I brushed back a clump of hair and kissed his forehead. “That’s good enough for me.”
The sound of snapping twigs caught my attention, and I turned to see lights glowing in the forest behind us. A group of people moved through the wood and toward the village. I recognized them as elves. They wore flowing robes lit by the baubles they carried, although the delicate glass orbs glowed with actual fire instead of the magical enchantment they usually depended on. The band of travelers moved with an ethereal grace, as if they were part of the wood.
Kull and I walked to the edge of a small precipice to get better look at the procession.
“The elven envoy has arrived,” Kull said. “And not a moment too soon. I hope they’re up for the voyage.”
Though we were too far away to be noticed, I still searched out my father and found him walking amidst the others. He was easy to spot. He’d always been tall for an elf, and he walked with dignified refinement, although now, he also seemed to walk with a slight limp. His dark hair gleamed under the firelight, worn in a loose ponytail that trailed down his back. His gray robes blended in with the shadowy forest. Even from this distance, I noticed he looked paler than usual. Without his aura of magic, his countenance had become haggard.
The other elves also shared my father’s pallor. Trailing behind the rest, I found Princess Euralysia, Kull’s former fiancée and a person I dreaded seeing again.
Her air of elegance had disappeared, replaced with sagging shoulders and a slow gait. She’d always been a powerful practitioner, perhaps even more powerful than my father, which made the loss of magic exact an even greater toll on her.
I glanced at Kull. Was he anxious to see his former fiancée? Although I knew they’d never really had romantic feelings for one another, I also knew they had been friends. What would he do when he saw her again?
He placed his hand on my back. “Let’s go back to the inn.”
I nodded, and then followed him through the forest until we reached the village.
After crossing the town square, we entered the Sailor’s Reprieve. Bodies crowded the suffocating room. It seemed there was some confusion over where to put the elves. Eventually, the innkeeper appeared at the top of the staircase and announced where each party would be staying, although I noted that he was assigning six or seven bodies to each room. The grumbling continued as the elves and Wults disagreed over their arrangements. Finally, the innkeeper threw his hands in the air and told them to sleep in the bloody sewers for all he cared.
If this was how the entire voyage would be, perhaps it would be best if I took Kull up on his offer of surviving on a deserted island after all.
As the room cleared, I found my father sitting at a table near one of the fireplaces. He didn’t see me. He stared blankly at the crackling fire with a mug held between his hands. Strands of his dark hair had come loose and fallen over his pale face. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him looking so disheveled.
Kull parted ways with me as I pointed out my father. I dodged a few lingering people as I made my way to his table. What would I say to him? Our relationship had always been strained. Lately, it seemed we were communicating a little better, but how long could I expect it to last?
My father focused on me as I took a seat across from him.
“Olive,” he said, his voice hoarse. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m helping to restore the magic. What are you doing here?”
He sighed. “I’ve come to do the same thing.” His gaze wandered back to the fireplace.
He worried me. I’d never seen him like this before. We all knew the dangers of traveling to the outer islands. Few had survived the voyage, and those who did were greeted by an island full of wild dragons. It was a mystery to me how the Wults had found a willing sea captain. I could only imagine they’d used their characteristic negotiating tactics, which consisted of blades and bloodshed.
“Father,” I said, “will you able to make the voyage? What do you expect to accomplish without your magic?”
“I shall manage.” He forced a smile.
“You will?”
He looked at his half-empty tankard. “I admit the loss of magic has taken its toll on me. You will forgive me if I am not myself.”
“Then why make the journey? Wouldn’t you be safer in Lauressa?”
“No. There is no place safe in Faythander as long as the magic dies. The elven council was decisive in their choice of sending me. I have a unique… position. I must make the quest to the outer islands. I fear all will be lost if I do not.”
Father and his secrets. I had no clue what he meant by ‘his unique position’. He was a magistrate, although in elven terms, there were much higher positions. Why was it so important for him to travel while in his condition? There had to be other elves stronger and more fit to travel.
“Do not worry for me,” he said. “I will be well enough.”
I adjusted my pack’s strap as it dug into my shoulder, reminding me of the item I carried inside. Not the bloom, but my father’s memory charm. Should I tell him about Mom? After all these years, did he care? He’d never once tried to contact her. He seemed so caught up with his duties as magistrate, and it had been so long since he’d seen her. Still, it seemed wrong of me not to tell him.
“I’ve spoken with Mom,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow.
“The loss of magic caused her memories
