Page 85 of These Fractured Bonds

He gave her a nod, but the pinched look on his face remained for a moment longer. “And you? How’s the new look?”

Yareli pulled her hand away, hiding her grimace by taking a bite of her food. She chewed slowly. Leo leaned forward, resting his cheek in his palm, eyes sharp.

“You don’t like it.”

She swallowed, and the food scratched at her throat. “I don’tdislikeit.”

“Mhm.”

“It’s… complicated. It’s like when you cut your hair, and you cry afterward. It’s a change, but I’ll get used to it soon enough. Besides, it’s nice being able to walk outside without the fear of being seen.”

“That’s a positive outlook! Cheers!” He held his tin cup in the air, and she clinked hers against his.

She took a sip of her water, amusement crinkling her eyes, but she couldn’t help the cold dread that dripped down her nape. Although she and Augrys had attempted to break open her core multiple times in the past week, she had made no progress. The first challenge would have to be done without magic—a major disadvantage. She turned her attention back to Leo, who had begun to tell her about his recent discovery.

“Wait, how did you end up on yams?” she asked.

TheydepartedfortheFire Court the following day at sunset. It was a week-long festival starting off with a bang; the first challenge was later that night. To prevent cheating, the specifics were withheld from competitors, but it only magnified Yareli’s anxiety. She fiddled with the tip of her ear, reassuring herself that the transformation hadn’t failed—it wouldn’t. It wasquite literally a physical and cosmetic change to her body. It needed a counterspell to be undone, but she continued fretting.

Erick slapped her hand away. “Stop that. It’s making me nervous. We can get zits from stress too, you know.”

“Don’t lie. We don’t.” Augrys reprimanded him. “She’s nervous as we all are.”

Gratified, she stuck her tongue out at Erick. He mimicked her, scrunching his face to an extreme.

She laughed; he looked ridiculous.

Augrys held a hand up. “We’re coming up to the agreed-upon rendezvous point, quiet down.”

Leo shuffled closer to her, giving her a nod of encouragement. “You got this.”

She managed a smile. Allyah had arranged to meet with them before the festival at a secluded forest clearing outside of the city. The sun had long set, and the moon had risen by the time they reached the spot. A lone, simple stone tower stood erected in the center. With Allyah nowhere in sight, they made their way to the stones. No sooner had Leo placed his pack on the ground than her voice came from behind them.

“Surprised you’re on time, Augrys.”

He shrugged. “A simple feat achieved by lying to my chronically late lieutenant.”

Yareli scanned Allyah’s attire, admiring the black dress she wore; she caught her staring and smirked.

“You’ll be staying at my villa,” she drawled, flicking her loose hair over her shoulder. “Now then—”

The air around her shimmered; her blue eyes lit up like lightning; thunder cracked, and she was standing in front of Yareli. Augrys stood in the way, gripping Allyah’s outstretched hand, his own eyes ablaze in gold.

“Did you forget? I was always faster,” he said, his voice flat.

“Let go.”

Augrys stood firm. “Back away.”

They glared at each other, like unmoving forces intent on only one thing—Yareli. The air hummed with crackling energy.

“How about we do this, like, maybe a hundred miles away from me?” she asked, taking a step back. Leo was behind her, taking hold of her shoulder, ready to jump with her if need be.

“Here’s the deal,” Allyah said. “Yareli comes with me, and the rest of you make your way on foot to the festival. If you start walking now, you might catch the end of it.”

“Yareli won’t be leaving with you,” Augrys answered.

“Then, there is no deal. She won’t make it in time on foot with you fools.”