!” her voice was strong and confident as it echoed through the cave. “I call on you to complete the ritual. We must strengthen the Osten court once again.”
The words hung in silence. Moments passed. Carter and Rose shared a look, unsure what to expect. Juliette squeezed her clenched fist tighter, and more drops of blood fell to the ground. “Zrak!” she called again. “It is time!”
Nothing changed on the cave wall. Somehow, Rose knew Zrak wasn’t coming. Juliette waited a few more moments, and then she gave up. Turning her back to the wall, she returned to where Rose and Carter stood.
“I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“How much longer do you have? Before his absence will impact the Osten magic?” Carter asked gently.
“At least a few more days.” She shrugged. “He’s pushed the limit before but hasn’t failed us yet.” Her ensuing sigh was so heavy, Rose swore she felt the weight of Juliette’s burden in it.
“I guess you’re up,” Rose said, turning to Carter.
The Vesten Point sniffed the air again. Even in his fae form, the action looked feline. It was the same way Arie’s actions sometimes reflected those of his favored bird form.
“I am confident we can cross here,” Carter said. His whole body seemed to shiver. “This place calls to my veil cat. Even more so than the cavern under the Lake of the Gods did.” He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck.
Rose didn’t want to admit how delighted she was to hear this. Jumping into this as they had, she wasn’t sure what to expect from Carter once they arrived.
“Let’s go then,” she said, clapping her hands together. Rose tried to keep appropriate expectations. Yes, the magic of the cavern called Carter, but he’d never done this before. Anything could happen. His face was set as his gaze wandered the cavern’s space. The balls of flame he’d sent floating around the room cast a host of shadows from the stalactites and stalagmites around them. Carter seemed more confident than she’d ever seen him as he walked to the same place Juliette had stood. He tilted his head, staring at the spot on the wall she said Zrak used when he appeared.
The pulse of magic in Rose’s chest flared as if Luc’s missing magic was trying to tell her something. She rubbed her sternum again. As soon as they were beyond the veil, she would check her lake of magic and see if the connection was there when they were in the same realm.
“We’ll use the same location,” Carter said, nodding to himself. Rose looked at the solid wall but decided not to question it.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked.
“I’m going to shift,” Carter started. “And in the veil cat form, we won’t be able to communicate much. I can understand anything you say, but we’ll be limited to yes and no answers.”
“What’s the plan?” Rose asked, staring again with apprehension toward the cave wall.
“Even in my fae form, I can see the residue from the realm beyond. My powers with the veil cat are growing. They tend to increase in places like this.” He scratched his head. Then, his gaze darted away from the wall. He was considering something and didn’t like the result.
“What is it?” Rose asked.
“Best if I don’t share this one ahead of time. It’ll only make you nervous.” Carter didn’t look at her, but his smirk told her everything she needed to know.
Rose opened her mouth to respond, but the pulse of phantom magic in her chest distracted her. Absentmindedly rubbing at it again, she glared at Carter. As if he’d somehow made the magic flare so she wouldn’t argue with him. “Fine,” she conceded.
“Should I wait for you here?” Juliette asked. “Do you think you’ll return to the same place?”
“If everything goes according to plan, we should,” Carter said with more emphasis on the words ‘according to plan’ than she cared for. “We shouldn’t be long though. If we take over an hour, we’ll meet you back at Osten house.”
Rose didn’t like the sound of that, but it was her decision to run headfirst into this. She’d accept whatever Carter thought might happen.
“What now?” Rose asked. The pulsing in her chest hadn’t stopped, but she was certainly distracted by the shift in magic in this place. Carter was right about the strength of it.
He didn’t respond, and when Rose looked beside her, a veil cat sat where the Vesten Point had been. The animal arched its back in a way only a feline could, signaling for Rose to reachdown and touch it. She kept her hand on his back, digging into the scruff on his neck as they walked forward.
They moved toward the flatter section of the cave wall that Carter had asked about, moving around the rock formations in the floor and ceiling. It was where Juliette had said Zrak usually appeared—if he appeared at all. It looked so solid. Rose suddenly got a bad feeling about the plan Carter said she wouldn’t like.
The magic in the cavern was potent. Rose had to trust Carter to know what he was doing. Or at least knew what might work. She was desperate enough to go along with either option. She lifted her hand from the veil cat’s back to rub her sternum again, at another throb of phantom magic.
The cat’s head spun quickly, growling at Rose. Carter’s feline face was all teeth. She quickly placed her hand back in the cat’s fur.
“Message received,” she mumbled. “I will hold on.” Her fingers wove deeper into the veil cat’s scruff.
