Chapter 16
Aurora
We returned to my room after Camryn’s bath, and after a good night’s sleep, Vespera is in my room at dawn the following morning.
Camryn groans and rolls over at the sight of the silent sprite.
Meanwhile, I can’t ignore the eager energy that buzzes through me at the prospect of meeting other humans—travelers who have come through the veil.
After dressing in practical clothes for the cool weather and forcing down a modest breakfast, Camryn and I are escorted outside to the stables, where we find Arc atop a white stallion. Beside him are two beautiful mares.
Camryn’s eyes gleam as she approaches the darker one and runs her hand along the horse’s neck. A faint smile appears on her lips before she casts her gaze to Arc. “Travel by horse. How human of you.” She smirks at him.
He grins down at her atop his stallion. “I figured you’d be more comfortable with this than riding on the back of my dragon or in Caelum’s arms.”
Her brow furrows. “Wait, you have a dragon?”
Arc chuckles. “I am the dragon.”
Camryn’s cheeks flush and she turns away from him. “Ugh,” she scoffs.
I stifle a laugh, but I wonder what Arc looks like in dragon form. The intrusive thought of Isolde in her dragon form makes me shudder.
After we settle onto our horses, we start over the hill to the valley below. Arc leads the way, with Camryn and I trailing behind. In the distance, I see a figure atop a horse at the peak of the hill. Even from a distance, I spy large red wings behind his back and know immediately who it is—Caelum.
We approach him and his wide grin blinds me nearly as much as the sun. For all his apparent brute strength, he is gloriously beautiful. Cruelly so.
“Fire Fingers,” Caelum says to me in greeting. His eyes flash to Camryn coming to a stop beside me. “Camryn, always a sight for sore eyes.”
Camryn turns her head from him, adjusting in her saddle.
Caelum’s smile fades as his gaze shifts back to me. “I’m happy you’re here. I know Camryn missed you.”
My heart flutters and I give him a weak smile.
Camryn’s eyes narrow on Caelum. “You know nothing about me.”
Caelum’s throat bobs as he regards my friend.
Arc clears his throat. “Caelum is escorting us to the village, as he spends the most time among them.”
Camryn crosses her arms over her chest. “Oh, so you’re like the prison warden, then? It explains why I hardly ever see you.”
Caelum’s face turns blank. “I make sure the travelers are cared for. But it’s nice to know you miss me when I’m not around.” He offers her a faint smile.
“Right,” she replies with the roll of her eyes.
“That’s enough,” Arc barks in Camryn’s direction. “It’s best we be on our way if we hope to reach the village before dark.” His icy glare prickles my skin.
“Fine,” Camryn relents. “But I don’t understand why we are riding horseback through the cold when one of you has wings and the other can probably zap us there in the blink of an eye.”
Caelum’s flirtatious disposition slides back into place. “Listen, sweetheart, you are welcome into my arms at any time. All you have to do is ask,” Caelum grins at her while his red wings spread wide behind his back.
“Spare me,” she says.
“I had you ride because I assumed you both would enjoy a change of scenery and fresh air. If you would rather have us shadow step and be sick for the rest of the day, I’m happy to oblige.” Arc casts her a serious glare.
Camryn remains silent.
“I am looking forward to seeing this side of Silverveil,” I reply, breaking the tense silence.
Arc’s eyes linger on Camryn before he nudges his horse forward, moving to the front of the pack. I spur my horse to follow. Camryn and Caelum fall behind me, and we wind our way down a trail to the valley below the mountain palace.
I don’t mind the silence that trails Arc. The scenery is breathtaking, and the weather is mild for the season, making for a comfortable ride. Every so often, I catch chatter from Caelum and Camryn behind me, and it fills my heart to hear my friend’s voice again.
So much has happened since we were separated in the woods, and I thought I would never see her again. If I am to be trapped in an alternate world on the brink of war, then I am happy to have her beside me.
During our journey, my mind drifts to Soren, and I wonder how he is doing, and if he’s made it to Windflower yet.
I’m sure he’s climbing the walls or circling the cabin on Ash, desperate to make a move.
I want to pull out the communication mirror but don’t want the others eavesdropping on our conversation.
It will have to wait until I can find some privacy.
Uneasiness settles deep within my bones as we navigate around thick marshland.
Arc is quiet as we pass through the landscape.
I stiffen when a shiver of magic passes over me, understanding Arc lowered a shield around the group.
I shudder to think what could reside here that would cause him to worry.
It’s afternoon and my stomach grumbles as we head into a fiery canyon filled with jagged spires and rock painted in varying bands of color by the hands of time.
The group settles by a slow-moving turquoise stream and we pull out our lunch rations.
Dismounting my horse, I stride to the edge of the water, stretching my legs and regaining feeling in my backside.
Camryn joins me by the stream.
“You know, this would almost be fun if we weren’t joined by the worst person in the world,” she says as she gazes at the milky water.
“Which world?” I ask, turning to grin at her.
She shakes her head, her dark hair falling in front of her face. “All of them.”
Camryn and I settle atop a large boulder near the water, content to have each other’s company, while Arc sits a fair distance away. Just as I am craning my neck to see where Caelum wandered off to, he appears in my sightline with his trademark grin.
“Ladies, mind if I join you?” He holds food in both hands, his muscular body shifting.
“Yes, we do mind,” Camryn sneers.
Caelum ignores her and climbs atop the boulder, settling between us as his feathered wings brush across my cheek. The sensation sends goosebumps flooding down my arm, and I hold back a sneeze.
Camryn begrudgingly shifts to make room for the large male and snatches a chunk of bread from Caelum’s hands, doing her best to ignore him. He isn’t easily ignorable.
I gaze up at the canyon. “I never imagined such a beautiful place would exist in the Northern Shadows. I was made to believe it’s a dark and dreary place,” I say.
Caelum swallows his bite of food and follows my gaze up the canyon wall. “People are led to believe a lot of things. But I’m glad this is one of the best-kept secrets.”
I nod. “It really is spectacular.”
His eyes scan the rusty canyon. “I grew up not far from here. It’s always been home for me.” He grins at me, but there’s something deeper in his golden eyes.
I look at the striking male, surprised by his unprompted openness. “You must really love it here, then.” I smile at him.
He looks into my eyes. “I do.”
For a brief moment, my heart flutters, imagining I am looking into Soren’s warm eyes. I miss him.
His jaw clenches and his gaze shifts to Arc. “Arc hasn’t been this far north to Ni'haan in a long time.”
My brow furrows. “Ni'haan?”
He nods once. “The traveler village.” His eyes flash to mine. “I don’t know what he has planned, but if I’m being honest with you, I’ve grown protective of the travelers there. I don’t like the idea of them getting involved with whatever this is, so hopefully you know what you’re doing.”
I stare at him, seeing him in a new light. I don’t know how to answer him because I absolutely don’t know what I’m doing. My eyes flicker to Camryn behind him. “What was she like when you found her?”
His gaze drops, but the corner of his mouth pulls up into a smirk. “Feisty. Stubborn.”
I let loose a single laugh. “Sounds about right.”
Caelum’s grin slips. “But it took a while for that to come out, and I could see the fear in her eyes. I could feel it as I flew her to the Shadows. I didn’t want her to be scared. I wish I could have flown her here. Somewhere warm and beautiful. Not dark and oppressive like the palace.”
I glare at him. “But you didn’t. You took her to him.”
His eyes meet mine, and his throat bobs. “I know.”
His lingering gaze gives me chills.
I want to probe further. Figure out what lies beneath that flirtatious exterior, but Camryn interrupts, not having heard our conversation. “Are you two besties planning a sleepover?” she sneers.
Caelum’s lighthearted persona slides up like a mask, and he turns to her. “You two beautiful women are welcome at my place any time. But I must warn you, clothing is strictly forbidden inside.”
I smile faintly, questions lingering on my face.
“You’re a pig,” Camryn scoffs.
He laughs before sliding off the boulder and striding toward the water.
“Good riddance,” Camryn mutters under her breath.
It’s clear she holds high disdain for the males with us, and I want to hate them, too. But there is something about Caelum that makes it difficult for me not to like him, despite him being the one who ferried me away from Soren and delivered my best friend to her imprisonment.
I want to trust him, and I get the sense that he doesn’t exactly love what he does for Arc. I know I should keep my guard up, but it’s exhausting feeling like there is no one I can trust. There’s something more to Caelum and I promise myself I’ll uncover it.
My mind churns, and I rub my temples. As much as I love Camryn, I can’t help but feel she is making this situation more unpleasant than it needs to be. She isn’t the same lively, optimistic woman I knew and loved back home. She’s changed.
I brush my hands along my leggings and pull my knees to my chest. “How are you doing?” I lay my head atop my arms that are wrapped around my legs and look at her, waiting for her response.
She takes a moment to finish chewing and sip some water. When she looks my way, her eyes don’t fully meet my gaze. “I’m fine. I’m just annoyed we’re being ordered around like prisoners. But I guess that’s what we are.” She shrugs her shoulders.
I inhale and keep my gaze on her. “But how are you, really? We’ve both been through a lot, and I don’t think we can just keep sweeping it under the rug.”
I follow her gaze to the water. Caelum stands in the stream, the water trickling around his ankles. Camryn squints and then drops her gaze to the rock on which we sit.
“Honestly? For a long time, I thought I was dead. That my mind was trapped in some kind of purgatory. And then, when I was convinced I was alive, I thought I had lost my mind. And I was alone. You were gone, and I worried about you by yourself in the woods. I know you don’t like the dark, and all I kept thinking was how I hoped your lamp held out until morning, and you could find your way back home. ”
Camryn’s voice falls to barely above a whisper. “When they finally told me what happened and where I was, I got depressed, realizing I would never see home again. Never see you. Or my family. I was ripped away from everyone I’ve ever loved, and it felt like such a cruel twist of fate.”
My eyes well with tears.
“I stopped eating for a while. I didn’t have any reason to keep going. Caelum tried to get me to eat—to speak.” She nods toward Caelum. “He visited me most days, making sure I was comfortable. Annoying. But I also don’t know if I would have survived without him.”
I pull my gaze from my friend to eye the winged male in the water. His back stiffens and I imagine he senses our attention or hears our thoughts.
“Despite holding me against my will, they have been kind to me. Which fucks with my mind. How can I be okay with people who kidnap others?”
Her dark eyes meet mine and behind them I see so much pain and hurt being released that it breaks my heart.
“It was rough in the beginning. But then one day, I woke up and thought ‘I’ll be damned if I waste away in some shithole.’ So, I started eating and talking. I was just so lonely.” Her eyes flicker back to Caelum, treading through the stream.
Camryn scoffs and shakes her head. “I think I just really needed my best friend, and you arrived at the right time.” She gives me a warm smile.
I exhale and throw my arms around her. “I'm so happy you’re here. I missed you so much.” I hold back the sobs that threaten to wreck me.
“Yeah, let’s not let the guys see us vulnerable. I have a reputation I need to uphold.”
I chuckle and pull away, wiping my tears behind her back. “We’re going to get away from here. It will get better. You’ll see.”
She grins. “Having a hunky sentinel probably helps.”
I roll my eyes. It’s true, and my heart skips a beat thinking about whatever he could be up to.