Page 129 of Living Legend

I stopped walking, causing her to stumble for a moment and release herself from my arm. I looked up at the trees bowing above our heads. “You removed it? Why? When?”

She dipped her hands into her skirt pockets and shrugged, laughing. “Calm down, Nicholas. I did it yesterday. It’s not needed anymore. It served its purpose for many years, but I made the decision, along with the okay from everyone, to remove it. Easy. I refuse to hide anymore and after everything that went on yesterday, neither does anyone else here.”

I raked my hand across the back of my neck. “Is it even safe to be doing this now?”

She pulled her hand out of her pocket and waved it between us. “Don’t worry--there are barriers around us to keep us safe. I don’t exactly know all the details of what we are up against, so what I have in place will have to do. You have nothing to fear.”

“I’m not fearful,” I muttered.

“Of course not,” she taunted. “If we are going to work together against whatever kind of threat this is, I want you all to see what I see. What you’ve seen so far has been our weak spots, us at our lowest moments, but now, you can see Oculus isn’t what it seems.”

I looked around us some more, taking the things not available to me previously. My eyes drank it all in. “It’s beautiful.”

She gave me a full beaming smile, one that could light up any room on the darkest night.

“How did you know to find me, by the way?” She turned to start walking again and I followed.

“I saw your portal light.” She said it as if the answer was obvious.

“Portal light?”

She crossed her arms as we walked. “The magic from the portal radiates a soft light that, as the creator, I can see. I had a feeling it was you.”

“I didn’t get choked out by a mountain man. Hallelujah.”

She chuckled, her laugh almost like wind chimes. “Zane is a good man, he just…I don’t know. He’s seen a lot. Been through a lot. I was just a child when we were attacked, but he was right there, witnessing it all.”

“Ah, so that’s how he knows my dad.”

“Most likely. Angels frequented Oculus quite a bit back then. I am sorry about that back there, though. I should have been more forthcoming with who you were. I, well…” she trailed off.

“You what?” I asked, seeing the center of Oculus come into view.

She stopped, halting me with one of her small hands. “I did tell you when we first met that my mother spoke about yours fondly, as if they had a true friendship. My mother did speak about your father in some small pieces, not enough for me to bring it up to you at the time. I just didn’t know what revealing your last name would have done, how others would react. I didn’t know how much your parents interacted here. I didn’t want to make things more difficult, I suppose.”

I stepped closer to her. “I hate that I was the experiment for his loyalty, but at least I know he won’t try to kill me again.”I was almost certain about that.Almost. I scratched behind my ear, trying to rally my thoughts. “Listen, it’s probably too late to say this, but I’m sorry.”

She narrowed her honey eyes at me in question. “Whatever for?”

“For what happened when we first met or fought, whatever. I’m sure that didn’t make them any more amenable to angels.” I didn’t know why I was bringing this up right now, but I knew I wanted to be on an honorable footing with Natalia.I didn’t know what explaining Dani’s situation would bring, so I wanted to clear the air before anything else.

She laughed. “Oh that. I can’t say the people have forgotten about it, but that is what good, quality healers are for. Everyone here is prepared to fight and die, just like you. With everything going on, I think you are the last thing on their mind, so I wouldn’t fret too much. You’ll have their help when or if you need it.”

I simply nodded and started to walk ahead, letting her loop her arm through mine again. Every step closer to central Oculus was a step closer to something I wasn’t prepared for. Once we stepped past the threshold of scattered grass and rocks of the outskirts, it was like a whole new environment. The houses that were once shattered and broken down were standing tall and on a solid foundation. The roofs were polished and crisp, the windows clean with not a hint of dirt on them. Vines lined the tops of the buildings and ivy threaded the sides of others.

None of what I was looking at made any sense. I had been told that Oculus was full of beautiful Enchanters once upon a time, but was now inhabited by the decrypted, misguided ones. After the war, everyone and everything just became these hardened, misshapen shells of what they used to be.

That’s what I wasalwaystold.

The war was the same, Natalia had already certified that, but everything I grew up learning from others, since my father didn’t speak much about it, seemed to be misconstrued. My father only spoke about Oculus in the most general sense. He never tried to create a more interesting story, but I think if I asked him about it now, he might be more open to trusting me. My thoughts were halted when the smell of chocolate hit my nostrils. I sniffed the air, thinking that I was losing my mind.

“Yes, Nicholas, that’s chocolate you smell,” Natalia answered with a cheeky grin on her face as she broke away from me.“Luna, the chef, uses magic winds to push the smell to everyone. It’s quite impressive.”

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by a voice that gave me instant relief.

“Nick!” Reese shouted as he walked out of a door to a shop on my left. The door swung back and forth behind him as he jogged over to me, the sounds of shouting and glasses clinking following him. His blonde hair was hanging freely, whipping behind him. He grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me into a hug. “Shit, I thought you died.”

“Let’s not be dramatic,” I muffled into his shoulder as I hugged him back.

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