Page 28 of Surrendered to Mate

"Wait-" Cassius mutters as I approach it, running my hand along the rough bark until I find a hidden seam.

"Watch," I whisper, pressing my palm against the tree.

The bark shifts and groans, revealing a small hollow. I reach inside and pull out a cloth-wrapped bundle.

Cassius's eyes widen as I unwrap it, revealing a stone tablet fragment covered in strange, glowing symbols.

"Is that...?" he starts, his voice trailing off in disbelief.

I nod. "The other half of your tablet. I found it months ago, but I couldn't decipher it."

"I found mine the same way." Cassius takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on the artifact. "How did you know it was connected to mine?"

"I didn't," I admit. "Not until I saw yours. The symbols... they're the same."

He reaches out, his fingers hovering just above the surface of the tablet. "May I?"

I hesitate for a moment before handing it to him. As soon as the fragment touches his skin, the symbols flare to life, pulsing with an eerie blue light.

"Incredible," Cassius murmurs. He looks up at me, his dark eyes intense. "How did you find this?"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the memories that are about to surface. Cassius's eyes are fixed on me, waiting for an explanation.

"I found it during my escape from Liiandor," I begin, my voice barely above a whisper. Immediately, my memories threaten to over take me.

Fire licking my skin, screams filling the air, smoke stuffing itself into my lungs.

I close my eyes, transported back to that night. "I…I had to get out. And I was chased to the edge of the city. Going into the forest was the only way to lose them."

I can still feel the heat of the flames, smell the acrid smoke. My hands start to tremble. "But as I was running, I felt…something. It was almost calming and soothing, some kind of magic that told me that I would be safe as long as I could make it there."

"Faye…" Cassius' voice was low, but I shook my head.

Forcing the words out, I kept going. "The magic grew more and more intense, and I worried it was a dark elf trap. Or thatthey would feel it, too. But I made it to a clearing, and there was a ward set up. It felt almost like moving through water to pass through.

"And once I did, everything changed. Outside the words, I couldn't see anything. But inside them, I could see a temple. The book was hidden inside…and it hid me that night as dark elves ran past it, keeping me safe."

Opening my eyes, I meet Cassius's gaze. "I could feel... something from the tablet. Like it was important. But I couldn't read it, couldn't understand what it meant."

I gesture to the ancient oak. "So I hid it here. I figured if I couldn't use it, at least the dark elves wouldn't get their hands on it either."

Cassius nods slowly, his expression unreadable. "And you've kept it secret all this time?"

"Yeah," I admit. "Part of me always hoped I'd figure out what it meant someday. But mostly, I just didn't want them to have it."

I run my fingers over the rough bark of the tree. "I've checked on it regularly, made sure it was safe. But I never imagined it was part of something bigger."

"And why didn't you stay in the temple?"

A smile pulls at my lips. "Your half had a thlii. Mine had a pack of wild likar that feasted on dark elves." A grin curls up his face. "I couldn't stay in case the magic turned deadly to me."

I take a deep breath, studying Cassius's face as he examines the tablet fragments. The way his dark eyes light up with curiosity and excitement is... captivating. I shake my head, trying to focus on the bigger picture.

"Cassius," I say, drawing his attention back to me. "I think... I think I want to help you with your mission."

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Really? What changed your mind?"

I gesture to the tablets. "This. Whatever's going on here, it's bigger than just me hiding in the forest. And if the tablet chose me somehow..." I trail off, shrugging. "I don't know. It feels like I'm supposed to be part of this."

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