“They spotted him just over here,” Xander said, pointing between two trees with silvery bark and leaves so dark they almost looked blue.
Ducking her head, Effie stepped under a low-hanging branch and scanned the leaf-strewn path for a sign of anything that didn’t seem to belong. Hard to know what that could be when it was the first time she’d been there. I guess you don’t need to be overly familiar with something to sense a general wrongness about it.
Today’s errand almost reminded her of their scouting trips in the jungle in that regard, except for the absence of insects and the abundance of sky overhead. The trees were much sparser in Sylverlands, merely dotting the landscape instead of covering it. Instead of a forest like Bael or Vyruul, Sylverlands lent itself to long stretches of flat land broken up by the occasional hill or lake. The more open area explained why the Sylvanese scouts would have noticed a figure moving through the trees from a distance, but not how it managed to elude them.
Kael and Lucian were talking in hushed voices, their heads bowed together and faces grim. No matter how hard she strained to hear them, Effie couldn’t make out a single word, much to her chagrin.
Ronan stood with his arms crossed, Reyna at his side, her hands hovering just above the blades sheathed at her hips. Xander and Zane stepped back, allowing Lucian to kneel beside the two trees they’d just indicated. Kael moved to stand beside Kieran, their entire group falling silent as Lucian lifted his hand. Closing his eyes, Lucian pressed the palm of his hand against the tree on his right.
Muscles taut with tension, Lucian remained bowed beside the trees. All Effie could see was the slight expansion in his back as he inhaled.
She wasn’t certain what Lucian was doing, or what he expected to find, but a tingling awareness hummed within her. It almost felt like the start of a vision, but it was a subtler sensation. More an insistent tug for her to pay attention than a complete overtaking of her mind.
Trusting the instinct she didn’t quite understand, Effie followed suit. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply from her nose. Focusing only on her breathing, she repeated the technique. She wasn’t Helena, with her powers of Spirit and Earth, who would be able to discern a living thing’s essence just by concentrating on it, but she had come face-to-face with the Shadows. Effie knew what it felt like to be amongst them.
The way the tiny hairs on the back of her neck would stand on end.
How her blood would ice and cause goosebumps to erupt down her limbs.
The metallic taste of terror in her mouth.
Shuddering, Effie’s hand spasmed against the rough bark. Yes, she knew exactly what it would feel like if something of the Shadows was left behind.
It only took a few heartbeats for Effie to know with absolute certainty that they would not find a trace of the Shadows’ perversion here. Eyes fluttering open, she blinked against the bright light and refocused on the others, the hum of knowing no longer present.
Lucian had risen while she’d been busy with her own attempt at an investigation. He now faced their loose semicircle, his eyes still closed and his lips slightly parted as he searched for answers the rest of them couldn’t find. Effie wasn’t certain what kind of magic the Guardians possessed, outside of their immortality and considerable skill in battle, but she had a feeling she was about to witness it.
Effie’s breath caught in her throat as Lucian opened his eyes.
The tiny bronze flecks that had always caught her attention had expanded to the point that none of the deep umber was left. Upon closer inspection, Effie realized that the brilliant bronze was the only color present in them at all. Gone were his pupils and whites of his eyes, replaced entirely by the brilliant pulsating light.
Wonder filled her. The only other person she knew whose eyes changed when they accessed their magic was Helena. She could only assume for the Guardian’s to do the same spoke of incredible and rare power.
“Are you seeing this?” Ronan asked in a low voice, leaning over to speak in her ear.
Wordlessly, Effie nodded her head.
“Know what it means?”
“No,” she breathed, eyes never leaving Lucian’s face.
It was hard to tell where exactly Lucian looked as he scanned their surroundings, but she could feel the moment his attention landed on her. Energy zinged through her body, running through her like a current.
Seconds passed and he didn’t look away, the force of her body’s reaction building with each consecutive beat of her heart. It was like being hot and cold at the same time. Her skin was flushed, warming from the inside out, but goosebumps rose to the surface. Her nipples tightened into hard peaks and heat began to pool in her belly.
It was impossible to fully comprehend what was happening to her. Effie would have said she was aroused, but it was not desire causing her body to respond. It was much simpler and incredibly more complex than that, an awareness of self she’d never experienced before. She could feel the blood flowing through her veins, the infinitesimal growth of her hair and nails, the movement of air through her lungs. Every living, microscopic part of her had come into crystalized focus, and she was feeling every single piece all at once.
The soft breeze was almost painful as it blew over her skin. The sensation was too intense, like the feeling of a fingernail scraping over a sunburn. Just when she thought she couldn’t survive another second, the feeling started to subside.
He’d been looking at her for less than a minute, but it felt like lifetimes had passed by the time Lucian finally shifted his focus.
“Did you feel that?” she asked Ronan a bit breathlessly.
“No,” Ronan said slowly, his thick brows furrowing. “What?”
Biting her lip, Effie shook her head. “I’m not sure. Maybe I imagined it.” She risked a glance at her friend, wondering if he picked up on her lie. Ronan had an ear for the truth that was uncanny, but if he’d sensed her fabrication, he chose to let it go.
Effie let her eyes return to Lucian. She had more than a few questions for her Guardian the next time they were alone. First on the list was finding out what in the Mother’s name he’d just done to her.
Lucian blinked, his eyes returning to normal.
Kael stepped forward. “Anything?”
“No, not a trace.”
The Guardians exchanged frowns before turning back to their Sylvanese guides.
“Will you show us to the lake now?” Kael asked.
“Yes, of course,” Zane replied, glancing up at the sky. “It’s a bit of a walk from here, but we should make it with enough time to get to the keep before sundown. If you’ll follow me.”
In silence, their small group converged behind the blond men, following them down a winding path. It was a pleasant enough walk; the sun warm on her back while the cool breeze kept the heat from being unbearable. At least, until the smell of rotting flesh hit her nose.
Effie tried not to gag as her eyes watered, the stench of decay so overpowering she soon had to use her cloak to shield the bottom half of her face. Around her, others did the same. Only Lucian appeared unaffected.
Xander turned back to them, his face apologetic. “We should have warned you it’s a bit ripe.”
“A bit, he says,” Ronan muttered. “I’ve walked among battlefields that smelled better.”
Effie snickered.
“You laugh, but men shit themselves when they die. You don’t understand how a stench can attach itself to something until you’ve had to wash the stink of war off your leathers.”