Kissing Danger ✔️

47

Word Count: 2113

~Aven

Once morning comes, I find myself out of bed early, unable to sleep long.

Stace wakes with me, having slept in the same bed last night. I'm warming to being so close to him all the time, being there the moment I need him. My fear of him has completely vanished, replaced instead by unwavering trust. Maybe sometimes I stare too long at his tattoos and might feel a little apprehensive, but I'm sure that will wear off shortly.

After stoking the fire, I retreat to the circle table in the centre of the room, intending to gaze out the window and wonder what lives within the trees in this Territory, until I catch a glimpse of a piece of paper sitting folded on the surface.

Frowning, I pick it up, smoothing it out.

"Uh, Stace," I say, as my eyes skim over the words. "Can you come here?"

Hearing the concern in my voice, he's behind me in an instant. "Everything okay?"

I stare at the letter, the words taking awhile to sink in.

Daughter,

I would advise coming to meet me as soon as possible. There is nothing more I would love than to be reunited with you, so we can talk.

If you don't desire to meet, I would urge you to reconsider. I have your friend, Eryk with me, and I imagine it's of utmost importance he's returned to you alive.

I'll be waiting,

Mother.

"This was on the table. Do you think she was here?" I ask, horrified.

She threatened me. She blatantly threatened me, by using Eryk. How she got to him, I have no idea, but I know that we have to do everything to get him back. He's done so much to protect me, and now it's time for me to protect him, and save him from the malicious grasp of my mother, whose intentions can't possibly be pure.

"No. This is magic," Stace murmurs, flipping the note over before tossing it back onto the table, irritated.

"We have to go back for him," I say frantically. She could be doing anything to him right now, and she may not know him and I are linked. If she kills him, then I die to, and it's written all over Stace's face that he knows that too.

Stace runs his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth. "She's using him to lure us. We can't just go in vulnerable."

I grab his arm, stopping him. "But it's Eryk we are talking about..."

He watches me quietly, a pained look in his eyes. Part of him cares for Eryk, even if he only hired him to protect me. Stace and I both know that we are going to have to do anything to get him back safely.

"I'll go," Stace decides.

"She wants me, not you." She's just going to turn Stace away, or might kill Eryk to prove a point, unless I'm the one there to meet her.

"I'll explain to her that you two can meet, but it will not be on her terms," Stace says firmly.

I chew on my nail. "What do you think she wants to say to me?"

"I have no idea," Stace admits. It's haunting him, his eyes dark and his jaw tight. Were she not my mother, he would go straight there and kill her himself, no hesitation. "We can stay here, or I can take you to another Territory."

Glancing out the window, the crushing reality that we are either completely alone out here, or in range of someone possibly dangerous that we don't know about it settles over me.