Chapter 30
Camryn
Sunlight cracks through the dark velvet curtains that shield the balcony. I squint, ready to groan. Then I remember I’m living in a land of overcast and gloom. Sunlight is a rarity. A gift.
I throw back the bedcovers and cross to the curtains, tearing them open to gaze at a cloudless sky. Something about the sunshine reminds me of Aurora. I smile before I realize she never called me last night on the communication device she’d given me. That bitch.
I flop back onto the bed, flipping open the compact, and watch it pulse in my hand. It takes longer than the patience I have for her to answer. When she does, I am met by a sleepy voice and an equally tired face. “Camryn?” Aurora croaks.
“Who else would it be?” I snap. “Sorry. You didn’t call me last night like I thought you would.”
She runs a hand over her face, brushing away rogue strands of her wild golden waves. “I’m sorry. It was pretty late when we settled everyone in at Whispering Glen and then got to Windflower for the night. And then Soren and I ...” Her cheeks flush, and she bites her bottom lip.
I roll my eyes. “Fucked like animals. Of course you did.”
“Camryn!” Aurora squeals.
A large, weathered hand slips around the front of Aurora’s chest, gripping her tit. “She isn’t wrong,” Soren mumbles.
Aurora gasps and turns her head toward Soren, who lies behind her. “Soren!” She swats his tit-gripping hand.
I chuckle. Inside, I’m a little jealous of their closeness. How sweetly he holds her. I wish someone would hold me like that. “Everything went okay, then? Everyone made it?” I ask.
Aurora looks back at me. “Yes, everyone found a place in Whispering Glen to rest for the night. We are going to continue on to Eldersmoor later today.” She looks at me with her tranquil ocean eyes. “How are you? Everything going okay there?”
I swallow, remembering the interaction with Caelum last night. “Yeah, it’s fine. Arc disappeared somewhere, and I haven’t seen him since we arrived.” I don’t want to think about him. “It’s quiet without you.”
Aurora smiles. “I miss you.”
We chat for a few minutes before Soren’s hands start to wander again. The way Aurora’s cheeks flush with color, I have an idea her lover is pressed enticingly against her back. We say our goodbyes and I hang up to leave them to it.
I pull open the wardrobe to find an array of dresses I’ve ignored since arriving at the palace. They are all form fitting and flattering. And definitely not what I want to wear.
I push the dresses aside and grab a thick pair of fleece leggings and a heavy wool sweater that I drape over a light tunic. My feet slip into knee-high boots and I traipse out of my room and knock straight into Caelum, who stands just outside his door.
“Oof! What the hell?” I bite my lip as I crash into his hard chest that is clothed with thick, dark leather.
The male doesn’t even flinch. “If you wanted to kiss my chest, you could have just asked.”
I rub my bottom lip as I glower up at him to see his brilliant grin and sparkling eyes. I scoff and push his chest, which only forces me backward.
“You’re incorrigible,” I mumble as I maneuver around him.
His warm laughter fills the hallway and coaxes a smile from my lips. I’m glad he can’t see my face.
He trails down the stairs behind me, and there is a definite spring in my step when I saunter into the dining room to find Arc sitting quietly at the table, where I come to a screeching halt. He’s sipping tea when his eyes rise over the mug as me and his sentry lumber into the room.
I tip up my chin, and my heels click across the floor before I slide into my seat with a frown. “Good morning.”
He studies me before his gaze flickers to Caelum, who settles into the seat to my right. “Camryn. Caelum,” he says solemnly.
Caelum only nods, his mischievous nature exchanged with earnestness.
“What’s the plan for today?” I ask, looking at Arc while I take a bite of a flaky croissant.
Arc wipes his mouth and settles back against his chair. “You can train with Caelum today. I need to visit with the residents of the Shadows to tell them of the rebellion and collect names of those willing to volunteer for the cause.”
My eyebrows arch. “Do you think people will want to fight against your father? Weren’t they his people?”
He stares at his mug of tea as if it holds the answer. “My father was not a kind leader. People lived in fear under his rule for centuries. Those who remain here have no allegiance to him. But to fight against him is another matter.”
Caelum shifts in his seat and I glance over at him and stifle a laugh at how absurdly large he is for this setting. The obnoxiously large dining table has been replaced by one more akin to what you’d find at a bistro.
Arc slides his icy eyes to his winged sentry. “I’m assuming that pleases you? To have her under your watch, away from me?”
My eyes shift back and forth between the two, and I gulp down a glass of juice to keep the building tension from creeping down my throat.
Caelum’s eyes narrow at the cursed lord. “Yes. It does.”
Arc exhales, and his chair slides back from the table as he rises to his feet. “Very well.” Without another word, he exits the room, leaving me utterly shocked at his submissiveness.
“What the hell just happened? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him just retreat without a fight before.” I search Caelum’s face, which remains rigid until Arc is completely out of sight.
His eyes flash to me before focusing on his plate of food. “I think this is Arc losing control. He never expected this. Of travelers being anything but the humans he believed could free him.” He looks at me again. “I’m just glad I’m here.”
My mind tries to interpret what he means, and my cheeks heat as his gaze lingers on me. I glance away, suddenly not wanting attention. “Me, too.”
I catch a lop-sided grin as Caelum shovels a forkful of eggs into his mouth.