Book One – Chapter 6

“Midnight,” Yves tore himself out of his mental gridlock, “You need to go.”

Still on his knees, Yves grappled with the tremors coursing through the ground, echoes of the beast’s rampage. His clothes were soaked with the mud stirred by the torrential rain. Midnight stood beside him. They were at eye level, his face close to hers to make his voice heard.

Midnight stared toward the coast, her gaze fixed, refusing to meet his eyes.

Yves knew she had heard him.

“You need to go.”

The Vicha could not be stopped by magic. Fighting it directly was not an option. You either outran it or let it catch you. Midnight could outrun it.

“Midnight.”

She did not look at him. He did not touch her.

“Midnight. You cannot do anything here.”

She stared ahead.

For a moment, Yves stared too.

“Can you?” he asked.

Midnight glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

“I want you to go. Ahead.” Yves retrieved two messenger strings from his hip pouch and imbued them with his energy. “Pass these on to the Albweiss Mountain Guild and to the Barnstream Harbour Guild. I am attaching two rings as well, which you can use for coin.”

Still on his knees, Yves pulled the rings from beneath his gloves. He threaded the messenger strings through them and then leaned towards Midnight to tie the strings around her neck. For an impulsive instant, he thought she would jerk her head to the side or leap backward.

“We cannot delay our departure to sea, so we need the Crimson Circle to be prepared to leave immediately. You will be there weeks before I am.”

She remained motionless as he leaned against her and pulled his arms closer around her muscular neck, sealing the strings close, like a chain. Her slick fur was soaking wet, but on his freezing hands, Yves felt the faintest traces of warmth radiating from her body. As Yves withdrew his arms, their faces were so very close that he could feel her breath on his face and see his reflection mirrored in her silver eyes.

Midnight stared.

“Take care.” Yves stood up.

For a moment, he thought she would reveal her true name to him in parting, but she did not. As soon as Yves got up, she had turned away to run inlands, and he slid back into the crater.