The Ocean's Heart (The Dragons of Flareia Book 2)

Chapter 24 - Corrian

           

The Umbrassi Crypts

26th Year of the Ocean

Last Day of the Fifth Moon

Corrian couldn't tell if the crypt was getting darker and darker each day, or if his power was fading – unable to survive without light from the outside world. Was it his imagination, or were the leaves of his trees beginning to yellow? Was that a smattering of fallen leaves through the grass? Were the violets drooping, the daffodils losing their petals? He sighed. They needed to get out of these crypts, once and for all.

His gaze fell onto Varille, who sat with her knees to her chest in Davri's arms. Maylif sat beside them, an arm around the young girl's shoulders. The other princesses huddled around them, but no one else tried to touch her. Venteer had nearly lost a second queen tonight. Corrian didn't know what he'd do if any more of the Venti princesses lives were taken by the aegrumbre. He couldn't fathom what it would do to Davri, should it happen again.

He couldn't just sit there, watching the future of Venteer crumble before his eyes. With a groan as he stretched out his limbs that had been still for too long, Corrian dragged himself from his seat on the floor and turned to leave. He had just crossed the tree line and into the darkness of the crypts beyond his evergreen when he sensed someone following him and spun around.

"You're leaving again," Aspen said, his toned arms folded across his chest. But his eyes were soft, concerned. The shadows hadn't taken him again, and Corrian gave a sigh of relief.

"Yes," he told the guard, "I'm going to find Ison, to make sure everything's in order for tomorrow. We're moving, whether Kylan got Davri's message or not."

Aspen took a step towards Corrian, a step further into the darkness that could consume him at any second. Corrian's heart thudded in his chest.

"Many things could go wrong tomorrow," Aspen observed, taking another step.

Corrian nodded.

Aspen scratched the back of his head, looking down. "Corrian, I... I don't want to die thinking that you hate me."

"No one's dying," Corrian snapped. "I'll make sure of that."

"But someone could," Aspen pointed out, his arm falling to his side. "And if it were me, I'd hate knowing that we spent this last moon ignoring each other."

Corrian's brows furrowed. "We weren't—"

But as far as Aspen could remember, they were. The guard couldn't remember any of the arguments, any of the snide remarks, any of the stolen kisses in the shadows, where Corrian could let himself give in. Corrian was the only one who knew. So he sighed.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked helplessly.

"Take me with you."

"What?"

"Let me come with you to see Ison Fehey," Aspen repeated. "It's just for one night – one night in a foreign country where no one knows who we are."

Corrian wanted more than anything to say yes, but his brain screamed for him to say no.

"At this point," Aspen went on, "what do we have to lose?"

Everything, Corrian thought. But a smile tugged at his lips – a real smile, for the first time in a very long time. "Nothing," he said.

* * *

The Barren, Umbrassé

26th Year of the Ocean