Page 108 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“These are cynthians,” I said, picking a few that were there. They had a beautiful blue color. “They only grow in magic-rich soil, and I’ve never seen them outside of a book.”

I brought them over to him, passing him one. “They are very pretty,” he sounded distracted, looking at me.

I felt urged to kiss him right then and there, but we were so close. “Sorry I stopped us, we should go.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. He took the flower that was still in my hand and tucked it behind my ear. “But yes, we should.”

The path eventually led to a break in the trees that felt unnatural. A cottage sat in the middle of that break. Smoke poured from the chimney, despite the warm season it was.

Those purple bushes lined the entire cobblestone walkway to the entrance.

“Is this it?” I asked.

Adrian nodded, looking the most unsure I’d ever seen him.

I grabbed his hand, figuring we could each lend each other some support.

Chapter 36

Adrian

As we walked up the path towards her house, hope started creeping in. We’d actually made it. Everything was going swimmingly. Sage was next to me, hand in mine, a smile as radiant as the sun on her face.

We reached the cottage door. The whole place was a gray stucco with wooden shutters painted a bright yellow. The door was the same, though there were some chips around the edges, revealing the original wood. It had some charm, and was obviously well cared for.

After longer than I’d admit, I reached up and knocked on the door. No one answered at first, and Sage and I looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do.

She seemed to make up her own plan, knocking on the door herself. “Hello,” she called. “We’re looking for Maral⁠—”

She was cut off as the door flung open, but to our surprise, no one was there.

“Do we go in?” Sage asked me.

I shrugged. “I suppose we’ve been invited in.”

We each entered the doorway, jumping when it shut firmly behind us. I tried not to think about what that meant too hard as I glanced around. It was a cozy place for sure. The kitchen sat to the right, jars scattered around and dried herbs hanging along twine near the windows.

There was a sitting room to the left, with a burning hearth despite the heated weather outside. Throw blankets were all over the backs of the couches and a large round chair rested in the corner.

“This is… nice,” Sage said timidly.

“Hello?” I called, hoping for an answer. “Anyone home?”

Suddenly, a stout woman appeared in front of us, making Sage jump behind me.

“Who else would have opened the door?” she asked.

I was shocked she looked to be the exact age she was the last time I saw her. She had black hair with a streak of gray running through it. Her pointed ears were heavily pierced, a mix of silver and gold hoops going all the way down to the lobe.

“I’ve seen you before,” she said, standing almost on her toes to get as close to my face as possible. “You were smaller.”

“Yes,” I said. “I came here with my previous ship captain.”

“So you’re the new Shadowhart,” she said. “Interesting. I thought it was meant to be the other one.”

“Coltar?” I asked, his name hard in my throat.

She nodded. “Yes, him.”