Page 40 of Fear the Flames
Ailliard’s eyes roam over Cayden, and his face contorts into a distasteful grimace. My anger sparks inside of me. Ailliard shouldn’t be looking at him like that; he doesn’t even know him. My body subconsciously gravitates toward Cayden, wanting to protect him from Ailliard.
“You two seem to be spending a lot of time together,” Ailliard observes.
I look to Finnian with pleading eyes to get Ailliard out of here. “We’ll talk later,” Finnian mouths to me. I nod.
“Yes. She’s like my own personal plague—very hard to get rid of.” Cayden’s tone is humorous, but one glance at him, and I can tell he’s riled.
“You’re such an ass,” I deadpan.
“You adore it.” Cayden drops his hand from my back and takes a step between Ailliard and me. He’s taller than Ailliard and stares him down like he wants to grind him into dust. His display of protectiveness ties my tongue.
“Elowen—” Ailliard flicks his eyes away from Cayden and tries again.
“Elowen is spending the morning with me,” Cayden cuts him off, drawing Ailliard’s glare in his direction again. “Do I make myself clear or would you prefer me to write it down so you can comprehend it?”
“Let’s go, Ailliard. We should prepare before the meeting,” Finnian says while hooking a finger in Ailliard’s collar and heading back to the castle. Ailliard complies with Finnian, even if his face looks pained, and I watch their backs until they round a corner.
“Did you find the man that spilled the drink on me last night?” I ask as Cayden turns to face me again.
“Yes. It didn’t take much to make him talk.” The comment brushes over me; I’m not one to judge. He unties the cloak around his neck and drapes it over my shoulders.
“So, he was in on it?” My toes curl in my boots while he fastens the tie around my neck; his scent encompasses me. I know he won’t take the cloak back, no matter how much I protest, so I accept it.
“The pair of them worked together, nobody else was in on the plot,” Cayden confirms. Well, I’m glad that’s taken care of. It’s one less thing for me to worry about. The bounty on my head is still there, but at least this assassination attempt is a closed case.
“You can go back to doing whatever you were doing.” I don’t want to interrupt his morning with my family drama. I drop his gaze, “I’m also sorry about—”
He cuts me off and tilts my chin up with his finger. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I was looking for you. I have somewhere I want to take you,” he says while pointing to the tree line next to us. I look around for the first time since we left the castle. At first glance, it just looks like a staircase that leads to a patio lined with columns and has a nice view of the forest.
“You were looking for me…to take me into the woods?” I skeptically ask.
“It’s what liesbeyondthe woods.” My eyes wander over his body. He’s wearing sleek black fighting gear with silver shoulder armor that buckles across his chest, accompanied by a broadsword on his back, two short swords at his waist, and throwing knives along his thighs.
“This feels a lot like the second time we met,” I muse while he grips my shoulders from behind and urges me forward. “Are we going to steal something?”
“Now you’re being an ass,” he jests while smirking down at me.
ChapterTwenty
At first glance, I never would have noticed the path, but maybe that’s the point. The further we venture into the forest, the denser the trees become and the louder the sound of clashing metal grows. My curiosity increases with every footstep, but there’s still no end in sight. Hardly any direct light reaches us, which should unnerve me, but it reminds me of the forest surrounding Aestilian. The shadows of the forest were always kind to me; they hid me when I needed a place to disappear. Darkness comforted me when light mocked me.
When I was in Imirath, the guards never came for me at night. They always came during the day, bringing pain in their left hand and suffering in their right. Counting the stars through the sliver between stones kept me sane and helped me keep track of my days. Anger still courses through me, keeping a firm grip on me, but being surrounded by trees momentarily calms me. There’s something inherently peaceful about nature. I don’t get many moments of peace, so I do my best to soak this one in.
“How much further are we from the mystery destination?” I ask.
“Tired already?” Cayden retorts.
“No, just curious.”
“I can carry you the rest of the way. I got my practice in last night. Climb up, angel,” he says while extending his arms in front of him. I roll my eyes and resist the urge to shove him into a tree trunk. Not because I’m above it. But he probably wouldn’t budge, and I don’t want to listen to him ramble on and on about his strength.
“That was a one-time thing, and there’s no glass on the ground out here.” I give him a pointed look, and he makes a noise as if to saywe’ll see. I’m just glad he doesn’t make a retort about how I went limp in his arms. I couldn’t help it. My pain fit in the palm of his hand, but rather than leaving me to deal with it on my own, he held it close to him until it melted and evaporated. I don’t understand how someone who is the personification of ice can manage that. He’s like one of the poison flowers I grow—the prettiest ones lure you in before they cut you down. Every brush of his rough hands against my bare back kept me present. It’s fine that it happened, but it can’t happen again. We’re political and militaristic allies, a strategic match. Nothing can stand in the way of that. People like us don’t have the privilege of acting on emotions, especially when I don’t even know how to label what I’m feeling.
We return to silence as we near the end of the path. I give my eyes a moment to adjust to the rush of blinding sunlight. Once my vision clears, I’m able to take in my surroundings. Vareveth having a strong army was always a fact; not just anyone could take on Imirath, but the sheer magnitude of the army is staggering. Ryder shouts orders while standing in front of a regiment of at least two hundred soldiers; all perfectly lined up and wearing identical armor, all in impeccable condition. It’s almost identical to what Cayden’s wearing, but Cayden’s is more detailed. It’s a black base with silver armor accents and a dark green cloak. The soldiers move in unison, flowing together like a stream.
“Is that your infantry?”
“A very small portion of it. They’re new recruits, so Ryder is laying down the basics,” Cayden answers.
