Fabien couldn't stop talking about what he had just seen. Noelis let him talk, half listening. She had been so focused on getting them down the mountain that she hadn't used or called on the Voice for some time.
'Hey. Are you there?' she said.
Silence.
She tried again. Nothing.
A whisper of disappointment settled somewhere deep in her chest. He had come when she needed him most and now he was gone again.
That night, they made a small, careful fire beneath a slanted rock. Noelis coaxed faint warmth from her palms to spark a flame while Fabien set traps.
Under the quiet hum of the forest, she reached for the connection one last time.
'Hey...'
Still nothing. She stared into the flames.
Maybe the connection had burned out. Maybe it had only existed in moments of desperation. Maybe he had done what he promised — sent help, and disappeared again, wanting nothing to do with her as before.
'Do you speak in your head often?' Fabien asked suddenly.
She jumped.
He smirked faintly. 'Your eyes were glazing the same way when you spoke into my mind back when the Shield was cracking.'
'Sometimes. It's a new skill I seem to have acquired since being Marked,' she admitted.
She stared into the fire again, heart steadying.
Wherever you are, Baldrick... I hope you're safe.
And I hope you'll speak to me again. I want the chance to thank you properly for helping me down the mountain.
'Fab, you haven't slept. Just rest a bit. We can take turns.' Before he could object, she added, 'I have powers now and I'm more than capable of keeping us safe.'
Before she realised it, she had created a barrier around them, a soft, shimmering vacuum of safety. She had simply willed it into being and surprised not only Fabien, but herself.
'All right, almighty Celestial being,' he chuckled.
She threw a pine cone at him as he lay on the ground and rolled onto his side to sleep.
The pathway down traversed around the mountain, so it took another full day to make it down. A thick fog settled over the forest as they reached the lower ridges.
They heard voices ahead, muffled by mist, and Fabien raised his voice as they approached the sound.
'Hey! This is Fabien Ardenne. We're over here! I'm here with Lady Noelis.'
The men they found looked exhausted. The fog had swallowed the search party whole, leaving them unable to push further up the mountainside or retrace their steps back down. Among the unfamiliar faces was Elarion — tired, but as regal as ever.
Born to be the next King, Fabien thought.
The two cousins nodded to each other before Elarion's gaze settled on Noelis. His eyes swept over her, frowning at what he saw — her lack of clothing, her bare skin, and her hand in Fabien's.
He strode forward and draped his cloak around her shoulders. Then, without a word, he released her hand from Fabien's and scooped her up.
Possessive, Noelis had remarked to Fabien before. She gave him a knowing look over Elarion's shoulder.
She hesitated, debating whether to insist on walking herself or to let him carry her. In the end, she allowed it, not wanting to cause a scene. And truthfully, she was exhausted.
Elarion did not speak, and neither did she.
'We need to follow the right path up there,' Noelis said quietly but firmly.
'The road leads upward,' Elarion replied.
'Trust me, it's that way.' Her tone carried a confidence she didn't bother softening. Clearly, Elarion wasn't used to being addressed in that manner. 'The mountain paths are twisted — you can't rely on rational instincts.'
'Noelis is right. She's the one who got us down this far, not me,' Fabien added. Elarion shot him a glare.
'She has Manna and some Celestial guidance thing going on,' he said lightly, using the humorous, nonchalant tone he preferred to avoid conflict.
With a reluctant nod, Elarion ordered the men to follow the direction Noelis indicated.
Within an hour, they were out.
It was Inaya who found them first. She had been perched on a stump not far from the mountain entrance. Her usual cold, stony face lit up when she saw them. Elarion set Noelis down and Inaya glided towards them, graceful as ever. She touched Noelis's shoulder gently, inspecting her for injuries.
'I'm all right,' Noelis said with a tired smile. 'Where are the others? Did Alarie and Emon make it down?'
'Were they not with you?'
Noelis's heart dropped.
'Get her some fresh clothes and take her to the hot springs to heal,' Elarion instructed Inaya.
Noelis didn't move. The thought of leaving while Alarie and Emon were still missing — or worse — made her stomach twist.
'Noe, Alarie's a tough soul with the same Celestial strength you have. And Emon... well, he's Emon the invincible,' Fabien said.
Noelis gave him a warm, grateful look.
'And you need that bath before anyone else sees our Lady Tribute looking like a tramp,' he teased.
'You're not looking much better yourself,' she shot back.
'This lowly stooge has duties to attend to before bath time. We'll tell Rowe and Faelynn you're safe — go on.' He gave her a gentle push toward Inaya.
Ignoring the burn of Elarion's gaze on her back, Noelis let Inaya guide her away.
The hot spring was a wonder. Her aching body soothed as she submerged herself in the milky water. Inaya sat nearby on a rock, quiet and still.
'You don't have to wait for me. I can see myself out.'
'It's fine. He would want me to keep watch,' Inaya said, unmoving.
'Inaya, you're not even bound to Elarion. You don't need to do anything more for him than help fix the Shield. I just need a bit of alone time after what happened up there.'
She hadn't meant Elarion.
'Fine, if that's your wish. I'll be back in half an hour if you haven't returned to our tent. Here's a towel and some clean clothes.'
With that, Inaya left.
Noelis tilted her head back, staring at the clear night sky.
So much had happened.
They had made it down, but Alarie and Emon had not.
She was learning to wield her Manna — stronger now than when she'd first entered the mountain.
The Shield was fixed, but fragile. The Dark Creatures were hideous, but something about them still clawed at her instincts. There was more to them than their monstrous appearance.
And Elarion — he must have learned about the cracking Shield from those who had watched from below. Seeing him had brought not relief, but discomfort.
She was his Tribute. They had slept together out of necessity. She didn't like the fact that she hadn't disliked it. Elarion hadn't treated her with the respect her previous lovers had, but her body had responded all the same.
Can one enjoy the pleasures of the body without the mind approving?
She had always believed it true for men... but perhaps women were no different. Faelynn was proof enough.
She smiled faintly. She couldn't wait to see Fae and Rowe.
Her thoughts drifted back to Alarie and Emon. She would need to speak to Elarion about returning to the mountains to search for them.
The moon was high and bright — more time had passed than she realised.
She waded to the rock where Inaya had placed her clothes, only to find nothing there.
Had Inaya forgotten?
Noelis had asked for alone time, but Inaya said she would check in if she wasn't back within half an hour. Yet no one had come. A thread of unease tightened in her chest.
She couldn't walk into the camp naked. She would have to wait.
Then she froze.
Someone was there.
With her arms crossed over her chest, she scanned the shadows.
A soft clack of boots on stone.
'Looking for these?'
It wasn't Fabien. It wasn't Elarion.
The voice was male, low and amused. He stepped forward, dangling her towel and clothes from one hand.
She knew that face.
Calen Drakonus.
Her stomach dropped.