Page 14 of Fear the Flames
“Yes,” I say and turn my face just enough to see his eyes shimmer in surprise before surging forward to untie my horse. “I adore them.”
Cayden clears his throat behind me, and a smirk rises on my lips. “We should each take one thing. I’ll keep the amulet,” he states.
“Why are you voluntarily taking the death jewelry? The reaper rock? Oh!” I clap my hands together in front of me, “the assassination amulet!”
Cayden blinks slowly while holding the book tightly to his side. He reaches up to run his free hand over his face, but not before I see the corners of his mouth turn upward. When he drops his hand, his face is blank again.
Ha! He thinks I’m funny.
“I’m takingthe assassination amuletbecause I don’t want to scour the continent for you and find a pile of ashes,” he says, stepping forward to hand me the book. I don’t argue for him to change his mind and hand me the amulet. It gives me the creeps. I wouldn’t be a pile of ashes because Finnian would put me in a pretty box and place me on a bookshelf, surrounded by all my favorites. It would be like an altar with offerings. I tuck the book into my saddle bag and place my foot in the stirrup to swing myself up. “You truly won’t let me escort you home?”
“Careful, soldier. You’re beginning to sound like you’ll miss me.” I nudge my horse in the side, signaling him to start moving.
“Not likely,” Cayden calls out behind me. I don’t turn around, just raise my middle finger in the air high enough for him to see.
ChapterSeven
The sound of the crackling fire mixes with my feet pattering against the floor as I pace the living room. I peeked into Finnian’s room last night, eager to talk to him, but his snores had already infiltrated the space. He didn’t stir when I propped him on his side, bordering him with pillows just in case he drank too much. I didn’t feel right leaving him considering I didn’t know how much he drank, so I slept on his floor, and my back is paying the price.
I soaked in a hot bath an hour ago, but the mixture of floorboards and riding has given me the aches of an eighty-year-old. I’m so on edge I barely register getting dressed. Do I even match? I look down and take in my red tunic, brown waist corset, and brown leggings. It’s the standard outfit I wear when I know I won’t be leaving our borders. In the summer, I prefer dresses, but it’s too cold for them now.
“I see the pillow!” Finnian exclaims. My heart lodges in my throat when I hear his door crack open, and my hands immediately reach for the ends of my hair, twirling them between my fingers. “Darling, how many times have I told you, though I love you, you don’t have to sleep on my—” Finnian’s footsteps halt when he gets to the end of the hall. “What happened?” he asks, taking in my nervous state. I build up the courage to turn toward him, but his bright blue eyes fixate on the elixir and book I placed on the coffee table. “You went somewhere last night?”
I clasp my clammy hands in front of me, “Just let me explain.” He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even look at me, just walks across the room to sit on the soft leather couch. He places his elbows on his knees and props his chin on his fists while staring down at the items. “I met the Commander of Vareveth last night,” I continue. He covers his face with his hands, and my heart clenches in my chest. “I made a deal with him.”
His hands drop away from his face, and he finally looks at me, porcelain cheeks flushed more than usual and wide wild eyes. “Elowen, tell me you didn’t! Tell me this is a prank, and you spent the night in your room.”
He knows I can’t. The evidence of my nighttime endeavors is displayed in front of him.
“You and I both know Aestilian can’t stay hidden forever. We’re already several times larger than I ever imagined. I needed to find a solution for the food shortage, and Cayden offered one,” I desperately try to reason with him. I need to talk to Ailliard after this, and it’ll be much easier if I have Finnian on my side.
He wrinkles his button nose before leaning his head against the back of the couch, letting out a deep sigh, “Tell me everything. Starting from the moment you left here.”
The crease between his brows eases as I rattle off more details. I inform him of what transpired in the attic, meeting Cayden in the forest, participating in the war, the cult, the creepy amulet, the dragon book—though, I tell him that’s because we want to make sure the link doesn’t pass within my bloodline. I tell him everything other than the heist. I’ll tell him about it, but not right now. Though he’s much calmer, I worry that he’ll blow up if I fan the flames of his temper. No concrete plans about the dragons have been discussed. There’s no point in telling him about the heist when I have no information to offer when he inevitably asks questions.
I don’t keep things from Finnian; I just think there’s a time and place of when to reveal things, and now isn’t that time. If he directly asks me if I’m doing anything to get the dragons back, I won’t lie to him. But, as of right now, I just want to find the right time. It’s not easy adjusting to the world when you’ve hidden from it for so long, and I want to make the transition as easy as possible for him—if he chooses to come.
Finnian’s leg bounces up and down, pursing his pale pink lips while leaning forward. His expression is unreadable; he’s void of any hints about what’s going on in his head, “You deserve a life where you don’t have to constantly stick your neck out.”
“I’m not,” I murmur.
“You are,” he sighs.
“You don’t have to come to Vareveth. I promise I won’t be upset if you choose to stay here. I got myself into this deal, I know exactly what I agreed to.” I won’t force him, make him feel guilty, or look at him any differently if he chooses not to come. I’ll miss him terribly, but his happiness and safety mean more to me than any alliance ever could. “But I will really appreciate it if you support me when I break the news to Ailliard,” I add.
He looks at me as if I’ve grown three heads, “Of course, I’ll support you. You know that this outburst is reserved only for you. I don’t disapprove of the alliance. I actually think it’s a good move; I just wish you weren’t the person that Vareveth wants.”
I snicker, “It’s strange they want me, isn’t it?” After years of the world believing I either died or vaporized into thin air, one person changed that narrative.
“No, it would be strange if theydidn’twant you. But I think it’s less ofthemand more ofhim.” I open my mouth to shoot his statement down, but he holds his hand up, silencing me, “Why did you lie to me? I would have gone with you. You’ve told me you wanted an opportunity like this for years.” An opportunity to get revenge and an opportunity to benefit Aestilian.
“I didn’t know if Cayden would ambush me, and I didn’t want to drag you down with me. I wanted to know that you were safe if something happened to me,” I confess.
“Fucking gods, you make it so hard to be upset with you,” he whines.
“It’s my natural charm,” I wink at him.
He pauses, “You really held a knife to the Commander of Vareveth’s neck?” A smile teases at the corner of his lips as he rises from the couch and crosses the room to stand in front of me.
