“You nearly scared me half to death! What did you think you were doing, leaving us like that then jumping out of nowhere? Where have you been?”
Standing there, Gray looked different. Powerful , she thought. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore his usual threadbare gray cloak with its crossed swords, but now he wore new clothes, another gift of Karil’s—dark pants and a shirt with a fitted gray vest, cinched by a leather belt with a white-metal buckle. Upon his arms were leather bracers with silver accents. Stubble from the days of travel now began to grow evenly along his cheeks, and dark brown hair dangled about his shoulders. He held her gaze, just like the night before, making her swallow. “To be honest,” Gray said, “I saw you both a bit ago, but I wanted to see your reaction to this place. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Ayva was silent, raptured in the moment. The sun grew toasty upon her cheek, and she held up a hand, watching as the butterflies danced around it like a pole in the center green of the Harvest Festival, wanting nothing more than to let the moment continue forever.
“Amazing, indeed,” Darius breathed, “but what is it?”
“It’s a sanctuary,” Gray said.
Drawn back by her curiosity, Ayva questioned, “From what? And how do you know that?” He seemed to know more and more of late, but where was he getting his answers? Did he have some book he’d not shared?
“I’m not sure,” he answered. “But whatever the reason, it explains why we haven’t seen much of the inhabitants of Farhaven until now.”
“And as for how you knew?” Darius asked.
“I’m a Devari.”
Ayva raised a curious brow. “And that means?”
“I thought you had heard Karil or Maris explain it,” he said, but she shook her head. “Well, Devari live in Farbs. I guess they, and I, have this power called the ki. I’m not very good with it yet, but it allows me to sense other beings, humans or animals, to feel how they feel.”
“Like empathy?” she asked.
“That and more. I literally am those creatures for a time, inhabiting their bodies with my mind.”
“That sounds… terrifying,” Darius said with a shiver.
He shook his head. “It’s not really. In fact, it’s amazing to truly connect and understand another creature. I can feel these animals. They are afraid, but here they feel safe… Like a beast in a self-made cage. A cage they feel is closing in around them.”
Darius snorted, “Thank you, but no thank you. I prefer staying in my own skin.”
Ayva smacked his arm. “That sounds amazing,” she said. “A true gift.” To understand another living being fully was a thing she tried to do but knew no one could truly accomplish until one could feel what others felt.
At that moment, a bloody cry split the air. Ayva jumped, grabbing Gray’s arm. Darius leapt as well, reaching for his blade in his black-green coat, twisting and turning as the cry continued, echoing through the woods. Across the lake, creatures bolted into the dense foliage while birds took to the air and the shelled beasts skittered into the water’s depths.
“What in the light was that?” Darius asked.
They looked at one another, and Ayva knew that each was thinking the same thing.
It sounded like the cry of a child.
Ayva realized her fingers still gripped Gray’s arm. She let go. He offered her a smile of reassurance, but she knew him well enough by now to see uncertainty behind his piercing gray-green eyes. He looked ahead sternly. “We need to investigate.”
“Oh, of course, go on ahead! Meanwhile, I’ll just make sure this lake doesn’t go anywhere.” Darius hunkered down, sitting cross-legged.
“ We , Darius,” Gray said. “We cannot afford to move alone.” He looked to Ayva.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Together.”
Darius grumbled, but as always, she tuned him out and moved to her cormac.
They mounted and moved into the woods together. They passed tall trees, their roots
Standing there, Gray looked different. Powerful , she thought. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore his usual threadbare gray cloak with its crossed swords, but now he wore new clothes, another gift of Karil’s—dark pants and a shirt with a fitted gray vest, cinched by a leather belt with a white-metal buckle. Upon his arms were leather bracers with silver accents. Stubble from the days of travel now began to grow evenly along his cheeks, and dark brown hair dangled about his shoulders. He held her gaze, just like the night before, making her swallow. “To be honest,” Gray said, “I saw you both a bit ago, but I wanted to see your reaction to this place. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Ayva was silent, raptured in the moment. The sun grew toasty upon her cheek, and she held up a hand, watching as the butterflies danced around it like a pole in the center green of the Harvest Festival, wanting nothing more than to let the moment continue forever.
“Amazing, indeed,” Darius breathed, “but what is it?”
“It’s a sanctuary,” Gray said.
Drawn back by her curiosity, Ayva questioned, “From what? And how do you know that?” He seemed to know more and more of late, but where was he getting his answers? Did he have some book he’d not shared?
“I’m not sure,” he answered. “But whatever the reason, it explains why we haven’t seen much of the inhabitants of Farhaven until now.”
“And as for how you knew?” Darius asked.
“I’m a Devari.”
Ayva raised a curious brow. “And that means?”
“I thought you had heard Karil or Maris explain it,” he said, but she shook her head. “Well, Devari live in Farbs. I guess they, and I, have this power called the ki. I’m not very good with it yet, but it allows me to sense other beings, humans or animals, to feel how they feel.”
“Like empathy?” she asked.
“That and more. I literally am those creatures for a time, inhabiting their bodies with my mind.”
“That sounds… terrifying,” Darius said with a shiver.
He shook his head. “It’s not really. In fact, it’s amazing to truly connect and understand another creature. I can feel these animals. They are afraid, but here they feel safe… Like a beast in a self-made cage. A cage they feel is closing in around them.”
Darius snorted, “Thank you, but no thank you. I prefer staying in my own skin.”
Ayva smacked his arm. “That sounds amazing,” she said. “A true gift.” To understand another living being fully was a thing she tried to do but knew no one could truly accomplish until one could feel what others felt.
At that moment, a bloody cry split the air. Ayva jumped, grabbing Gray’s arm. Darius leapt as well, reaching for his blade in his black-green coat, twisting and turning as the cry continued, echoing through the woods. Across the lake, creatures bolted into the dense foliage while birds took to the air and the shelled beasts skittered into the water’s depths.
“What in the light was that?” Darius asked.
They looked at one another, and Ayva knew that each was thinking the same thing.
It sounded like the cry of a child.
Ayva realized her fingers still gripped Gray’s arm. She let go. He offered her a smile of reassurance, but she knew him well enough by now to see uncertainty behind his piercing gray-green eyes. He looked ahead sternly. “We need to investigate.”
“Oh, of course, go on ahead! Meanwhile, I’ll just make sure this lake doesn’t go anywhere.” Darius hunkered down, sitting cross-legged.
“ We , Darius,” Gray said. “We cannot afford to move alone.” He looked to Ayva.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Together.”
Darius grumbled, but as always, she tuned him out and moved to her cormac.
They mounted and moved into the woods together. They passed tall trees, their roots
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