Page 89 of The Mirror in the Mountain

When I came back to myself, Bash’s hand had pressed against my cheek, turning my face to his as we panted against each other’s lips.

“I love you,” I whispered, needing to say it out loud in case it was the last time. “No matter what happens, I’m yours until we’re both just a whisper of darkness between the stars.”

“Until even those stars have faded from the sky, Eva,” Bash breathed. “And forever after that.”

He kissed a path down my spine before handing me my nightdress, helping me up before nipping at my backside—rewarding my yelp with a devious smirk. Regretfully, I pushed myself out of bed, wrapping a robe around myself as we stumbled in the waning dark to the magically heated camp showers. Bash had told me they were an invention from Mayim, where water magic was most prevalent. I was just grateful tohave the escape of warm water flowing around me, like it might wash my tension away.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Bash’s thumbs pressed into my shoulders, and I let out an inordinately loud moan. He chuckled, low and rough. “I suppose it’s about time the rest of camp woke up.”

I couldn’t help but watch Bash as he got dressed, the distraction welcome. The towel dry had his hair even more tousled than usual, glowing a fiery orange in the candlelight. His arms flexed as he put on his fighting leathers, fitted enough to show off the long, powerful lines of his legs, the firm, rippling muscles of his shoulders and back.

“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re never getting out of here on time.” Bash said, a sad sort of smile on his face like he wished he could give in to that desire.

With a sigh loud enough that it brought a smile to his lips, I reached out to grab my cloak before walking out into the early rays of dawn.

The camp was already bustling to beat the sunrise, some soldiers busily packing up, others scarfing down a quick breakfast. Scanning to see where I could help, my eyes caught on a group of Solearans already gathered.

My breath snagged. They were all moving in unison in a form my muscles strained to join them in. I hurried forward before I could second-guess the impulse.

A few looked up at my approach, wobbling slightly in their single-footed stance. Akeno gave me a brazen wink, though his position didn’t so much as quiver. Pari smiled slightly as she shifted onto her other foot in time with the others.

With a long breath out, I took my place in the middle of them. Thorin grinned at me as I raised both hands, moving into the next stance in a sustained, fluid movement that I could feel echoed all around me.

Tobias and Quinn, both dressed in their leathers, silently came over to join in. Beside me, Quinn’s amber eyes were alight with joy, even Tobias’s lips curving in a smile, though it felt slightly out of practice.

I closed my eyes as I pushed into the next stance, then another, feeling my magic humming under my skin in response. Strands of darkness wrapped up my arms and down my legs, as if they, too, wanted to join in.

Drawing in a full breath, I settled into the final stance as I slowly let it out, my eyes burning. When I opened them, Bash was staring directly at me, his mouth slightly parted. Rivan and Yael stood at his side, wearing similar looks of awe.

The Solearans broke apart as if nothing special had happened, though I saw a few glances at me and my brother. Part of me wanted to shy away from their attention, their undeserved looks of worship, but I forced a serene smile to my face, nodding to those who acknowledged me.

As we headed towards our horses, Quinn elbowed me in the side. I grinned, hooking my elbow with hers.

“That felt like home,” she sighed. “Though I missed the way your mom would lead it.”

“I miss the way yours would test if our form was off with a broomstick,” I said wryly. “Even if I was usually the one to tip over.”

Tobias came up beside us, his shoulders hunched. Taking a deep breath, he drew the hood of his cloak back over his head, muttering, “When this is all over, I want to figure out what else we thought was just our crazy parents’ idea that’s actually Solearan tradition.”

Quinn snorted. “Looking forward to it.”

As we reached where the rest of our group stood next to the already saddled horses, Bash held out a mug of nut-laden oatmeal to me. “You need breakfast if you want to have the energy to ride,” he admonished, though a smile belied the sternness of his words.

As I took it, Bash wrapped an arm around my waist, effortlessly lifting me onto Nisa’s saddle. His hands lingered on my thighs, his thumb circling almost absently.

Gingerly, I settled in, my inner thighs already sore. I winced, grumbling, “You’ll be lucky if I have the energy to ride you after.”

Bash laughed, a deep, delighted chuckle that I hadn’t heard in far too long. “What if I promise to make it worth your while?”

Rivan groaned as he rode up beside me. “We do have a war to win if you two didn’t notice?”

Yael smirked from where she sat atop Indra. “Oh really? I thought we were just here for fun. Maybe a little bit of life-threatening chaos.”

“So nothing too out of the ordinary?” I asked around a mouthful of oatmeal.

“You forget we’ve attempted to control the chaos of this realm long before you fell into our laps,” Rivan said, plucking a protruding walnut from my breakfast.

I scowled at him. His violet eyes twinkled as he took his time chewing.

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