Felix frowned, squinting at the plants. “What? Oh, flowers.”
“Flowers?”Isolde echoed, dismounting with a jump. She rushed toward the patch of blue, her cloak trailing behind her. “They’re Aether Lilies!”
Felix exchanged a bemused glance with Garren, who shrugged.
Isolde crouched down, her eyes wide with excitement. “They’re magical and extremely rare! I’ve only ever seen illustrations in books! If I can press one, it’ll last forever. This is incredible.”
Her gloved hand reached for the closest flower, her movements careful and reverent. As her fingertips brushed the petals, the flower’s bright blue hue drained in an instant, fading to ashen grey. The stem wilted, curling in on itself until it crumbled to dust between her fingers.
Isolde gasped, pulling back as if burned. “No – oh no…” Her voice trembled, the joy replaced with horror.
“Not much left to press,” Felix offered dryly. Luella smacked him on the shoulder.
“I… I didn’t mean to…” Isolde’s hands hovered above the remains of the flower, and her magic stirred around her, swirling like smoke.
Garren knelt beside her, his voice steady. “It wasn’t your fault, my lady.”
“That doesn’t make it any better!” Isolde jumped up. She spun toward the other flowers, her expression filled with despair. “I can’t even touch something beautiful without destroying it?”
Her magic flared, and the remaining lilies shivered, their petals dimming. When she noticed, she howled in frustration, and a shockwave of pent up magic exploded outward from her like a clap of thunder. The force of it threw Felix backwards. He hit the ground hard; knocking the breath from his lungs. The blast also sent Garren and Luella flying, and they landed in the underbrush with heavy thuds. The horses reared and bolted into the trees.
When the light dimmed, and the air settled, an eerie silence followed. The forest floor where the flowers had been was a ring of blackened, withered plants. Isolde stood at its heart, shaking, looking down at her hands. The faint glow of magic lingered around her, pulsing as if mirroring her shattered composure.
Felix groaned, dragging himself upright. He leaned against the tree, wincing as he rolled his shoulder. “Well,” he said, a little hoarsely. “I was hoping not to die today, but if you insist.”
Garren rose more slowly, his expression grim. “That… was unexpected,” he said. He glanced at Luella, who was still on hands and knees, staring wide-eyed at Isolde.
Isolde’s hands continued to tremble, her face twisted with a mix of horror and confusion. “I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t stop it. But…” She frowned, as if in thought. “I think maybe I understand it a little more now.” She was mumbling, more to herself than to anyone else. “...take it in, then I should be able to…”
She turned away from the rest of the group, who were all standing frozen, staring at her. She frowned, biting her lip, then took off her gloves. The ley markings on the skin of her hand were glowing so brightly they stood out even in the midday sunlight.
“My lady…” Garren began, but Isolde ignored him.
She knelt down, her face a mask of intense concentration, and reached out to touch one of the shrivelled plants. Tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she focused, her breathing shallow. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, ever so slowly, the blackened plant shifted. The stem lightened to brown, then took on a timid green hue. It straightened, and a single green leaf unfurled.
Felix released the breath he’d been holding. Her magic had somehow returned the plant to life. His mind staggered at the implications of that kind of power. Judging by the expression on Garren and Luella’s faces, they were coming to the same realisation.
But before anyone regained the ability to speak, Isolde slumped wordlessly sideways.
8
Bounty hunters
Sound returned to her first. The crackling of a fire, birdsong, rustling fabric and leather. Then smells – wood smoke, damp earth, crushed herbs. Her eyes cracked open to see gently swaying branches in the late afternoon sunlight above. She was on her bedroll, covered in a blanket. The forest. The flower. Isolde tried to sit up, but her vision swam, and she sank down heavily.
“Careful.” Luella’s voice, somewhere to the right. “Here,” she said, and slipped an arm behind Isolde’s shoulders while holding a waterskin to her lips. “Drink. Slowly.”
Once she had drunk her fill, Isolde sagged back, breathing hard. “Where are we?”
“The same clearing as before,” Luella replied patiently, as if speaking to a child. “You’ve been out for a few hours.”
Isolde nodded, regretting it immediately as the pounding in her head increased. She laid down to close her eyes again when Luella straightened suddenly, her attention snapping toward the tree line.
“What is it?” Garren asked quietly.
Luella didn’t answer right away. Her head was slightly tilted, as if she were listening for something. “Just a feeling,” she muttered. “I’ll scout the perimeter.”
“You just did,” Felix said, squinting up at her. “Ten minutes ago.”
