Page 59 of War Of Fire and Fortune
Iwalked through the rebellion’s reverie with Emeris strapped to my chest in a leather carrier Baron had made so it would be easier to do things around camp. I glanced down at her quietly sleeping, nuzzled against my chest, and the sight of her made my heart ache for what I was about to do. But I didn’t have a choice. If I wanted her to grow up in a world that was safe, I needed to be in Woodhaven when this war started.
And she couldn’t come with me.
I watched as Helena and Hink danced. They had come to the celebration and Hink planned to stay and fight, but Helena would be returning to Bells before the march. They had left their babe with a sitter tonight to enjoy the party together. I saw so much love and adoration in their eyes. I could practically feelthe mating bond thrumming between them, and I knew Emeris would be safe with Helena. Not only because she was part of the rebellion and knew how to handle herself with weapons, but because she’d already had five children of her own. Since her last baby had been born recently, I was sure she was still producing milk, so she would be able to feed Emeris until I could return. And if Baron and I didn’t, I knew in my heart Emeris would be taken care of. Tears pricked behind my eyes, but I shoved them away as I watched the song come to an end and Hink and Helena step off of the dance floor.
I was sure they felt my heavy gaze on them because a moment later, Helena noticed me and gave me a wide smile.
“Shay! How are you?” I returned the soft smile and nodded.
“Good, we’re good. I actually needed to speak to you about something.” Her brow crinkled with concern.
“Are you alright? Is something wrong with Emeris?”
“I promise everything is fine. It’s just a favor.” I said the words, then cringed a little. Asking them to watch Emeris while I took a day trip was a favor; this was a commitment. The thought made a rock of emotion clog in my throat. I swallowed hard, but it only made it worse. Because after so long wishing for a happy life with Baron, now that I had it, I didn’t want to let it go.
“Hey.” Helena wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “What is it, Shay? What’s wrong?”
I didn’t want to drag this out any longer, so I just spit it out.
“Before we leave for Woodhaven, will you take Emeris with you back to Bells? I know it’s a big ask, and I’m sure your hands are already full with your children back home, but I—”
Before I could say anything, she wrapped me in a full body hug, careful of Emeris strapped to my chest.
“I’d be honored,” she said and then looked at me with watery eyes that I was sure matched my own. “I’ll protect her with my life, just like she’s my own.” We gazed down at Emeristogether for a long, quiet moment, nothing but the lingering conversations and music as the backdrop, and then I was finally able to speak again.
“Will you be sure to tell her about the dragons? Teach her about them, about how she got her name?” My voice broke again, and Helena pulled me back into a hug, crying with me.
“Yes, Shay, I promise,” she vowed to me as we held each other. “But I know you’ll come back. You’re one of the strongest women I know.”
I stayed up most of the night just watching Emeris sleep, and when she began to stir, I sat up and let her latch onto my breast. Once she was done, I just held and watched her, running my finger across her brow and down her jaw as if I could commit her every feature to memory.
Before we’d retired, the rebellion soldiers from other outposts had arrived, and in the morning we would be heading to Woodhaven to prepare for war. This was my last night with my daughter until I returned.If I return,because there are no guarantees in war.
Baron’s hand ran over my shoulder, pushing my braids away from my face as he kissed me there. “Let me see her. You need to at least get a few hours of rest, love. We have a long trip ahead of us.” I hesitated a moment and then handed her to him. She stirred but quickly fell right back asleep against her father’s chest. He sat up in bed and cradled her, running a gentle finger across her head. I lay down on my side, watching him holding our daughter, a deep, soft hum coming from his chest that made tears prick behind my eyes. The sight alone almost made me change my mind. I wanted to stay here—no, I wanted to runaway with the two pieces of my heart and never look back. But I couldn’t, not if I wanted Emeris to be truly free in this world, to explore, to make her own choices, to justlivewithout running from anything.
I swallowed hard, clearing the emotion from my throat. Baron started running his fingers through my braids with his free hand.
“Sleep, love,” he urged, and with his soothing touch and the soft hum he sang to our daughter, I did.
The next morning was sullen as everyone packed the last of their things, and I knew it was time. Baron laid a hand on the small of my back as he looked down at me with glassy eyes. But I knew what we were doing was for the best. Our daughter would be safe and grow up in a big, loving family if the worst happened to us, and knowing that made me take another step forward with Baron’s steady presence at my side. Helena saw me then and gave me a kind smile with a wave of her hand. Baron and I made it over to her, and she gave us both a hug. That was when the emotions welled up in my throat again. Every one had been heightened since having Emeris. She pulled back and gave us both another moment to look at our daughter, but both of us had already spent most of the night staring at her, memorizing her features, the little noises and whimpers she would make. We both held her one last time, and then we handed her over. We helped Helena strap Emeris to her front, as her babe was already strapped to her back. And then Kade walked up to us.
“Are you ready?” he asked all of us. He understood the gravity of what we were doing, and I saw that written all over his face. Baron and I nodded, and then Helena was whisked away by his shadows to Bells, where they would be safe from what was coming. Baron crushed me against his chest, and I realized I was crying again. But then determination filled my chest.
I would return, no matter the costs, because I had a little girl waiting for me.
Chapter Forty-Three
Emelyn
We had been traveling for a few days, and now we were only a handful of hours away from Woodhaven. We stopped to take a break not only to get our barrings but Atreya sent a handful of soldiers ahead to scout, Ember may already be here. Since Kade had saved Rhet from Ember, they would have had enough time to travel over Draynua. From Iron Isle Harbor to Westwell, it was only a week of travel, and since we had waited to leave until the other outposts had gotten to the rebellion camp, it gave Ember a three-day head start, give or take. That was, if they’d prepared quickly and left shortly after Rhet had been saved, but there wasn’t a way for any of us to know that.
Atreya told everyone to get some rest before we made the final trek there, but I couldn’t sleep if I tried. I was too wound up, my nerves too jumbled.
“You need rest,mei wynsoara,” Kade whispered against my shoulder, as he could sense my unrest. We had both been leaving our minds completely open, leaving the bond between us gaping. I remembered a time I would have hated the intrusion, but now I didn’t know what I would do without it. It was the only thing keeping me grounded at this point, with all the uncertainty ahead of us.
“I can’t. I’m too distracted about what will happen once we get there,” I whispered, and his hands pulled me tighter into his chest. I felt his naked body and the hard length of his cock against my back. He wasn’t trying to be intimate with me, only supportive, but I immediately thought having my mate would be theperfect distraction.
I arched my back and pushed my backside into him, and he tried and failed to leash the growl rumbling from him. The feel of it made my skin pebble with anticipation. His hand snaked around my waist and between my legs, where he found me drenched for him with no panties, and he groaned.
