Page 67 of Research with Rivals
He held my gaze. “The continent needed a veil cat, and I was that veil cat. The Vesten Point calling is one of the reasons the animal might not follow lineage.”
The intensity was too much. I blurted out another question. “Why did the continent ‘need’ a veil cat? What does this have to do with the ancient magic here?”
He smiled, albeit a little sadly. There might even have been disappointment there and gone before I cataloged it. “The Compass Points have been through a lot in the past months. Much was happening on the continent and outside of our realm that required the courts to come together. I won’t go into the details now, but suffice it to say that ancient magic was important, and a veil cat was essential to rid the continent of the mist plague.”
“Did you really travel between realms?” I asked with no caution whatsoever. That was what he had to be implying. This was the sisters’ experience in the journal Gabriel had given us days ago. When they’d shifted into veil cats, they’d gone to another realm—beyond the veil.
“I do.”
“That’s the magic I feel, isn’t it?” I paused but ultimately threw caution to the wind. The sense of ancient magic was too strong. Only a realm known to hold the spirits of the departed could feel this way. I took careful steps toward the tree’s trunk. It was as if the magic emanated from here. I still didn’t understand it.
“It is.” He tilted his head. “You seem aware of its origin as well.”
Before I could ask another question, he glanced over my shoulder. I didn’t know what he saw through the willow tree’s drooping branches, but something halted our conversation. “The others are here. We should meet them for our meal.”
That was fine with me. I couldn’t handle any more of the Vesten Point’s piercing stare. My veil cat’s lack of concern seemed to indicate it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but it definitely wasn’t comfortable. I would need to find my father to talk sooner rather than later. I also hadn’t missed the Vesten Point’s tense change. I’d asked him if he had traveled between realms. He’d answered like he still did.
Something was going on here, and I wondered how closely it was related to my and Ambrose’s project.
28
Ambrose
Before heading down to meet the Vesten Point, I tried knocking on Evelyn’s door again. It was a performative action. The tightening in my chest said that she wasn’t in her room. She was somewhere out on the property, and getting farther away by the moment.
A sigh slipped from my lips, and a weight settled on my shoulder. “A lover’s spat?”the Vesten God asked.
I wished. What kind of fight was this, exactly? A friends fight? A collegial dispute? I had no idea, and wasn’t that part of the problem. “She went for a walk.”
“Of course she did.”This time, the Vesten God’s voice held an air of satisfaction rather than condescension. Like maybe he’d won some bet with himself.
“I was about to go downstairs to the meal. Are you coming?” I asked.
He flapped his wings into the side of my face. “Yes, but I believe Carter wanted to eat out in the garden. I’ll show you the way.”
I shrugged and followed Lord Arctos out of the house.
Reading about the Burning Garden hadn’t prepared me to see it. Immediately, my mind went to Evelyn and her constant experiments with plants. She would love to see this. I guessed she would soon enough.
“I should find Evelyn before Carter arrives,” I started.
“No need.” Lord Arctos had shifted into his fae form and strode with purpose as he called toward the large willow tree in the center of the garden. The way its branches hung like a curtain behind which one could hide was beautiful—although maybe that was too tame a word for it. I might not have felt the magic that Evelyn described earlier, but this tree embodied the ancient feeling she had described.
It didn’t surprise me that she’d discovered additional magic here. She was intuitive with unique magic. Yes, she thoroughly tested her ideas, but she also had a knack for it. I wondered what that meant when it came to unique magic on Vesten House grounds.
A few of the kitchen staff arrived in the garden behind us and laid out a checkered blanket. Plates filled with rich-smelling food were spread across it: meats, vegetables, fresh-baked bread, and brightly colored fruits.
The sun had already started to set, and the night had a chill about it. I hoped Evelyn had some of the candies with her. There were some in my pocket, but I wasn’t sure she’d want me to offer her one in this company. The garden would be a lovely place to take in the scenery of Compass Lake at its most quiet hour, but it was sure to get cold if she didn’t use her fire.
“Are you two coming?” Lord Arctos called.
My head snapped toward the giant willow tree as I realized what Lord Arctos had said.Are you two coming?
Evelyn and Carter pushed the drooping willow branches out of the way and walked toward us—together.
They weren’t touching. Not that it was within my rights to be angry if they had been, but something about the two of them looked … informal. My metaphorical hackles rose.
“Calm down, Wolfy, it’s not what you think,” Lord Arctos said.
