Chapter 48
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
SOFIA
Sofia fell asleep somewhere between their small clearing in the forest and the dragons’ nesting grounds.
She woke to a soft prod from Chalia before they landed.
She didn’t know what she expected after a few days away from them, but nothing and yet everything seemed to have changed.
The cave where she and the rebels had been sleeping was empty, and as they passed through the magical barrier that hid the dragons, she saw her people scattered about.
Some were talking amongst themselves next to fires, while others were sitting with the dragons, silent, but likely having conversations.
It seemed the tentative truce they’d built over the week had turned into something more.
Chalia landed near where Micael was running some rebels and even two of Clarita’s shapeshifters through drills. Aurelia was just up the slope having a conversation with two other dragons Sofia recognized as fellow leaders.
Chalia got her attention as Sofia pulled Micael aside, and between the two of them, explained what she and Fox had learned and the plan.
Her stomach was tight as she watched Aurelia react.
Ice formed at the corners of her mouth, nostrils flaring wide as Sofia explained Harlow was using the dragons’ own bones to control them.
“Evil. Vile. Disgusting.” The other dragons in the vicinity picked up on her anger and the words, the news spreading of what was being done, a ripple of horror and rage moving through the grounds until Sofia was sure every dragon knew. The air stilled, holding its breath for what would come next.
“We will destroy them all,” she said.
“I won’t stop you,” Sofia muttered. “But we need to get the bones away first.” Aurelia’s nostrils flared, and Sofia knew she was about to argue.
“We don’t want your own kind attacking you and you having to attack back.
It won’t be fair to fight your loved ones.
If we steal the bones away, we can strike without fear of having to hurt our own.
Then you can raze the entire camp to the ground. ”
She wondered if Fox would hate her for making the call. This wasn’t the time to hold back and try to save lives. They’d have plenty of battles ahead where they’d face that choice.
She explained their plan, looking to Micael when it involved their own people.
“We’re missing a few of our own now,” Micael said.
“I know Maya and Victor are with Quelia now.”
“Not just them,” he said. “Clarita and Jorge left two nights ago. They went to warn the other tribes, as many as they can, of what’s happening with the wolfshifters. The Dereyans working with them is an unprecedented bad sign.”
Sofia sneered. “Apparently he’s promised them all the land north of Suvi for their use if they win this war.”
Micael bared his teeth. “I’ll have to tell the few shapeshifters that stayed behind. I doubt Clarita realized what bargain had been struck between the groups.”
“Sofia!” She turned at the sound of Javi’s voice.
He was running down the mountain, boots sliding through the snow until he barreled into her, arms wrapping tight around her shoulders.
She hugged him back, happy at the familiar warmth of him, though it made her ache to not hear Flor flying down the mountain after him.
They’d been a trio for so long. She’d spent the last two weeks tucking the memory of Flor and leaving her behind in Suvi back into the darkest recesses of her mind.
“Where’s Fox?” Javi asked, looking around.
“You’d think you were actually worried about him,” she said with a smirk.
He rolled his eyes. “You weren’t attacked or anything?”
“No, he stayed behind to keep in contact with Ian and figure out the next steps of our plan.”
Micael looked between them and Aurelia. “I’m going to speak to Eloy and Kento. The shapeshifters should know what’s happening. We should meet at midday to plan.”
Sofia felt her body collapsing in on itself. “Can we make that evening meal? I haven’t slept since yesterday morning.”
Micael agreed, and Javi took her, volunteering to show her their new camp, a small cave system next to the peak that housed Quelia’s Womb.
Each cave was smaller, but there were seven of them all connected amongst themselves. Everyone had already claimed their spots, and Javi took her to his bedding area. He was alone in one of the caves.
“I saved room for you and Fox,” he said.
She gave a relieved huff, throwing down her furs and collapsing onto the bed. “You wanted to keep an eye on us.”
“Gods, no,” he said, lying down next to her on his own furs. “I already told Jacinta I’d run over to her cave if I needed to give you two privacy.”
Sofia stared up at the ceiling, feeling the exhaustion of the past two days sinking into her bones. Her entire body was melting into the floor, leaden.
“I don’t know why I want him,” she said after some time. Javi had always been good at that, sitting quietly and simply waiting for someone to open up and give in. She waved knives to get people to talk. He sat in silence.
“I don’t think that’s something I can answer for you. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you and the way you look at him.”
“He’s a fucking king’s man.”
Javi laughed and shook his head. “He’s not. Not anymore. I’m pretty sure that man would kill the chief commander for you if he thought you wanted that. He’d tear through the army to get to you. That’s not a king’s man.”
“He joined the army to avenge his brother.”
“His brother was killed in an attack?” Javi guessed.
“Yes, but—” she rolled over, facing him directly. “He was part of the resistance. He got caught in one of the bombs he helped set, and Fox didn’t even know.”
“Shit,” Javi said. “No wonder the man’s a mess.”
“We’re in the middle of a war,” she said. “I shouldn’t be thinking of him. I shouldn’t be worried about this.”
“Sof,” he said, reaching out to place a hand over hers.
“I don’t think you get a choice in that.
You’ve spent your life fighting. You’ve spent sun cycles putting everything aside for the resistance.
And you’ve lost so much in the process. Isn’t it time you found something?
It’s not about the right or wrong time. You deserve this. ”
Sofia grasped his hand, squeezing it. Guilt churned in her stomach.
She knew if she admitted the truth—that she didn’t see a future for herself after this war—that Javi would give her an entire speech about it.
He’d hate her for even thinking such a thing.
He’d tell her that of course she’d make it out alive.
“I love you, you know,” she said instead.
“Obviously.”
She smiled, allowing her eyes to close at last. She fell asleep with Javi’s hand still in hers, and she could almost pretend they were back at the base with Flor behind her and nothing changed. But just as she drifted away, she realized she was glad some things had changed.
Perhaps she couldn’t keep Fox forever. Perhaps they didn’t have a future. But maybe she still deserved the moments they had left.
After she woke up, she met the others and started to plan.
They’d lost another shapeshifter. Kento had indeed run out to tell Clarita and the others what they’d learned of Harlow’s so-called treaty and what he was offering the wolfshifters.
Sofia watched the jaguar dart over the slope, and she sent a prayer after him that he’d be safe.
It left them with fewer than a dozen ready to help, but they weren’t fighting a battle. They were planning a heist. And all of them had experience with spying and infiltrating places they didn’t belong. Sofia could only hope it would be enough.