Page 121 of Of Flames and Fallacies

“No.”

“Okay, well, you can still sit with us! Cole and Celeste have been waiting for you.”

He leads me to where the tables are, lined with almost everyone from the squad. I pick Cole out first. Next to him is Celeste, completely enveloped in the sight of him as she speaks. Her hand caresses his back as she leans in to whisper into his ear. His eyes are glued to me, completely distracted from Celeste. A new surge of nausea rolls over me, and I break our eye contact.

Celeste looks out across the crowd before settling on someone in the group. I follow her gaze to Darian.

Darian stares back at Celeste with lowered eyebrows and rolls his eyes, breaking their eye contact. His face is emotionless as he throws his head back to guzzle down whatever is left in his flask, and he disappears off toward his room. Sadness flickers in Celeste’s polished features as she watches him leave—a split second of longing and yearning. It vanishes so quickly, I almost wonder if I imagined it.

I stiffen as I recall the day I walked into his room. The letters and what little I saw scrawled on the bottom of each one.

‘Love, Celeste.’

I have to force my mouth closed.Does Cole know? And is that why Darian hates Cole so much?

Archie and I take a seat across from Cole and Celeste.

Celeste beams as we settle into our seats. “Kat! We were wondering where you were.”

I’m tempted to tell her only my friends call me Kat. “Ahh, yes. Sorry, I was practicing stitching with Marge.”

“Not a worry! Listen, I was just telling Cole how I would love to steal you for tomorrow.”

Cole whips his head in her direction, as if smacked out of his stupor. “If I may, Celeste, we desperately need Kat here at the outpost.”

He’s lying.

His fingers thrum against the wooden table, fidgeting with a noisy speed. I don’t provide much value to the outpost—as a soldier or a healer. He must feel awfully obligated to save me from any such one-on-one times with his betrothed.

Celeste waves a hand. “Nonsense! I’m sure Marge wouldn’t mind. Katerina deserves a break—I’ve heard she’s not only been apprenticing with Marge but also training with your squad? Besides, I would enjoy her company to Windmere.”

“Windmere? Why would we go there?” I arch an eyebrow. The thought of being separated from Daeja stealing my breath.

Celeste turns her radiant smile on me. “To go dress shopping, of course!”

“Dress shopping?What do I need a new dress for?”

Archie whines disappointedly. “Aww man, I want to go!”

“Sorry, ladies only!” Celeste laughs, sneaking a glance at Cole. “We are throwing a small dinner celebration for our betrothal.”

Gods, she’s so smitten. My mind jumps to them together: kissing, touching, tangled in the sheets. I have to stop myself before I vomit or blurt out the truth of our situation.

Instead, I fight for an excuse. “That’s alright. I have a dress here I can wear.”

“You can save that. I want to take you out for a new one! You don’t even have to worry about spending a dime. It’ll be my treat.” She places her hand over Cole’s, who subtly flinches at her touch.

“You know, I could always switch places with you. I would look incredible in a dress.” Archie waggles his eyebrows.

It drags a chuckle out of me.

“I’ll fetch you in the morning, and we will make our way there together,” Celeste announces, saying it in a way that cuts off any more of my refusals. She’s making this incredibly difficult to get out of.

I lock into her blue, doe eyes. “How are we supposed to walk to Windmere and back in a day?”

“No, we wouldn’t walk, silly girl!” Celeste laughs. “We’re going to take the carriage.”

My eyes round. Only the wealthy had carriages and horses. Horses were tasty meals for dragons, so if you owned one, it meant you had the means necessary to keep them guarded. I should have known by the elegant sweep of her dress, the rich colors adorning the layers. She looks so…out of place in this rugged, dusty, monotone place of a camp. Gems dripping from her earrings scatter prisms of light across the room every time she moves her head. Gold bands encircle her fingers, but no engagement ring—Cole’s mother’s ring is missing.

---