Page 105 of Fated

Ash slung our bags over his shoulder, then reached for my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. Xanth’s eyes flickered to our joined hands for a brief moment before he nodded and turned, leading us outside.

***

Whatever I’d been expecting when Xanth mentioned the charger, it certainly wasn’tthis.

Standing in front of me was a sleek, shiny black container resembling some sort of futuristic vehicle, but no wheels in sight. My eyes widened as Xanth placed his palm against its side, and a seamless door appeared, sliding open smoothly.

Ash led me inside, revealing five rows of four seats, all in front of a single driver’s seat situated in front of a large computer screen.

The windows around the vehicle were tinted so dark that I hadn’t even realized they were there until I stepped inside.Xanth took the driver’s seat, while Greyson and Shae settled into the second row.

Ash guided me to the front row, where we sat side by side.

He reached around me, searching for my seatbelt straps.

“I thought we were too cool for seatbelts,” I teased him.

“Trust me, Areya, this isn’t an ordinary vehicle.” His words sent a ripple of anxiety through me. I had a feeling that whatever he meant, I wasn’t going to like it. The fact that he buckled his own seatbelt right after securing mine greatly heightened my anxiety.

Xanth pressed a button on the dashboard and the door slid shut with a soft hiss.

“Take us to the castle, Willow,” Xanth said, addressing no one in particular. I glanced at Ash, but he didn’t seem at all perplexed by his brother’s peculiar command.

“Starting route to Luminara Castle in Luminessa, Ambrosia,” a slightly robotic female voice responded, echoing throughout the vehicle. A faint hum vibrated beneath us as the charger powered up. I stared out the window, waiting for the vehicle to move forward, only to feel my stomach lurch upon realizing we weren’t moving forward at all.

We were rising straight off the ground.

My head snapped to Ash, my eyes wide with panic as we continued to rise higher and higher. He simply smiled, took my hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

The ground became smaller and smaller beneath us, the boats shrinking into tiny specks far below. My heart pounded as I tried to steady my breathing, acutely aware we were getting higher by the second. Finally, I had seen enough, tearing my gaze away from the window. After what felt like an eternity, thecharger finally stopped ascending, hovering in place high above the ground.

I dared to peek out again, but the sheer height sent waves of terror through me.

We were thousands of feet in the air, suspended in some giant metal contraption.

I turned to Ash, purposely revealing to him the panic in my eyes, my throat tightening as I struggled to catch my breath. Ash immediately understood—the way he always did.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around me and spoke in that calm reassuring tone that somehow made everything feel manageable.

“Breathe, Areya—you’re safe. I’m here with you and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Slowly, the air returned to my lungs, my breath coming more evenly.

I focused on his words as much as possible. “Look at my eyes,” Ash said, squeezing my shoulders just as the charger lurched forward at an alarming speed.

Startled, I buried my face in his chest, focusing on the steady beat of his heart.

With every thump, my own frantic heartbeat began slowing, the panic ebbing away as I let his presence soothe me. I could have sworn a quiet snort came from Shae, but I chose to ignore it, keeping my focus on Ash.

“The worst is over. It’s smooth sailing from here,” he whispered in my ear before kissing my forehead.

I hesitantly lifted my head, noticing Xanth’s swiveling chair facing us; he was absentmindedly looking out the window. “No one is driving,” I whispered to Ash.

“No one needs to drive,” Ash countered, not at all worried.“All vehicles in Ambrosia are connected to one main server. The passenger tells the vehicle where to go and the central network guides them to their destination. The system works flawlessly, and there hasn’t been a single accident since it was implemented.”

“Do all of your people use flying vehicles?”

My initial panic was fading as curiosity took over.

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