“He did,” Felix said casually. “Close one, though.”
Luella smirked. “Well, best get some sleep as well. The next few days might be… interesting.”
Felix raised an eyebrow. “Interesting how?”
“We’ll have to cross a ley line soon.”
10
The ley line
Isolde kept to herself the next morning. She had barely slept, Felix’s harsh words replaying over and over in her head. She thought they were getting along, that he was warming up to her. He’d called herbrilliant. Her cheeks heated at the memory. But when she had displayed a little reluctance and doubt, he had been so dismissive. Did he expect her to be as strong and decisive as he was, now that she was using her magic? She didn’t think that was very fair.
The weather shifted, mirroring her mood. The stark blue sky was covered by a blanket of gloomy grey clouds. They rode in near silence that day, and Felix let Ranger fall well behind the group, isolating himself. Isolde never turned around, but his eyes were on her back all day.
That evening, once they’d set up camp, Felix left without a word and wandered off into the twilight.
“What’s with him?” Luella asked nobody in particular.
Garren shrugged and threw a branch into the fire. “Probably bored.”
Isolde doubted it was that. More likely, he was avoiding her. She sighed, then got up as well.
“I… I am going for a short walk. I won’t go far; I need some air.”
Garren glanced to where Felix had gone, and his face darkened slightly. Luella merely nodded.
Isolde made it a point to head in the opposite direction. Her legs carried her aimlessly until she stood at the edge of a low rise. Fading sunlight was still visible through the clouds in the west. She needed to breathe, to think. Her magic tingled on her skin, at her fingertips, like a living thing wanting to escape. She soon had a handful of small stones swirling around her in circular patterns. It was soothing, almost.
“Hey.”
She jumped, and the rocks scattered, sparks flying wildly through the air. Felix stood a few paces back, arms raised, warding off the ricocheting pebbles.
“Ouch,” he said with a disarming grin. “Should have known better than to startle you.”
“Felix,” she breathed.
“I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“I’m fine.” She tilted her head at him. The sparks faded out. She hadn’t meant to sound so cold, but the voice of her governess echoed in her mind:“Keep your feelings to yourself, Isolde. Nobody likes overly emotional ladies.”
“About yesterday,” Felix said, interrupting her thoughts.
Isolde blinked and crossed her arms.
He looked away. “I, uh… I was a bit of an ass.”
She blinked again. That was not what she was expecting him to say. At all.
“I meant what I said,” he continued, “but I could have said it... better.”
It was as much of an apology as he could muster, she expected. She fought to keep a smile from creeping onto her face. “Hmm. You could have,” she replied, trying her best to seem haughty.
He shifted his weight, studying her, his expression unreadable.
Isolde sighed. She did not want to play games or pretend. They were alone in the middle of nowhere. If she couldn’t be herself here, where could she? “You were right, though,” she said, deflating slightly. “I have just… I have done nothing like this before, and I am struggling. I wished for magic all my life, and now I have so much it is quite overwhelming.”
Felix’s face broke into a grin. “Do you really think it’s a failure on your part that all this is overwhelming? Most other people would have blown themselves up by now. Along with half a city, probably. You’ve already beaten the odds.”
