“He did,” Fael confirmed, pulling on his socks and boots.
When she reached for his hand to help her stand, he steadied her with his firm grip.The cold water had eased the pressure in her ankle enough that she could bear weight on it again, and she grinned with pleasure.
The banks of the Mere became more densely vegetated as the afternoon wore on.Old trees rose around them, and unfamiliar birds called from the branches above.
Their entry into the Dark Forest in mid-afternoon brought a palpable change.Hemlocks lined their path, the evergreen scent filling the air as the forest floor grew springy with needles underfoot.
The birdsong faded into an eerie silence.Fael’s fingers tightened on her waist, his hand steadying her as the other rested on the hilt of his short sword.
Ren’wyn, however, felt nothing butcalm.
The forest, more a home than her father’s estate had ever been, welcomed her back.Its quiet gloom and the interwoven branches of cedar, hemlock, and fir trees soothed her, grounding her in a way nothing else could.
Fael, by contrast, was uneasy.His hazel eyes darted to every shadow, his movements sharp and alert.She sought to reassure him, summoning a cool, dark breeze to dry the sweat on hisbrow.
His sharp intake of breath confirmed he felt her magic.
“Don’t tempt it,” he warned, his voice low andwary.
“Tempt what?”she asked, curiosity piqued.
“Death,” he hissed, his gaze assessing the shadows pooling in the late afternoon light.
Ren’wyn smiled—a sure, firm expression devoid of fear.Death was no stranger to her.It calmed her, filling her lungs with the forest’s pungent scent of decaying needles.
She stopped walking, lifting a hand to still Fael.Closing her eyes, she reached for her magic.Her hand trailed up her thigh to her hip, then swept toward thesky.
When she opened her eyes, her pupils had dilated, and frost coated her fingers and feet.Shadows leaked out of the ground, coiling around her legs, rising from the forest floor and twisting through her hair.Silent, cold shades emerged from the earth to stand behindher.
Ren’wyn stood solid and commanding, her power swelling as her smile spread—not cruel butfree.
Fael stiffened, stepping back as he regarded the ring of shades surrounding them.His breath hitched, his body tense as he realized the dead had gathered at hercall.
She swept her arms open and down, fingers splayed.The shadows melted away, and the shades dissolved into the earth.Keeping their gazes locked, she watched his fear transform into cautious admiration.
They stared at each other as Ren’wyn blinked.Her pupils constricted to reveal the gray of her irises.Her hair tickled her neck as it settled, and frost melted from herskin.
Fael’s magic responded, heat rolling off him like a tangible force.Black shadow and red fire met between them, intertwining in a glorious, chaotic dance.
When the connection broke, a warm breeze carried the lingering fire and shadow away.Ren’wyn stood in her dirty gown, hair disheveled, and Fael smiled as he watched the frost melt from his boots.
Friendship bloomed in his eyes, and his acceptance chased away the fear of Vair and Erst, the pain of losing Esrin and Lyr’ren, and the loneliness and darkness always on the horizon.
“You don’t have to fear death with me,” she said softly, almost shyly.“This forest is full of death, its heart teeming with shades both good and evil.They don’t scare me.I will hold us steady.”
When his hand slipped into hers, trust cemented their growing friendship.Suddenly worn, she leaned against a hemlock, exhaustion pressing her shouldersback.
“I haven’t worked with my power in months,” she admitted.“Not at Erst’s manor, and not before that at my father’s estate—for many reasons.”
Fael’s warmth settled beside her, and she instinctively straightened her posture, Vair’s chiding voice invading her mind.Back straight, Ren’wyn.You’re not a maid with bucket andmop.
“That was exciting,” she chuckled, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
Fael squeezed her shoulder affectionately.They were stuck together now, an unspoken bond forged by their shared power.
And for the first time in months, Ren’wyn felt less alone.
7
