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Chapter 6

After leaving the child with a Mage, Caraway returned to the gate with an incorrigible smile on his face. Even the Prime’s tongue-lashing about working outside the scope of his station hadn’t ruffled his fur. He’d done something that felt good.

Because of him, this child would have the chance to grow up.

Thiswas why he’d left his family in the first place—to save those who couldn’t save themselves. It was why he became a Guardian. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that, despite Anise’s urging to do so. Some part of him must have still been locked into an old way of thinking, one where he could only do his job if he colored inside the lines. But life wasn’t ordered. It was chaotic.

“Violence begets violence,” his mother had once said.

“Violence protects. It teaches your enemy to be afraid of you.”

“Well, congratulations, son. We are now afraid of you.”

He shoved the memories down and focused on the one shining light in his life. Anise. He couldn’t wait to tell her what he’d said when the Prime had tried to block him from leaving. He’d told her that if she wanted to keep him as a Guardian, then she’d better get used to him stepping in to help those unfortunate, whether it was Well-related or not. He’d said the Order needed this kind of image boost after the Prime’s totalitarian ways, and then he didn’t stop to wait for the Prime’s response.

Coming up to the gate, he gestured for the guard on top to open it and let him out. When he emerged into the field outside the Order compound, he couldn’t find Anise. At first, he thought perhaps she’d gone inside after all, but he’d barely spent time at the Academy where he’d flagged down a healing Mage. The Prime had accosted him on the way back out. If Anise had entered the compound, she’d have walked straight past him.

He lifted his gaze to the sentry’s post and squinted into the sun.

“Where did the female go?” he asked.

The guard shrugged. “Somewhere snowy, I guess.”

Caraway’s heart clenched. “What do you mean?”

“She asked me to activate her portal stone. Said she couldn’t do it.”

No.

Caraway shook his head, refusing to believe it. She wouldn’t leave without him, would she? He’d felt like they were finally connecting again. But she had left. Not only had she entered dangerous territory on her own, but she was still planning on going through with her quest for the ability to shift. No bargain made with the Ice-Witch would be safe. And then there was the mission part of his reason for following her. Caraway might not agree with the Prime’s way of leading sometimes, but he stood behind the Order’s mission to keep magic alive in Elphyne. They needed to know whether the Ice-Witch was responsible for supplying the human enemy with mana-warped monsters.

Mild panic swarmed his skin like prickling ant bites. He had to get Leaf. Without preamble, he headed back into the Order to find the Cadre of Twelve’s team leader, and resident expert at tracing portals.

* * *

Caraway stoodbehind Leaf and Aeron as they assessed the space in the air where Anise’s portal had been activated. Leaf glared at the space with glowing blue eyes. It seemed as if he saw through the air to another dimension. His compatriot, Aeron, also looked at something Caraway couldn’t see.

They were tracing the portal—tracking where it had sent Anise.

Both elves were adept at casting spells with their inherent mana. As far as Caraway knew, there was no one more skilled than Leaf. He shuddered to think how powerful Leaf would become if he gained a Well-blessed mate like his cadre members, Rush and Thorne.

Aeron’s braided brown hair swung down his spine every time he nodded to Leaf with another increment of portal remnant he assessed.

Caraway could see none of it.

This skill took decades, possibly centuries, to hone. It was why these two were part of the cadre, the Order’s most elite warriors, and not Caraway.

“I’ve almost got it,” Leaf murmured. Small droplets of perspiration dotted the skin over his smooth top lip.

“She’s far north-west,” Aeron added. “In the cold.”

Leaf made a swiping motion with his hand, and a tearing sound ripped through the air. He reopened the portal and turned to Caraway, “I hope she brought a woolen cape.”

Caraway gave a curt nod. He didn’t need one. Being a muskox-shifter, and one of the fire-fae, his temperature ran hot.

Aeron put something smooth into Caraway’s palm. When Caraway looked down, he found another portal stone. But he’d already taken one from the Mage Academy. He raised a brow at Aeron.

“It’s from Clarke. It’s keyed to Rush’s cabin.”