Page 77 of A Clash of Embers

Colette said, "Let's eat first and battle later."

Everyone immediately started to dig into their meals and I couldn't help but watch Eros eat his while he studied and watched my every move.

After our meal, I followed Colette down the hallway to my mother's office, and when she closed the door behind us, she stood only a few steps away. I saw her take a breath before she spoke.

"You now know the history. You know who I am and you know what we have had to do in this world to stop Athiana orIshtar. It hasn't been easy but we want to return to our worlds. Our worlds are dying because we aren't there to tend to them. Tetharus iscrumbling and we need you to help us. Lilibeth will know what needs to be done as well. She knows that she needs to come here, back to Darthium and you will be the one to bring her."

I sighed with frustration because I knew that I was finally not being kept in the dark, yet part of me wanted to slip back into the darkness—it was more peaceful not knowing.

"Clara." She stepped forward closer to me, I could practically smell the memories coming off of her, the sadness that reeked within her mind. "I lost a man in this world, one I will never get back. Garrick will only live in my memories now. He protected as many children as he could. He was able to get Phillip out, but the others he couldn't save. He was not mine to love, and maybe in a way, the Divine One punished me by taking him away. But I don't want you to make the same mistakes that I have made. My selfishness stood in the way of saving countless others." She reached out her hand pulling mine into hers. She looked at the ring on my finger and smiled pleasingly. "I believe in you and so does your father."

With that, she stepped out of the room and I smiled, a soft lingering thought of my father. I felt that he was proud of me, and it gave me hope. I hadn’t andwouldn’tdisappoint him.

We were loading up for our trip to Avellino with a few horses and our main people alongside us, ready to ride off into the unknown.

"Consul Loveridge, could you help me with this bag? I'm trying to strap it to the horse,” I asked.

She mumbled something under her breath and walked towards me. "Of course, your Highness. Anything for the great Clara of Bolzana."

I could practically hear the smirk across her face.

"You know if you were nicer to me, we could maybe be friends," I suggested to her with a smile, hoping that she would find me charming.

She grunted as she helped me hoist the bag over the horse and secured it before ripping my heart out. "I know that you aren't well acquainted with the traditions of this place, but you need to understand that not everyone is yourfriend. Me included. I will never be your friend because I am in charge of you. I am here to ensure your safety in this world and nothing less. Do I make myself clear?" she said through clenched teeth with a withering look in her eye. It was a look of a certain tiredness that was closed off from the rest of the world. Something that she was hiding from me and closing off from everyone else. I didn't know what it was, but I would find out eventually.

"Alright, darling, I think that's enough harassment for one day, don't you think?" Eros’s voice came up from behind me and I watched as Consul Loveridge reacted to him walking up. Cowering slightly at his size and power. She nodded her head at him and said, "Excuse me. I'll be on my way."

She quickly walked away, leaving Eros and me standing alone together. "So…" I said smiling.

"So… you need to get this cute ass on this horse before someone starts to fuss at theQueenagain. That isn't a good start to your royal career, you know." He reached his hands around my waist, hoisting me onto the horse, and ensuring that I was holding the reigns tight enough that I wouldn't fall. Just as I was settled, he jumped up behind me and secured his hands around my waist ensuring that I was safe in his grip.

In front of us was Kay on her white horse ready to lead us to wherever we needed to go. I looked around at the group we were with. Lachlan held steady as Mia clutched his waist tightly. Ensuring that she would not fall off. Her sweet face was so scared and unsure of what she was getting into but I knew Iwould protect her at all costs. There was something instinctive that made me want to keep her safe and I would do just that.

With the sound of a command, we went off toward Avellino to where my friends were. Where I would need to talk to them and ensure that they could be my allies, my circle of most trusted people. Questions fluttered through my mind like how would Leo react and would we tell him that he was Eros's brother?

"I will be the one to tell Leo. It needs to come from me," Eros whispered in my ear, and I nodded as I felt his strong body behind me keeping me safe within his arms.

I sighed against his body as I listened to the surrounding woods we were riding through. It was the same forest we had come through on the way to Luke's home. The place where I was able to see my friends again before I had made the decision to leave. What would they think about me doing that? Leaving them.

"You need to stop thinking about their feelings and think about your own, Clara. They let you leave that shack. They let you walk out and no one stopped you. Not even Luke. He knew what you were doing, and you can't be mad at him. The only one you can be mad at truly is Leo and even he isn't fully to blame." He kissed my temple quickly before continuing. "Stop thinking about everyone else and think about you. Think about what you need to do for your people and for us."

I nodded, looking around at our group. We were together. Our group was a bunch of misfits, people who didn't really belong in certain ways. We were different and that was what made us special.

After a few hours of traveling, we were finally approaching the line crossing into the Avellino region, and I was unsure of what was to come, especially this late at night. I wanted to believe we could be safe where we were but at the same time, I wouldn't have high expectations about it. Anything could happen.

"Okay, we will stop here at the line. We don't want to cross it yet because Athiana will know we are here and, honestly, she probably already knows. To keep us safe, we will spread out in the forest and wait it out till morning. No one crosses into her territory alone. Everyone understand?" Consul Loveridge announced to the group but her eyesight was directly lined with me. I squinted my eyes because of course she would imply that I would be the one to cause the problems. Not the other two Vampryes here.

I felt the slap on my thigh that pulled me from my intense stare at Consul Loveridge. That woman knew no bounds on how to irritate me.

"Time to find a spot, darling. Stop staring and let's go," he whispered.

I grunted an annoyed breath before I decided to follow his directions because if I stared anymore, I would be a borderline stalker. But maybe I was right to keep a close eye on her.

Chapter 38

"Would you stop breathing so heavily," I asked Eros as we lay next to each other under the large trees. The chill in the air was more permanent and my skin was reacting in a way that I wasn't used to. Everything was frustrating and irritating to me, like ice sticking to my skin.

"Damn. Tell me how you really feel, Clara Bear. Does me being alive bother you that much?" He sighed, turning his back to me. I put my arm out to shove him in a playful way and I heard him chuckle.

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