Chapter 29
My feet haltered the second I saw him. The blue gaze was amplified by the reddened vessels running through the whites of his eyes. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks. Like a grieving boy in desperate need of salvation.
Felix’s eyes widened as he spotted me, rooted to the spot on the path toward the combat training grounds. I’d avoided the place but finally decided now was the time to get back to training if I were to stand a chance in Erobred.
I’d heard from Jax that Felix hadn’t taught the lessons since the mission, so I hadn’t expected to run into him.
“Hi,” he said, looking slightly surprised himself. “How… How are you?”
The simple question had my eyes stinging, my vision turning the crumbling man in front of me blurry. After everything he’d been through, he was asking me how I was feeling?
“Felix,” I whispered, closing the short distance between us. I stopped myself from wrapping my arms around him, realizing painfully that we didn’t have that kind of friendship anymore.
My stomach twisted when he instead engulfed me in one of those bear hugs that I’d received from him many times before.
Though this time, his laughs and jokes were replaced by his sobs, muffled in my hair as his whole body shook with grief.
For a long moment, we just stood there, arms folded tightly around one another.
The tears squeezed through my closed eyelids, settling somewhere between my cheek and Felix’s chest.
“I’m so sorry, Felix,” I whimpered, squeezing him tighter.
“I know it’s not your fault, Prue,” he croaked, running a big hand over my loose hair. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t blame you. I lied to you. To all of you.”
“To save your sister. I know now that I would’ve done anything to save Lissie. I shouldn’t have blamed you.”
He withdrew from me slightly, and I took the chance to wipe the tears from his puffy cheeks with my thumb. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for weeks. I just didn’t know how,” he admitted.
Pulling a small dagger with a wooden handle from his pockets, he twirled it around in his hands a few times before handing it to me. I took it questioningly, studying the intricate details.
This could only be the handiwork of one person at the base. My head shot up to look at him. “It’s beautiful. Just like she was,” I breathed. His lips twitched slightly upwards at the positive mention.
“I want you to have it. It was one of the last ones she made before she—”
His gaze found the ground. I lifted my hand and gave his arm a light squeeze. “Are you sure you want to give this to me?”
“Yes. She’d want you to have it. I kept one of her creations as well,” he said, patting the dagger strapped to his belt.
“Thank you,” I stared in amazement at the token in my hands. The air felt lighter as I recognized the significance of his present. As if the rock lodged in my heart had finally been worked free. His forgiveness warmed me.
“Where were you going?” He asked, looking around us.
“The training ring,” I answered sheepishly, remembering only too well the last time I’d practiced close combat training.
He perked up, a slight smile playing on his lips. He looked so much like his sister, with his straight blonde hair and sharp jaw. “I’ll train you.”
My smile grew wide. As if the last few weeks hadn’t happened, we fell back into our easy banter. He wasn’t as quick to laugh as he had been, but considering what he was going through, he seemed almost cheerful.
I kicked off my boots when we reached the ring, then sank my toes into the soft sand. Felix joined me, a genuine smile on his lips.
We circled each other slowly. “Duck,” he ordered, and I barely managed to obey before his fist came flying through the air. “Good.”
We continued a series of ducks, punches, and kicks until I was completely exhausted.
“Thank you, Felix,” I breathed, closing the distance between us to fling my arms around him. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
He patted my back and squeezed me harder. I felt my hair dampen as his silent tears mingled with it. “I do know. You have no idea how much I missed you.”
My fingers stroked the daggers lining my thighs as I walked, the feeling of weapons strapped close to my body still unfamiliar.
The soft wooden handle felt vastly different from the two steely constructions that Dae and Archie had given me.
As soon as I could, I’d added the emerald-embedded dagger that Archie had given me to my tiny collection of meaningful weapons.
My heart ached as I ran a thumb over the last swirls Felicity had carved before she died. Every intricate detail revealed the gentle soul hidden within her powerful body.
She was meant to be an artist, not a fighter.
At the last moment, she’d hesitated to kill, and in return, the guard she fought had shot a beam of light straight through her chest. I hadn’t been there to see it, but Jax’s words had painted a picture that had failed to leave my mind ever since he told me.
He’d been unfortunate enough to see it as he’d run through the tunnel to check how many people were still inside.
“Ouch, that’s tight enough, Anna,” a familiar voice complained to my left, and I snapped out of my thoughts. My head whipped towards the sound, eyes locking on the two people standing by the war preparations station that Anna was running.
“No way,” I muttered, pushing my way past the rebels getting fitted into their battle uniforms.
Long copper hair ran messily down her back as Anna fitted Lili’s long limbs into a leather shirt with impatient tucks.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I shouted, grabbing Lili and pulling her away from Anna’s firm grasp. “Why are you being fitted? You’re not going.”
Lili glowered at me, straightening up to her full height. “Yes, I am, and you can’t stop me.” The fire in her eyes burned brighter than ever. Even in Erobred, my constant protectiveness hadn’t quenched her ache to fight. Perhaps because of me, her fervor had grown stronger.
When I only stared at her in disbelief instead of answering, she continued her protests. “I’m stronger than you are, and I’m taller. I’m better at wielding a weapon than you, too. Felix told me so! Why shouldn’t I go?”
“Because you’re still a child!”
The second those words left my mouth, I knew I’d messed up. Her face fell, eyes turning glossy as if this was the worst possible thing I could’ve said.
Deep inside me, the truth settled like sour milk.
My little sister was physically stronger than me.
She’d told me she started working out with Archie after I left when they’d begun searching for the rebels.
She was keen to fight, and even if I tried to stop her, Verena would allow her to go. My words didn’t matter anymore.
“Why are you so against Verena’s plans? Don’t you want to stop the King’s abuse of people like you? Like mom?”
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat that was cutting off my words. How could I explain to her that I’d rather rot in prison for an eternity than see her hurt?
“I’ve watched over you since you were six, Lili. I know you’re not that little girl anymore, but you’re still my little sister. I’ll do anything to keep you safe for as long as I can.”
The chattering seemed to die out around us, and I got the urge to grab Lili and drag her away. I almost wished for our old shed back.
“But the time has come for you to realize that I can protect myself,” she whispered, stepping close to give me an embrace I didn’t feel ready to receive.
I wanted her to understand why she shouldn’t go. But I knew that determined look in those fiery blue eyes of hers. She’d already made up her mind.
“Walk with me?” I asked, withdrawing from her grasp. She shook her head and looked over her shoulder at Anna, who was trying to look anywhere but at us.
“I’m not done being fitted yet. And I’m headed straight to training after,” she said, giving me a small smile before turning her back to me.
I scrubbed the long table that was dusted with peas and grease from dinner, letting out a frustrated sigh as the cloth snagged on the rough edges of the wood for the twentieth time.
Hannan had signed me up for cleaning duty this week, which meant I’d been doing the dishes and scrubbing the tables after every meal.
The sun hung low on the horizon, illuminating the dining area in a way that made every dirty spot on the surfaces noticeable.
I’d been sullen since my conversation with Lili yesterday. Seeing everybody walking around with weapons strapped to their body did nothing to brighten my mood. It was a constant reminder that she was marching straight into a war, too.
“Good night, Prudence,” Ashton sang out, materializing from the kitchen, closely followed by a red-faced Jax. I eyed them suspiciously, though I couldn’t help the smirk curling my lips.
“What were you two doing in there? I just cleaned up. If you’ve even left a single speck of—”
“Relax,” Ashton rolled his eyes dismissively. “Angus asked Jax to bake some bread for tomorrow. I just helped him.”
My eyes flickered to Jax, who gave me a sheepish grin. He had flour in his hair. As they turned around to leave, I saw a white handprint on Ashton’s pants, right on top of his ass.
I stifled a laugh, beaming at their retreating forms. Ashton snaked an arm across the shorter guy’s shoulders.
They were sweet together, even if Jax had been a bit embarrassed at first. I wasn’t surprised to see them together.
They’d eyed each other from the moment Ashton had joined the Rebellion.
As happy as I was for Jax, a small part of me feared for his sanity.
Ashton wasn’t exactly a well-balanced being, as he’d spent most of his life in Orken.
I threw the wet cloth on the table with a thud before running a hand over my tired face.
“Do you need a break?” A husky voice whispered in my ear as warm hands snaked around my waist. I jumped at the voice but quickly melted into the soft embrace. I hadn’t heard him sneaking up behind me.
“Please,” I sighed, turning to send Dae a pleading look over my shoulder. Please make me think of anything but my stubborn little sister. “What do you have in mind?”
I knew exactly the kind of distraction I was hoping for, the gentle squeeze from his hands having ignited that thought. But the mischievous smile playing on his lips told me that that wasn’t what he had planned.
He took my hand and guided me towards the kitchens behind us. My stomach sank. I’d spent the last hour in there cleaning up after Angus and his crew. I didn’t want to spend another second in that room. “Dae, I swear if you—”
“Patience,” he chuckled, tightening his grip on my hand when my steps turned reluctant. He led us around to the back of the kitchens, an area I hadn’t bothered to explore.
But when we entered the glass building, and gardens came into view, I regretted disregarding this place. From the outside, the dusty glass building, which was always slightly visible when walking to and from meals, seemed so unassuming. But standing inside now, my mouth fell open in amazement.
Green stalks were weighed down by different shades of red, plump tomatoes hanging in abundance between the leaves.
Cucumbers hung side by side in tall rows.
Carrots sprouted from the ground. Trees exploding with apples and the same cherries that had been served earlier at lunch lined the back of the greenhouse.
It was breathtakingly beautiful. “How did you know this was in here? You’re never on kitchen duty.”
He dragged me further inside, the sweet scent of fresh produce hitting my nose. It reminded me strongly of the many hours I’d spent chatting in the produce tent with Annora.
“I wanted to show you a different side of me,” he said, letting go of my hand to run his fingers tentatively over one of the tomatoes that still lacked the rich, red color.
“This is what I do when I’m not teaching an impossible student sun magic or getting my ass handed to me by Felix during training. ”
His eyes glowed faintly golden just a moment before his hand did. Then, slowly, the tomato changed color. The greenish shade blushed orange, then turned as red as the rest of them.
I stared at it in disbelief. I knew the suncasters in one of the smaller towns outside Erobred were responsible for most of the produce that Annora sold. Still, I’d never imagined they actually made the fruits and vegetables grow.
“That’s amazing,” I marveled, stretching my hand out to caress the hand he still held loosely around the tomato. He plucked it off the stem and handed it to me.
“I’d turn this entire place into a private garden for you if it meant I got to see that awed expression on your face again,” he laughed, his eyes twinkling as if he used his powers to create the mounting heat inside my chest.
I bit into the delicate skin of the tomato, the sweet tartness coating my mouth.
Dae’s eyes fixed on mine as he bent down to lick the drop of liquid dripping from the tomato onto my hand with a carnal sweep of his tongue.
Then he placed a gentle trail of kisses from my fingers to my neck, encircling me with his arms and pulling me closer.
I let out a breathy sigh, tilting my head to grant him access to the delicate skin.
I grabbed his chin with my free hand, pulling him upwards so my lips could claim his. He didn’t protest. We stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms as the minutes passed. When I finally pulled away, he was panting as much as me.
“Did I succeed? Are you distracted?” he asked proudly, rising to his full height.
I laughed, tilting my head from side to side. “I’m not sure. Let me see you ripen that peach.” I pointed behind him, grinning.
He rolled his eyes and reached for me again, his fingers skimming the base of my neck.
“I have to go meet Jax for practice,” I whispered in defeat as his lips began trailing my jawline. He made it very hard for me to leave. “Want to come?”
A low chuckle escaped him. He straightened up to place a soft kiss on my forehead. “As much as I like Jax, I’d rather it was only my name coming from your mouth when I’m kissing you.”
I giggled, interlacing my fingers in his soft, curly hair. “Then you better make your name worth saying.”
He smirked at the challenge before grabbing the back of my thighs to hoist my legs around his waist. I shrieked and laughed, steadying myself on his shoulders.
“Oh, Prudence,” he purred, giving my neck a small bite. “You shouldn’t have said that. Now you’ll be late for your lesson. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you one of my own. One that will have you screaming my name.”