Flames

Chapter Thirteen

Much to Cedric's surprise, Amber kept her promise.

While he had held out hope that she would come back, most of him doubted he would ever see her again. He was from Phaepyr, a land that brought death and destruction in its wake. Why would anyone ever want to return to someone from there?

As he sat upon his horse in the shadows of the night, Cedric found his eyes focused upon his hands that rested upon the horse's mane. It had been a complete week since he had last seen her and his mind was growing desperate to see her again. Something about her struck him in a way that had never happened to him before. Each night, he was tortured by her gentle laughter and that question that could have changed everything.

"Cedric, do you want out of Phaepyr?" She had asked him all those nights ago.

Honestly, he wasn't sure. Phaepyr was all he had ever known. That was his life. The thought of leaving and making a different life for himself had never come up before, but with Amber living in Adessa and the potential of a new life that wasn't filled with death, anger, and hatred taunted him.

Could he really live in Adessa? As soon as he asked himself the question, he was able to answer it. No, it wouldn't work even if he tried. The only way to be accepted into Adessa was to have a blank slate, and he was anything but that. A person on either side could permanently move to Adessa so long as they had no interest in fighting in the war between Luxtene and Phaepyr. They would need to stay out of it for a full year before they would have the consideration of citizenship.

If Cedric wanted to live in Adessa, he would need to step away from his role as general and leave the war altogether, which was something Roman would notice and disapprove of. Roman would kill him within days, if not hours, let alone let him be for a full year.

"Cedric?"

Her voice pulled him free of his dark thoughts as his mind had begun to wander into the crimes of the war he had committed. While his eyes, wide as they were, jerked up to catch even a glimpse of her, his breath escaped him.

She rode on her horse, slowing from the gallop into a trot until they stopped beside Cedric and his horse. "I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter." He assured as a natural smile rose to his features, exposing smile lines that hadn't been seen in years. "I'm surprised to see that you didn't bring guards with you." Cedric teased, finding her presence far more comforting than the knowledge of being forgotten.

Amber removed the hood of her cloak off from her head, "I am neutral, remember?" She winked. She dismounted her horse, tying the reins to a branch of a nearby tree. "I don't think I could turn in the man who saved my life."

He copied her, tying his horse up directly beside hers. "It would hardly be fair." Cedric agreed, ignoring the feeling of dread that began rising in him. If he were discovered, execution would be close to follow. Despite barely knowing her, Amber felt worth the risk of death. She was as beautiful as ever; hair tied neatly into a braid that started at the top of her head.

"I must admit," He began as they sat beside each other at the base of the tree. Cedric pulled his knees up to rest his wrists upon, intertwining his fingers together. He allowed his gaze to travel between the woods' darkness and the twinkle of her eyes beneath the stars. "I don't know why I asked you here." His thumbs began to tap each other at an even pace. "I could be killed if I was found."

"Sometimes, life needs uncertainty." Amber shrugged, holding the bottom of her cloak in her hands. She carefully began rubbing off the dirt that had attached to the bottom. "If I might make a confession of my own, I didn't know if I was coming tonight."