Page 153 of Deadwood
Once the blankets were laid out neatly and the pillows were in place, Auria lay beside me, one blanket between her and the grass, and another draped over her body up past her breasts.
“We can’t see as many stars in Amosite because of the city,” she said quietly.
I forced my gaze to stay trained on the sky, for if I turned her way, I feared I might do something reckless. So instead, I spoke. “When we first met, you told me the stars were bright.”
“Yes,” Auria replied.
I swallowed, inching my hand just the slightest bit closer to hers where it rested directly beside me. My skin hummed with the nearness of her. Under these stars, with Auria beside me, I feared my brain was malfunctioning as my tongue listened to my heart and let slip an admission I should’ve kept tightly locked away. “They’ll never shine as bright as you, Auria. Not in my eyes.”
And for that one night, we fell asleep in silence under the stars, dreaming of a world much different than the one we were given, and wishing of a universe in which this might work.
Knowing that it wouldn’t.
CHAPTER 48
AURIA
It’d been a day since I reassured Glacies in the clearing, and every hour that ticked by since, I thought of her. Why had she been so concerned as to seek me out to be sure I was okay? She didn’t belong in Deadwood with her natural biome being in the Brimstone Mountains, yet she was here. It was no secret that she lingered either. She’d passed over the house with her massive wings and blinding body reflecting the sun about five times.
I hadn’t bothered to ask Bowen if he knew what was up with her, instead enjoying his company while I could. After hours of eating, hydrating, and napping on and off, he’d asked if I was up for a stroll through the forest, reassuring me multiple times that I’d be safe and no other attacks would occur. I hesitantly agreed. That was three hours ago, and we were still riding.
He’d only brought one horse to the house, insisting I ride with him so I didn’t tire myself out too much. I hadn’t objected. Being close to him was quickly becoming my favorite place to be.
Bowen dropped the rein from one of his hands, setting it over mine where it sat on the horn of the saddle. “Are you doing okay?”
I nodded. This was not the first time he had asked. His constant checking in on how I was feeling made my heart flutter. “I’m okay. Would you care to tell me where we’re going now?”
He stayed quiet, returning his hand to the rein.
I heaved a heavy sigh. “Bowen—” I started, but quickly snapped my mouth shut as we crested the top of the hill. The sight before us stole the breath from my lungs.
Rather than make some smart-ass comment, he gently tugged on the reins, stopping the horse as he watched my reaction, my eyes taking in everything in front of us. Or was he admiring my awe? I wasn’t sure. Not when I’d never seen a sight such as this or even dreamed of one remotely similar.
At the base of a towering mountain sat a spring surrounded by crystals of all colors and sizes jutting up from the rock and soil. Every shade imaginable glittered in the setting sun as it cast shadows over the land. Clusters of crystalline spikes darted out of the ground like knives, beautiful yet glaringly deadly.
“This is Iris Vere,” Bowen explained, finally taking his eyes off me to look over the beauty before us. “The Rainbow Spring.”
True to its name, the water glowed a rich pink, swirls of other colors mixing with the fuschia. As if protected by the mountain that loomed above it, there wasn’t a ripple to be seen, the top of the spring like stained glass.
With my mind caught in the trance of its beauty, I hadn’t realized the horse had begun walking again, only stopping once he hit the edge of the spring. There was a small bank where no crystals sprang up from the ground, just wide enough for us to dismount.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, the words barely a whisper as I stared down at the strawberry-colored water.
“There are so many places I want to show you,” he admitted quietly.
I didn’t voice what we were both thinking. That time wasn’t on our side.
“Would you like to get in?”
My head spun in his direction at the question, the saddle creaking as I shifted. “Can we?”
“Some springs aren’t safe to swim in because of the veins of magic that run near the water, but this one is fine.”
“There are others?”
He glanced over his shoulder, like he might see one he could point out. “There are quite a few scattered in and around the Sunward Mountains.”
My eyes widened slightly. “In?”
