Page 78 of Their War

I leaned up on my tiptoes, bringing his mouth to mine for a brief kiss. “I'm okay.” I smiled reassuringly.

“Come, let us leave the waters. You are all welcome to join us for dinner tonight.” Revna extended the invitation to me and all my men.

“Thank you. Your offer is generous, and if I wasn't already so pressed for time, I would love nothing more than to take you up on that offer. However, we must be getting home. We have much to do to prepare for the ascension,” I told her.

She nodded. “I understand. In that case, when you return to your room, you'll find your things freshly laundered and ready for you.”

“Thank you,” I told her, ready to get back into my own clothes and on the road. We made our way to the room Brannoc and I had shared during our stay, all of us crowding into the tiny space. Just as she'd promised, my clothes were resting on the edge of the bed.

Needing a moment to myself, I grabbed the items and headed to the bathroom. Lennox's arm snaked out, blocking my entry, “Need a helping hand?” His lascivious smile made his meaning clear.

I laughed, swatting his arm away. “No. Somehow, I think I can manage on my own.”

Holding his hands out placatingly, he said, “If you say so. All you have to do is call out and I'll be there to help in any way you need.”

Smiling, I said, “I'll keep that in mind.” Shutting the door behind me, I leaned against the solid wood, my head falling back as I shut my eyes. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I tried to push away the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm me. I hadn't wanted to show it, but between the meeting this morning, the waiting, and then the actual completion of the task, I was needing a moment to process it all. Now that I had accomplished the mission I had set out on yesterday, I worried about the rest of our plan.

I feared what might happen after drinking the water and completing the ascension. There were so many moving pieces that anything could go wrong at any point, and if it did, we would be totally screwed. I put on a brave face around the guys, but I couldn't help but think of what the fallout would be if we failed.

Knowing nothing good could come from dwelling on these things, I pushed those thoughts down deep where the guys couldn't sense them and proceeded to get dressed into my things. Grateful to have my weapons on me again and to be completely covered, I exited the bathroom, finger combing my hair so it wouldn't dry in a complete mess.

A warm breeze caressed my locks, drying my hair quickly, and I smiled in thanks to Baer. I still wasn't used to magic and forgot that I could do the same as him. “Not that I'm not glad to see y'all, but how did y'all get here?” I asked.

“That warrior that escorted you and Brannoc yesterday came to get us. He said we should be present for the decision,” Lennox explained.

Smiling at the gesture, something I knew now wasn't commonplace for them to offer visitors, I asked, “And what was your impression of him?” My curiosity on their thoughts prompted me to gossip like an old biddy.

“Definitely powerful,” Arryn admitted.

“And kind of an asshole,” Lennox grumped.

“What? Why do you say that?”

“He only made us walk through the barrier to the cave without warning that it could kill us,” Lennox explained.

Laughing, I said, “He knew you'd be granted access. Especially if you were my consorts.”

“Yeah, well, he still could have said something.” He shivered at the memory. “It felt very intrusive and made me want to take a shower.”

Shaking my head with a laugh, I let my gaze rake over them all. “Ready?”

“Only if you are.”

With a sigh, I said, “I guess so. No sense in putting it off, right?”

Arryn moved in next to me, kissing me with a smile as I pouted at having to leave this refuge. “Nope.” He swatted my ass hard. “Now, let's get a move on. Hopefully, we can make it back before dark.”

I gasped as his hand made impact, my own hands flying to the now sore spot on my cheek, rubbing the tenderness from the muscle. “Really?”

“Yup,” he said, popping the “p”, mimicking my expression. “Now, let's get a move on, or I'll be forced to punish you again later.”

Pausing halfway to the door, I looked over my shoulder. “Hmmm...I just might like that.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Enough, Minx. Quit stalling.”

Holding my hands up and earning a smile from all of the guys, I said, “Okay. Okay. I'm going.”

Swinging the door open to leave, I nearly ran straight into Cyerra, her hand raised in preparation to knock. “Oh!”

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