Page 28

Four days of travelling passed quickly. Adelina and Damir either camped under the stars, beneath a canopy of trees, or enjoyed the finer comforts of a tavern or inn room.

Along the way, she experimented in the prism world, growing more comfortable with her magic, each time her amulet left a warm, tingling sensation on her neck.

They fell into a routine of stopping before dusk fell, so she’d time to practise her magic.

If they camped, he hunted for food, set up a firepit, and collected supplies, she would disappear into her portal, but he never ventured too far away.

On the nights they rented rooms, he made sure they had substantial meals brought up, and there was enough space on the floorboards for her to practice.

When she returned to the real world, she sank onto the mossy floor beside her husband. He handed her a skewer of meat, a chunk of bread, and a slice of cheese fresh from its market wrapper.

Placing the cheese on top of the bread, she balanced it on her knee, then scooted the charred rabbit off the stick and onto her sandwich .

Biting a large mouthful, she moaned in delight as she relished the smoky taste of meat mixed with the creaminess of cheese and the hearty, herby bread.

“Not as nice as the rosemary twists but definitely satiating.” She wiped a powdery texture from the corners of her mouth.

“While I was in the village, I bought some more camping supplies and clothing.” He nodded to the bags positioned on the ground beside the hobbled horses. “There’re extra blankets, pots, bandages, some medicinal herbs. Oh, I also got something especially for you.”

Jumping to his feet, he hopped over to his bags, rummaged inside one, then drew a wooden paddle brush with fine bristles.

He handed it to her. “I’d make you one myself if I was back at the carpentry shop, but I saw it amongst some trinkets and thought it would come in handy.

Saves your hair getting knotted while sleeping wild. ”

“It’s lovely.” She smiled and traced a line over the smooth surface of the pine handle. “Thank you.”

“Well, thank Filip.” He laughed. “It’s his money that paid for it.”

She narrowed her gaze on the flames of the campfire, and while it should’ve warmed her, a chill shot up her spine. “He could be anywhere—so close or further away than we expect. How can we know for certain?”

“We don’t,” he said softly. “But we are staying ahead of him and his men. We’ll sail across the sea if we have to.”

“He’ll likely have sent word to the docks informing them I’m missing.” She lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. “They’ll know to look for me, and we won’t get a chance to board a ship.”

“Come with me—there’s a stream through the trees, a couple of minutes’ walk from camp. We’ll bathe and watch the sunset.” He rose, then offered her his hand.

She accepted it graciously, and as they walked to the pebbled bank of the stream, she finished her meal.

Damir had brought a bag with him, which he rested beside them.

Rootling around inside, he drew two towels, a pile of clothes, and a bar of lily soap wrapped in brown paper. He settled them onto the stones, then tugged his wife into his arms.

A bolt of desire shot through her core when he tilted his head to kiss her. His lips were soft against hers, the taste of roasted meat and cheese lingering on his tongue.

He slid her cape off her shoulders and let the warm fabric puddle on the ground at her feet.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly, leaning back from him. “We can’t—not out here.” She glanced around as if she might spot somebody in the bushes or across the stream from them.

“No one will be this far away from a village, save a merchant or two, but I doubt even they would be loitering at this time of day.” His voice was husky as he ran his fingers down her arms.

He brought her to the ground, the tiny stones shifting beneath their knees.

One jabbed into her flesh, but she didn’t care.

His hand cradled the back of her neck, drawing her close.

Her lips parted slightly as his mouth joined with hers.

Her moment of hesitation washed away by her need to be one with her husband.

Together, they fell back against the towels and pebbles. She breathed heavier with each of his touches. They freed each other of their clothes and made love to the gentle sound of the rippling stream and birdsong.

∞∞∞

Three weeks had passed since Filip left Aramoor with Pyotr and his guards.

Horses’ hooved clomped as they dragged the carriages along a beaten trail.

Filip’s already thin patience was almost depleted.

Too much time had been spent trying to find signs of Adelina’s whereabouts or an indication of where she was headed.

“We should make haste.” Filip nodded to the coachman. “The longer we take in finding them, the further they’re likely to travel.”

In desperate need to stretch his legs and breathe some air that wasn’t tainted by the lingering stench of alcohol clinging to Pyotr, Filip banged on the carriage roof.

When the horses came to a stop, Filip climbed out, sucking in a lungful of crisp, night air.

He turned to Pyotr. “You’ll accompany me, but for the love of gods, stand down wind. No amount of bathing has rid you of the smell of hops.”

Without a word, Pyotr obeyed .

With one final glance at the coachman, Filip said, “Lead the others through the forest, stick to the path, so you don’t damage the carriage wheels.”

Turning on his heel, Filip traversed through the pine forest, the faint torch light of the carriages in the near distance.

The deeper he and Pyotr travelled, the more noticeable and intense a tingling sensation became.

It spread across Filip’s arms and the back of his neck.

The saturation of his vision sharpened, and the pitch of his hearing heightened.

He tilted his head to the side, observing his surroundings. The trees and underbrush should appear indistinguishable in the faint dim glow of torchlight, but he could easily make out the brambles and the berries.

“What is it?” Pyotr asked.

“I feel something…peculiar.” Filip wandered closer to the brambles. “They say nether and astral are two halves of one soul. Naturally, we aren’t supposed to be apart. It’s like I can sense her.”

“Do you think she’s been here?”

“They would’ve camped nearby.” Filip glanced over his shoulder, beckoning the guard nearest to him. Within seconds he, along with the others, were at Filip’s side. “Search the trees. Report any signs of them to me.”

They dispersed, crunching leaves and twigs underfoot.

Filip frowned. “Damn, why is everything so loud? ”

Pyotr raised a brow. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Filip muttered under his breath .

He followed the path deeper into the forest, then halted, his peculiar sensations fading. Spinning around, he retreated towards his starting point, then stepped through the bushes, amongst the dense cluster of pine trunks. The prickling of his magic intensified.

“I must be getting warmer,” he said.

“Wait up!” Pyotr hollered, thundering after him.

“Go back to the carriage. There’s nothing you can do right now, except potentially crush evidence of Adelina under your booming feet.” Filip held up his arm, barricading Pyotr as he plundered towards him.

“Sorry, sir.” Pyotr froze mid-step beside the claw-like roots of a nearby tree.

“Over here, sir!” a guard yelled from a few yards ahead.

Filip hurried towards the guard, his magical sensation intensifying, the green of leaves now a bright and sickly saturated colour. He shielded his eyes. What in the realm was happening to him? Such a connection to astral magic would’ve come in handy during his decade search of the girl.

The guard knelt beside the remnants of a firepit—ashes, twigs, burned logs, and two rabbit carcasses.

A bright white scorch mark on the mossy ground next to the firepit caught Filip’s attention the most. “What is that?”

“What’s what?” the guard said.

“The mark, there on the ground. Can you see it?” Filip pointed to it.

“No, sir. I don’t see anything.” The guard shook his head.

Kneeling, Filip touched the mark—the moss scorched beneath his fingertips. The hues of his vision changed from sharp contrasts to a bright white against a black background. His veins pulsed and his temples throbbed.

He pressed his hands flat onto the ground to steady his wobbling body and closed his eyes. “Damn magic.”

“What do you sense?” Pyotr asked, having not obeyed his direct order to return to the carriage. Insolent man.

“Astral magic. She was here.” Filip didn’t meet his gaze.

“Her magic was dormant before, which explains why I wasn’t able to trace her before she did the test. Now she’s dropping clues in her wake.

You can’t see it, but there’s a white, circular mark on the ground, right here.

” He tapped the mud. “She opened a portal to the prism world.”

Pyotr nodded once. “Right. I’ll take your word for it.”

Filip rose and rubbed the side of his head. “We’ll carry on our search, and if we’re lucky, the trace will lead us straight to her.”