Page 55 of This Shattered Star

With a dip of her chin, she ran her hands over her already flawless hair, then turned to the entry she’d left propped open with a small stack of books. The usual scent of sage and a touch of citronella wafted from inside. Smoothly, she bent to retrieve them. “Should anyone inquire, they will hear only that this alley contains more than its fair share of shadows.” She straightened, and fixed a certain look my way that had my throat constricting.“And a flicker of light.”

We were moving before the heavy door could fully clang shut behind her.

A gift—that is what Kassandre had given us. And I would not waste it by trying to pick apart her words.

Theia, however, appeared unsettled. But that belonged to her. She could voice her concerns if she wanted once we arrived at our destination.

Memories of wandering down the same lantern-balmed streets with Gideon nagged at me constantly. Almost every week, after endless hours of grueling training, he all but forced me to come with him despite the exhaustion weighing my feet down. But he’d given me something to look forward to. Rewarded me with treats and silly trinkets even though he knew Diana would confiscate them if she found them. Its why I made sure she never did.

I would prove to him that all our hours of training had been worthwhile. We would walk those streets again.

I loosened a breath as the sounds of people and instruments faded. Upping my pace into a jog, the threat of being discovered became near inexistant after we passed a gaggle of abandoned buildings that were eventually replaced with a lining of trees.

“We’re going to the Forest of Oblivion?” Theia asked, barely above a whisper.

“You’re free to turn back if you wish.”

She tip-toed carefully over a gnarled root. “I’m fine. It’s just that no one ever ventures beyond the first line of trees.”

With its close proximity to the Veil, countless tales as old as the rise of Aedreath spoke of those who ventured too far. Of those who’d seen and heard unspeakable things. Of those who returned marked by sudden, uncurable nightmares for the rest of their days.

Of those who never returned at all.

Some recounted that Dark Ones sat directly on the other side of the Veil, waiting to lure their prey by capturing them in a trance. That if a person was to get close enough, those monsters could feast on their soul without having to touch them. Or thatone look alone was enough to stop someone’s heart dead in their chest.

In the worst cases, those trances could make people turn on each other. Blur the line between ally and foe. When the forest was stained crimson, they’d come back to their senses.

Only to wish they hadn’t.

“That’s the point.”

The wildlife in the Forest of Oblivion cared little about those stories. A doe bolted from where she’d been rummaging behind a crooked pine tree. Insects preened loudly from bushes all around us, while an owl declared the beginning of its hunt.

Once the oaks and pines had swallowed us entirely, and the lights of Aedreath were no longer traceable, I veered right, parting fallen branches and leaves like a curtain.

A small smile made its way onto my face.

Dancing on the cool breeze that followed close behind us, a towering wisteria tree swayed its hanging branches as if waving in greeting. I greedily filled my lungs with the sweet aroma of its purple flowers, mingling with the freshness of the pond that sat near its roots.

Maybe someone had found it before I did, spent as many hours as I had resting on the thick roots poking out from overgrown grass. Someone with enough magic to gift the tree with what made it so special. But since they never made an appearance, it was only natural to claim it as mine.

Its delicate purple petals glowed, softly but brightly enough to light our surroundings. The small pond reflected almost every flower above it, glittering purple with each ripple.

Theia spun in a slow circle. “What is this place?”

“Peace,” I replied, then added, a tad pointedly, “and a secret.”

“How can a place this beautiful be kept secret?” she asked, craning her neck to marvel at the glowing buds.

She reached up, gently brushing her fingers across the petals hanging above her head. Another breeze carried the branches closer, almost as if the tree relished her touch, her words. Almost as if it was alive.

And I treated it as such. Always approached it with respect and care. And in turn, it listened. Allowed me to soak its roots with tears, and taint the air with my burdens.

“It’s as you said. No one ever ventures beyond the first line of trees.”

Toeing the edge of the pond, I peered down at my reflection. Bruise-rimmed eyes stared back, an unwelcome reminder of my lack of sleep. “I stumbled upon it as a young girl. Almost fell right into the water.” A small laugh, nothing more than a whistle of air from my nostrils. “I knew right away that I had to find a way to keep this for myself.Onlymyself. I spentweeksmending the surrounding forest in a way that would deter others from coming here. Just in case. I don’t have any earth magic, but no one else has found it yet.” I shrugged. “So I suppose I did my job well.”

“A job well done, indeed. Do you think there are other places like this? Hidden further away?”