Forsaken (Fated Saga Fantasy Series Book 8) by Rachel Humphrey-D'aigle

half-heartedly. “The visions don’t wear me out as much as they used to. Like with anything I guess, the more you do it, the easier it gets.”
    “Thank you for sharing that with me, Juliska. I hope you were warm enough last night.” He grinned at the obvious displeasure that he’d pulled the blanket around her.
    “Where did Mr. Sensitive Guy suddenly come from?” she retorted coolly.
    “I’ve already broken down your defenses. This is the showing you my other, softer side, stage.”
    Juliska opened her mouth to say something but her tongue got flustered and nothing came out. She hid it poorly by sucking down a big mouthful of coffee. After setting down the mug, she turned to him defiantly.
    “And what stage comes after this one, Eddy? I’d just like to prepare myself.”
    Her question caught him off guard, but only made him grin even wider.
    “After this, comes the stage where I make you fall madly in love with me.”
    Something caught in her throat. “Well… you can try… I guess.” Had she just said that? And there was no argument forming.
    “I don’t think I’m going to have to try too hard.”
    She looked at him and saw it all so clearly. Not a true vision of her future.
    This was something else. Something in her gut. A strong intuition.
    How did this man tear down her defenses, almost like he’d built them himself?
    “Damn you, Edward Gillivray.”
    Her cheeks blushed, but she never took her eyes away from his.
    He was totally right. And she thoroughly hated him for it.
     

 
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    They left the valley inside the Witch’s Head Mountain Range without further incident from the man following them. Juliska had no new vision of their secret spy. And no new traces of the man were found. They hoped it was the end of it now they were moving onward.
    Kanda and Nashua led them to their next magical portal. It was a little bit of a hike, and uphill. Juliska had to stop and catch her breath a few times. They finally reached it and stopped for a moment.
    It looked so unassuming. A simple arch made out of tree branches.
    “Ready?” Milo asked everyone. He stepped through first. Everyone else followed. Arnon came through last. Upon exit he froze, alongside everyone else. There was a smoldering fire not too far away. Someone had been here, quite recently.
    Cornell was looking for traces of magic. Kanda motioned for Arnon to remain where he was and let him finish. Nashua was gone. Arnon assumed he’d gone wolf and was searching the woods in a form no one would suspect was actually searching for anything.
    Cornell finished, looking relieved. “No magic here.”
    Everyone relaxed… a little.
    “So what is this then?” Arnon questioned.
    “A stray passerby,” alleged Kanda. “This is a remote place.”
    “Hiker,” a voice called out. They turned to see Nashua rejoining them. “Tracked him easily. Just a lone hiker. Already a half mile down a path.”
    “Do hikers come here often?” Arnon already didn’t like this place.
    “Didn’t used to,” Kanda replied. “We were here just a month ago to set up the portal, there hadn’t been any traces of recent visitors.”
    “Balloch… Eddy…” Arnon started.
    “Already taking note,” Balloch replied. He nodded at Eddy who actually wrote it down.
    Milo tried to ease the tension. “I suspect we’re all just a little jumpy. After Juliska’s vision and all.”
    “But that was of the Witch’s Head,” she reminded. “Not here.”
    “Exactly. So let’s set up camp.” Milo opened the trunk to pull out the tent.
    It was strange, but more than once that afternoon, Juliska had to stop and look around, just to be sure someone wasn’t watching her. She couldn’t shake the feeling.
    “Everything okay?” Eddy asked her later that day.
    “Yeah. Fine.”
    “You don’t sound confident in that answer.”
    “Can’t explain it. Just feels like there’s someone close by. Watching me.”
    “But you didn’t have a vision of