Page 91 of The Dark Mage

He turned to look at her, taking in her red-rimmed eyes and the way her fingers tugged anxiously at the neckline of her dress.

“No,” he replied tersely.Then, stepping forward, he embraced her.He smelled of salt water and green, growing things—a comfort within the chaos of her spiraling thoughts.

“I’m going to find them,” he said firmly.“I won’t keep waiting without some idea of what’s going on.”

He released her and began leading the horse toward the woods.Ren’wyn watched him go, and she wondered if she had ever loved him more than she did at that moment—seeing him prepare to search for his people.And she wondered if her heart could break further, knowing he might not return.

“Wait!”she called.“Wait, Esrin,wait.”

He paused and looked back as she snatched her pack from the table.Her resolve solidified.She wouldn’t sit idly by—not forFael.

“Take me with you,” she demanded.

“No,” Esrin said, his tone final.“I have no idea what I’m walking into or who might be out there.I won’t take you into unknown danger.”

“Take me with you, Esrin,” she pressed, her body tensing with conviction.“I want to go.I want tohelp.”

“No!”he shouted, his voice shattering the quiet of the forest.“You’ll only be a liability.You’re toosoft.”

His words struck her like a blow.She froze, gripping the leather strap of her pack.It took less than an instant to make up her mind.She breathed deeply, closing her eyes and reaching for her magic, a familiar cold filling her veins.

The horse stopped first, whinnying nervously and pawing at the ground.Esrin grabbed the reins, confusion clouding his face.Then, his grip faltered, and he dropped the reins entirely.

A black fog rolled down the path, and the forms of the dead materialized within it—silent, watchful figures that blocked his way.Shadows twisted and churned, growing unnaturally, and the undergrowth rustled.Icy wind whipped against Esrin’s ankles, frost clinging to his pants as the air grew colder, emptier.

He turned toward Ren’wyn—and startled.

Her arm was outstretched, her eyes black as night.A gale roared around her, lifting her blonde hair like an ashen halo.Her dove-gray dress billowed in the wind, rimed with frost along the sleeves.

“You will stop, Esrin,” she commanded, her voice ringing unyielding through the clearing.

The others emerged from their tents, wide-eyed, as the wind intensified.Esrin shivered, the Void gripping him with its unnatural chill.When Ren’wyn curved her fingers, fear rooted him in place.

The shades surged forward, their empty sockets absorbing what little light remained.Silent, gaping mouths twisted in agony, and skeletal hands reached for him.Bands of shadow held his feet fast to the ground, and he broke into a sweat as he struggled invain.

“I am not soft and weak,” Ren’wyn whispered, the shades a ghostly chorus echoing her words on the icy wind.“Take me with you, Esrin.”

One last rush of frigid wind—shadows caressing the undergrowth, ghosts rippling along their dark margins.

And then, Ren’wyn stood where she had been moments before, her shoulders relaxed.She was herself again, her dove-gray gown settling quietly, her blonde hair resting against her shoulders.Her stony gray eyes met Esrin’s, calm and resolute.She slipped her pack over one shoulder and waited in silence for his invitation.

Esrin’s hands trembled as he reached for the reins, his breath shaky.He ran his fingers over the horse’s neck, seeking comfort in its warmth.

Finally, voice shaking, he made his decision.“Let’s get going,” hesaid.

25

After a grueling half day’s ride, Esrin and Ren’wyn found Fael’s token on the roadside—a gold disc engraved with a leaf, identical to the ones Leta and Miguel carried.The sight of it sent a chill through Ren’wyn.Fael could have dropped it after encountering trouble he couldn’t escape—or worse, if he had ridden back to the others and trouble had found themall.

No.No, no, no.

This couldn’t be happening.Fael was too strong, too clever to have been forced into abandoning it.He had single-handedly defeated an entire regiment before.There was no way he could have been caught.

No.Please, no.

The world tilted as Ren’wyn collapsed to her knees, dirt and gravel scuffing her hands.The hot summer air scalded her lungs, and her thoughts spiraled as panic clawed at her chest.Fael was everything.This couldn’t bereal.

Above her, Esrin’s face twisted with disapproval, his hand resting on his hip.That arrogantass.