Page 78 of Bound Paths
The space between realms was just as dark as she remembered. Given Luc’s memory, she looked from side to side as Carter dragged her through. There were no paths, no markers that she could discern. He knew how to lead them all the same.
As they moved through the darkness, Rose tried to feel for anything she could anchor to—magically or otherwise. Luc had seemed so lost in his memory. There had been no light, no path, no way to even know which direction was forward. Her hand gripped tightly to Carter’s scruff, and he pulled her along. Rose was confident she’d have no means of crossing without him.
The space’s emptiness was all-consuming. She let her magic roam as they moved, evaluating the power of this in-between space.
Nothing.
There was nothing here to evaluate.
Rose pricked her own finger with Aurora’s blade as they traveled. The plan was to talk to Cassandra, but they might as well start with the upper hand. She felt the magic of the realm shift as they crossed beyond the veil. Her muscles involuntarily tightened, readying to splash into the icy river.
Preparation didn’t help as her body hit the water. Pins and needles struck her exposed limbs as the frigid water swallowed her. It was somehow colder than she remembered. Not that it would stop the Norden Point from swimming to the shore on the other side.
She flopped on the bank next to the veil cat that was Carter. The sensation of the frigid water, mixed with the magic of Aurora’s dagger, was not something she would get used to. The water magic swept out in broad circles around them, the continuous, raindrop-like plops distorting their location. She took a deep breath and rolled over to check in with him. His feline form’s yellow-green eyes blinked steadily back at her, waiting for her to pull herself together.
“Alright…let’s go,” she said.
“Aren’t you the leader of the fae court known to wield water?”Luc’s sass was warmth flooding through her veins.
“The cold is distracting,”she replied as she stood and used said magic to wring the water from her clothes.“I actually don’t think I can stop myself from hitting the river when we land. It’s like a required entry point into the realm.”
“But you could…keep the water off you as you swim across?”He chuckled as the words sank below her skin. She could. But she’d like to see him think quickly when the bone-chilling water wrapped around him. She let the sentiment dance back to him, silencing a retort. Then, she focused on the Vesten Point and their next steps.
“So, find her in the castle and make ourselves known?” Rose asked as they walked. The river dumped them in the same location as last time. The familiar city was visible in the distance. They had a walk ahead, but it would be the same as their previous visit. The veil cat growled at her in acknowledgment. She didn’t bother with the compass. Until they were more permanently reunited, it would continue to lead her to Luc.
“Since we know you can’t jump us back to the continent from inside the castle, do you have to stay in veil cat form when we get there?” It was more convenient to be able to speak with him, even if they were supposed to stay silent while under the protection of the dagger. They would be exposing their presence soon enough. They might as well strategize.
“I also think I’ll want to be able to speak for myself,” Carter said, brushing off his clothes with his hands. He’d seamlessly shifted to his fae form.
Rose had expected he’d shift at some point. She was too cautious about his current plan for him to allow her to speak on his behalf.
“It will be more impactful leverage if I can show her the shift when we present ourselves. We might as well see how she reacts to the change,” he said with a shrug.
“You’re not leverage, Carter,” Rose replied. The look he shot her was sympathetic but seemed to label her naive. She didn’t have a chance to argue with him further as they arrived at the city gate and needed to stop talking if they wanted to remain unseen.
The city was much the same. Villagers seemed all too human as they went about their daily tasks. Knowing what she did now, she wondered how full the city should be. Were more spirits supposed to be here but had been taken by the river’s currents? How full was the Veil Lake now?
Rose pricked her and Carter’s fingers again as she let her mind wander. They knew where to go this time. Invisible, they went straight across the drawbridge and into the castle proper. Their best bet was to talk to Cassandra alone. They hoped to find her in the same study Zrak had found her in. This meant they scaled the same staircase they had followed Zrak up on their last visit.
The invisibility of Aurora’s dagger shielded them as they found the stone spiral staircase and slid past the guards standing at the bottom. They made their way up to the large, heavy door. This was where they would have to make themselves known. There was no opening this door and hoping no one noticed. If Cassandra were inside, she’d be alerted to their arrival as soon as they opened it.
Rose and Carter shared a final glance. Carter took the lead as he moved closer to the door. This was his show, as he kept reminding her. He reached for the handle and twisted.
If Carter was set on this, Rose was determined to be there with him. She readied for the worst as he opened the door to Cassandra’s study.
“What do we have here?”Cassandra’s voice was all brisk efficiency. If she was surprised to see the door to her private study open without anyone visible, she didn’t show it.
Rose figured it took a lot to shake Cassandra, given everything she now knew the Lady to have dealt with in ruling her realm. This land beyond the veil was so dependent on others—a refuge for spirits once their time on the continent was done—she was forever reacting to their actions.
At Carter’s nod, Rose let the water magic of Aurora’s blade wash away. The pair became visible as they entered the study.
“That’s a neat trick,” Cassandra mused, her gaze falling momentarily to Rose. “It explains something I hadn’t quite worked out yet about the Suden Point’s mysterious escape.”
“She did not believe I escaped on my own. It was a humbling conversation,”Luc added through their bond.
She wanted to laugh, but now was not the time. They had Cassandra’s attention—well, Rose watched as Cassandra’s brief focus on her faded… It swept toward the Vesten Point like a magnet. This supported Rose’s belief that whatever Carter felt about Cassandra’s magic, she must also feel about his.
Rose stretched her fingers and balled them back into fists. She might as well start this with their requests, and let Carter negotiate with whatever he was willing. “We’re here for the Suden Point,” she said, laying their cards on the table.
