Page 37 of Bound Paths
“Oh?” Aurora sounded intrigued.
“We tried both yesterday. Zrak didn’t come when Juliette called, but Carter shifted and took me beyond the veil. We were only there momentarily. The Lady of the Veil was instantly alerted to our presence and wasn’t welcoming.”
“You found the tree path already?” Aurora seemed shocked.
“The tree path?” It was Rose’s turn to be surprised. Her mind conjured the giant willow tree in the Vesten garden—the one she and Arie had dug under to find the Vesten coin—but it was no path beyond the veil.
Aurora tilted her head, seeming to realize a mistake. “How did you go beyond the veil?”
“Where the Osten Point performs the power-sharing ritual with Zrak. The location proved to have enough wild magic and thinning between realms for Carter to find his way through.”
Aurora’s mouth opened and closed. “Arie’s right. You’re quite reckless when you’re determined.”
Rose wasn’t sure what to say to that. She moved her hand to her hip.
“I told him we should have come back with you directly.” The goddess now appeared to be talking to herself. She paused as if realizing Rose was still there. “Zrak didn’t respond at all?” Aurora asked.
“He didn’t. Juliette said she had more time…” Rose coughed, unsure how to explain it. “That he sometimes pushed the limit on the power-sharing, but he’d never missed it. I’m hoping you and Arie can try with her now that you’re here.”
Aurora nodded. “May I see the dagger?” She stretched her hand out to Rose.
She handed the dagger with the bright blue gem in its handle to the goddess who had made it. Rose always wondered if her weapon master magic had been stronger than others, not only due to her dual lines but due to Aurora being her patron. Aurora herself was the weapons master of the gods. Her talent knew no comparison.
“Few know the power of the Norden artifact,” Aurora began.
“Doesn’t it enhance Norden magic?” Rose asked.
“It does, but in the same way the Suden artifact enhances a Suden power few are aware of.”
Rose smiled at that. She should have known that Aurora’s artifact would have more to it. She hadn’t really tried to use it yet. She’d been so focused on pulling the magic of all four Compass Points together that she hadn’t spent time trying to dig deeper into her own.
“I know you’re still getting reacquainted with your magic,” Aurora started. “And as I saw under the mountain, you seem to have your hands full as the Compass Points’ magic lead. But I want you to know”—she cleared her throat—“you don’t have to be afraid to use this.”
Rose tilted her head in question.
Aurora’s cheeks flushed. “I-I…” she stammered. “I thought maybe you didn’t use the dagger’s magic because you were afraid to after learning there was a connection between Compass Point and patron. I want you to know I’m more than fine. I know I didn’t look it in the cavern. But my magic wasn’t depleted like with Juliette and Zrak. It was simply that the wild magic of the cavern enhanced Aterra’s power. That small edge was enough to make a difference between gods.”
Rose was even more confused. “I wasn’t avoiding drawing power from the dagger,” Rose said. “I honestly hadn’t considered what the dagger could do.”
Aurora laughed. “Then why did you take the time to retrieve it?”
Rose shrugged. “I was making a statement about being able to claim it, not leaning on any power it might have.” Rose’s lip curled into a smile. “Sometimes the symbol of power is enough.” She gestured to the dagger. “So, what unknown Norden power does this enhance?”
“The dagger’s primary function is to ensure the wielder can move unnoticed,” Aurora replied.
That could mean a lot of things. She couldn’t figure out how her water magic could help her go undetected. Not that she knew of a deep connection between the Suden earth magic and mind shadow either. The Suden ability to change or share memories was distinct from their element. She wondered more and more if the gods knew what they were doing when they created the fae courts. Rose held her onslaught of questions and focused on one. “How?”
“Your mind is a fearsome thing, Rose. I can see it working. The dagger’s power does connect to water magic. I think of it like the drops of rainwater on a lake. So many fall at once, it’s hard to tell which drop caused which ripple. The dagger does something similar to shield you and your magic. It ensures your presence won’t be directly felt. It creates a series of interruptions to the expected—a diversion—giving the wielder the ability to move undetected. It will be exactly what you need when you go beyond the veil again.”
Rose’s magic had already started to hum at the thought of having something new to try in its desperate desire to retrieve Luc. “You seem so sure,” Rose said.
“Isn’t it though?” Aurora’s face was stoic but confident. At least Rose took this to mean the gods understood something about the Lady of the Veil’s dislike of visitors. Aurora wouldn’t suggest she needed the ability to go undetected beyond the veil otherwise.
Rose tried another tack. “What was it used for?”
Aurora pressed her lips tighter together. Rose was sure she was fighting a grin. “Most say the concept of trading secrets only started with the second age of Compass Points. But this dagger was given to Jacob, the first Norden Point. You’ve learned enough to know we had suspicions about Aterra, even then. Jacob tracked him when he could. He tried to learn what Aterra was doing when he spent time with the Suden. The daggerprotected him from Aterra realizing he was being followed, though Jacob never collected enough information for us to use.” Aurora tilted her head. “He was also setting up a court, so I understood. I asked a lot of him. Just as a lot is being asked of you.”
Interesting, but not quite the information she was looking for. It seemed too convenient that Aurora knew they needed to be undetected beyond the veil. They must know something about the Lady of the Veil’s magic—how she could know when someone crossed into her realm. Rose would try again later to figure out what the gods knew. Rose switched gears to the opportunity before her. “How does it work?”
