Page 35 of Daughter of the Darkened City

“What happened?” she croaked, voice raw from the screaming.

“It was an enchantment,” Avenay responded. “I had my own, but when I came out of it, no one was around.”

“How did you find me?”

Avenay pursed her lips. She didn’t want to say. Now that the panic had settled and she could think more clearly, she didn’t know what tosay about that or how to feel. What did it mean? How had she been able to find Enid? To feel her scream? Was that part of the thrall, too?

She shook her head. “I heard you scream.” It was a minor lie. Itwasa scream. She just hadn’t heard it, she’d felt it.

Enid grimaced. “Well, that’s embarrassing.” Enid squinted as she looked around. “I don’t know where my pack is.”

“I still have mine,” Avenay said, patting it.

“Good. It may take us a bit to find the others.” She looked up at the sky, the bits of blue peeking in through the leaves. “It’s late morning. We have some time to travel. Let’s go.”

They trekked back to the campsite and saw nothing, no foot tracks to follow, no signs that the others had wandered off. It gave Avenay a cold chill, one she could see gnawing at Enid, too, but neither addressed it. Instead, Enid said they’d been heading north, so Avenay followed closely behind, her ears primed for any oddities.

Silence stretched on around them, the only sounds a faint rustling in the woods or the wind through leaves. It seemed like a perfectly normal forest, not an enchanted one that had trapped them in horrifying visions.

“A storm is rolling in. We need to find shelter.” Enid rubbed her chin, thinking.

“We can set up my tent,” Avenay offered.

Enid’s brow shot up and a slow smirk lit on her face. “That’s a tiny tent, Little Bird. If you want to get that cozy with me, you could just ask.”

Avenay rolled her eyes. “Do you have a better plan?”

Enid looked over her shoulder. “I bet you there’s a cave or at least an overhang in that direction.”

Avenay nodded and followed close behind Enid as the sky darkened, and lightning cracked overhead.

A small stream appeared a little further in, but before they could reach it, the heavens opened. Avenay’s clothes stuck to her, her wings weighed down by the downpour. She could barely see in front of her. The only thing keeping her on the path was the view of Enid’s wings tips. The water continued to pour down heavier and heavier, and she lost sight completely, an involuntary squeak coming from her.

Suddenly, she felt a hand twine with hers, Enid’s reaching from beyond the haze, and she gripped it hard, picking up her pace. They waded through the ivy and trees, rain splattering through the forest until they came to the mouth of the cave and ducked in. A chill sent shivers along her spine, a cold piercing to the bone, her breath puffing out in smoky tendrils. The warmth of Enid’s hand was in stark contrastto the sensation of Enid’s firm grip and long hands holding hers in place expertly.

She met Enid’s eyes, who watched her carefully, a question there, her hand tightening ever so slightly. Avenay’s heart roared in her ears,and she yanked her hand free, flexing it, trying to get the feeling of Enid’s off her skin, hoping it would help unscramble the thoughts that threatened to descend into chaos. Enid looked away, her expression inscrutable as she examined the cave.

“The back wall is closed off, so that’s good,” Enid said, turning forward again. “And the front is easy to watch. This will be a good place to hang out for a bit.”

Avenay rubbed her hands together, the impression of Enid’s hand still lingering on every nerve of her own. Hoisting the pack off her back, she plopped it down, then herself, and leaned against the wall, still shivering. She opened up her palm, letting a bit of golden orange light glow, the heat from it leveling her out.

Enid whistled. “That’s a nice trick.”

She sat next to Avenay, and Avenay shifted her hand to be between them.

“I’m fine,” she said, gently pushing Avenay’s hand closer to her. “I’m used to extreme cold, so my body adjusts well.”

Avenay believed it. Enid’s hands were warm, so much so she’d almost call them hot, and just sitting next to her,there was a shift in the temperature.

Avenay wanted to talk about something, anything, but worry gnawed at her gut. The forest was enchanted. They’d known this, but the reality was more harrowing than she’d anticipated. And those visions… Seraphina’s had been so specific to her. What had Enid seen to cause her screaming and thrashing?

“You were very distressed when I found you,” Avenay said. Enid’s breath faltered, a haunted look passing before her face went back to an impenetrable wall of stone.

“My visions were…” Enid took in a shaky breath and Avenay regretted her words. “They were difficult to see.”

Avenay saw Seraphina’s face again, and her stomach plummeted. “Did you have terrible visions?”

Avenay nodded. “Yes. My sister was dead.”

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