Page 173 of A Soul to Steal

We’re starting to really work as a team.

He’d like them to act as a unit, wordlessly communicating to get a task done. The thought made him smile.

Once Gideon had light, he unfurled the parchment against the ground, with stones weighing down the corners to keep it open.

The chill wind blew softly, but he didn’t find it too bad with his jacket. He leaned a little to the right until Aleron’s shoulder pressed against his own, and the heat that came off the big guy instantly had his muscles relaxing in contentment.

“I’m guessing we’re around here,” Gideon stated, pointing just below the southwest region of the Veil’s canyon. Just above their rough location, and little more to the left, were three villages – he thought one may be where he’d done his mortifying naked march. “I don’t know exactly where we came to Earth, but I think we kind of did this.”

He slipped his finger north. He hated how guilt nagged his stomach, sickening it, as he went west towards the beach – where he’d unfairly told Aleron he wanted to sever their bond.

Shit. Was that really three weeks ago?In such a small amount of time, so much had changed.And yesterday...A shiver ran down his spine at the memory of them at the hot springs.

Gideon didn’t realise how fast things were moving until he looked at the evidence of their path and how long it’d taken them to get to this spot.

His cheeks drained of colour, but he tried to ignore the regret that simmered beneath the surface as he drew an estimated path. He circled the map, going far north, then east to where the cave had been, right behind the northern Demonslayer stronghold called Hawthorne Keep. Then, he moved further east to Zagros Fortress, where Emerie had likely enrolled to become a Demonslayer, before pointing to Fishket.

They’d spent a lot of time in the southlands, scouting it with not a single trace of their siblings. He scanned over the hot springs and then pointed to Greenshire and their corn crop they’d visited today.

“I’ll be honest with you, Aleron, I don’t know where they could be. If I were Emerie, I would stay away from the north,” he stated, lifting his gaze to Aleron, who had crouched closer to the map. “If it hasn’t changed from eight years ago, the north has a heavier presence of Demonslayers due to their mountains.”

“So they are likely in the south?” Aleron asked, tapping a claw against the parchment. He darted his hand away when he poked a hole in it. “But we have checked the south.”

Gideon palmed his cheek in thought.

“Look, if I were Emerie, I’d stay away from the east as well.” He pointed to Zagros Fortress. “This is likely the guild she deserted, and she wouldn’t risk travelling through regions that would know her face. Plus, both the north and east snow more than the southwest. She would hunker down for winter. I don’t know where, since the only place I’ve been to, besides Fishket, is Ashpine City.”

Well, that wasn’t true, as he’d technically been all around Austrális now.

The giant, crudely drawn crack that spanned the entire continent kept drawing his eye.

He asked the question he didn’t want to.

With a beseeching expression, Gideon turned to the Duskwalker. “Could they be in the Veil, Aleron?”

Seeming to forget that he’d just poked a hole in the parchment, Aleron tapped at it again. This time, he held the end of his snout as he pondered.

He kept tapping the same spot, an area far east. Gideon pointed to it.

“Here?” Gideon asked.

“I do not think he would take his bride so deep where Demons dwell,” Aleron explained, his skull jerking in his direction as though he glanced at him. “He would not wish her to come to harm, but... Merikh’s cave is here. It is often unoccupied, although you and I know he will never return to it. He is in the Elven world with Raewyn. But... it is a safe place to rest, and we have lingered there many times.”

Merikh and Raewyn? Those names sound familiar.Gideon recalled no memories of them, per se, but he was sure Aleron spoke of them a few times.That must be who I was trying to remember earlier.

“Should we start heading to Merikh’s cave then? We can fly back over the south again, and we may end up finding them along the way.”

Aleron nodded, agreeing with his plan of attack. It also seemed to soothe Aleron, whether that was because Gideon was wholeheartedly trying to aid their search, or because having a plan eased him.

Rolling up the parchment, Gideon moved to his case to tuck it away carefully for safekeeping, then sat next to it. He also took his new underwear out of his pocket, planning to put them on inthe morning. Then, he waited for tiredness to begin clutching at him, as he did most nights.

Plucking a string of his guitar here and there, without pulling it from his case, he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to play it or not. Honestly, just having it brought him joy. It’d meant a lot to him, so just being able to look at it and touch it placated him.

Sometimes it was the simple things in life.

At the same time, his hyperaware senses soaked in Aleron.

Difficult to truly tell where Aleron was looking, Gideon thought he may be staring at the fire. His wings twitched, flapping while closed and resting at his back.

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