Chapter Forty-Seven #2
Thirty seconds in, I realized just how miserable the next few hours would be, but none of us seemed eager to use our magic. To even try.
The ground was firm, the dirt frozen in place and fighting us with every dig of our fingers. My nails snapped as I scraped and scratched and twisted them into the soil. Skin freezing, mind a mess, and body sore, I softly hummed Mama’s favorite song to pass the time—her memory heavy on my heart.
“Dove hummed a lot,” Priya said, the words barely audible.
Not daring to look up at her, I let my humming die out, my voice wavering as I said, “Would you like me to stop?”
“No. It reminds me of her.” Dove had never liked me. In fact, she and Priya had tried to throw me out of a window once. Still, I nodded and began again. “Even if you are a bit tone deaf.”
Snorting, I continued to hum, my hands burning now. Caleb handed us each a pair of gloves almost immediately. “The big guy brought them before the protest. Figure I’m not the only one unwilling to lose a finger.”
We all eagerly accepted our pair, sliding them on quickly. I sighed with relief as the leather wrapped around my skin, blocking out any of the cold that hadn’t already found me.
Feeling renewed, I once again began digging, choosing a new song to hum. Before I’d even gotten through the first chorus of Dad’s go-to for long days at the apothecary, Quinn spoke.
“Remember that one time Dove taught us that song about sailors?” he asked, his full lips lifting in a handsome smile.
His shadow marks twirled faintly across the very base of his neck, which was slightly exposed through the open buttons of his thick shirt.
Zura watched him, her hands absentmindedly moving.
“The one with the mermaids and bad ale?” Caleb asked, his deep voice not quite matching his soft grin that lifted his brown cheeks and shook his curly hair.
“Yeah, that one,” Quinn agreed, nodding and snapping. “Talon and Az sang it for days in our clearing until she got annoyed and Pri threatened to beat us all up if they didn’t stop.”
“Even at four feet tall I was still scary,” Priya commented, her smile not reaching her slanted hazel eyes.
“Yeah, well, you’ve had claws since you were six,” Az parried, earning a nudge from Priya.
From there, Zura and I listened as the group of four shared stories about Dove and Talon, images of the mischievous children filling my mind while I dug.
They soon began to laugh, their smiles genuine until one of them inevitably glanced back at Talon’s body.
It became a pattern as time passed and the sun began to lower in the dull, grey sky.
Waves crashed into the cliffside, a constant whoosh in the distance for the moments when words evaded the group.
We’d all spent over an hour digging, making embarrassingly little progress, before Desi’s voice rang out. “How about a little help?”
Turning, I caught sight of her as she made her way down from Snake Lodge. She held a shovel in each hand, her smile forced and dark skin uneven from the chill.
“That’d be nice,” Caleb said, standing and making his way to Desi.
“Great. I’ll take over for Nova.” We all must have had the same exact expression, because Desi’s face went tight, her eyes wildly searching our expressions before landing on me. “I’m sorry. She wants to see you.”
“Now?” I asked, my hand reaching out and locking around Az’s wrist. His shadow hid the sun as he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around me.
“Now,” was all Desi said, her head falling with a nod. “Alone.”
“Absolutely not,” Az growled out, standing. Desi only sighed, Cal’s wide eyes and pursed lips hinting at what Az must have looked like.
“It’s fine,” I whispered, turning and kissing his cheek. Az didn’t so much as flinch when my lips touched his skin, jaw tight and arms still secured around me. “Seriously. This will give you time to have some space with your friends.”
Not really, seeing as Desi and Zura would be there, but I couldn’t say that when Azazel was clearly holding on by a thread.
“She’s going to be fine, Az. I promise.” Desi’s words didn’t seem to soothe him, but he sighed and released me nonetheless.
“Be careful, please,” he muttered, pressing his forehead into mine. I nodded, kissing his lips once gently before standing and putting some space between us. When I was positive I was steady enough, I shadow walked to the wards of the rebel base, finding the commander was already there.
For the first time since I’d met her, she wore plain clothing, the brown, black, and white cloth unassuming in comparison to her uniform. Her hair wasn’t loose, but it did cascade down her back in a single plait, swishing as she walked my way.
“Are we not meeting in your office?”
“Do you know what’s funny?” she asked instead of answering me, her dark eyes large and wild. Her voice had lost its cool edge, her tone sharp and bordering on hostile.
“What?”
She stopped just in front of me, her smile feral as she crossed her arms.
“I always knew Azazel’s desire to be a part of the rebellion wasn’t sustainable. He’d eventually consider what his freedom was worth.”
“I’m confused, is this about what we did? Because I promise—“