Page 205 of A Soul to Guide

She was the harder one of her parents, the stricter one, but she was also just as loving. Hearing their concern in the very trembles of their words had Raewyn’s shoulders turning inward.

She probably appeared ungrateful towards everyone’s care.

“It’s still better than going anywhere uninhabitable.”

“We knew there was a chance. We held out hope for that.”

“H-how did you even find where I was on Earth?” Raewyn asked, her throat coarse.

She licked at her lips to stop the tickling sensation of her tears and only ended up tasting her sadness.

“Thorill and his team managed to trace you to Earth, but they’d been trying to pinpoint your location when they sensed a large influx of magic. You’re smart, Raewyn, you always have been. We knew you were trying to signal us so we could come get you.”

Signal them?What were they talking about? She nearly tripped over her own feet when she realised it, her eyes going wide.The sun stone.

They’d sensed her when she activated it, since it was such a powerful spell. If they were scrying through magic, they would have noticed it.

Why didn’t I think of that sooner?She could have saved herself weeks of work!

Her heart shrivelled.But I wouldn’t have gotten to know Merikh.

If they had come too soon, she wouldn’t have realised how wonderful he was, how much she could... gentle him. Her easing tears redoubled, and she felt like a child with how uncontrollable she was behaving.

I want him back,she thought as her mother steered her into a room and sat her on a healing bed.What am I going to do?

“Lay down,” her father demanded softly, and Raewyn complied.

Her father was a valued scientist, a medic and a linguist – although the last one was more of a hobby, one he had tried to push onto her and Jabez.

He hooked Raewyn up to devices to check on her physical wellbeing, while her mother brushed her forehead soothingly.

“Is there a way we can go back?” Raewyn asked, eyeing the machines.

“In theory, yes,” her father answered, staring at a glowing magical ball informing him of her nutritional levels. “But we also can’t. The portal stone we used was the last one we had, since all the others have been converted to power the city. It was weak, and it gave out the moment they opened the one to you – which is why it closed so quickly. Thankfully, it was able to take the soldiers to you. Cykran demanded they take him with them, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“He loves you, Raewyn,” her mother added.

They all knew she meant platonically.

“You should have seen him threaten the other councilmembers,” her father chuckled warmly. “Said he would die just to bring you home. How could anyone deny such a proclamation?”

Raewyn stopped listening; all she heard was that she couldn’t go back. Her breaths sawed in and out of her like a blade that wanted to sever her in two.

Her mother placed her hand over her forehead, like she was checking for a fever. What was the point when her father was already doing a health check?

Without meeting her eyes, she examined her daughter’s face.

It clicked with Raewyn that they didn’t realise she couldsee.Weirdly enough, she didn’t want to tell them.

It was private, a gift from Merikh, and she feared if she spoke about it, it would disappear. It was all she had of him right now, and it was giving her hope that he was at least alive.

That he would figure out a way to come to her.

I will always take it back,he’d once proclaimed. Did it mean he’d given it to her as a promise?

Why would he do something so foolish?How was he able to come to her if he couldn’t see the dangers he faced? He would have to travel the Veil and to Jabez’s castle without it.

“What’s wrong?” her mother asked, and Raewyn looked up to her.

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