Chapter 32 #3
She stares at me like she’s never seen me before.
A narrow streak of sunlight escapes through the darkened clouds. The thunder fades.
“You good, Auri?” Finnian calls out.
“I’m fine,” she curtly says.
The others walk toward us. Desmond surveys me from head to toe, unrestrained concern washing over me from the soul bond. “You’re hurt.”
Pain twists Auri’s face as she looks from me to Desmond. A lone tear shimmers as it rolls down her cheek. Her lips fall open in unvoiced regret, but she doesn’t say a word.
Desmond leans me against him and ensures my footing is steady. Then he whistles.
Enbarr’s whinny echoes down the pass, and then she gallops around the corner into view. Miraculously, our carriage is intact, and Enbarr stops beside it.
“Slowly,” Desmond says, leading me toward it. I want to argue that I can walk on my own, but I’m feverish. He opens the door and helps me sit on the step. Then he startles us by slamming his fist against the carriage.
His glare is a mercurial storm searing into me, then Auri. “It turns out we don’t have to worry about surviving Olin’s tomb because you can’t survive even five minutes with each other. Fix it.”
My mouth suddenly feels too dry to swallow. Auri’s nostrils flare, but she bows her head. Finnian winces, and Min stands still as stone.
“And Cyn?” Desmond adds, all concern from the bond churning into a cold, tempestuous anger. “Even Enbarr can’t outrun a lindwyrm while pulling a carriage. If we had held our ground when the wyrm first appeared, we might not have lost Aether.”
The way Finnian wilts at the mention of his horse is punishment enough. I wince. “Understood.”
“All of you, get in the carriage,” he orders. “The closest village is still a few hours away.”
“I’m the only one who hasn’t taken a turn riding yet,” I argue.
His frown darkens. “You are in no condition to ride. Don’t make me lock you in that carriage.”
Finnian whistles. “Maybe keep it inside the bedroom, Dez. The rest of us don’t need to know your kinks.”
Desmond’s eyes widen, embarrassment as clear on his face as it is through our bond. Then he mounts Enbarr and shakes his head, avoiding my gaze. “Just get inside.”
Then the four of us crowd into the carriage, Auri beside me, Finnian and Min across from us. We fit, but knees knock, and shoulders bump as Desmond prompts Enbarr into a steady pace.
“It’s my fault we lost your horse, Finnian,” I murmur. Again, I find myself wishing I could outright apologize to him.
“He’s in a better place,” Finnian replies forlornly. “Wish I could say the same for my dignity. I’m coming to terms with not being much use in combat.”
Min claps him on the back. “There are four of us to make up for that.”
I fail to stifle my snort. Then I slump against the wall as my eyes roll back. Auri thrusts a canteen of water before my lips and forces me to drink. Every gulp helps quell the heat behind my eyes, and I eventually shove it away and lean to look out the window.
The sunset is almost over, vibrant red rays like clay streaking the sky until it’s kissed by the ink-black ridges of the Krelthars.
I watch every shadowed burrow, even as the night makes them as dark as the mountainside.
Desmond said that there was only one lindwyrm in the pass, and I believe him, but I still feel uneasy.
Another curve, and I see the path dip. We’ve reached the pass’s saddle.
“I acknowledge. . .” Auri says behind me.
Surprised, I whirl around to face her. Min and Finnian are both asleep, slumped against each other.
Auri wrings her hands in her lap. “I acknowledge that you aren’t as selfish as I accused you of being.”
I snort. “That’s high praise, coming from you.”
She clears her throat, unusually unsure of herself. Her hand runs through her tight braids, then her shoulders collapse with a sigh. “I know.”
We stare at each other. The guilt-ridden way she’s fidgeting reminds me so much of Evie that I almost laugh. Almost. How can I when her tale starts to resound through my head?
She was captured, and Desmond gave himself up to save her squad. Five days of torture. Memories that give him nightmares. And she was there for it all. I wish I hadn’t judged her so harshly when we met. If I had tried to breach the divide between us, would she have opened up sooner?
All the resentment and envy I had toward her melts away. “I won’t hurt him,” I whisper. “After we’re out of Olin’s tomb, I won’t even be around to.”
Enbarr’s hooves clack a steady rhythm as Auri looks past me, out the window.
The low, throaty thrum of an owl is a welcome sign that we’ve cleared the lindwyrm’s territory and the barren alpine plains of Torok stretch out before us.
Then Auri looks back at me solemnly. “You’ve earned my respect as a part of this team, Cyn.
I will do my best to treat you as you deserve. ”
About damn time. Yet for once, I keep my sarcasm checked.
We ride in silence as rodents scamper through underbrush and crickets chirp in song. The new trust between us is fragile, but good enough.