The leader of the luros was facing Jenevi, flashing his long, razor-sharp teeth. He stared into her eyes and the two froze.
Jenevi felt a strange tingling sensation going through her body, almost like she just teleported. It felt as though everything faded away, and the only ones left were her and the luro.
The Magus took a few slow steps forward while the beast took one back. Jenevi paused. She didn't feel afraid of the animal anymore. She couldn't remember, but she knew that somehow in her past, she was friends with their kind.
"I'm a friend," Jenevi whispered as she knelt on the ground.
The alpha luro stopped growling and tilted his head. He lifted his nose into the air and started to sniff continuously before looking back at the Magus. He proceeded to slowly make his way over to the woman's hand that was reaching out towards him. He got close enough to touch his cold, wet nose on Jenevi's skin.
The instant they made contact, they suddenly found themselves back in reality.
The luro was still standing the same distance he was from Jenevi before everything faded away, but he didn't look threatening. He lifted his chin into the air and let out a low, but beautiful, howl. The other luros followed shortly after and they made the air around them vibrate.
"What just happened?" asked Simon loudly to be heard over the noise.
"The leader and I connected somehow," responded Jenevi, not once breaking eye contact with the alpha.
The white beast nodded his head towards the Magus before disappearing into the night. One by one his pack followed.
Mace laid down on his bedroll and turned to the side. "I'm just going to pretend like everything is normal now," he said. He closed his eyes.
Jenevi turned to Simon and said, "I don't know how I even managed to do that. That was...amazing."
Simon put his hands on the woman's shoulder and smiled. "Just a little piece of the big puzzle that will one day be solved. Get some rest, Jen."
The Magus looked down and nodded her head before proceeding to make her way to her bedroll. She laid down with her back facing Mace. Simon slept across from them. Between the three, the fire was still going strong.
Eventually, the night grew colder and the fire was starting to die. Jenevi slowly woke up due to her shivering. Her cloak and her thin blanket weren't keeping her as warm as she would have hoped. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. She eventually just laid on her back, staring up at the sky between the branches of the trees and tried counting the stars.
She could sense Simon in a deep sleep, but Mace was starting to wake up.
"Jen?" he asked groggily. He winced when he stared directly at Jenevi's bright eyes, but then slowly looked back at her when he got used to the light. "What are you doing up?"
"Just couldn't sleep," she whispered. "Which is what you should be doing."
The young blacksmith noticed the woman slightly shivering. There was a very gentle breeze which made the temperature worse, but Mace didn't feel that cold at all. And from the looks of it, Simon seemed pretty comfortable. "You do have the coat that we bought in Halivaa. Would you like me to get it for you?"
Jenevi forgot all about the beautiful white coat. She nodded her head yes in response and sat up to watch Mace retrieve the piece of clothing.
He came back a moment later and draped it around the Magus's shoulders. "Here you go," he whispered. "If you're still not warm enough, please let me know."
Mace was about to go back to his bedroll when Jenevi stopped him by grabbing hold of his wrist. The amount of strength that she was using made Mace wince, but he didn't say anything. He turned his head to look at Jenevi with a puzzled expression.
"Please stay with me," she said, barely loud enough for the blacksmith to hear. Jenevi gently let go of his wrist.
Mace smiled and kneeled next to the young woman who strangely looked like a child with her pleading expression. "I'll be a few short feet away from you, Jen. Don't worry."
"That's not what I mean..." Jenevi looked down at her bedroll.
When it clicked, Mace's smile slowly disappeared. He sat silent for what seemed like forever but was only a few short moments. Finally, he placed a hand on the Magus's cheek and whispered, "Of course I will."
Jenevi smiled softly and made room for him on her small bedroll. She faced away from Mace while he covered both of them with the blanket before hesitantly putting his arm around the young woman.
"Is this okay?" Mace whispered into Jenevi's ear.
Jenevi felt a chill go down her spine when she felt Mace's warm breath against her ear. He didn't smell the best, but he wasn't rancid. She knew that she probably had a stench as well. "Come closer to me," she said.
Mace pressed his body against Jenevi's back. He felt warm, and the Magus was starting to get sleepy again. It wasn't long before she closed her eyes and drifted away into a dream.
Mace, on the other hand, tried to take in as much of Jenevi as he could. When he heard her soft snores, he moved his head in to smell her hair.
She smells like the forest, he thought. He rubbed his thumb against a small portion of Jenevi's arm and then started to softly rub her arm down to her hand underneath the coat she was partially wearing, being careful not to wake her up. He felt her smooth knuckles and dry fingers, and he loved the feel of it.
Before he started to feel tired again, he kissed the back of the woman's head and smiled. He wanted to stay in that moment forever with Jenevi in his arms, but he knew that it wouldn't last.
When the sun came up, Jenevi and Mace awoke to Simon standing above them with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. "Well, well, well," he started. "What were you two kids up to while I was sleeping?"
Mace blushed and quickly stood up, almost hitting his head on Simon's chest. "N-Nothing happened," he stammered before rolling up his bedroll and gathering his things to put on his horse.
Simon looked down at the Magus with an eyebrow raised.
She looked up at him and shrugged. "I was cold."
Once again, Jenevi sat behind Simon on his horse. She didn't say a word to Mace since they woke up, which made the blacksmith feel a little uneasy. He wanted to say something to her, but he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't get him to sound like an idiot.
Simon started having his own conversation with the Magus about poisons which left Mace on the side with his lips shut.
The temperature was dropping the closer they got to Alte. They met a traveling merchant a few days later who was on a wagon pulled by a brown horse.
"Did you just come from Alte?" asked Simon as the three browsed the merchant's goods in the back.
The merchant was a younger looking man with a sword equipped on his belt. He had jet black hair and an unkempt beard. His dark hair made his blue eyes pop.
"I did," replied the dark-haired man with a smile. "It's a perfect place. Tons of friendly people as well as good business. I also got to see a Magus there."
"Did this Magus have blond hair and could transform into different animals?" asked Jenevi.
"As a matter of fact, he did. He changed into a mouse and then into a wolf."
The trio looked at each other.
"Why, have you seen him?" asked the merchant.
"We're actually on our way to see him right now. We've heard all about his performance," said the Magus.
The three purchased some food before taking off once again.
When the merchant was long behind them, Jenevi took out a coin purse and showed it to the group. "Look what I found," she said.
"Jenevi!" scolded Mace. "That wasn't yours! He could have a family back home."
"A traveling merchant with a family? I don't believe that for a second," replied Jenevi.
Simon craned his neck to look at the pouch. "Nice!" he exclaimed with a large smile. "How much is in it?"
"I think it's about forty to fifty gold pieces." Jenevi tucked the money away while Mace continued to glare
at her.
"Do you not feel sorry for what you have done? At all?" the young blacksmith questioned.
Jenevi sighed. "Boy, I've been stealing since who knows how long. If he didn't want his money taken, he should have kept it in a better spot. I believe he might be very new to the business. My guess is that he did have a family but lost them. Now all he has is his wagon."
Mace blinked a few time, processing everything that was just said. "Wait...how could you be so sure about that?"
"He's very young and very handsome. In your life, have you ever seen a young traveling merchant? I saw a wedding band on his finger. He wouldn't be traveling all over the kingdom to sell bread and clothes if he had a family back home."
The blacksmith stared straight ahead and thought back to the man who seemed so friendly and cheerful. He hid his distress well, but not well enough for Jenevi to catch.
The Magus dropped her head. "And I know the eyes of someone who has just lost their family."
Simon slightly turned his head to the side. The frown on his face deepened.
"Simon, you never talk about your family much," stated Mace when he noticed the former knight's distress.
"That would be correct, and I don't plan to," responded Simon with pain in his voice.
Mace and Jenevi glanced at each other, not knowing if they should comfort Simon or just leave it. In the end, they stayed silent.
It was at the point of their journey when the three had to put their coats on. They were able to see their breath in the cold air, and around them was bright white snow.
"I'm freezing," whispered Jenevi. She hugged Simon in hopes to get a little bit warm. Her white hood was up, and her black gloves were on. She placed her cheek against Simon's back and shivered.
"We'll be there soon," said Simon. "Alte shouldn't be too far away."
Mace looked at the map and said, "Simon's right. We should get there before the sun even goes down."
The Magus peered up at the sky. The gray clouds were looming above them, blocking any warm sunshine. "What sun?"
Five hours later, it started to snow.
Mace looked up and smiled. Before this journey, he rarely ever saw snow. The little white particles kissed his face and slightly melted. The young blacksmith looked forward and wiped his face with his gloved hand. "I keep forgetting how beautiful snow could look," he commented.
Simon nodded his head. "It is indeed beautiful, but I prefer warmer climates. I don't like to be weighed down by heavy clothing."
"I'm with Simon," said Jenevi. She held her gloved hand out to catch snow, and a small portion landed on her before she shook it off. "But it is breathtaking."
Not too long later, the snow started to come down more aggressively to the point where they couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them.
"What is this?" exclaimed Mace. The wind started to pick up, blowing the falling snow at an angle.
Jenevi began to shiver more. She didn't know how much longer she could last in the cold.
"Hang on, Jen!" cried Simon. He whipped his reins and his horse started to sprint. Mace did the same, following closely behind them.
Jenevi closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the fierce wind blowing and the horse's hooves on the ground. She sank deep inside herself before being engulfed by a bright white light.
"Jen, stop playing with that ragged old thing and come eat!"
It was the sound of a warm, familiar voice. Her aunt, Sharlette.
Jenevi peered down to find that she was back to her young self again. She was holding a strange looking sack doll that looked handmade by someone who couldn't craft very well. It was white with a long piece of black cloth that was sewn poorly onto the head. There were two different sized green buttons for the eyes and stitches for the mouth. The doll was clothed in a black dress that was way too long.
The young Magus felt nothing but love for the doll. She spun it around in the air and giggled.
"Jenevi, I won't ask twice!" cried Sharlette from the kitchen.
Jenevi gently placed the doll down on the floor and then rushed to the kitchen when a blinding light hit her once again.
It was dark, and Jenevi was lying awake on her bed. She sat up and noticed that she was older. There was a window next to her where she looked out. It was snowing in the forest.
What the Magus found strange, though, was when she looked at her reflection, her dull green eyes stared back and not her luminescent ones. She knew the moon was up, for she could feel power surging through her.
Jenevi felt the presence of a stranger on the property, and it was accompanied by the presence of her aunt. Looking outside, Jenevi strained her eyes to see through the falling snow. In the darkness, she saw her aunt leaning against the tree with a man who stood close to her.
The Magus was about to burst through the window to rescue her aunt but froze as she watched the man lean forward to gently kiss the lips of the woman in front of him.
A moment later, Sharlette moved away from the man and stood facing Jenevi's window with her gray eyes glowing intensely.
Jenevi became limp. The speeding horse made her body lean back. Her grip on Simon loosened, but the older man didn't notice until the last second. The Magus's body fell backward off the horse and landed roughly on top of the snow.
Mace didn't see what happened in front of him. When he got closer to the body, there wasn't much time to react. Fortunately, his horse barely missed trampling on the young woman.
"Jenevi!" cried Simon, pulling his horse to a halt.
Mace looked back in shock and confusion. His heart started to race in fear as he turned his horse around as quick as he could. Simon was already gathering the young woman in his arms.
"Is she okay?" yelled Mace so Simon could hear.
"She's still breathing," replied Simon, picking the Magus up. "We can't tell if anything is broken yet until she wakes up, but she passed out before falling."
Mace let out a breath of relief. "At least she's okay."
"She's freezing though. Her lips are blue..." The former knight looked up at Mace who was still sitting on his horse. "You ride with her in front."
The blacksmith raised his eyebrows in surprise. "A-Are you sure?" he stammered.
Simon helped Mace place Jenevi on the horse. "There's not much time. We need to leave now."
The two raced to Alte. As they got closer, it seemed as though the blizzard was getting worse. Finally, they saw the walls of the city.
"We're finally here!" exclaimed Mace as he glanced down at the young woman.
The two men couldn't properly see any buildings with the harsh snow pouring down on them. They looked at each other, worried that they weren't going to find shelter in the frigid weather.
In front of them, a figure started to appear. It was slowly walking towards them, but Simon and Mace were ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
An old man dressed in a thick fur coat and giant boots appeared before them. He had a smile on his face as he looked up at the travelers. "I thought I saw something out here. You are mad for coming at such a horrible time! Follow me to my home. It's not far."
Mace and Simon glanced at each other as the old man started to walk away. They followed, knowing that the old man was their only hope for survival.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jenevi slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, everything was a blur. She could see a stone ceiling above her with faces crowding around, though she could not make out what they looked like. She felt warm and comfortable, and she smelled something wonderful cooking.
"Jen?" came Mace's voice.
The Magus's vision started to adjust, and above her was Simon, Mace, and two elderly strangers. She slowly sat up and rubbed her aching head.
"You fell off my horse," said Simon as he rested his hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Scared me and Mace half to death."
"Are you alright, dear?" inquired the older
woman next to her. "Any broken bones?"
Jenevi moved her limbs around, expecting something to be wrong with her once again. "It seems that I'm alright. The only thing that hurts is my head, but I should be fine. Are we...in Alte?"
The older woman nodded her head. "Yes, dear. You almost died from the cold, too. Luckily my husband was watching the window to make sure no one got caught in the storm."
Jenevi glanced around. She was in a large two-story house that was decorated with many paintings of flowers, and there was a large fireplace with a fire burning vast and bright. The Magus sighed and let her head hang. It was the second time she awoke to people crowding around her, trying to take care of her.
"I'll grab some stew," said the older woman. "Yever, let's leave these kids alone for a bit."
The old man nodded his head and followed his wife into the kitchen.
"What happened?" asked Mace.
Jenevi touched her head. "I had a memory of my aunt...she was with a man. I don't know who, though."
"What did he look like?" wondered Simon.
The young woman shook her head and replied, "I'm not too sure. Even with my powers, it was a little hard to see because it was snowing and he had his face turned."
The three turned their heads to the top of the stairs when they listened to the sound of sudden movement. There was a young, beautiful woman walking down. She had her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail. Her skin was fair and light freckles scattered across her face, and her eyes were a very dark shade of blue. She wore a plain long-sleeved green dress that fit her loosely.
"You must be the daughter," said Simon with a smile. "My name is Simon, and these are my friends. Jenevi and Mace."
The girl nodded her head. "I'm Feera. Sorry I didn't come down sooner, but I took a nap since I was up all night gathering supplies with my father." Feera reached the bottom of the steps and walked towards the trio. "I take it you were stranded in the blizzard?"
"That would be correct," replied Jenevi. "Do you get these types of blizzards a lot?"
The blue-eyed woman shook her head and peered out the window. "Not usually, but we've been here long enough to understand the signs of a blizzard long before it happens."
Darkness Falls (The Dark Series Book 1) Page 16