“I am uncertain,” she admits. “I only know that the two of you will recognize them when they find you. You will know them by touch.”
Again, my thoughts turn to Aris. He has to be one of the four. Why else would he and I share the same nightmare? Why else would we both have familiars? It cannot be simply coincidence.
Kyra walks in, and the old woman smiles, releasing her grip on my hand.
“I am glad you are awake. We have prepared breakfast.” She gestures to her daughter. “And this will help you on your travels.”
Talina steps forward and places a small satchel on the table. She reaches inside and pulls out several items. “Here is a tarp and two blankets, some cheese and bread.” I listen carefully as she lists off a few more items, including a knife. When she lifts a coin bag, she gives Kyra a pained look. “I’m sorry, it’s all we have in the way of coin. It isn’t much, but it should help you to at least have a place to sleep and—”
Kyra takes her hand and smiles warmly. Her eyes dart briefly to me, then back to Talina.
“It is more than we could have asked for. Thank you. We appreciate everything you have done for us.”
Willow looks between us. “Be careful not to draw any attention to yourselves. There are dark mages of destruction and light mages of creation searching for you. The dark mages are clever, so it is best not to engage with anyone you do not have to. And the light mages… not all of them are trustworthy either, even if they work for the God of Creation.”
Willow moves closer to me, and when her eyes meet mine, her voice whispers in my mind.
“Guard her well. Do not make the same mistakes you made in the last life. You cannot afford to fail your queen. The fate of two worlds depends upon her.”
Chapter 16
Cael
Willow’s words shake me to my core. Images of my nightmare replay in my mind. Closing my eyes against the painful memories, I draw in a deep breath and then meet Willow’s gaze evenly as I vow, “I will guard her with my life.”
She gives me a firm nod as I turn to leave with Kyra.
I’m not happy about leaving. The cottage was a refuge. A place I felt safe in a world we know nothing about. Out here, we’re on our own. And the worst part is, we have no idea who to trust.
The storm passed through last night, but several dark clouds still blanket the sky above us. Kyra and I pull our hoods up over our heads as a fine mist of rain continues to fall.
Willow’s house sits on the outskirts of the city and to reach our destination, the map shows we have to go straight through it. I am loath to have contact with more people, but we don’t have a choice.
The heavy rains last night made the surrounding area nearly impassable because of the thick mud, so for now, we must stick to the cobblestone roads of the city.
As we move through the markets, I notice as several eyes, men in particular, observe Kyra with lustful gazes. She is beautiful, I know. Even with her hood partially covering her face, it is easy to see how attractive she is beneath it.
Fierce possessiveness fills me as she moves closer to my side, instinctively seeking my protection. I glare back at the men, wanting them to understand in no uncertain terms that she is with me. If any of them dare try to touch her, I will end them.
We pass a tavern full of people. Loud, raucous music and voices drift out to the street from inside. A scantily clad woman eyes me with a lascivious grin.
“Would you like to come in?” she winks at me.
I shake my head and wrap a protective arm around Kyra as we continue on. That is not a place where we need to be noticed and certainly not one where we will stop, even with the sign that advertises rooms for the night.
It does make me think, though. Where will we sleep? After we go through the town, there isn’t another for what looks like several kilometers. I can’t be sure since the map is a hand-drawn rendering, but it appeared to be very far. At least, we have food, water, and clothing.
Willow and Talina gave us a tarp and two blankets, probably because they realized we’d be sleeping in the woods during our journey. I look to Kyra. I hate feeling so lost here. I worry about where we will sleep and how we will travel.
My memories are returning, but not as quickly as I’d like. I wish I remembered more about this world—Lunaria. It’s strange how it feels both so familiar and yet still so foreign in the same measure. I’m supposed to guard Kyra, but I’m worried that my lack of knowledge of this place could potentially lead us into danger.
As we continue down the cobbled streets, I note several men on horses. Dressed in shining red and gold armor and deep red leather pants with black boots, these guys look like knights of some sort.
I eye their horses with envy. It would certainly make travel much easier, but as I think of the coin purse and Willow’s apology about how little it contained, I doubt we have the kind of money needed to purchase one.
We’re almost at the edge of town when one of the knights calls out to us.
“Halt!”
I turn to face him, automatically placing myself between them and Kyra.
“Be careful on the roads outside of town.” His sharp gaze travels over me from head to toe. “There are rumors of bandits in the area. It may not be safe to take your wife through the woods.”
Kyra stiffens beside me but says nothing. I dip my chin in a subtle nod.
“Thank you for the warning, but we
