Curiosity gets the better of me, and I nod.
Atarric’s eyes go unfocused, and his words come out flat. “The Fates have plans for you, Isiah. This world of magic requires balance, an equaling of power. When one side holds too much, the very fabric of this world is at risk.Youare the counterbalance to a tremendous magic source and are the only hope to prevent this world’s fracturing. In the darkest night, there will be a light lost, but do not let your rage burn you to ash.”
He blinks a few times and smiles as if he didn’t tell me a vague warning about magic and the possible fracturing of this world.
I stare at him, at a loss, but thankfully, Thom finds the words for me. “Do you have some kind of foresight?”
“Something like that, yes,” Atarric says as if it’s unremarkable. He shifts back in his chair, getting more comfortable.
“You can see the future?” Mikal asks, gaping at the male.
“Rarely does the future remain fixed. Individuals make choices every second of every day, and when they do, the future shifts. I witness these changes and foresee the likely outcome. Though I have seen your future several times, Isiah, it is always full of grief.”
That’s it. I’ve heard enough. “While I appreciate your time, my companions and I were just in need of a map. We’re heading out for a ride and would like to see the Selen countryside. If you could point us in the right direction, it would help.”
Atarric grins. “Yes, the maps are next to the window, the second bookcase, third shelf from the top. Make sure you grab the large brown book. Turn to page three seventy-six. You will find what you are looking for there.” With that, his attention returns to his reading, and he ignores us.
All right, then.
We head to the bookshelf he indicated and follow the rest of his instructions. Once I open the book to the page Atarric mentioned, I freeze. The page is titled “West Woods and Boundaries.” It’s a portion of Selen land that borders where Anaeris once stood.
I glance up at Atarric, but his nose is in his book.
Thom and Mikal peer over my shoulder, eyes darting between Atarric and the map.
After memorizing the page, we put the book away and head to the door. Atarric says nothing as we walk past him, and that’s fine by me. How he knew we were interested in Anaeris is beyond me, and why he pointed us in that direction, seeing how he works in Niethal’s library, is disconcerting.
As we exit the library, the familiar warmth of the bond settles my mind, and it’s comforting to know she’s close. The farther we walk, the more the heat fades but never completely disappears. I smile as we make our way to the entrance. Liam and Corren have our horses ready in the courtyard, and together, the five of us ride away from the castle.
The woods are denser than they appeared from the field where we left the horses. Old tree limbs hang low, scratching at our arms and legs as if trying to trap us. Only a tiny amount of sunlight filters through the canopy, leaving the forest floor in near-continual dusk. To cover more ground, Corren, Thom, and I hike in one direction while Mikal and Liam went in the other.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we were the first to walk this pathsince the fall of Anaeris,” Corren whispers as he steps over a fallen branch. “These woods feel ancient.”
He’s right. The air in here is as thick as the branches surrounding us. There are no bird songs or animal calls, only a weighted silence.
I bend under a low bough. “Just a bit farther. We should reach where the border was soon.”
We stop dead in our tracks as shouts sound from Liam and Mikal’s direction.
“Shit!” Thom hisses as he sprints towards them, with Corren and me on his heels.
As we near, the shouts grow louder, and a deep, feral growl rumbles through the underbrush. We hesitate for only a moment, long enough to glance at each other and draw swords. Our decades of training together take over, and we move in formation; Corren on my left flank, Thom on my right.
We’re close. Grunts and metal clashing rings behind the next row of trees, but our steps halt when we push through the branches.
Liam and Mikal stand back to back, blades drawn. Mikal’s sword hums with his magic, shocking anything it contacts, while Liam uses his strength to defend them both. Blood soaks the front of Mikal’s tunic where claw marks scratched his chest, but Liam appears unharmed. Three massive beasts surround them, and they’re unlike any animals I’ve ever seen. They prowl on four legs like a bear, but these creatures have no fur, only night-black skin. The fangs protruding from their jaws are nearly three inches long. But most frightening are their eyes, a crimson iris surrounded by pure black.
Mikal chances a glance at us and lets out a breath. “Finally, you’ve made it to the party. Took you bastards long enough.”
In unison, the creatures’ heads snap in our direction.
Liam slices one, catching it behind the shoulder. Black blood oozes from the wound, and the creature bellows loud enough to shake the branches.
Then chaos erupts.
Thom, Corren, and I rush into the fray. I thrust my blade toward one of the beast’s flanks, nearly landing the blow, but the creature dodges at the last second. Its massive paw swipes and I jump back, narrowly missing the blow. The beast’s claws leave gouges in the dirt where I stood just seconds before.
Like Corren and Thom, Mikal and Liam are working a beast together. I need to end this quickly.