TBATE - Fated To Rule Together

Chapter 23 - Motives II

(Amber Helstea POV)

Wind rushed past my face as I dove face first into the hole that Arthur fell through. From the corner of my eye, I saw vines coming out to stop me and Jasmine, but I cut them off before they could get to me. Jasmine wasn't as lucky though. She got caught and was pulled back before she could dive in.

Using sound magic to send pulses down the tunnel, I did something akin to echolocation to sense for Arthur's whereabouts below me. However, I got a surprise when I only felt a presence above me that dove into the hole, whilst I couldn't feel Arthur's presence below me at all. My heart rate increased as I started to worry about my husband. I'm one hundred percent sure he was underneath me! I saw it with my own two eyes! I was using my sound magic right before I dived in, so I would have known if he had gotten above me.

A faint light appeared in vision as I neared the end of the hole I was falling through. Just as I was about to create a wind funnel to slow my descent, an arm grabbed me by my waist and pulled me close. I looked over to see that it was Alea that had grabbed me, but that train of thought was soon overridden when I realised that we were slowing down. I couldn't sense any wind mana emanating from her, and that's when it hit me; she was flying!

But how was she doing that? Only mages with a White core have the ability to fly as they have immense control over mana. We landed softly on the ground as I was still in thought about what I had just witnessed and decided to clear things up.

"...You're a White core." I said it as more of a statement than a question as I looked into her eyes.

"*Sigh* Yes, I am!" I was surprised by her straightforwardness. I was at least expecting her to try to make up a lie, seeing as she didn't reveal that she was White core when everyone introduced themselves.

"... You're not denying it?" I asked in a curious voice; intrigued as to why she would want to hide the fact that she was stronger than she let on. The same could be said about me and Arthur, but we held back because we wanted to improve in other aspects. Her reasoning was still unknown.

"What good would denying it do me now? You've already seen me fly, there's no point in denying it," she said while removing any dust that her uniform had accumulated while falling. I was going to ask why she kept the fact that she was White core a secret, but then decided that it was none of my business and that I had bigger problems to worry about. I had to find Arthur!

"I won't ask why you kept it a secret as it's none of my business. But... I can ask why you followed me down here." I turned to look at her and was surprised to see her smiling.

"I couldn't just leave you two down here by yourself and I thought I could grab both you and Note before you touched the bottom." But then her smile turned into a frown when she said the following sentence. "But I couldn't sense him at all when I was flying through the hole."

As soon as she said that my heart started racing and fear and worry for my husband clouded my thoughts. If she couldn't sense her with her specialty in sensory magic and being a White core at that, then how was I even going to find him. Where is he? Is he alright? Questions regarding Arthur and his safety swarmed my head and I started to get a headache.

It seemed that my pain and worry was shown on my face because Alea was asking me if I was alright. "Hey, are you ok?" Her voice was laced with concern as she questioned me.

"I'm fine! I just need a second." I tried to reassure her as I went into thought; trying to figure out a way to get to Arthur and see if he was alright. 'If only I had Sylvie and Airies with me. We could all split up and search for him.' And then it hit me! I could ask both of them if Arthur was alright, seeing as they were both bonded with him as well.