Elena sat on the floor of her room, crying her eyes out.
Whispers had already begun to spread through the village about Amber. It had been three days now. Three fucking days—and she had vanished as if she had dissolved into thin air.
She wasn't anywhere in the village or the surrounding forest.
Dante was nowhere to be found either.
He had been popular in the tavern. Many young women pretended to drink just to see him, giggling childishly whenever he spoke.
Had he left the village after she yelled at him?
He had mentioned he was a traveler.
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
A soft knock echoed at her door.
"Who is it?" she asked, hurriedly wiping her tears and steadying her voice.
There was no answer.
The door creaked open.
Elena frowned when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she growled.
Leonard raised his hands in surrender. "Calm down, Elena. I know I overstepped my boundaries the other day. I came to apologize."
"You've apologized. Now get the hell out of my room."
"Wait. You can't kick me out yet."
"Why?"
Leonard stepped closer slowly. "I think I might know where your missing friend went. You're looking for her, right?"
Elena froze. The stick she had been holding slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.
"How do you know about Amber?" she asked suspiciously.
"The news is spreading through the whole village. I'd have to be deaf not to hear about it."
"And what is it to you?" she snapped. "Why help me?"
"You already know how I feel about you, Elena. I'll do anything to please—"
"Enough," Elena cut in sharply. "I don't want to hear any of that. Just tell me where to find Amber."
"Rumor has it she ran away with a man," Leonard muttered.
"A man?" Elena hissed. "What man?"
"If you're here to feed me lies, you might as well leave now."
"I'm not lying!" Leo said desperately, reaching for her dress.
Elena shoved him away, and he stumbled back.
"Look, I know you don't trust me," he said quickly. "But I'm telling the truth. I got this information from a reliable source."
His eyes were desperate—almost too sincere. There wasn't even a hint of malice in them.
Elena sank back onto the floor, thinking.
"Who could Amber have run away with in her cursed state?" she muttered. "She wasn't friends with any men…"
Leonard took that as his cue.
"They were seen briefly at the outskirts of the village. Just before she disappeared."
"How did you get this information?" Elena asked suddenly.
Leonard looked away.
"I just… asked around," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"You asked around?" Elena repeated.
"Yes."
"Funny," she said quietly. "Because after you ran away, I had to juggle work at the tavern and searching for Amber. Every morning, I asked around the village. Nobody knew anything. Nothing."
"Well… maybe you didn't ask the right people."
Elena narrowed her eyes. "Where have you been all this while, Leo?"
"I've been staying with a friend," he snapped. "I couldn't stand seeing your face after what I did."
"What friend? What's his name?"
"I'm not a child anymore!" Leo yelled, his eyes twitching. "Stop asking me questions!"
Elena leaned back against the wall and chuckled softly. "Why are you so worked up? I only asked a simple question."
A sudden screech cut through the air.
A bird slammed violently into her window, slid down the glass, and dropped to the floor unconscious.
Elena stared. "What in the world—?"
Leonard rushed forward and lifted the bird by its legs.
Its eyes glowed faintly red.
Elena gasped and stepped back. "What's wrong with that bird?"
Leo sighed and crushed its neck with a swift movement. The red glow faded instantly.
"This is a cursed bird, Elena."
"A cursed what?"
"Cursed bird. They aren't common in these parts yet—but they're spreading."
"What is a cursed bird doing in my room?" she asked, her brows knitting.
"Cursed animals don't appear randomly," Leo said grimly. "Someone sent it. It was spying on you."
Elena's breath caught. "What?"
"Don't worry. It's dead."
"Why aren't you surprised?" she asked slowly.
"I've seen this in Riverria. Not often—but enough."
Elena sank to the floor. "Am I really that clueless about the outside world?"
So much was happening beyond the village. So much she'd never even known existed.
Dante's voice echoed in her mind.
I'm a traveler. I've seen these things before.
If only she had listened. Maybe Amber wouldn't have spiraled so far.
"We need to find out who sent this bird," Leo said. "It would've succeeded if my spell hadn't disrupted it."
"Your spell?"
"I can hear things from a distance," he admitted. "That's how I eavesdrop. It also stops animals from spying on me."
"Only animals?"
"Unfortunately. But it's saved me more times than I can count."
Elena swallowed. "What magic do I have?"
Leo studied her. "I don't know. Not everyone manifests magic early. Or maybe yours hasn't awakened yet."
"This is why you need me with you," he added quickly. "I can protect—"
"How do we find out who sent the bird?" Elena cut in.
Leo's lips pressed into a thin line. "I know someone. A friend. But we have to hurry. His tracking spell only works while the scent is still strong."
Elena stood at once. "Then let's go."
****
A/N
it's another Monday!
Here's another chapter.
Likes, votes and comments are appreciated.