The others believed Roan when they returned and he claimed Ash to be sick. Not that they had any reason to doubt him, but some small part of her wished they'd have pushed. That they'd seen enough of her to know that she didn't truly show any signs of being ill.

She needed to bury that desire. She wasn't here to be known by these strangers or anyone in this village.

Her only goal was to save Odella. After how unbalanced everything had felt that day and her slip with her magic, she believed she needed to spend the day reinforcing that in her mind.

Odella would be at home with her parents. Parents who likely scrambled when they discovered Ash absent considering how heavily they relied on her to take care of her twin. Because Odella needed caring for every day. Her mind had been so shattered by whatever had happened. No more than a shell of herself.

Ash had no time to wallow in her self-pity.

The thought didn't bring her peace, though. Sleep teased her that night, coming in restless fits, and when she did dream, she wished she hadn't. She would see a panicked Odella screaming, but no matter how hard Ash ran, she could never reach her. All the while, unseen forces laughed, which only increased Odella's terror.

In her other nightmares, she would see the Volant townsfolk, pulled by the strings of a giant serpent. Other times, they wore unnaturally large smiles while approaching her, demanding the truth if she wished to survive.

Then there was Callum. Gentle, caring Callum, enveloping her in his embrace, only for a sudden pain to flare in her stomach. When she looked down, she found a dagger stabbed straight into her abdomen.

Somewhere in the distance, Roan's voice echoed, saying he had tried to warn her.

That dream repeated, but what truly uneased Ash about it was that it wasn't always the same. Sometimes when she raised her head, Roan had taken Callum's place, and it was Callum calling to her, telling her to run away.

By the time she truly awoke, she couldn't count how many times she'd lived through the various terrors. The blankets tangled around her limbs, and the sweat sticking to her body didn't help her attempts to wiggle free. After a couple of failed attempts at making sense of the mess her bed had become, Ash threw her head back on her pillow and sighed.

"Oh, you're awake."

Her insides coiled as the door to the room opened and closed. Willow walked in, shifting a bowl that had been balanced precariously in the crook of her arm down into her hand. Ash resisted her desire to cringe, knowing that the motion was much easier for the other woman than she herself would have with it. Willow had years of practice doing things one-handed, after all.

"I insisted I stay behind to make sure you got some food in you," she explained when she caught sight of Ash's perplexed expression. "Most of the field work has already been done and prepped for tonight, anyway, so they can do without me for a couple of hours."

Willow placed the still-steaming bowl down on the bedside table before going to find a chair. While her back was turned, Ash made a quick mental grab inward, reaching for her glamour. It took a few hard yanks at the trickle of magic she felt within herself, but the slightly different face fell over her own.

"Are you feeling any better to—Odella, are you alright?" Willow paused in the middle of dragging a chair toward the beds, her brows puckered with concern.

"Yes, sorry." Ash took deep breaths and rubbed at her forehead. She couldn't tell if the lack of good sleep or the sudden drop in energy had caused her sudden wave of dizziness. At least it helped her sell that she was sick.

Willow hesitated for a moment before placing the seat between the beds and sitting. She gestured to the wooden bowl. "Would eating help, or do you think it would make it worse?"

Ash smiled. "It may, yes. Thank you, Willow." She took the bowl and nibbled at the porridge. The warmth from the food flowed through her body, and she did feel a bit better from it, though not in the way Willow likely expected. She felt comforted. Cared for.

Both things she didn't know if she should content herself with when her sister still needed her, and she couldn't even piece together her thoughts on Callum or Volant as a whole.

"You seem troubled."

"Hm?" Ash lifted her head. It wasn't until that moment she realized she'd started stirring the porridge rather than eating it.

Willow nibbled on her lower lip and stared pointedly at the bedside counter. "Did something happen when you were back at the capital?"

"What do you—oh." Ash resisted the urge to wince. It wasn't that she had forgotten her cover story for Odella's absence, but it had been days since she'd thought about it, and she had taken a moment too long to realize what Willow meant. "No, everything was fine."

Fine. That was the best lie she could come up with? This was why she and Roan had spent days ironing out her alibi, having her practice telling the lie, explore various questions they could ask. But neither of them had expected the others to worry something was wrong.

Because there shouldn't have been. Odella was meant to return like the rising sun, shining her brilliant rays and bringing warmth and tranquility to both the group and the village. Based on how Willow peered at her, though, she felt more like the moon: only a faint imitation of the light the day could offer.

"You have seemed... distant since returning. No, not distant, exactly." The spot between Willow's brows puckered as she searched for the right word. "Maybe it's more than you're only present as of late when Roan is around. You're not..." Again, she bit at her lip, but finally she sighed. "You're not mad the rest of us didn't come to find you, are you?"

Ash nearly dropped the porridge all over herself. "What? No, that's not it!"

"That's not it?" Willow echoed. "So, there is something."

Gravest Terrors, Ash was an idiot! She mentally kicked herself as she scrambled to find a way to smooth over the error of her slip. "I have been busy with the festival, that's all! Roan and I just happen to be busy in the same area often, so I have more to talk to him about." The words left in a rush, and she could only pray that they made sense.

Either they didn't, or Willow had more she wanted to say, because the worried creases had yet to leave that spot between her brows. "And this has nothing to do with whatever happened between you and Roan before you left?" she pushed. "The gods didn't order you to stick more closely to him or avoid insulting him or anything of the sort?"

Ash opened her mouth, but no words came out. She'd so quickly forgotten the tension that Willow mentioned seeing between her twin and the Scion. Now, her mind latched onto it. Odella had been sneaking out to see Callum that night based on the information Roan gave her.

Was Odella feeling the same doubts that Ash now did? Could that have been what stirred the tensions, and if so, was that why Roan was so diligent in making sure Ash remembered the dangers around her? Part of her also relaxed with the thought, because if it were true, that meant she wasn't the only one who had fallen for Volant's charms.

"Odella?" Willow squinted at her.

"Oh, sorry about that." Ash coughed into her hand to hide the heat rising to her face. "No, Willow. I have no special orders from the gods." About that, or about anything. She forced herself not to look away, knowing it would make her appear guilty, and unsure where Willow would think that guilt lay.

An idea struck her then. "Why don't I go with you to the festival tonight?"

As the night had worn on, Roan had explained another reason that he had been insistent on her resting that night was that he wouldn't be around. He said he would be using the festival as a distraction for others, allowing him to utilize his magic and investigate further. Without him there to help her should anything happen, such as another drop in her glamour, he'd been wary of her going out. But she could stick to Willow's side, enjoy the festivities, get to know her sister's companions better.

She was sure it would all be fine. As long as she avoided Callum, avoided dropping her guard so much she lost her grasp on the magic. And got plenty of rest before then.

Willow squinted at her. "Aren't you not feeling well?"

"Sleep helped a lot, and I'm sure if I don't push myself today, I'll be alright to go tonight." Ash gave what she hoped was a convincing smile.

Willow continued her scrutiny for a few more heartbeats before chuckling. "I will trust what you decide, but if you get sick on me, I'll be sure your food is always a little too cold."

Although she didn't know how Willow could manage that, Ash laughed. "It sounds like a deal."

They chatted more easily after that, and although Ash knew Roan would chide her for this, she was sure she made the right decision. Perhaps she would stop feeling closed in by her uncertainties if she befriended the others. Maybe she'd even be able to confide her doubts, albeit morphed to fit what Odella would be allowed to say, and not fear the weight of a Scion's disappointment.

Willow left with promises to check in later once Ash had finished her porridge. When Ash settled back to sleep, she found her emotions calmer than before, and her dreams were a pleasant, foggy nothingness.

☆☆☆☆☆

Overnight, the town transformed.

No, transformed may have been the wrong word, because all of the pieces had already been laid out. The townsfolk had been hard at work for the past quarter-lune to make sure of that. Perhaps the better word was that Volant had bloomed under the gentle rays of the full moon. They had reached the final lune-cycle of the Harvesting Season.

And Volant welcomed it with arms wide open. The stars threaded onto string hang from houses, and when light hit the paper, it sparkled off tiny metal flecks from where steel dusting had been rubbed into them. Someone had poured some concoction into the fountain, turning the water into a myriad of brilliant shades of the rainbow. When asked, a passerby swore it would fade the following day.

A small group played upbeat music in front of the fountain. The crowd of townsfolk swirled in formless dances, letting the flowing beat and their free laughter guide them. Ladies had worn their nicest dresses, and their skirts swished across the ground. Gentlemen may have arrived wearing jackets in an attempt to look fancier, but if they had, most lay discarded in previous free spaces. A few squealing children ran around with baskets, throwing petals into the air that decorated the ground, but not so much they created a hazard.

Those not enjoying the craziness of the dance stood near the stalls set up along the side streets, their wooden surfaces weighed down by trays upon trays of food and large containers of drinks. Even this area proved colorful, with every item of food coming in different colors or sprinkled with bright spices, and art decorated the liquid containers.

The entire celebration was an explosion of color. A beautiful, thriving, free burst. Just like the wind, someone had said. Uncontained and joyous.

Ash stood with Willow, Linden, and Stanford by the vibrant refreshments, her stomach aching from laughter. "How much can you fit in there?" she cackled as Linden started on his fourth plate of food.

"I am convinced you will find the end of the sea before you find the bottom of his stomach." Willow's teasing voice turned into a squeal when her brother flicked creamy gravy at her.

"Excuse me for being hungry after working my bum off for seven days," Linden retorted. He'd pushed his food to the side of his mouth to be able to speak, making his cheeks bulge.

Ash and Willow met each other's eyes before breaking into more fits of giggles. Harrumphing, Linden put his plate down to swipe at Ash's hair and flick more specks of gravy in Willow's direction. The whole situation was utterly ridiculous, and if his intent had been to cease their laughter, he only accomplished the opposite. By the end, he even joined in.

The entire time, Stanford stood to the side, nursing a mug of mead and shaking his head. "Children, the lot of you," he said after Linden nearly knocked over his own plate.

"And you're our grouchy old man, being a good chaperone and keeping us out of any trouble," Linden said with a wink.

Stanford huffed, but when he went to take another swig of his mead, the mug didn't entirely hide the amused curl of his lips.

Willow took a long drink from her own mug before circling her arm around Ash's. "Come on, Odella. Let's get back to dancing while Stanford holds up the wall and Linden devours all the food."

Even as Ash smiled at the suggestion, her eyes swept over the gathering. So far, she hadn't seen any sign of Callum. A few guards monitored the edges of the celebration, but they didn't wear the more refined armor of his entourage. Her nerves settled as the notes of the song called to her like the temptation of a glorious dream.

They had only been twirling along with the Volant townsfolk for less than a minute when it happened. The very air itself shifted. Something prickled within it, like a soft hum of a soundless tune. It whispered across Ash's skin and sent a shiver down her spine.

Everyone else must have felt it as well because they stilled in their dance. Unlike her, though, they seemed to understand what it meant. They raised excited expressions to the sky. Ash glanced at Willow. The other girl shrugged before craning her head back.

Biting her lip, Ash did the same. Then, she waited.

And waited.

Ten seconds passed.

Then, with a sound she could only describe as winds whipping into a roaring gust and coalescing into a single, booming cry, the slithering form of a giant winged serpent flew into the path of the moon's ethereal glow.

*****

The festival has arrived, and Ash is finally spending some time with the companions that aren't Roan!  Hopefully this little break will help clear her mind some.  Or maybe not, because winged serpent??? Anyone expect to see that appear?  *looks at the chapter title* Uh... Nah, I'm srue you didn't.

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D Let me know if you want to join!