I ducked behind the dune bank, just as Arkon dove on top of me to shield me with his wings. I squeezed my eyes shut; the flashbacks hit me hard, threatening to paralyze me in fear and rage. Somehow, I managed to push them away. Now wasn't the time to be terrified of the fire engulfing the clearing. Now was the time to fight.
Or at least I tried.
I leapt out of Arkon's embrace and stood over the sandy crest, ready to attack whatever came my way--but the thieves ran past me and Arkon with their tails between their legs. I couldn't blame them. While the fire had been contained in two blasts that didn't land anywhere near my makeshift tent, fire was still hot and burnt flesh to a crisp, even if you lived in the desert.
Keeping a wary eye on the dragon and its rider, daggers in hands, I slinked down the slope and stood before them.
And then I saw the lightstone shining bright on the dragon's back. It was Annalyse and Aster!
Dropping all my weapons, I ran to give her a fierce hug. Only, she shoved me to the ground with a snarl.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she screamed, towering over me. "You don't just run away in the middle of a war! You could have been shot down!" She kicked the sand in front of me; I had to spit some out. "Do you have any idea what I had to do to convince everyone not to drop everything and get you back?" She paced angrily, hands on her hips. I'd never been so scared of her; it felt like her mother was telling me off. In her travels, her hair had fallen out of her braid and sprang free, as wild as her rage; the lightstone was so bright, the locks could have been mistaken as fresh blood rippling past her shoulders.
Arkon came to our side, watching as Annalyse continued to berate me. Why he didn't take it upon himself to back me up was beyond me. We were supposed to be a team--thus stopping people from yelling at me.
"Look-" I tried to butt in, but she just kept going on and on about how selfish and childish I was. It was getting to the point where every word she said felt like a knife to my gut. Eventually, I couldn't take it any longer and burst into tears.
"I'm sorry!" I cried. I was truly sorry. I'd had days to think about her betrayal and my anger, but now that she was here, all I could think about was how much I'd missed my friend, my home. My bed. Even trees.
Annalyse stopped pacing, while still panting and glaring at me. Her lightstone lit up our camp--and illuminated the absolute menace in her eyes. "Get up!"
Wishing nothing but to repair the damage I'd done, I jumped to my feet, ready for more berating. Whatever it takes to make things right.
However, instead of more shouting, she pulled me into a furious hug, squeezing me so tight I could barely breathe. But it was okay. It felt really good to be hugged, even if it might kill me. She stepped away, holding my shoulders, tears in her eyes. "You scared a lot of people, you know. Jacob, Leo, me. . . and Grayson."
I scowled at his name. I'd been trying to forget about him and just focus on my mission. There were too many emotions for me to process.
"I'm sorry," I repeated, quietly. "I. . . How would you feel if everyone you knew was lying to you about the man whose brother murdered your entire village?"
Her gaze softened. A bit. "But he didn't do it, Eva. None of it is his fault. He's still the Grayson we know and work with."
"I just wish I knew before I. . . ." It was suddenly hard to swallow. "I kissed him." I think that was why it hurt more than anything else. I'd really liked him, more than I thought I could like anyone. My world crumbled around me when I discovered he wasn't who I thought he was. Of course I knew what happened wasn't his fault, and he'd told me himself he left his family because he didn't agree with the way they did things. But whenever I thought of him, now all I saw was his brother's face. That monster would haunt me forever in my dreams, and now he would follow me everywhere, whenever I saw or thought of Grayson. It was agony.
She stared, mouth agape. After a moment, she shut it and cleared her throat to cover up her surprise. "I didn't realise you guys were that close," she finally replied, coolly.
"We're not. I mean, we are, but I don't know if he. . . it's complicated." What an understatement.
"I see." Her attitude changed entirely, to one of understanding. "In that case you're allowed to be a little mad at him. Now, I'm exhausted, is this where you've been staying?" She stretched her arms over her head, gazing at the tent I'd made.
"As of tonight, yes."
Aster lit us a fire. We sat around it and I filled her in on everything that had happened. Afterward, she went into great detail on what happened after I stormed out of the castle like a stroppy child. Her words, not mine.
°•° °•°
Annalyse tried to run after Eva, but Leo grabbed her arm, telling her to let her go. Furious, she whirled on him. It didn't matter who he was, he'd hurt her friend and if anything happened to her because of him, he'd pay for it.
"What the hell did you tell her?" It was a vicious growl, designed to induce fear into anyone unfortunate enough to face it.
"The truth," he snapped, yanking his hand to his side. His eyes were cold as he gazed at her, not allowing her to scare him as much as she wanted to. It made him all the more attractive, living up to his reputation as the unfazeable Prince Leonidas. "Why didn't you tell her? She deserves to know the truth!"
"In case you forgot," she gritted, "his brother is the one who murdered her family! You'd think she'd let that go? She won't be able to see past that."
"Were you ever going to tell her?" It sounded more accusatory than a question.
"Of course. When the timing was right."
He rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in his exasperation. "Oh, so never? You seriously thought it'd be easier to tell her the longer you waited? I did you all a favour."
She seethed. He had no right to interfere. Eva was her responsibility, not his. "What kind of favour is it if she gets hurt? Or worse--captured by Sylus!" Frustrated beyond measure, she pressed her palm into her forehead and forced herself to calm down. Nothing productive came from her yelling at him. "Jacob is going to kill me."
The prince had the audacity to touch her shoulder. She slapped his hand away.
"Everything will be all right, Anna. I'll form a search party and I'll bring her home."
She just looked at him. "Search party? You're going to look for her?"
"Of course I am, Anna. How. . . how was I supposed to know she'd run off like that?" He was suddenly very small and quiet. "I didn't realise how much it'd hurt her. I want to make things right."
Over her dead body.
"You're not going anywhere, Your Highness. If the enemy-"
"I can take care of myself just fine," he snapped, once again rearing for a fight. "It's been a while since I've left the city; it'll be fun."
She put a hand up to him. "Fun? You're definitely not going anywhere. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to tell my fellow Dragon Knights what happened. Stay here." She didn't bother to wait to see his response--she had better things to do--and began her search through the castle. Last she saw them, they were heading to the boardroom to discuss a protection detail for the castle.
Annalyse found Jacob and Grayson outside the boardroom, having just finished their meeting with King Renkon. Jacob smiled at her, which sent her heart aflutter.
Despite how tired he looked from the overnight flight, his fluffy blonde hair seemed brighter in the lighting, making him appear even more handsome--and she didn't think that was possible.
She hadn't realised Prince Leonidas was following her--which surprised her since she'd had extensive training to keep her alert and aware of being followed--until Jacob scowled at him.
"What are you doing with Anna? Where's Eva?" He peered around them, hoping to see her. He loved his little sister so much, it was adorable. It made Annalyse wish she had a sibling to look out for, to have her back when things got tough.
Prince Leonidas glared at Grayson. "I told her who he was. She wants no part of him." He almost sounded smug about it.
Oh, yeah. Sure. He told her so she'd know the truth. Totally not because he knew she would stay away from Grayson after finding out who his family was.
Annalyse had seen Grayson wear many expressions over the years she'd come to know him; she'd never seen him with this look. At first it was horror and terror then it quickly turned dismayed, the confident look in his eyes vanished, rendering him haggard and ill-looking.
And then it turned into full blown fury. He grabbed Leo's shirt and thrust him against the wall. Feeling no need to rush Grayson away from the prince, she watched as his face went red with rage. "Why did you tell her? Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Leo knocked his hands aside then pushed him away; he matched him glare for glare, unthreatened by his presence. "I did her a service. She deserves to know the monster you are."
"That's not me!" he shouted, hands balled up at his sides. "My brother did those things to her, not me. I would never-"
"But you did! You followed your father's orders until the day you ran away. You committed as many atrocities as your brother."
Grayson looked like he was going to punch Leo, but, to Annalyse's great disappointment, Jacob held him back.
"What were you thinking, Leo? You should have let me tell her." He turned to Anna. "Where is she? I'll talk to her, smooth things over."
She was hoping she could somehow avoid this part.
She dropped her gaze and released the breath she'd been holding. "She's gone."
"Gone?" Grayson snapped, stepping for her. She was immediately the next target for his rage. "What do you mean 'gone?' Where the fuck is she, Anna?"
She stood taller, holding his gaze. Like hell she was going to let him intimidate her. She was Annalyse Hargin, no one scared her. Not even the Slayer of Souls.
Though, truth be told, she'd hadn't seen him like this since she'd recruited him three years ago, and back then the dangerous aura encasing him would have frightened her, but she knew he was a changed man now. As pissed off and ready to murder someone as he was, he wouldn't bring harm to anyone here. . . not serious harm, anyway. She was surprised Eva knowing his secret would be what brought out that inner monster; it was almost like he was afraid she'd never want to see him again.
Suddenly, she felt only sympathy for him. He'd worked so hard to be someone else, to be known as Grayson Smith, not Deximus Fortys, and Leo had blown that up in his face.
"Arkon told Aster he was taking Eva to the Desert Lands," she told them.
With a curt nod in thanks, Grayson brushed past her in the direction of the dragons. She caught his arm and yanked him back. "Don't even think about it, Gray. No offence, but you're the last person she wants to see right now."
"Anna's right," Leo agreed, straightening the collar of his shirt stiffly. "I'll go after her and sort things out-"
"Fat chance," Jacob snapped. "You've done enough damage. I'll go. If anyone can talk Eva out of something idiotic its me."
"The brother who lied to her?" Annalyse sassed, feeling guilty for putting the pout on his face. She much prefered to be on his side, but tonight she couldn't be. They'd all hurt her friend. Betrayed her. Eva wasn't going to listen to Grayson or Jacob, but maybe after a few days, she'd listen to her.
"None of you are getting her," she went on, making eye contact with all three men, who still very clearly thought they had every right to go after Eva. "I'm going. Alone. She's pissed at all of us, not just Dex. I'm giving her a day's head start to cool down then I'll track her. With any luck, she'll find her teacher and we'll be there for a couple months and this will all blow over."
"Months?" Jacob was heartbroken, understandably so; he didn't get his chance to say goodbye to Eva. Annalyse will be more than happy to make sure Eva felt awful about hurting her brother.
Grayson, calm now, put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "She'll be okay, Jacob. I just hope. . ." He stopped himself then glared at Leo again. "When she gets back, if I see you anywhere near her, I'll break your legs."
Leo gave him a drawl look, unaffected by his threat. "You forget that I am her royal liaison. We'll be working very closely together, especially when she gets back. We're going to need her help to win the war."
Fully aware the prince was out to grind Grayson's gears, Jacob turned his partner away before he did something that would get him kicked out of Aboria. "Are you sure you'll be all right, Anna?" he asked her.
She nodded, warmed that, even though his sister was currently missing, he was still asking after her and that he trusted her to bring Eva home to him when the time was right.
He smiled gratefully at her then pushed Grayson down the hall, who was getting more amped to commit treason by the second. "Come on, Gray, there's nothing we can do about him. Let's just focus on preparing for our mission."
They left Annalyse alone in the hallway with Leo, who seemed disappointed Jacob had disbanded the brewing fight. She, however, was thankful; the last thing they needed was more trouble.
°•° °•°
I sat by the fire, knees close to my chest, chin on top. The warmth of the fire cocooned me in a comforting embrace that set off a pang of nostalgia and homesickness. My dad used to make big bonfires at this time of year in the backyard and Erika used to dance around the pretty flames. Sometimes she managed to convince Jacob and I to dance with her. For years I had yearned for more, to do more with my life, but now I'd give anything to just go back in time and dance with Erika around the fire.
Seeming to sense my mood turn south, Anna caught my gaze from across the fire. "So, you and Gray, huh?"
Moaning, I buried my head in my arms. Thinking about my family seemed like a better alternative than thinking about Grayson right now. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Come on, girl!" Anna begged. She jumped to her feet and dropped down beside me, batting her sweet, innocent eyelashes at me. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to find someone to talk about boys with? The other women on the base don't like to gossip and then men. . . well, they're men."
Rolling my eyes, I unwound from my cocoon, laying my legs flat before me and supporting my weight with my hands buried in the sand behind me. "Anna. . . I can't talk about him right now. I. . . I don't even know how I feel about him anymore. I had a dream last night-"
"Go on," she pressed eagerly. She gripped my arm in a silent threat to keeping going or my arm would pay the price.
I swallowed. There was no fighting her now. "In my dream, we kissed, but when I pulled away, it wasn't Grayson. It was Darius."
She was silent for a long while, so long I was beginning to think giving in to her madness was a bad idea, but then she spoke, "I think you're right. It sounds like you need time to digest the news." She was surprisingly supportive; the knot in my chest loosened.
I nodded, glad she finally saw it my way. "What about you?" I asked. "Are there any boys you want to talk about?" I had a sense I knew which boy, but I wanted her to tell me on her own time.
Her face went redder than her hair; she moved away from me, folding her arms across her chest. "Me? No."
Aster snorted a plume of smoke in response, a teasing glimmer in her green eyes. "Oh, really? That's news to me."
Annalyse went even more red then gave up, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Okay, well, maybe there's one, but I don't know if he feels the same. He's been distant lately. I get a lot has happened these past few months, but he always managed to put some time aside for me before. It made me feel special. Now he never has any time for me. Maybe he's found someone else." She laid back and stared up at the stars with a frown.
I laid down beside her. Jacob had taught me all the constellations back home, showed me how to use them to find my way home if I ever got lost. I couldn't even begin to pick out the constellations here. The sky was so foreign. It only reminded me how far away from home I was, how different my life was now. Both of our lives.
"Maybe he just needs time," I offered her, hoping I was doing right by them. "You're right, a lot has happened these past few months. Maybe he's not ready for more change." I looked at her. "Don't lose faith. He'll come back around. He'd be an idiot if he didn't see what he had with you."
She shook her head at me, a playful smile lighting up her features. "I'm the mentor; I thought I was supposed to be giving you words of advice and encouragement."
"We're friends. Its what we're supposed to do. . . Right? I never really had any friends. I spent most of my days hunting. Not that the women my age in Brar and I ever really got along."
She flipped to her side, facing me. Her gray eyes were as bright as the stars above us. "I never really had any friends, either."
I could only imagine how difficult it would be to have a normal childhood filled with friends and adventures when your mother was Keira Hargin.
"I could get used to having a friend."
"Me too."