Page 8 of Bound Paths
She met Aaron’s gaze unflinchingly. “I assure you, I have multiple plans to bring him back. I just found him. I don’t intend to let him go so easily.”
Aaron nodded once. “Good.” He stood again, moving back to his desk. When he turned, he looked like a different male than the one she’d just spoken to. The worried brother was gone. One responsible for the Suden fae in Luc’s absence stood in his place. “What do we tell the court? They will have questions with the Compass Points at the lake and the Suden Point missing.”
Rose was confused but not by the question about the Suden court, which was an appropriate discussion point. She was surprised they were moving on from the fact that Luc was beyond the veil. Her initial response hadn’t outlined a plan. It was a statement of intention. She expected Luc’s brother to press further.
“You don’t have any other questions about what Luc is, where he is, or how we will get him back?” she asked in bewilderment.
“I know I haven’t warmed to you yet, Rose,” he replied, “but I know Luc’s faith in you is absolute. He puts himself in danger—often”—a fond smile crossed his face—“but he’s never blatantly reckless.”
Rose begged to differ on that assessment, but she held her tongue as Aaron continued.
“He knows what losing him—really losing him—would do to his family.” Aaron stretched his neck to the side. His hand rubbed the back of it as if deciding how to phrase whatever else he had to say. “As I said, you smell like him—not like you’ve been around him recently—but more uniquely. His pine and cinnamon scent filled the room when you started to speak. Then again, after you told me where he was”—Aaron coughed—“knowing my brother, he wouldn’t have done what you say without being sure he could get back. Given the evidence, I assume he believesyouwill bring him back.” He nodded, almost to himself this time. “I will believe that, too, until you tell me otherwise.”
A burning flooded the back of Rose’s sinuses as, again, she fought back tears. She blinked rapidly, losing the war with herself, and nodded, unable to attain the same mask on her emotion Aaron had achieved. She took another deep breath, steadying herself to respond. “For now, we tell people he is working to stop the mist plague and bring balance back to the continent. He used to do such things before, while the other Compass Points remained at the lake.”
The absence of his magic’s reassuring hold felt like a physical ache inside her chest. She wanted it back. “It will buy us time. I don’t plan on letting him linger beyond the veil for long.”
Exhaustion threatenedto pull Rose under as she finally arrived at the edge of Norden property. Letting her thoughts clear on the walk around Compass Lake had been the right move. Her magic longed to dive into the water and swim to her seat of power, butif she stood any chance of rest tonight, she needed to calm her racing mind.
Aaron could smell Luc’s magic on her. Both times he mentioned were when she’d acknowledged the emptiness inside her—where Luc’s magic should be.
The last time they were together was a jumble of heat, skin, and magic. Her core tightened as her thoughts lingered on his power, holding her to the workshop wall while he pleasured her. Their magic had come together as much as their bodies.
She was unsure what to make of it.
The way their magics reached for each other when near brought forth fairy tale imagery—stories of bound fae partners. She shook her head again. Bound fae were incredibly rare, if they existed at all. None of the stories spoke of partners that spanned fae courts.
A Norden and Suden could never be that.
The empty place in her chest where Luc’s magic used to take up space pulsed in disappointment at the thought. Before considering what it meant, her foot touched Norden soil.
It was waves crashing against rock, the ocean’s roar, and a rushing river as magic rolled through her—as she returned to her seat of power.
The imposing presence of Norden house loomed ahead. Its austere stone facade demanded her attention. The breath she felt like she’d been holding since she first saw the lake from the mountain pass released.
This was where she belonged.
She was glad her magic felt so at home because her palms were sweaty, and anxious energy filled her. It would be her first night sleeping at the house. The event should have excited her more than it did. To her, the House still represented secrecy and separation among the Compass Points.
Hoping to share this night with Luc was a secret she kept tucked away in her chest. It was no surprise she wanted a life with him at Compass Lake. No, the secret was that, in a world after the mist plague, when they restored balance to the continent, she imagined them coming and going between the two houses as easily as the breeze blew across the lake. In this future, one wouldn’t be hers and the other his. Instead, each house would feel equally like home to them as long as they were together. She liked the idea that such a public connection between her and Luc would allow more connections between Norden and Suden, or members of any court for that matter.
It was a beautiful dream. Yet, here she was, walking to Norden house alone.
The magic of the land rolled through her like a cresting wave with each step she took. She wasn’t away for long, but as the Compass Points had learned from the Vesten journals, their magic was never stronger than at Compass Lake.
Her mood fell further as she saw figures between her and the entrance. It may be dark, but identifying them didn’t take long. Meg and Catherine, the Norden elders she had dismissed after claiming her title, stood between her and the back door to the house. Samuel, the third elder, was noticeably missing.
While Samuel had proved willing to confess his wrongdoing regarding Aiden stealing the Norden Point seat, these two had been happy to remain complacent about his illegitimate reign.
This was the last thing she wanted to deal with tonight.
She briefly considered going around to the front of the house to avoid them, but she shook her head and continued forward. That wasn’t the kind of leader she would be. Rose would face her problems head-on.
“Meg, Catherine.” She acknowledged them each with a curt nod. “Can I help you with something?” Rose let her arms hangat her sides. She didn’t want to appear closed off by letting them cross her chest, no matter how she felt about these fae.
“What do you have to report?” Catherine asked. “We saw you return today with the Vesten and Osten Points. The Suden Point wasn’t with you.” The elder peered around Rose as if imagining Luc would pop out of the earth behind her.
Rose opened and closed her fists, giving her body something to do while she reached for the respect she would give to anyone in her court, even if Catherine’s tone left something to be desired. “The Suden Point still works to stop the mist plague, but the rest of us had to return, to continue with our plan to restore balance to the continent.”
