Though . . . having more warriors would save lives too, wouldn’t it?
She closed her eyes tightly and decided. “Let’s test with just a few flowers. If we see meaningful results . . . we can determine how many we would need to heal all of them.”
Calder nodded. Wren began to pluck the flowers. The moment they were pulled from the ground, the color became darker, almost black.
There was a rustling in the woods by the patch and Zed froze. He looked up, and up. His hand inched toward the weapon on his belt.
“Don’t you dare,” Isla bit out, before breaking into a smile.
Lynx. She had missed him.
He bowed his head begrudgingly, as if acknowledging he had maybe missed her too.
She jumped as high as she could and threw her arms around his neck. That was apparently taking it too far, because the massive leopard shook her off.
When she turned around, Enya, Calder, and Zed were gaping at her.
“That is the largest cat I have ever seen,” Enya said.
Lynx uttered a sound that made it clear he did not like being referred to as a cat. She placed her hand against his side. “He’s a leopard, thank you very much,” she said. Lynx didn’t even acknowledge her.
Zed narrowed his eyes at Lynx. “I . . . I don’t think that’s a leopard.”
“Of course he is,” Isla said. “Look. If you squint, you can see the patterns.”
Calder stepped forward to get a closer look, and Lynx bared his massive teeth. The Moonling held his hands up. “Never mind. I can see from here. Very pretty.”
Zed just shook his head. “Are there more of them?” he asked.
“More of what?”
He motioned at Lynx. “Your leopard.”
She looked at Lynx, whose eyes slid to hers. Somewhere deep inside of herself she knew that meant no.
Was that part of the connection between Wildling and bonded?
“No. Why?”
Zed shrugged. “We could use creatures like that. The Skyling vote’s in a few days. I’m not holding my breath.”
He was right. Isla wanted to bring Lynx to Lightlark for the battle. If she could manage to ride him, it would be a considerable advantage.
When they returned to Lightlark, Calder joined Isla to visit the Vinderland, with the flower. If it worked, she would be adding hundreds of skilled, ruthless warriors to their army.
The next day, she would visit Cinder on Star Isle to begin practicing the walls of energy that would keep the battle enclosed. She had already started learning to create the defensive nature that would cover other parts of the Mainland. Confined, the Nightshade soldiers would be easier to defeat.
They had a plan.
As Isla fell into another memory that night, though, she couldn’t help but think it still wasn’t enough.
BEFORE
Grim was gone in the morning. Her chest still burned in pain, but the healing elixir had worked. Her skin was nearly completely healed.
That night, after her training, he appeared in her room again. Any trace of humanity she had seen from him the night prior was gone. He looked furious.
“If you are going to insist on keeping my device and portaling anywhere you wish, I will teach you how not to be an idiot.”
Isla glared at him. “Or what?”
“Or I will take it back,” he said, eyes darting to the floorboard where she kept her starstick.
Her hands clenched. She knew he wasn’t kidding. “Fine,” she said. “When are you going to teach me?”
“Now.” He grabbed her arm, and the world turned. When it righted itself, they were in a long hall.
“This . . . is in your palace,” she said, looking around.
“It’s a training room,” he said.
“I didn’t bring anything,” Isla said. Grim made a motion, and her starstick fell through the sky, right into her hand.
“How did you—”
“The first thing you should know is your device is unreliable,” he said. “I did not pour much power into it. Around other portaling ability, it won’t always work.” That explained why it had failed her during their first meeting. “Portaling power is all about visualization. That is why you believe you can’t go anywhere you haven’t already been.”
“So how do I go somewhere I can’t visualize?”
“Maps help,” he said. “It’s easier to go places when you have a sense of the distance and relation to other locations.” Grim clearly didn’t rely on maps anymore. Hundreds of years of mastery seemed to mean he could travel nearly anywhere he pleased. “Now,” he said. “About the short distances.”
Grim was there. Then he wasn’t. He appeared right behind her.
“It requires far more control. And control is developed through practice.” He nodded at her starstick. “Try to portal across the room.”
Isla planted her feet firmly against the ground. She drew her puddle and focused on the small distance. Visualized the other side of the hall.
She landed on dark volcanic sand. The tide washed in, soaking her hands and knees. She heard a tsk above her. She looked up to see Grim standing there, frowning. His castle was a monstrosity above, overlooking the beach. “You overshot by a bit,” he said.
He portaled them back.
“Again.”
The next time, she landed in the night market. Grim swept her away before anyone noticed.
The time after that, she appeared in his bedroom. It was immaculate. Grim sighed. “You are, surprisingly, getting closer.”
After five more disastrous attempts, she appeared in a throne room. It was long as a field. The throne was made up of what looked to be calcified shadows, melted together, moving.
“The training room is the next one over,” he said behind her.
She turned around to face him. “Where are your people? Your attendants? Your nobles?”
“In other parts of the castle,” he said. “Most parts are restricted only to me.”
Grim was free, but he seemed almost as enclosed as she was. “How often do you see them?”
“Whenever I command it.” He motioned behind her. “Close your eyes.” She did. He took a step forward. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “Focus.”
It was hard to focus on anything with him this close to her, but she tried. She made a map in her mind of all the places she had mistakenly portaled to. The distance between her and the training room became clearer. She kept her eyes closed as she reached for her starstick and formed her puddle. She fell through.
“Good,” Grim said, her only indication that she had done it. She opened her eyes. She was in the center of the training room. “I was beginning to think you were incapable of being trained.”
Isla glared at him.
“Now,” he said. He made a motion, and one of her favorite swords fell through the air. She caught it. “You are tolerable at swordplay, but your defense needs work.”
She scowled at him. “My guardian is an excellent teacher.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Has she seen war? Has she encountered creatures who could swallow her whole?”
Isla flattened her mouth into a line. Terra and Poppy had both been born after the curses were spun. As far as she knew, they had never left the Wildling newland. “No,” she said through her teeth.