Arcadian Midnight (The Willows Book 2) by Ryan Thorpe

Author:Ryan Thorpe [Thorpe, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2024-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mae

Mae woke the next morning to Barnabas standing over her, looking confused. “You were supposed to be by the campfire,” he said.

“I’m sorry, master. I thought you might need me,” Mae said. She stood and dusted herself off. Despite not having slept particularly well, she felt rested, and she wondered what forms of magic might linger here. This place held generations of ghost wardens. A good night's sleep felt like easy magic by comparison.

“You’re calling me master now?” Barnabas said.

“Yulie told me it was the proper thing to call you. I’m your trainee, right?”

Barnabas stood in front of her. “Do you want to be my trainee?”

Mae shrugged her shoulders, and the motion caused her wyvern tattoo to fly down her arm and then back up to the base of her neck, where it normally rested. “Part of me does. Part of me wants to be just like you. Strong. Respected. Feared. But I don’t know if I could be that powerful. I just want to help others when I can. Plus, magic just makes me feel safe.”

Barnabas sighed and leaned back against the stone and looked up at the stars that dotted the ceiling of the Hall of Wisdom. “At some point, I hope you’ll see it differently. Being the warden makes you a powerful, undying figure, but it is also about service. It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself, and as a warden, I surround myself with people who keep me humble. Those people by the campfire don’t care that I’m a warden. Isaac never cared. Surround yourself with people who will keep you grounded.”

“Isaac did care,” Mae said. “He was so proud of you. He was so proud that he was the son of the warden of Silverwood.”

Barnabas sighed again while he looked up at the ceiling, and Mae thought that old men were partly made of sighs. “You don’t need to call me master until you’ve decided,” he said. “Until then, Barnabas is fine. When you call me master, I’ll know you’re ready to get serious about your training. Sounds good?”

“Sounds good,” Mae said. She stood up and stretched and brushed herself off before they walked together to the campfire. There, the other former wardens were already waiting for them. Chase stood far away from the fire, leaning against a rock, trying not to make eye contact with any of them. After all his strange experiences, the feeling of being surrounded by some of the most important historical figures of Silverwood appeared to spook him.

“Greetings,” Barnabas said as he took a seat by the campfire. “I have someone I want you to meet. This is Mae and Chase.”

Yulie stood and bowed her head at both of them. “I’m Yulie the Wise, and I’m pleased to meet both of you. Who is your successor?”

Barnabas shook his head. “That’s a complicated question, but I’m hoping Mae will follow me.”

Crassus stood up, but he did not bow. His huge form and massive beard dominated the space around him, despite his dead state.

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