Page 83 of A Clash of Embers

She looked up at me with a look that said,Of course, dumb ass. I’ve been here for ten minutes trying to start this fire.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

I stepped towards the fire pit that she had created and held my hand over it imagining heat. Fire. Warmth. I felt the tingle of the power surge through my veins as I bent the fire around my fingertips and spread it over the wood, lighting it on fire.

I stepped back slightly and said, “Well. Looks like we’re all set here.”

“Wait. Would you sit with me for a little while?” She asked me kindly. I could see the look of worry in her eyes, and I didn’t mind staying with her for a few minutes.

“Of course, I can.”

We both sat down in the grass by the fire with our legs crossed, watching the embers dance across the logs.

“We were waiting for you, you know? Even before the curse.”

My eyebrows scrunched together, “What do you mean...before?”

She sighed, “Before the final blow between Athiana and Theo, your father called a special meeting with all of the vanquishers and royals of his alliance. He explained to us what would happen. That we would be faced with a curse. He was unsure of what exactly would happen but he knew that they would have a child. A daughter. He—”

She took a breath and sighed, “I’m sorry, is this too much?”

I smiled softly at her, “No. I like hearing about him. Please keep going.”

Kay nodded her head slightly and continued, “He said that he had a dream. Somethingotherworldly. That he would have a daughter, named Clara, and she would be our answer. Our savior.”

She moved her legs in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. “He made sure we understood the importance of your safety. You were our key. But Clara—” Kay shook her head looking down at her fingernails before glancing back at me. “You are so much more than a key to our future. I hope you realize that. Consul Loveridge is trying her best to keep you safe. She is trying to separate her duty and what she wants: friendship.”

She smiled at me, “And also Mia is being awfully quiet back there by her tent. I don’t know why her thoughts are about Lachlan, but it seems like maybe they haven’t gotten along. She’s annoyed.”

Just as she said this, Lachlan barged out of his tent toward us, at the firepit. As he approached us, he was mumbling under his breath something that I could possibly make out. Something like, “Privileged bitch thinks she can just kick me out of my own damn tent.”

I chuckled softly as he flopped to the ground and he took notice that Kay and I were staring at him.

“If you two could not look at me with those judgy eyes, that’d be great.”

“Who is being judgy around here? Can’t be Clara,” Callan said as he sat down next to Lachlan.

I grinned and looked down at the ground. I didn’t realize just how tired I was until I yawned.

“Oh man. I need to get some sleep. It was nice chatting with you, Kay.” I stood dusting off the dirt on my ass. “Also, Lachlan, be nice. Mia is terrified, so just relax.” I took a step away from the fire towards my tent and turned back just enough so Callan could hear me, “Also, I’m not the judgy one, Callan. I’m prettysure I heard you talking about how big my ass was earlier, but maybe I was just hearing things.”

Walking back to the tent, the sky was black with speckles of stars strewn throughout, and the fire was crackling with a few people staying awake to keep watch. I saw Luke standing outside of the tent and he was looking over at Lachlan and Callan sitting by the fire.

“Are you going to join the watch crew or are you going to sleep?” I asked him.

Luke beamed a smile at me and said, “I’m not quite sure yet. I’m not that tired.”

I giggled because for the first time in my existence, I didn’t know how to respond to Luke. “Well, I hope you have a good night.”

He smiled with a slight smirk as his eyes glazed over my body, something that he hasn’t done in a very long time, “You too, Clara.”

What the fuck was that?

When I pulled back the tent flaps, I saw Eros under the fur blanket bare-chested, and I immediately started to drool. The way his skin gleamed in the ambient lighting. The heartbeat in my chest grew rapidly the closer I got to him.

“Come here,” he whispered.

I crawled to him and his hands reached out and wrapped around my waist.

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