found myself drawn to him. After everything that had happened, it felt good to know he was by my side. It also made me wonder if the chemistry between us was merely a product of my imagination, or if he felt it, too. I figured a trip like this might shed some light on things. I also hoped it might jog my memory with regard to that night in the palace basement.
“I could take you there, someday,” Kalon said. I felt his eyes on me, and I couldn’t help but look his way. My skin tingled as I nearly sank, overwhelmed by the depth of his blue gaze. Kalon sure knew how to command my full attention. “You know, if you’re not too busy.”
“After we destroy the Darklings and vanquish the Black Fever and get our day-walking protein?” I asked. The trees reached above us, forming a long, green tunnel that blocked out most of the hazy sunlight. Breathing out, I took my hood off, eager to enjoy as much of the day as possible before having to cover myself up again.
“Yes. Hopefully, all three tasks will be accomplished successfully.”
He sounded serious. This wasn’t a joke. Kalon had a lake house, and he was inviting me over once all this madness was finished. Giddy on the inside, I shifted slightly in my saddle, making Midnight huff and shake her tail.
“You mean it,” I said. “Sorry, I’m just baffled.”
“Why? Is it not obvious that something is working rather well between us?”
It wasn’t like him to be this upfront on such a personal level. Kalon liked keeping cards like these close to his chest, so I couldn’t help but wonder… Was this a byproduct of me nearly getting killed during the Zoltan incident? Or was Kalon just being friendly, while I was reading too much into it? Either way, I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer his question.
Looking ahead in a bid to gather my thoughts and formulate a proper response, I noticed small houses popping up on both sides of the road. The greenery tunnel unraveled, and I put my hood back on. “This is Tromb, right?” I asked, changing the subject and taking in every little detail.
It had a homey feel about it. Everybody knew everybody here, for sure. Narrow alleys split from the main path as the forest pulled back. I estimated about two hundred people living here—mostly Rimians, at first sight. Children were playing on the edge of the woods, tossing wooden balls in the air and rushing to catch and collect them in red or green woven baskets.
The women carried laundry outside or tended to their tiny garden patches. The men were coming in from the forest, with sacks hanging over their shoulders. They’d been out hunting and were now returning. It seemed so nice and peaceful. Life in the countryside, a pleasant but distant dream for someone like me. I’d been on the road for so long, living for short periods in so many places, it was hard to even visualize what my life would look like if I managed to settle down.
Was I even ready for such a retirement? Perhaps not, but I still would’ve liked a place like this to call home and to come back to every now and then. I loved The Shade and the redwood treehouses, but I felt I’d be happier somewhere else, away from everyone. I put that thought aside, focusing on the anthropological aspects of this village.
“Yes, this is Tromb,” Kalon said, carefully looking around.
As soon as they saw us, the Rimian men—of whom I counted a dozen—dropped their sacks and rushed toward us, clearly alarmed. The women called out to their children and told them to run into the woods, while they sought refuge inside. All of a sudden, the peaceful Tromb was overcome with fear and desperation, and I was at a loss for words.
We stopped the Visions in the middle of the road, watching as the children scrambled and hid beyond the thick trees. The Rimian women shut the doors and blinds, and I heard keys being twisted and locks being set. The men were defensive, bringing their bows up and pointing their arrows at us.
“What do you want?!” one of them asked. “You’re not welcome here! Go away!”
This was certainly one step farther from previous receptions that Kalon and I had gotten along this particular road. To say that I was intrigued would have been an understatement.
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
Kalon slowly raised