Page 145 of Enchanted Shadows
“Bram is loose,” I reminded them. This damn team was going to be the death of me. Not to mention they were all supposed to be on a break right now. Yet here they were. Back in Kavan Keep.
Why were they always where they weren’t supposed to be?
“All the more reason to find him,” Sam said quietly. “We’re looking for Kessara, though. Hopefully nature took its course with the other two.”
Miles said, surprisingly gentle, “There are multiple teams out looking for her.”
“Weknow her better,” Wren snapped. “We can find her.”
Miles took a steadying breath. “All of us want to find her, Wren. We’re all on the same team this mission.”
“A mission we failed at,” Sam said, voice catching.
“No,” I snapped at her. I was not going to take their wailing on. Their blaming themselves. Nor did I have the time to blame myself in this moment. “Don’t. You. Dare.We pour all our energy into finding her. Go to the meadow, speak with Krew. Tell him I gave you permission to keep surveillance focused on the cabins and the barracks and then set up a rotation amongst yourselves. She might come this way once she can get free of the other two. If she isn’t hunkered down hiding somewhere.”
“You’ll let us help?” Viv asked, eyes wide.
I knew all too well that when things like this happened, the worst thing you could do was nothing. “Of course.”
While the team headed to the meadow, Miles and I headed to the cabins. We found nothing. No sight of her at all.
And for what had to be the thousandth time, I thought to myself, If she were dead, wouldn’t I know? Wouldn’t I somehow feel it?
No, we weren’t bonded, but I had heard Keir and John theorize how they both felt these bonds of ours weren’t as much about fate, but about how fiercely we chose one another. In that regard, I was entirely and wholly Kessara’s. But I had no bond, no tether which tied me to her. And not having that, I realized, whether it was in a heart bonding or soul bonding, was such an utter waste.
I would bond to her in a heartbeat to prevent this from happening again. I would... well, I would do a lot of things. None of which could actually occur unless I found her.
I wasn’t a terribly religious man. I knew we believed the gods gifted us our Enchantments years ago to help rule our specific kingdoms, and whether it’d been multiple gods or a single deity like Agria believed had been debated heavily over the years. I only knew I had seen with my own two eyes the workings of the forest here. It’s...sentience.
There was an undeniable force at work, one with balances, with justice. The forest, after all, had known that Theon had poisoned the entire realm long before we had. It’d turned dead in punishing him, almost as if a warning that despite killing all of the scientists he’d employed to accomplish it, the forest still knew what he’d done.
The forest knew things, of that I was certain.
I inhaled a deep breath and prayed to whatever or whoever would listen that the forest would keep Kessara safe, that she was still here somewhere. She’d just finished dealing with her family and keeping her brother safe, something which had consumed her for the last three years. We’d only just found a small sliver of pure happiness, and already it was under attack.
No, if this forest knew things, then it should know Kessara deserved to walk out of this unscathed, unharmed, and into a life of her choosing.
That eveningas the sun set, more of my hope fading along with it, two guards from opposite ends of the forest came with a piece of her red dress. Even just seeing it, seeing a piece of an article of clothing from her body, it strangely killed me while reviving hope in me simultaneously.
Krew handed it to me, placing it into my palm. I crushed it in my grip as I held onto it for dear life.
Kessara had traveled greatly it seemed.
As I listened to people arguing around me, realization dawned on me. Maybe she was intentionally laying a trail. If not for us, for Calix. For Bram. Maybe we hadn’t found her yet because she didn’t want to be found.
My instincts were screaming at me to find her. To not stop until she was back in my arms where she belonged. But the thing about my wife was that she was just brilliant enough and definitely stubborn enough to want to trap Calix. Given how long she had been without food and water, she had a narrow window left to try.
My heart cracked deeper as I cleared my throat, all eyes turning to me. My eyes were on Krew’s as I said, “I think she’s trying to lure Calix and Bram. That’s why we only have two articles of clothing in two days of searching. Seems likely there were more, but they were already found. Our manhunt is forcing all parties into hiding. We need to pull back some, form a proper perimeter with hidden guards, and see if one or all three will come out.”
How I got the words out without my soul tearing from my body was beyond me. I didn’t want this. I wanted to send in more people. I’d send every person in the kingdom into that forest if I thought it would help us find Kessara.
But it seemed there was a game afoot. A game we were not privy to, thus not helping in.
As more plans were made, teams brought back in, a heavilyguarded barrier decided upon, I had to remind myself with every sharp breath into the cold air that she was not alone. The wolves were out there, the forest too.
I wanted to walk the forest all night long, but I was still fighting burnout and had only gotten a few hours of sleep. I’d only make myself an easier target to kill if I attempted it tonight.
“Owen,” Jorah said gently.
