Untold

22. In The End

I remembered a loud tavern, a door banging open.

I remembered a simple but extravagant tent.

I remembered spinning through crowds in his arms.

I remembered anger.

Frustration.

Confusion.

I remembered finally coming home.

I remembered whispered promises in the dark.

Acceptance.

I remembered it all. The joy, the sorrow, the anger, the amazement. All of these emotions like blooms of colour.

But that was all in the past. Now, I had to drag myself to the present and experience things for the first time. Like now, I could feel a presence next to me. A familiar presence. Dark smoke and raw, husky laughs. Warm and comforting, it drew me towards it.

As I reached the surface, my senses slowly returned to me. I could feel the cool air against my bare skin and a warm hand clutching mine. My muscles ached. My wings dragged on the ground. Muffled, shaky sobs came from next to me. I lifted my head from my arms to try and find the source. My head throbbed with the movement. I opened my eyes blearily and saw Evaris perched on the edge of a stool next to the bed.

His face was stained with tear tracks. The clothes he had on were dishevelled. He looked up, his eyes locking with mine, the deep blue shimmering like lakes. I slipped my fingers in between his. "Ev? What's wrong?" My voice was hoarse from the screams that had torn from my throat when the healers pulled out the arrows.

He looked down at our entwined fingers. His thumb smoothed over mine, the callus on the pad rough. He clenched his jaw, hesitating to tell me what was on his mind. Our eyes met again. "It's over," he whispered. "The war's finished." I sat up abruptly and groaned at the aches that throbbed through my back. "What? Was I out for that long?" My brows furrowed together.
"No," he said as he looked down. "Dawn is in a few hours. But I-" he broke off and stood up abruptly. "You'll see. Try and get some rest," Evaris said sadly as he ran a hand through his hair. I watched him stand in one swift motion. His hands found their way to my face when he planted a kiss on my hair. He was still ignoring my questions. "Don't worry," he said before he swept from the tent.

I hated that he wasn't telling me and was making it sound like a surprise. It only made me worry more. I laid back down on my stomach, letting my wings trail on the ground. The end of my tail flicked in annoyance. If he didn't want to tell me, fine. I could find out myself.

The healers gave me alarmed looks when I strode out into the main area of the tent, where they were grinding up herbs and stoppering bottles. "Your Highness-" one of them started timidly.
"Where did Evaris go?" I interrupted.
"You're meant to be resting," another one cut in.
"There's no time to rest. Where did Ev go?"
"Probably to see Lord Nicodemus." I was taken aback.
"He's a lord now?"
"Officially, yes." Everyone knew how Evaris thought of him as a lord, but he was never really given the official title. Until now. "When did this happen?"
"A few minutes before he came to see you." I nodded in thanks. I was starting to get really worried now. Ev must think something's going to happen to himself if he named him a lord. The Demon Council won't be pleased when they find out.

I tore out of the tent, ignoring the healer's loud cries of protest. I rushed through the camp, where the majority of the soldiers were sleeping. The few that were still awake were sitting on crates by the dying embers of their fires. A few nodded as I passed while the rest were staring into their empty tankards. I glanced towards the east, where Arcana and Lasthbur's armies were still awake.