Nev read the letter three times before carefully folding it and putting it in her pack next to the ring she had discovered. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply. The words from the letter bouncing in her mind before finally settling within her. Father, she thought.
Wyatt wanted to give her the time she needed to process everything she had been through, but a nagging feeling in his mind had slowly been growing with intensity. Now, he found it had become impossible to ignore. The prowler, somehow, knew they were here. Maybe he’d just been betting Nev would come back here, but Wyatt didn’t think that was the case. Each time she used the amulet, the prowler seemed to sense it.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought dawned on him. The prowler was using it to track her. To track them. Wyatt abruptly felt sick to his stomach as anxiety rushed through him. He stood up quickly and handed the shirt and short sword to Nev. “Might want to put these on quickly,” he said with urgency.
Nev, having been pulled back to the present, blinked up at Wyatt. His expression told her everything she needed to know. She grabbed the shirt and shoved it in her pack before seizing the sword from his outstretched hand. She frantically investigated their surroundings. Nev could sense the looming danger, but not its origin. She began to reach for her amulet when Wyatt suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled it towards him.
“I don’t think that is such a good idea,” he said, sounding very serious.
“Why not? It helps me see him,” she protested.
“Yeah, I am beginning to think that is the problem. I think it doesn’t just let you see the prowler, but… it lets him see you, too. And we just inadvertently sent out a flare of our location to him,” Wyatt said with a sigh.
Wyatt’s words made her feel terribly uneasy. He had to be wrong. She desperately wanted him to be wrong, but something told her he wasn’t. Maybe if they could just evade him this time and if she didn’t use the amulet again, then they would be safe. Unexpectedly, her amulet starting glowing. It was dim but unmistakable.
Wyatt turned and looked at her with horror. “I told you not to…”, his voice trailed off as he noticed Nev’s hands were nowhere near the amulet.
“Your path will become clear,” she said quietly as a memory flashed in her mind. She hooked the scabbard to her belt before unclasping her cloak and pulling the shirt and ring from her pack. She swiftly slipped the shirt on over her head and then refastened her cloak over her shoulders. After staring at the ring briefly, she handed it to Wyatt.
Wyatt looked at her with growing concern. “Nev, what are you doing? Don’t you think we should be running or swimming into underwater caves or something? Anything besides just waiting here?” he said, with a growing sense of apprehension.
Nev turned to him and smiled apologetically. “No. Not this time.” She let loose a small sigh before continuing, “Wyatt, please put on the ring and trust me. No worries, remember?” she asked, kissing his cheek softly.
“Are we planning on fighting him? We are, aren’t we? They say they cannot be killed. That they are evil incarnate. This is crazy. You know how crazy this is, right?” implored Wyatt, feeling agitated and ignoring the ring in her outstretched hand.
She could sense the prowler closing the distance between them. “This is my path. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know I’m supposed to do this. But you… you don’t have to,” she said, growing quiet.
Wyatt stared into her eyes. He was feeling confused, terrified, and even frustrated. Yet, what he felt most of all was the desire to stay… with her. “No, you are committed to this crazy path and I… well, I am committed to you. So, I guess that means crazy for both of us. Yay!” he said, forcing a small laugh and taking the ring from her.
Nev nodded and hugged him tightly. The doubts and worries she had about her feelings for Wyatt seemed to just melt. Even with her choosing to meet danger head-on, he’d chosen to stand beside her. For the first time in a long time, Nev started to think she may not have to be alone ever again. Gazing at him, she whispered, “The letter… it said that I should give that ring to… to the one I love. And that with it, they would keep me close to their heart and far from danger.”
Wyatt lifted her face to his and said with a smile, “And you’re sure you want me to have it? I mean, you aren’t just giving it to me because there is a distinct lack of other options at the moment?”
Nev giggled briefly before shaking her head. “I’m sure. You are the only option I want,” she said, before kissing him tenderly.
Matching her kiss with his own affection for her, the connection he sensed between them grew stronger. “So, does that mean you love me?” Wyatt asked, smiling coyly at her.
“I suppose it does,” she surmised, pulling him closer to her.
“Just to clarify, you suppose it does, or it does?” he asked, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Nev leaned close to his face. Her fingers wandered to a curl that had fallen near his left eye. She twirled it between her fingers for a brief moment and then whispered, “Yes.”
“I see how it is. I will get the answer from you eventually,” teased Wyatt. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“You are certainly free to try,” she smiled shyly.
“Ha, deal! So, all we need to do is get rid of this pesky prowler, and then I can focus all my
