“Hey,” she said in a small voice.

He shook his head as he reached her. “Don’t.”

Cassie looked confused. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t look at me like you are unsure of how I feel for you.”

Cassie looked down at the ground not wanting to meet his eyes.

He placed a finger under her chin and raised her head. He waited until her eyes finally met his.

“You are mine, my everything. Never doubt that or the fact that I want you, I will always want you.”

He wanted to tell her he loved her, it was on the tip of his tongue, but he held himself back. He felt the struggle inside him. His soul demanded he give her everything, but the darkness demanded as well and he had been doing what the darkness commanded for a very long time. Regardless of his soul’s cry he didn’t feel he had the right to say those words to her; not until he had dealt with Lorsan.

He stared into her eyes a minute longer. When he was satisfied that she had heard him he took her hand and began leading her to the small building that housed the park bathrooms. They slipped into the door marked for families and Trik walked straight at the mirror pulling Cassie with him.

Cassie’s breath caught as they emerged through another mirror, this one led into a small cabin.

“Is this your place?” She asked as she spun around looking at the small but clean space. There was a small kitchen with a sink, refrigerator and stove. A small table with two chairs stood in the center of the kitchen. Just past it was a living area with a fire place against the back wall and just past the fireplace was a door that she assumed led to the bedroom.

“It’s one of the places I like to come to when I need a break,” he told her.

“It’s cozy.”

Trik laughed “That’s your way of saying it’s small.”

Cassie smiled, relieved to see this side of Trik. This is the Trik she knew, the one no one else saw.

“Come on,” he tugged on her hand and pulled her to the front door.

They stepped out onto a small porch and then walked down the steps into the most beautiful forest that Cassie had ever seen.

Trik smiled at the look on his Chosen’s face. Though he had been there recently without her, and though it was peaceful, it was nothing compared to the peace he found with her standing in his place with him, where she belonged.

“It’s beautiful, Trik,” her words were breathy as she took in the tall trees, deep green grass, and beautiful flowers.

“I’ve never brought anyone here.” He didn’t know why he told her that, but he felt it was important that she know.

“Never?” She asked without looking at him.

He stepped up behind her and brushed her hair from her neck. He leaned down and kissed her neck before whispering. “Never.”

Cassie stopped breathing as she felt his lips on her skin. She closed her eyes and soaked up the sensation, the feeling of having him close. She felt him slip his hand into hers and she opened her eyes.

“I want to show you something,” he told her with a grin.

She loved that grin.

She let him tug her forward and enjoyed the carefree way he moved. Usually he was deliberate in his every move, co nstantly watching for an attack. But here, here he was relaxed and open. Suddenly the trees cleared and opened up to a river and a beautiful high water fall. Her mouth dropped open at the site. The light of the sun shined off the water cascading towards the river. A rainbow reached out from the spray of the water fall, dazzling the surrounding trees. It was picture perfect. She was sure she had never seen anything so breathtaking.

“What do you think?” Trik smiled at her.

“It’s amazing,” Cassie didn’t try to hide the awe she felt.

Trik walked over to a large rock that sat over the river. He sat down and stretched his legs out in front of him. Cassie followed suit. She looked up into the sky and saw a sun, bright and warm on her skin.

“You have a sun?” She asked.

Trik chuckled. “Of course we have a sun. Our realm isn’t much different than yours.”

“Is it all like this?”

“For the most part. There are some dark forests that few will go into.”

“Why, what’s in them?” She asked as she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.

“The Forest Lords,” he said with narrowed eyes.

“I thought they were good guys.”

“It’s not because they are bad that no one goes into the forest. It’s because being in their presence is,” Trik paused trying to find the right word, “unsettling. They can see inside you. They know what is to come and what has already been.”

Cassie shuddered at the thought of someone knowing her future, knowing her past, and knowing what was deep inside her.

“Those are the Forest Lords that Tamsin and Syndra want you to see?”

“Yep,” Trik tells her, popping the P.

“Are you going to?” Cassie looked out over the water as she waited for his answer.

Trik didn’t know what to tell her. He didn’t want to go to the Forest Lords for fear of what they would tell him. But at the same time, he wanted to go because he needed to know what they would tell him.

So he was honest. “I don’t know.”

They sat in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Cassie was careful not to touch Trik because she didn’t want him to see the worry or fear in her. No matter how he tried to act, she could tell he was pulling away.