Page 59 of Shadows in Bloom

He turned slowly, pained eyes locked onto mine. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I-I needed time to process it all. Lyandril was dear to me… and the Consortium, it is what I’ve built my entire life around. I didn’t want to believe it, but when they attacked us, I recognized the symbol on their cloaks. I had seen it before in Lyandril’s office. The Mages Consortium must have been corrupted for much longer than I could’ve imagined.”

All along, Alandris had been my ray of hope, pushing me forward every step of the way, when I thought there was no future. Now, it was my turn to be that hope for him.

I took his hand in mine. “When we first met, when you told me of the Consortium, I thought it sounded like paradise. That doesn’t have to change.” I mustered the brightest smile I could manage, speaking confidently. “We have to collect a rare flower for a Fae who could probably kill us with the snap of her fingers, save our friends from a group of murderers, and find a way to exorcize the God living inside of me—what’s one more thing? Taking down a corrupt organization and saving your beloved Mages Consortium from becoming a tool—simple.”

He finally smiled, with a warmth that reached his eyes. “Simple,” he repeated.

At the same time, as though our thoughts were in sync, we turned away from one another. We stumbled over our words, embarrassment and awkwardness flooding the space between us. I’d forced him to face me in my desperation to comfort him with no regard for how exposed we were. My hair had covered a majority of my body, and the water had successfully maskedthe rest, but it was still… close. Close enough to make my head spin.

It wasn’t for lack of trust, nor lack of desire, that I shied away from him. Anything but. I trusted him wholeheartedly, desired him voraciously. If I indulged my wants, I would seal my fate for good. There would be nowhere left to run or hide. As much as I hated to admit my cowardice, it terrified me—this love so strong it felt like our lives had been weaved together by some divine force. If I let him any closer—if anything happened, I’d break. I was holding onto this one sliver of separation for dear life, at least until it was safe. Until I could guarantee our future.

Those thoughts were fears I couldn’t put into words, so I merely said, “I’ll go get dressed.”

“Right.” Alandris cleared his throat. “Call to me when you’re done.”

I was relieved his voice didn’t reflect hurt or rejection, only the faintest hint of nervousness. Perhaps he had the same sentiment as I. After. We would have our time after the madness, and I would hold nothing back.

I slipped from the water and swatted away the droplets from my skin. The spare leathers and cotton tunic in my bag were a blessing I was beyond thankful for. Being caked in dirt and questionable grime for as long as I had been, the clean fabric slid over my body like a glove. After I put on my fresh garments, I called for Alandris to come out from the water, occupying myself with examining the far end of the cavern.

When the sounds of him shuffling around our temporary camp reached my ears, I retraced my steps to the edge of the water pool. Even amongst the copious amounts of unique flora in the cavern, the tree was the one thing that stood out. The one thing that didn’t belong, and yet the focal point of the room.

I cursed aloud. “Of course it is.”

“Talking to yourself over there?” Alandris called out from behind. His footsteps grew closer as he approached my side.

I swallowed. “How opposed would you be to getting back in the water?”

He came to a stop next to me. “Highly.”

My mouth twisted into a frown. “I think I know where we need to check…”

Chapter 31

I’d begrudgingly slid back on my filthy clothes. I only needed to swim to the small patch of land that held the tree. After that, I’d be back on solid ground, and I didn’t intend to conduct my search half naked. I hadn’t put up a fight about being the one to swim out to the tree. Not because I was thrilled with the idea, but because the place I most wanted to investigate, Alandris would never fit. His height and broad shoulders had won him the battle.

It had been near impossible to spot, but I’d caught a faint flicker of metal beneath one of the tree’s large roots. There was a small gap between the roots and the dirt below—the perfect hiding spot for the mystery item. If I maneuvered myself underneath the roots, I would be in a position to get close enough to snatch whatever it was I had glimpsed. At least, I had convincedmyself that it was possible. Now that I was actually attempting it, my confidence was waning.

“Is everything working out?” Alandris shouted from across the water.

I yelled back a quick confirmation, resulting in tiny specks of what I hoped was only sandy dirt to drop into my open mouth. No talking, then, I decided.

Choking on the gritty texture, I continued to squeeze myself underneath the tree, inch by inch, as the surrounding roots grew closer and closer. I didn’t have a fear of enclosed spaces, but the dark and damp underside of the tree was enough to make my pulse race. There were worse ways to die, I supposed, than being flattened by a giant tree as it caved in. Not many, but surely at least a few worse ways.

A hair’s breadth separated the tips of my fingers from the metal object I’d now come to realize was only the decorative corner plate of a wooden box I’d not initially spotted. Another precarious shimmy allowed me just enough reach that I was able to wrap my hand around the small box. No larger than the standard book, it was the perfect size for the item we sought, and I hoped it contained just that—the Fae’s flower.

I yanked the box toward my chest, carefully adjusting my grip so that I wouldn’t lose my hold as I crawled my way back out from under the roots. Shoving the box above my head in triumph, I shouted, “I’ve got it! I knew I saw something!”

Alandris tilted his head, examining the object. “Peculiar. Don’t get it wet!”

I scrunched my nose, silently cursing him. I’d volunteered, yes, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it. My eyes were stinging, dust and dirt having fallen past my eyelashes. I was once again coated in a myriad of unknown substances, and I was soaked from my chest down. Thankfully, most of my hair had escaped the water, but the tangled mess of mud and grime it had turned into meant that I would have to fully immerse my body in the pool again as soon as I carried the box back to Alandris.

It was a quick swim, even with one arm raised, keeping the box safe and dry. The moment my feet touched dry ground, I thrust the box into Alandris’ hands. “Wait for me.”

“You look…” A mischievous smile crept onto his face.

“Don’t,” I warned.

“Delightful,” he finished with expertly crafted innocence. “I won’t open it yet, so go ahead.”

---