Revealed (Unbound, Book 5)

Chapter Twenty-One

Thank you, everyone, for your patience waiting for this update. I've done a lot of travelling this summer. First, we went to Jasper (AB), which included Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, Maligne Canyon, Sunwapta Falls, Athabaska Falls, Lake Annette, Miette Hot Springs (pools closed but saw the ruins and the source), Columbia Icefield, Horseshoe Lake, and Punchbowl Falls. Then we went to Drumheller, seeing the Hoodoos, 11 Bridges, Wayne, and the ghost town of Rowley. Lastly, we spent a week in Fairmont (BC), where we visited Canal Flats, Radium Hot Springs (so, so amazing!), Invermere, Lussier Hot Springs, the hidden hot springs by Fairmont Hot Springs (public pools closed), and spent a day floating down a river between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. On the way home, we spent two nights in Canmore (AB), and stopped at Banff (AB) for a day of shopping, a side trip to Lake Louise (AB), and little stops along the way. The photo above is from Simon River and it doesn't do the scene justice.

 For the past six years, I have been spending all my vacations travelling back to my mother's. She died in May 2020, however, and this is the first time in those six years that I have had the opportunity to visit these wonderful places located in my own backyard--or only a few hours' drive away. While I travelled, I didn't get much time to write; however, I did get many, many new ideas I can't wait to try out.

Again, thank you. I appreciate everyone who has stuck with this series and motivate me to keep writing it. This chapter is longer than the rest and not edited, but I hope you enjoy it :) (Sorry if it's a little rough; I haven't written in a while and it's a process getting back into the flow of it.)

The odor inside wasn't nearly as pungent as it had been when it wafted out the front door, though I supposed that was because I'd somehow adapted to it. My head was swimming from the amount of magic I could sense having been used—recently. Thankfully, whoever was stealing the space from Calin's family had been here long enough that there was no must. I was sure that I would give into the nausea that twisted my stomach like I'd swallowed a whirlpool if the smell of disuse was added to the stink already in existence.

"Ugh, it's like an outhouse in here," Calin said, wrinkling his nose.

Letting his hand go, I chuckled and tried to breath through my mouth instead of my nose. "You're just noticing?" I stepped into the room, stopping between the couch and the closed door that I'd seen from the window. "I almost gagged when the door opened. That barrier didn't stop it one bit. I can't believe you missed it."

"How could you want to come inside if you smelled this from out there?"

"Did I say I wanted to?" I looked over my shoulder and raised my eyebrow. "Wants are different than needs, remember?"

"Don't mock me."

"Or else what?"

"I won't pull over next time you have an urge to run through the trees."

"Then I'll just have to find a way to visualize the car stopping. Seizing the engine won't cause permanent damage, will it? I'm not very mechanical."

"You wouldn't."

"No?"

Calin held my gaze in what seemed like a contest, then looked away and laughed. "I can't believe we're joking instead of looking around so we can leave."

"Who's joking?" Once again, I lifted my eyebrow when Calin's gaze turned back to me sharply. After a moment, I laughed. "You're right. I'm sorry. Let's look around." I was sure that my senses weren't on the fritz and, now that we were inside, procrastinating so I wouldn't learn what was wrong seemed prudent. Safe. Despite what seemed sensical, though, I said, "Let's see what is here and then go for supper."