down the hill, leading deeper into the forest. Nathan was already walking down the path, about to follow the curving path down around a ridge and out of sight.
“Better keep up,” Nathan called to Simon before disappearing around the large mossy rock formation that jutted out of the forest floor. “Unless you want to stand guard and wait for the boogeymen with Cynric some more.”
The gentle huffing of the sleeping bear was all the motivation Simon needed. He made his way down the path, eager to keep sight of Nathan. He caught up quickly, and together they hiked along the path. As they moved along, something odd began to nag at Simon. The forest floor was gradually succumbing to a worn stone path. It was overgrown with moss and covered with leaves, but it was there nonetheless. The sky overhead had lost its bright yellow sheen, and clouds began to stretch into long, colorless sheets, washing out the sky to a dull, endless gray. Where birds had sung earlier, the air now was filled with a distant, quiet humming.
They continued deep into the forest. Nathan gripped his grimoire always, never taking his eyes off the path ahead. The moss and leaves receded, eventually revealing the stone path completely. Up ahead, the path curved, and they found themselves crossing a large stone bridge over an deep, silvery blue creek. The path beyond cut deep into a large rock bluff, revealing steep stone stairs carved straight into the bluff.
“Where are we going?” Simon asked as he climbed over a large dead tree that had fallen across the foot of the stairs.
Nathan paused a few steps ahead of Simon. “We have folk here,” he said. “People like us, people who should be able to help us locate Sam and rescue him.”
Simon started up the stairs, but Nathan held out his hand to block him. “Are they hiding?”
“They live here,” he said. “This is their home.” Then, after an odd pause, he added, “All our home, really.”
“Our home?” Simon asked. This was his chance. “Did my parents live here?”
A pained look crossed Nathan’s face. Finally he said, “This was your parents’ home. There is Warner land out in the woods. That makes it your home too. You look back far enough, almost every one of the Witch Folk leads back to here,” he said, his fingers unconsciously finding his way to the small silver ring on his right hand. “Some more than others.”
“Our home,” Simon said to himself. The idea was so strange. He had never thought of anywhere other than the Paw as his home, really. “Why didn’t Sam tell me any of this?”
“To protect you,” Nathan said. “He wanted better for you, he didn’t want--” Nathan suddenly stopped, looking down at the carved steps with a forced interest.
“Didn’t want what?”
“Simon...” He put his hands on Simon’s shoulders. “Not now. Soon, I promise, but not right now. You need to understand where we’re going.”
Frustration breathed inside Simon. His anger was not going to die off any time soon. His inner voice had suddenly started screaming for answers, and Nathan wasn’t willing to share what he knew. All these years, Sam had been lying to him, keeping him in the dark, keeping all of this from him. Magic. His past. His parents .
They were holding out on him.
Simon eyes dropped to the ground. “Why?” he said quietly. Angry tears welled up in his eyes, and he turned away, blinking furiously.
“Simon...” Nathan said quietly. “This wasn’t to hurt you. We were looking out for you.” He paused. “We all were.”
Simon kept his eyes closed, drawing in breath after deep breath, clenching his fists until his knuckles ached. Finally his anger quieted down, replaced by a heavy sadness. His shoulders slumped. He turned back to Nathan but his eyes stayed fixed on the ground. “We, huh?” Simon said. “I guess you all must have thought I was really stupid not to figure out any of it, didn’t you?”
“No,” Nathan said solemnly. “Now, look,
“Better keep up,” Nathan called to Simon before disappearing around the large mossy rock formation that jutted out of the forest floor. “Unless you want to stand guard and wait for the boogeymen with Cynric some more.”
The gentle huffing of the sleeping bear was all the motivation Simon needed. He made his way down the path, eager to keep sight of Nathan. He caught up quickly, and together they hiked along the path. As they moved along, something odd began to nag at Simon. The forest floor was gradually succumbing to a worn stone path. It was overgrown with moss and covered with leaves, but it was there nonetheless. The sky overhead had lost its bright yellow sheen, and clouds began to stretch into long, colorless sheets, washing out the sky to a dull, endless gray. Where birds had sung earlier, the air now was filled with a distant, quiet humming.
They continued deep into the forest. Nathan gripped his grimoire always, never taking his eyes off the path ahead. The moss and leaves receded, eventually revealing the stone path completely. Up ahead, the path curved, and they found themselves crossing a large stone bridge over an deep, silvery blue creek. The path beyond cut deep into a large rock bluff, revealing steep stone stairs carved straight into the bluff.
“Where are we going?” Simon asked as he climbed over a large dead tree that had fallen across the foot of the stairs.
Nathan paused a few steps ahead of Simon. “We have folk here,” he said. “People like us, people who should be able to help us locate Sam and rescue him.”
Simon started up the stairs, but Nathan held out his hand to block him. “Are they hiding?”
“They live here,” he said. “This is their home.” Then, after an odd pause, he added, “All our home, really.”
“Our home?” Simon asked. This was his chance. “Did my parents live here?”
A pained look crossed Nathan’s face. Finally he said, “This was your parents’ home. There is Warner land out in the woods. That makes it your home too. You look back far enough, almost every one of the Witch Folk leads back to here,” he said, his fingers unconsciously finding his way to the small silver ring on his right hand. “Some more than others.”
“Our home,” Simon said to himself. The idea was so strange. He had never thought of anywhere other than the Paw as his home, really. “Why didn’t Sam tell me any of this?”
“To protect you,” Nathan said. “He wanted better for you, he didn’t want--” Nathan suddenly stopped, looking down at the carved steps with a forced interest.
“Didn’t want what?”
“Simon...” He put his hands on Simon’s shoulders. “Not now. Soon, I promise, but not right now. You need to understand where we’re going.”
Frustration breathed inside Simon. His anger was not going to die off any time soon. His inner voice had suddenly started screaming for answers, and Nathan wasn’t willing to share what he knew. All these years, Sam had been lying to him, keeping him in the dark, keeping all of this from him. Magic. His past. His parents .
They were holding out on him.
Simon eyes dropped to the ground. “Why?” he said quietly. Angry tears welled up in his eyes, and he turned away, blinking furiously.
“Simon...” Nathan said quietly. “This wasn’t to hurt you. We were looking out for you.” He paused. “We all were.”
Simon kept his eyes closed, drawing in breath after deep breath, clenching his fists until his knuckles ached. Finally his anger quieted down, replaced by a heavy sadness. His shoulders slumped. He turned back to Nathan but his eyes stayed fixed on the ground. “We, huh?” Simon said. “I guess you all must have thought I was really stupid not to figure out any of it, didn’t you?”
“No,” Nathan said solemnly. “Now, look,
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