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He released his grip, and she pulled her arm back, shaking it out.
“Leora deserves a better friend than me anyway.” She fanned her demonic fingers, conjuring just enough magic for emphasis. “If you care to stop me, summon your beasts again.”
Thessa spun around and kept walking.
Ten footsteps later there were still no serpents. She let out the breath she’d been holding, only to zip it back in when Soren appeared by her side.
“Why are you still following me?” she begged to know, not slowing her pace. Not that it mattered, his strides were twice that of hers. She wondered if he’d intentionally slowed his pace to match hers.
He huffed a laugh. “Following you? I’m going home. The wagon is useless without a wheel.”
She forgot he was from Wilcrest. “What about Emiel, where’s he?”
“Emiel’s fine.”
Thessa couldn’t help but wonder if Leora would be. She was afraid to ask, but it had to be done. “So, does this mean my friend is smitten with a demon?”
Soren barked a laugh loud enough to silence the birds.
She raised a brow. “What is it?”
“He’s an Elemental.”
Her jaw unhinged. “What!” It wasn’t a question; she was in shock. How was it possible for a demon and Elemental to be friends? Lovers? She had too many questions, unsure where to begin. “So he was a soldier?”
Soren shook his head. “Not exactly.”
Thessa didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
His eyes churned like liquid night as he spoke. “Is the female who infiltrated the Central Divinity asking me whatImean?”
Accordingto the latest elm tree, there were only a few more miles until they reached Wilcrest. The barren path eventually shifted to a forest, and the foliage provided much needed reprieve from the morning sun.
She hadn’t been anticipating company on her journey south. Soren wasn’t very pleasant, or talkative. She broke the silence that stretched between them. “You never told me why you did it?”
He sighed. “I already told you. You flashed magic you weren’t prepared to fight for.”
“While I appreciate the reminder, your methods of interrogation were not what I meant. I’m talking about the festival. The serpents. All of it.”
He went silent.
“Go on,” She rolled her hand, gesturing for an explanation. He’d have to fly away if he wanted to avoid her.
“It was meant to be a small distraction.”
“Small? Multiplicity Spells are forbidden for a reason.”
“I didn’t expect theentiretown to be dense enough to keep chopping.I expected witches to flee and distract the guards. I was thinking there’d be minor incinerations ... not setting the entire field ablaze. I shouldn’t be surprised actually.”
Thessa countered, “No, you shouldn’t be.”
“You know them well, then?”
She exhaled, knowing who he was referring to. “I was raised in Gravenport. My entire existence has been consumed by Elementals.” Including her heart but she didn’t feel like getting into that. Thessa tilted her head before asking, “What do you mean a distraction? For what?”
“I needed to search the library.”
Thessa scrunched her face. “You risked exposing your magic and using a forbidden spell to search a public library?”