Page 176 of Blood of the Stars

“They didn’t hurt me enough to leave scars that can’t be healed,” she said.

He blinked several times, glancing at her hands—at her scars—then nodded. He reached out once more, this time patting her clasped hands before grasping them tight. “I promise I’m only doing what I think is best for you and for Vendaras. But that doesn’t mean you’ll always like it. It doesn’t mean I’ll always do the right thing.”

She smiled faintly. “I guess that makes two of us.”

They joined the others, and Aeliana got lost in a haze of healing injuries, finding the process both painful and rewarding. Healing one soldier didn’t make up for the thousands who’d died, but it felt like a start.

The soldiers soaked up the attention, watching her with something akin to awe while she worked. At first, she thought it was because of her hair. Several reached out to touch her long locks without asking, but other times she caught people staring into her eyes and whispering amongst themselves. Perhaps it was her display of magic or the brief time she’d been caught by the dragon. Would the story become one of Jasperus’ legends? Hopefully he would emphasize Orra’s success instead of Aeliana’s failure.

They worked well into the night, putting out fires and transporting the wounded, eventually transitioning from recovery to preparation despite their exhaustion. Orra eventually woke, and Aeliana found her resting by the fire, her face pinched with pain or worry, her frame looking frail when swallowed up by a blanket.

“It’s good to see you up.” Aeliana stoked the fire, its source of light and warmth ironic after they’d fled its cause of death and destruction.

Orra smiled wanly in return.

“I hear you blinded Durriken. Wish I’d thought of that in Islara.”

“It was a temporary solution.” Orra wrapped her blanket tighter around her.

“One that saved hundreds of lives.”

Orra shrugged. “He’ll still be back. Mayvus won’t let him remain blind. And she’ll choose her commands more carefully.”

“Are you staying with the wounded?” Aeliana asked.

Orra shook her head, then winced. “The little magic I have left would be better spent elsewhere.”

Questions about Orra’s magic rose to the tip of Aeliana’s tongue, questions about how all the Vendarans said she’d glowed like a Star reflecting the Sun’s glory, but the woman’s gaze glazed over, her limit reached.

The next morning, they began their march, anxiously watching what little sky they could see between the trees for any sign of Durriken. Summer Solstice was three days away, and the fortress was a two-day ride, but Sylmar was determined to make it in less, giving them time to plan in the evenings and to attack earlier than Mayvus might expect from a group recently ravaged by a dragon. The idea that they’d be in Mayvus’ fortress in just two days left Aeliana’s nerves on edge.

Even though people surrounded her, the ride atop her mare felt lonely, providing too much time to think. She closed her eyes and breathed in the still-lingering scent of charred earth and flesh, forcing herself to bear the weight of the blame.

She couldn’t possibly make things right. Hundreds were dead because of her choices. Even if they managed to stop Mayvus from completing the branding process, even if they freed her mother, that couldn’t make up for the destruction she’d let happen.

Seeing the consequences of a wrong decision left her more paralyzed than ever. What would go wrong the next time she made a bad decision? She tried to shake away the thought, to remind herself that failing once didn’t mean she should stop trying. But the images of burning soldiers and melting armor filled her vision with far too much clarity.

A screech filled the air, startling her from her mental spiral. When she opened her eyes, a bird descended among the trees, aiming straight for her. But it wasn’t just any bird.

“Gullet.” She breathed the word out like it might spread hope around her, hope that tentatively grew from deep within her chest. She held out an arm, bracing for the claws she’d only seen dig into Riveran’s and Gaeren’s shoulders. Sure enough, the bird’s force and weight threw her off-balance atop her horse, and his talons pricked her skin.

Still, she laughed, disbelief mounting to relief with such speed that it left her giddy.

“How did you find me?”

With another squawk, he lifted his leg and revealed paper tied beneath his feathers.

“Oh.” Aeliana fumbled in her eagerness, struggling to remove the message with one hand. Gullet readjusted several times, eager to be free. When she finally pulled off the paper, he was quick to dismount, taking to the skies. A stab of anxiety shot through her; he was her only connection to Gaeren. But he didn’t go far. He settled in a tree, content to watch and wait for her response.

Aeliana didn’t waste any time unrolling the tiny scrap. The two words at the top brought tears that blurred the rest of the message.

I’m coming.

CHAPTER 72

After sailing past Ahmranan’s Viewpoint and hiking through the canyon with Riveran’s men and the pirate crews, Gaeren itched to reach Daisy’s camp. His bond mark itched too.

He’d tried cutting it out several times on Starspeed, but each time he did, the betrayal burned, digging up memories of Enla’s suffering. Memories he’d shared so deeply with her as he tried to take them from her that they were as strong as any of his own. Bonds weren’t meant to be broken, and it went against everything in his nature to do it.

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