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The young wizard nodded, offering him a weak smile. In our part
of Uli, at least. I know it feels strange, but Kyllian is just like that. He
does what he wants.
Do you live here? Owen asked, half to keep the conversation,
half out of interest.
Fayre shook his head. Usually, I don t stay on this realm. It s
too& surreal. That s how I met Hash, actually, two magic users
randomly bumping into each other on Almareya. Fayre sighed. I
suppose I m not old enough to appreciate the astral plane.
I don t think it has anything to do with age, Kani commented.
Perhaps you haven t felt the need for its sanctuary. He smiled,
looking out the huge windows and toward the clear seas. I would
stay here forever if I could.
Owen didn t have a reply to that. The realm of the wizards was,
indeed, beautiful, but it seemed wasted on him. There was still so
much he didn t know, so much that scared him. He didn t like what
was happening around him. He didn t understand half of it. He felt
helpless and useless, like a burden for the men he d come to care for.
The décor of Kyllian s home brought back memories to him of
Earth and of Connor. He wondered why the wizard had gone to
Earth because he d clearly been there and it kept him busy for
about half a minute before darker thoughts intruded, from where
Connor was to what the other men were doing.
142 Scarlet Hyacinth
Sassaki and Hash had left shortly after their arrival here, much to
Owen s silent dismay. Fayre insisted to be taken along, arguing that
they needed him to navigate, but the shape-shifters refused. Secretly,
Owen knew Sassaki and Hash meant to keep Owen, Fayre, and Kani
safe, but that didn t make it any less frustrating.
Now, Owen, Fayre, and Kani were all alone and trying to pretend
they weren t counting each passing second. Owen liked the two
young men, but he simply couldn t focus on anything else but his
concern.
Finally, Fayre broke and cursed to himself. He took their hands
and dragged them outside. Let s just go look around. It will distract
us.
Kani looked doubtful. I ll have trouble shifting back, he said.
But Owen could easily see how much the young mer wanted to jump
into the clear waters. He shared a look with Fayre, and, smirking,
pushed Kani straight into the ocean.
Seconds later, Kani emerged, red tail having appeared in place of
his legs. That was mean, he shouted at Owen, laughing.
Owen couldn t help but smile a little, too. Come on, Kani said,
splashing water at them. I dare you to join me.
Owen couldn t resist the challenge. He took off his shirt, pants,
and shoes, remaining only in his underwear. It wasn t very decent, but
he didn t have a bathing suit, so it would have to do. Without
dwelling on it further, he jumped straight into the water, barely
missing a painful collide with Kani. Seconds later, Fayre joined them.
For a while, the three of them swam around, enjoying the water
and the beautiful day. The dark thoughts still lingered in Owen s
mind, but he tried to be cheerful and patient. Even so, many times he
found himself staring in the direction Hash and Sassaki had
disappeared.
His persistence was rewarded when he spotted a dot approaching
in the sky. He directed his new friends to look, and Fayre confirmed
Craving Owen 143
that it was, indeed, Hash. As a few more moments flew by, Owen
realized Hash held Sassaki in his arms.
In no time, the two shape-shifters reached them. Hash dropped
Sassaki into the water and landed on the balcony above them. Sassaki
swam toward them, a frown on his face. What are you doing
outside?
Just wasting time, Owen answered. What is it? What s
wrong?
We received a message from Kyllian, Sassaki said. We are to
leave the astral realm at once. Apparently, it s too dangerous to try to
approach the crystal.
Owen s eyes widened. Did he say why?
It seems the damn thing is sentient, Hash answered. I can t
believe no one saw this coming. Why did the dryads agree to it in the
first place?
Perhaps they didn t know, Kani suggested. Or perhaps they
didn t care, as long as they kept everyone else at bay.
I think they truly didn t realize, Sassaki replied. Dryads may
be my enemies, but I do not believe they would knowingly hurt Uli.
Any chance of finding out who was behind the original spell?
Kani asked.
Fayre shook his head. He murmured an incantation, and they
floated out of the water and onto the balcony next to Hash. There are
no records of that time left, and necromancers were never under
official control in the first place, he said. It s entirely possible the
wizard who placed the spell is dead and the crystal is sustaining
itself.
Another spell from Fayre dried Kani s tail and also helped Owen,
Sassaki, and Fayre himself. Owen turned toward the two shape-
shifters and asked, What do we do?
For the moment, there s little we can do, Hash answered. If
Kyllian is right, this place is no longer safe. We have to return to the
other realm.
144 Scarlet Hyacinth
Sassaki looked just as upset. In the circumstances, I would love
to go help Yane, but at this point, we might just interfere and
complicate things further.
Sassaki didn t say it, but he clearly believed it was his own fault
for this inability to be by Yane, Alcharr, and Kyllian s side. Owen
wasn t thrilled about the situation either, but he forced himself to trust
the other men. He pulled his clothes on and hugged Sassaki. I m sure
they know what they re doing.
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