“You must miss your partner when they’re gone,” Maiela said.
Our host nodded. “I do, but you know what they say about separation.”
“It makes the heart grow fonder.” Kysha’s lips twitched as she shared a look with her wife.
“Exactly.”
A comfortable silence settled upon the group as the soft ticking of the large wooden clock filled the air. It must have come from Eleyta—I had only ever seen timepieces that hung on walls in the northern country run by vampires.
Across the table, Aileana laced her hand through Xander’s. Leaning against her mate, she said, “I understand drawing strength from your partner.”
Olwine smiled knowingly. “Yes, I imagine you do. I—” The halfling’s voice trailed off and his eyes turned silver. He stilled, placing his hands flat on the wooden surface as he retreated to that place where only Fortune Elves could go.
My own magic pulsed at the sight, and next to me, red ribbons twinned around Ryllae’s hand. I was proud of my Death Elf for drawing on her magic, preparing to defend herself if needed. Aileana sucked in a breath, but she did not speak. Drawing Ryllae against me, I laced our hands together as we waited for Olwine to return from the silver planes.
When he did, his aura crackled with lightning. His eyes swept around the table, settling on mine.
“You are a male of strength.” Olwine’s voice was deep, tinged with echoes of power as he spoke. “When the time comes, rely on that to get you through the trials.”
I raised a brow, watching the halfling closely as his attention turned to Ryllae. “They called you the Forgotten One, didn’t they?”
A growl ran through me. I hated that name. My Death Elf nodded. “Yes,” she replied.
“You will not be that for much longer,” Olwine said. “When the time is right, Princess of Ithenmyr, you shall learn who you are. Do not let fear stop you from walking on the path of truth. Follow your heart; it will guide you.”
Ryllae swallowed, and her fingers tightened around mine. I tucked her against my side, the top of her horns brushing my chin as she whispered, “Okay.”
Seemingly satisfied, Olwine turned. To my sister and her wife, he said, “You shall both experience trials in the days the come but take heart: you are stronger than you know. Rely on each other, allowing your magic to lead you to freedom on the other side.”
I waited for the halfling to turn to Aileana and Xander, expecting a similar prophecy, but it never came. Instead, Olwine’s chair scrapped against the floor as he pushed it back. Walking on silent feet, he moved over to the far wall and stood on his tiptoes.
He returned in a minute, holding an ornate black box with silver embellishments between his hands. Itthunkedas Olwine placed it on the table before reclaiming his seat.
Aileana raised a brow. “Don’t you have something to say to us? A prophecy, perhaps?”
The halfling gestured to the box. “In due time. First, open this, please.”
Xander narrowed his eyes, grabbing Aileana’s hand before she could grab the box. “What is it?” he asked, suspicion leaking into his tone.
Olwine did not seem intimated by the dragon shifter. If anything, he found Xander’s antics amusing. Reaching across the table, Olwine placed his hand on Xander’s arm. The touch was not threatening, but still, green flashed through the shifter’s eyes and his skin rippled as his scales came closer to the surface.
“I know who you are,” Olwine said, seemingly unperturbed. “What you are.”
Xander snarled, and the halfling continued quickly. “I know you have sworn to do anything to protect your bonded mate.” Olwine drew back his hand, placing it on the box. “I swear on my life, there is nothing in here that will harm any of you.”
The air in the cabin was like soup, thick and tense and hard to breathe through, as Xander’s eyes swept over the halfling. Speaking would have been difficult, let alone moving. The last time Xander had nearly lost control of his dragon, it resulted in him almost killing Kysha. The guilt had sent him into a spiral of doubt that had come close to destroying his relationship with his mate.
This time, however, it seemed as though things were going to be different. Aileana pushed back her chair, leaning over and placing her hand on Xander’s arm. Her thumb stroked his forearm, the shifter’s muscles tense beneath her touch. Though Aileana did not speak, he turned to her and nodded. His shoulders relaxed, and those scales disappeared underneath his skin.
Beside me, Maiela let out a long breath.
“All right,” Xander said gruffly, slowly pushing the box towards his mate. “You can open it.Slowly.”
Though the immediate threat of the dragon was gone, Xander’s free hand shifted to the hilt of his sword as he glared at Olwine. Our host didn’t even move under the dragon shifter’s glare, a testament to his strength. I hadn’t seen many who could do such a thing.
Aileana turned the lock, and a click echoed through the space. She lifted the lid, her eyes widening as she reached inside. Ryllae leaned over me, trying to get a good look as the Earth Elf placed two objects on the table.
The first was the size of my palm, circular and golden. Even from here, the sparkling forest green lines carved into the gold were visible. Next to it was a yellow roll of parchment.