Page 82 of Feathers and Thorns

A handful of people from different sections of the crowd made their way out of the throng, heads bowed. Soren recognized one of them as Duncan, a kindly tailor from back home in Vreburn.

She expected there to be an uproar of people, angry with the deserters for valuing their lives above everyone else. To her surprise, not a word was spoken.

King Elias watched them go, and once they were out of sight, he continued his address. “Now, I know that must have been hard for some of you. Maybe you are wondering now if you made the right choice. But if you take a moment to look at those who stand beside you, you now know that they will not desert you when things get hard. These people, from all different walks of life, chose you over themselves, and that is more valuable than long-standing hatred between people. We are no longer Braexians, Patrovians, and so forth. We are all of Entheas, and they will hear us as we march forth to protect what is ours!”

The crowd broke out in cheers and whoops as people from all the provinces clasped hands and embraced each other as equals. Soren couldn’t help the tears that rimmed her eyes, and she squeezed Enara’s hand.

Once the crowd had settled, Jai and Erick dismissed everyone for the evening. Meanwhile, King Elias’s men awaited instruction on where to put their cargo. After a short discussion, it was decided that everyone would be outfitted first thing in the morning to begin training with the added weight of their armor.

Soren and her friends followed their leaders into the mess line that ran in rows down the tents. She appreciated the fact that Jai, Erick, and King Elias took their spot in line just like everyone else and did not pull rank to move to the front.

Once she had eaten her fill, she joined Adaryn and Mrs. Ferndale in cleaning the after-dinner dishes once the tables had been cleared. She was elbow-deep in dishwater when Jai walked in, flashing a smile at her before dipping Adaryn into a searing kiss.

Soren looked away, hoping to give them some semblance of privacy, as Adaryn let her hands roam over the tracker.

“Love, we have company,” Jai reminded her, looking over to Soren. “Sorry, got a little carried away.”

“Hey”—Soren held up her soapy hands—“don’t let me stop your fun. I just didn’t want to stare.”

“I don’t mind if you want to watch,” Adaryn said, giving her a wink.

“I don’t think so,” Jai said, lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

“What?” Adaryn whined as her hair fell in thick waves over her face.

He gave her a spank before admonishing her. “Save your fantasies for another night, love. Tonight, you are mine.”

Adaryn giggled as Jai carried her out the back exit of the tent.

Soren gave her a wave as they disappeared into the night then rubbed away the sweat that had formed on her hairline.

“Are you okay to finish up here, dear?” Mrs. Ferndale asked.

“Yeah, no worries. I only have a few left, anyway,” Soren replied, shaking an empty glass in her direction.

“Thank you, dear. Malcolm from that nice tavern invited me for a drink, and I was hoping to oblige.”

“That’s awesome!” Soren exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm.

Mrs. Ferndale chuckled at her before waving goodnight. “Just latch the tent behind you.”

“I will,” Soren called after her.

When she’d finished for the evening, she snuck over to the bathing area. She had brought a fresh set of clothes to dinner and wanted to wash off the day’s sweat before returning to her tent.

She did the best she could with cold water and a bar of oat milk soap before she tucked her light blue tunic, sans bra, into the tanned peasant skirt she had borrowed from Saoirse.

Her nerves kicked in the closer she got to the tent. The last few days that Rook had stayed with her, they had passed out from exhaustion and had barely talked after her heavy admission.

She was on a mission tonight, though she felt silly for being so nervous, considering their many trysts back at the manor. Tonight just felt more significant for some reason. She felt closer to Rook after telling him about her past, but nothing like the mating bond he had described.

She decided to not put so much pressure on their relationship. Keeping the Oculus out of Adriel’s hands would have to do for now. In the meantime, she just wanted to explore her relationship with Rook and enjoy the time they had together, however short that might be.

She could make out his silhouette beyond the fabric, following every sharply honed edge of his body illuminated by the oil lamp. She hesitated at the threshold and took one more breath before walking in.

Rook sat propped up against the back wall of the tent, the fabric molding around his shoulders. He was shirtless with his ankles crossed above the blanket, reading a book she didn’t recognize.

Their eyes met, and his pupils turned to question marks as she plucked the book from his hands and placed it gingerly on the small corner table. He then went to sit up, but she pressed her palm to his chest to keep him in place.

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