Page 52 of Bound Paths
She could admit she wanted that same feeling in Norden house. Her stomach churned. It wouldn’t be a family home without him—without her bound partner. She didn’t even care if they forever held two households, calling Norden and Suden houses their own. It was inconvenient but workable. If that was their biggest challenge after saving the continent, she would take it.
“We’ll make it feel like home, Rose,”he whispered. She wondered how many of her thoughts he could hear. Did he know of the future she dreamed of for them?
“I dream of it, too. I’ll do anything to make it happen,”he whispered into her mind.
She took a deep breath. They would have plenty of time to figure this out when she got him back.
As they approached the familiar weeping willow, Rose steeled her spine and readied herself for the next part of the journey. They would find Luc on this trip if everything went according to plan.
Carter parted the long, wispy branches of the ancient tree, and they walked under the canopy. The ground was still disturbed at the trunk where Rose had dug up the Burning Coin at Arie’s command. They had done a terrible job covering their tracks. Rose saw Carter’s hand slip into his pocket, likely touching that same coin. Giving him the Vesten god’s artifact was a game changer in their relationship and journey. This wouldn’t have been possible if the coin hadn’t successfully helped unlock some of the unique abilities of his veil cat form.
“Ready?” Carter’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“That’s it? We’re here, and you know what to do?” Rose put her hand on her hip as she asked the question.
“Kind of.” Carter shrugged. “I hadn’t been back in the garden since we returned. I like to think I would have felt the tug of magic at this tree if I had been. I have to assume that having the coin, having this new connection to Cassandra’s realm, would have made the magic here more recognizable.”
“Do you know how it will work? Or is it best if I don’t know, like last time?” she said as she elbowed him.
“Less is more on this trip. I’m not positive what will happen, so it’s best not to set any expectations.”
Rose gave him a heavy dose of side-eye.
“I know with complete certainty that we will be able to cross,” he said with a finality she believed. She was less reassured as he tilted his head from side to side, seeming to take the tree in from all angles.
“Fine.” She brushed away her concern with her hand. “You got us there and back last time. I trust you to do it again.”
He nodded. “I’m going to shift now. The same rules apply. You have to hold on to me. And this time, don’t let go once we make it across. Holding on to my fur will ensure we stay close, to let the blade’s magic do its thing.” He coughed. “And to let you replenish its magic if necessary.”
“Are you giving me permission to stab you?” she asked.
“I was hoping for a gentle poke, but don’t worry about hurting me. The magic is more important than a little scratch.”
She gave him a wary glance but agreed. “It probably makes sense to enable the dagger’s magic now, right?” They wanted to have the magic active before they arrived in the Lady’s domain.
“Yes. Once I shift, it should only take a few moments for us to cross. It’s better to do it now. Who knows where exactly the border is that alerts the Lady to arrivals.”
Rose pulled Aurora’s dagger from her belt and slit the tip of her finger, letting her blood drip onto the blade. Carter did the same. She felt the magic as soon as her blood touched the weapon. Turning to check that Carter was also covered, a veil cat prowled where the Vesten Point had stood. The magic rippled around them both, the water droplets obscuring their origin point. She stepped forward, the magic moving with them, and latched her fingers into the scruff of fur at the cat’s neck.
“Ready when you are,” she said since Carter could no longer speak to her. Unsure what to expect, she was slightly surprised when the veil cat growled loudly. She searched the area, thinking he was signaling danger. His growl pierced the silent gardenagain, and a yelp slipped out of her mouth as the old tree before them shifted.
She blinked, trying to make sense of what she saw. The branches swayed, and the trunk widened. Her eyes were fixed on the tree as it grew. It cracked loudly. Rose’s head snapped up, thinking a branch was falling on them. Instead, the trunk hollowed out at the center, the bark disappearing. It created a dark passageway straight through the center of the tree. The willow’s canopy hid this mysterious passageway from the view of any passersby.
Her grip tightened on the veil cat beside her. She had a sinking feeling about where they were headed. Carter stalked forward, and she matched his pace. They stood at the precipice of the dark passageway. It was large enough for them to walk into. If the tunnel were straight, it should simply take them through to the other side of the tree trunk, but Rose knew that wouldn’t be the case. The darkness was unending.
“You want to go through that, don’t you?” Rose asked wryly.
The veil cat dipped its head and continued their forward progress. With their first step into the passageway—Rose realized what this was.
Her connection to Carter’s magic.
The way she was able to connect with his power source as a Compass Point to share magic—it had been through a tree just like this one. The way the magic of the Compass Points worked together held more answers than she had realized.
Carter hadn’t known about this tree’s magic until today. Sure, it was an essential feature in the Vesten garden, but until today, it had been just a tree. She had watched the surprise cross his face in Norden library as Arie revealed a passage beyond the veil on his property. So, the real question was, what did it mean about Carter’s magic that it chose this tree, this pathway, to represent it?
Rose had no answers. They had already known Carter could see spirits and that his magic was connected to the land beyond the veil, especially with his shifter form. This felt like more. She shook her head, refocusing on the goals of this trip. She was determined to save Luc and, hopefully, the continent.
A shiver raked her spine as they crossed beyond the veil. She thought of Cassandra demanding this tree be planted, Zrak and his Nebulus, and Aterra and his plan to make a Suden Point. How many other players had stakes in this game of which they were unaware?
