The magical wings had already scattered into feathers. Unfortunately, that did little for Orion’s shoulder, which still throbbed every time he lifted his arm even slightly.

It wasn’t exactly quiet; water cascaded down the steep walls, and kingfishers darted over the streams. Still, Orion was painfully aware that he and Cody hadn’t said a word to each other in quite some time. He didn’t miss the way Cody occasionally glanced at him from the corner of his eye—but every time their eyes were about to meet, Cody quickly looked away.

Orion wished he knew what was going on in Cody’s head.

Or that he dared to ask.

Part of him feared he wouldn’t like the answer. Cody had nearly been killed by a forest spirit who had taken his form—because Orion hadn’t been able to get him out of his mind for the past few years.

He probably found that revolting. It was revolting.

He could feel the many warnings from his father burning in the back of his mind. You are a source of chaos. And once it finds its way out… If Moss hadn’t been there, Cody’s shattered body would’ve been lying at the bottom of the ravine.

No wonder Cody didn’t want to take any risks, wanting instead to focus on the things that still mattered. Holtgaard. Nova. Even though Orion had always brushed off his father’s words and pretended they didn’t affect him, they had taken root in him. Deeply so.

They were the reason he had never done more than a little flirting—afraid Cody might somehow be tainted by the misfortune Orion carried like a shadow. He hadn't been fully aware of it at the time. Looking back now, he supposed it at least explained his hesitation.

“These are edible, right?”

Orion broke free from his thoughts and looked over. Cody had stopped beside a bush full of silverberries. “Yeah. They’re actually pretty nutritious, only… they heighten your senses.”

Cody gave him a puzzled look. “Is that a bad thing? Sounds like an advantage to me.”

“It can be overwhelming, noticing every little sound that normally goes unnoticed.”

“I feel kind of weak—I’ve barely eaten today.”

Now that he mentioned it, Orion realized he was hungry too. And he hadn’t exactly come across many alternatives so far. Fishing was an option, but they’d have to get closer to the river for that, and he had no desire to make the acquaintance of tentacled creatures. Normally, he’d be all for new experiences and meeting strange forest dwellers, but right now he already had enough on his plate. One near-death experience per day was more than enough.

“It’s definitely time to eat something. Just take it slow—chew them well. They’ll fill you up faster than you’d think.”

Cody nodded and picked a handful of berries, each the size of a plum. Orion plucked a few as well and popped one into his mouth. He bit through the thin skin, and a sweet-tart flavor spread across his tongue and the roof of his mouth.

“What do you miss most about Holtgaard?” Orion asked. He’d longed too much for human company to keep silent any longer. Besides, Cody had already hinted at wanting to return, so Orion should make the most of the time they still had and not let his feelings or doubts cloud it.

He sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the silverberry bush so he could give his feet some rest.

Cody sat down beside him. His gaze followed the shimmering line of the river, visible now and then between the trees. From the small crease between his eyebrows, Orion could tell he was deep in thought. Unlike Orion, he wasn’t someone who wore his heart on his sleeve.

“My herb garden, I think. I tended to it for years. Working there always brought me peace.”

“Did you live there with Fleur?” Orion asked gently. It had to be jarring, discovering that feelings you’d held for years had been magically induced. Cody hadn’t said much about it.

He shook his head. “No. She’d wanted that for a while—moving in together. Something always held me back. It felt… stifling. That should’ve been a warning sign already. You’re supposed to want to spend all your time with the person you love, right? But I felt more like… myself when I was alone.”

Orion popped another berry into his mouth. “Well, I guess the fading memories have been good for something.”

“Yeah… Otherwise I might’ve never discovered the truth. I wouldn’t have known what it feels like to…” Cody fell silent. A flush crept over his cheeks.

Orion heard the quickened beat of a heart. His own? Cody’s? He couldn’t tell—it was as if their hearts had synced into a single rhythm, amplified by their sharpened senses.

“Is it an obstacle for you? My father’s prophecy?”

“Hmm?” Cody chewed thoughtfully on a silverberry. “Oh. No, I told you already—I don’t believe in that sort of thing.”

Orion raised an eyebrow. “You’re not really the type to say if you did, though.”

Cody lowered his head.

“I know I stir something in you. I just wondered what else might be holding you back. If it’s me, or…”

“No. It’s not you.” Cody’s fingers brushed against his hand, then recoiled sharply as he stared at the spot where their skin had met.

Orion felt it too—that warm spark. “It’s the berries. Your sense of touch gets heightened, too.”

“Oh.” Cody bit his lip. But something in him pushed him to rest his hand back on Orion’s. His breathing grew deeper, more tense. “I used to feel like this back at the Academy already.” His words were soft as butterfly wings, but they landed deep in Orion’s heart. “The fluttering. The tingles. The weak knees. It scared me, I think. You were always so mysterious. So out of reach. And just one smile, one look from you was enough to completely knock me off balance. I… found that hard to handle. Still do. It’s like a lack of control. And after Fleur… it almost feels like I’m under some kind of spell again. Even if it’s a natural one.”

His words felt like a warm fur cloak being draped over Orion’s shoulders. Orion leaned in slightly, until their shoulders touched. He turned his hand so Cody’s fingers could slip between his.

“In that case, I’m just as much a victim. Or worse—considering forest spirits like to prey on those feelings.” His face darkened at the thought of Locke.

“It’s a scary thought—that they can just crawl into your mind.” Cody tightened his grip around Orion’s hand. “He knew things about me. That I like to paint, that… apparently I sing well. Do you think he could read my mind directly?”

“I think those memories came from me.”

Cody fell silent for a while. He popped the last berry into his mouth and chewed slowly. A few drops of juice stained his lips silver, and Orion had to stop himself from staring—or brushing them away with his thumb again.

It was clear Cody needed space to learn to trust his feelings again, and to decide for himself which steps to take.

“If they take shape based on memories, could they be connected to the lost ones? If they can view all of someone’s memories—without the person getting in the way…”

“Moss says they need a person’s attention to keep existing. Otherwise Locke wouldn’t have stayed near me. He wanted friendship, and then more. And when that didn’t work… he fed off negative attention. The lost memories will also prevent people from recognizing them—so it would be of no use to them to steal them."

“Unless they give the memories back later.” Cody lifted his head, eyes gleaming with a sudden insight. “They could use those memories as study material—to figure out who they should become. A forgotten child, a deceased parent… They could calmly study the villagers’ habits and then make their new victims disappear to take their place. It might even explain why they left my memories alone: my place had already been taken by Andrew. By Locke, I mean.”

Orion was speechless. That… could be it. They hadn’t come closer to a theory than this.

“Then we stick to the original plan. I’ll brew a truth serum, we lure Locke into a trap, and get him talking.”

“And how do you trap a forest spirit who can vanish into thin air?” Cody asked.

“I’ve managed to bind him before, by sealing off a piece of terrain he couldn’t leave for a day.”

“But he can dissolve into smoke?”

“I think so,” Orion admitted with a sigh. “But who knows. Maybe I can still get him to stay. He’s very fond of my attention… and he needs it to stay alive. There’s got to be a trick. Or a bargain.”

Cody looked around. “Do you think he followed us here?”

“I don’t know. Forest spirits are uncharted territory for me—maybe he couldn’t follow me through the air. Maybe Moss can tell us more. Or an ogre who knows even more.” Orion got to his feet, feeling like a new man. “Let’s keep going.”

Cody stood as well—their hands still intertwined. “Yeah. The sooner we’re out of this ravine, the sooner we’ll find answers.”