Page 29 of The Oracle's Journey

Lhoris sighed and furrowed his brows again. “It’s possible. We must acknowledge the disparity in their temperaments. I haven’t been able to sense any of Emmelina’s past workings through the flow of magic, so I doubt I’d feel a disruption if she had. Although, I can’t think of why she would do that.”

“Oh, I think I can,” I chuckled. “She’s a young, very inexperienced woman on her way to meet her betrothed. She’s curious about romance.” I rolled my head back, shut my eyes, and threw a dramatic arm across my forehead.

With an incredulous, crooked grin, Lhoris cocked an eyebrow at me. “That’s … silly, Oz.”

I laughed from my belly. “Well, yes, young humans usually are when it comes to that. Being fed a romanticized version of relationships in song and story will do that.”

“Surely, you were never like that?” he asked in a teasing cadence. “You’re so pragmatic.”

“Probably not as much as Emmelina, being so sheltered,” I hedged. “But yes, I was once a young, impressionable maiden. And most of my friends were, too.”

“I’ve never witnessed anything like that before,” he said with a shake of his head.

“I suspect I’m more familiar with the habits of maidens—having been one,” I said and stuck my tongue out at him.

“I’m a kidnapper, I’ve spent plenty of time around maidens,” he quipped.

My smile faded a little because I had been avoiding the next thought. “Do you think she influenced … us? More than she admits, I mean.” I had been attracted enough to be intrigued by Lhoris. But it had intensified after Emmelina had woven our hair together in her slap dash plot to bind us somehow. Was it a natural progression of attraction or something engineered? It bothered me despite how genuine this affection felt.

“Oh, no,” he answered quickly with a straight face. “I mean perhaps, but I doubt it’s entirely her.”

I balked. Maybe I was the only one worried about that. “Care to elaborate?” He gaped at me, lost for words. “Lhoris?”

“Ok,” he said, gesturing with his hand, “I just can’t think of a way to say this without sounding … like a silly maiden.”

“Then say it like a silly maiden, I’ll translate,” I reassured him nervously, which seemed to have the opposite effect.

His broad grin faded to a shy little smile, resting a hand over his heart. “You can’t laugh at me. I’ll never be able to look you in the eye again.” He was serious.

“Now you’re making me worry,” I readjusted a little in the saddle. “I won’t laugh.”

Lhoris was quiet for another moment and sighed. “I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that I wanted you. And by the time we made it to camp, I knew I would like you. But also, I didn’t deserve you because I had to … act like such an asshole.”

I was speechless. That really was a bit of a confession on his part. Men hardly ever speak so freely about their hearts, at least in my experience.

“I’d absolutely have stabbed you the first chance I got,” I admitted soberly. “I can forgive you for trying to make sure I didn’t kill you or your people. You weren’t gropey. And I can respect that as a professional.”

His face softened a little. “You were so pissed-off. But your fierceness was magnificent.” Then he corrected himself. “I mean, it is magnificent.”

It was an odd thing to focus on. To each their own, I supposed. At least he liked me for me.

“And all of that was before Emmelina had any kind of influence?” I asked while my face heated, starting to feel like the silly maidens we’d just been joking about.

“Without a doubt,” he replied.

I wished I felt as confident on the matter as he did.

CHAPTER 13

Lhoris

It took six days to reach Dulhal. Six blissful, uneventful days, time spent enjoying the last summer days after harvest and everyone, even Lobikno, was good company. I suspected that his mood had improved because we’d left the misery of trying to function in the expectations of our people. Lobikno was getting a taste of freedom. I almost fell off my horse when I heard him join the ladies in a song. Their voices faltered for a moment when they realized who joined them but didn’t stop completely. I didn’t let him see the smile on my face. It would make him self-conscious. I wanted my brother to enjoy himself.

Not much transpired when we camped those nights, so I took it upon myself to explain some important things about innate magic that Emma needed to understand. The most important being intent. One could not approach such powerful magic with a conflicted mind, which included subconscious wants, desires, and intrusive thoughts. All those underlying things could affect the intended outcome, especially considering the reality-bending she may be capable of.

“There will be times where you’ll react instinctively, and that sort of magic takes care of itself for the most part. But when you do something with your magic intentionally, you must do so with a clear head,” I told her. “There can be unintended consequences if your thoughts are too clouded by your heart. You have to think things through.” I used the plait she’d used in an attempt to bind Ozanna and I as an example. That it hadn’t been practical, and we disrupted her working, landing her in her current predicament.

Emma listened, though I wasn’t sure she really understood. Hopefully some of that would come with practice and experience on her part. She’d only just started to discover the things she was capable of. Most importantly, though, she maintained her calm as we made our way to town.

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