If he spent half as much time working on his magic as he did thinking about Inga, he would be quite competent in his abilities. He couldn’t push the thoughts of her from his head, though. They saw each other every day, and even when they weren’t near each other, he still thought about her. The way she smiled, laughed, cried, all of it. But he felt pathetic that he had never been able to voice his feelings for her. She had been merely feet from him for most of the past three months, and he could not so much as tell her that he truly enjoyed being around her. He didn’t want to lose what they already had. What if he made it awkward? If he told her how he felt even a little bit, she might become distant. Better to have her near and enjoy her presence than to have her near and feeling detached. He would not tell her about his feelings. Not yet anyway. Besides, he needed to be concentrating on the root of dwelling, or whatever madness Jessup had spouted out before he died.
It was still early in the afternoon as they flew north over the forests and over Hanzad. It was a smaller city, not as big as Canor, and the buildings were not as tall as Jekyll Rock. It was an inconspicuous place and off the map for most beings in Marenon. This is how the people of Hanzad preferred it. There was no need to dabble in the affairs of other cities, although the city guards were still employed by the king as they were in every major Human city.
Silas could see people below them shouting and pointing as they flew over the city. Most had probably never even seen a sarian before. They landed the birds on the north end of the city, and when they dismounted, Kaden gathered them around.
“I think we should split up,” he said. “Ask around, see what you can find out. Try not to draw too much attention to yourselves, though. Especially you,” he said to Silas. “Here,” he said as he reached inside his saddlebag and pulled out a long, black cloak. “Word travels fast in Marenon, and I don’t want people to recognize you. Put the hood over your head so no one will see your face.”
Silas held up the cloak and looked at the others. “How does this keep me from drawing attention to myself?”
“It will conceal you,” Kaden answered. “I don’t expect any trouble, but if someone recognizes you it will slow us considerably. Act distant, but be forward enough to ask questions.”
“The root of dwelling?” Lorcan asked. “Do you think it’s safe to just be asking about it? What if it’s something ultra-secretive to people around here? They might not like strangers asking about their private matters.”
Kaden shrugged. “It’s all we can do. Let’s meet back in an hour to see what we come up with.”
“Here?” Inga asked.
Kaden shook his head and pointed south. “The Birchwood Pub. It’s on the other end of the town. We can rest there and get some food before we head out again. Any questions?”
None of them spoke.
“Then I’ll see you in an hour.”
Kaden turned and began walking in one direction, a look of determination showing that he knew where he needed to look. Lorcan stayed behind for a moment, but decided to go in the opposite direction, giving Inga a small wink before he took off. Inga stayed behind with Silas.
“We can go together,” she said. “It will make it easier if you’re nervous that someone will recognize you. Kaden’s right though. It would take a lot of our time if people knew the Meshulan was in their midst. We’d never get out of here.”
“Sounds good to me,” Silas said. “I mean, about you staying with me.” He pulled the cloak around his shoulders and lifted the hood over his head. Inga bent down, trying to see his face as Silas made an effort to conceal it.
With a nod of affirmation, Inga said it was perfect. “Virtually invisible.”
“Couldn’t you cast a spell or something that would actually make me invisible?” Silas said with a chuckle.
On cue, Inga closed her eyes and stretched out the palm of her hand and Silas felt a sudden rush of cold air come around him. It was one of the strangest feelings he had ever experienced before. His skin felt as though tiny particles of ice clung to it, and