Chapter 31
Callum
The next day we set off early, right after sun up. Elia and I had come back to the cabin to grab a quick breakfast since we’d skip dinner. She acted her normal bubbly self, flitting around the kitchen, helping Rafe and Ginna prepare the horses.
Rafe hadn’t looked my way at all. Not even a glance.
But, to be fair, I wasn’t too keen to look him in the eyes either, not after last night. The connection we shared last night was intimate, despite our distance across the barn, and neither of us are ready for that.
I could tell Ginna picked up on the weird tension between us.
During breakfast, she tried to engage both of us in conversation, and it was only Elia who responded.
Elia being so nonchalant about last night confused me.
The more and more I thought about it, the more obvious it was that Elia had planned it out.
Maybe not the sex part, but she definitely positioned us once she knew Rafe was watching, and she didn’t seem to care.
The whole situation was scrambling my brain, and I pulled Elia on my horse for the ride before anyone could argue. Rafe is probably thankful he isn’t riding so close with Elia today, anyways.
For today’s travels, Rafe and Ginna ride side by side, and from what snippets I pick up when the breeze carries their words to me, they are catching up on lost time.
I heard Ginna mention some of our more recent Hunts and about how Hanson was doing.
If this trip ended up being a waste for me, I’d at least be glad if Ginna and Rafe had the opportunity to rekindle their friendship.
When Rafe and Ginna are a far enough distance away where our words won’t carry, I decide to brave discussing last night with Elia.
“Are we going to talk about what happened last night at all?” I ask Elia, keeping my mouth close to her ear.
“What happened last night? Aside from a good time?” She flutters her eyelashes up at me innocently, twisting slightly on the horse so she can face me.
“I know that you know that Rafe was watching us.”
“Was he?” She tries hard to maintain an even tone, but the smug expression on her face betrays her.
“Yes,” I reply evenly. “Which is why you conveniently positioned us like that.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. Are you mad that I did that, Callum?” Her face drops slightly.
“No. Yes. I mean –” A sound of frustration escapes my lips. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry. I was hoping it would be a way to break down the wall between you guys quickly. You know, to show that you both still obviously have feelings for each other. Still share some connection.” She leans back into my chest and shrugs slightly. “Plus I thought it was hot.”
My mouth had opened to respond to the first part of her words, thinking she was done, but snapped shut immediately when she finished. My pants are instantly tighter where I’m pressing against Elia.
“You thought…” I can’t even admit the sentence aloud.
“It was hot. Yes. I mean, you’re gorgeous, Callum. And you’re not blind so you know Rafe is too. Having him watch us was for my pleasure as much as yours.”
I hadn’t considered that. I thought Elia positioned us that way for me, to prove a point. No where in my mind did I envision that Elia was turned on by Rafe.
Fantasies erupt in my head, ones that involve me, Elia, and Rafe, where Rafe is doing more than watching. No - instead, he is an active participant.
“You still have some progress to make and are in denial right now, but for arguments sake, I want you two to reconcile.”
My head is spinning. “I - I don’t - I don’t know what I want to do with Rafe,” I manage to spit out.
“I know, it’s going to take some time for both of you to talk and figure all this out. I want you to do whatever you need to do to fix whatever broke between you two.”
“I’m happy with only you, Elia. I don’t need more than that.” I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I know. But I also know that a piece of you is still missing, with or without me. And that piece is riding in full leather that sticks to his body very well, if I may add.”
I laugh. A full, belly laugh that never ends. Tears stream down my eyes at the absurdity of this situation.
My girlfriend admiring my - well, not my boyfriend anymore. Friend? That also doesn’t fit right now. My past? My history?
Elia’s right. When we reach his house we need to clear the air.
Not tonight though, and when we make camp in another similar abandoned cabin, Elia and I sneak off to the woods for some privacy.
When I brace Elia against a tree, pants around both our ankles, I find myself consciously listening for another set of footsteps.
When I hear them, I wonder for a second if I willed them into existence.
But no, when I am about to reach my climax, Elia already on her second, I hastily search the dark and again am met with those chocolate eyes that have haunted me for the last five years.
When I finish, Elia beams up at me encouragingly, and it’s then that I all at once come to the understanding that Elia had reached so long ago - that I am still hopelessly and desperately in love with Rafe.
And Elia.
???
Whoever said that the journey is better than the destination clearly hasn’t been on our trip.
By the time we reach Rafe’s house at midafternoon the following day, we’re all thankful, especially me.
The actual journey itself didn’t seem all that real to me yet, as I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the conversation I’d had with Elia yesterday.
I also know that Rafe and I need to finish our conversation, as well. There is nowhere else for us to run, no place where we can avoid having the hard conversation we need to have.
Cozy is the only word I would use to describe Rafe’s house.
House is a generous word for it, too, as it’s more of a cottage tucked away in a clearing in the forest, a small stream trickling in the distance.
Ivy grows up the stone walls and instead of making it look abandoned, it adds a sense of charm to the small building.
The two rocking chairs on the side porch beckon us forward, inviting us in.
“This is a charming place you have, Rafe,” Ginna comments, admiring the wildflowers that are planted about near the porch stairs.
“Suprised?” Rafe asks.
Ginna tilts her head, considering his question. “No…” she answers slowly. “This suits you, actually. I can picture you curled up with a sketchbook and blanket in one of those chairs. Enjoying the quiet.”
It suits Elia as well, and I find her already on the porch, one hand trailing the bannister. It’s like both her and the cottage jumped out of a scene straight from a storybook.
“This reminds me of my farm.” Elia speaks so softly I’m not sure if she is talking to me or to herself, lost in memories.
“Less animals, though,” she adds thoughtfully, smiling when she meets my gaze.
Rafe’s voice chimes in, and I jump, not realizing he had joined us. “We used to have sheep and a few goats, but someone,” he raises his voice, and Elia and I share a questioning look. “Forgot to secure their pen and they ran away.”
“Well someone should have known that I knew jackshit about tending to animals. They don’t teach you how to correctly shut an animal pen in university.”
The door slams open, revealing a short woman standing in the doorframe. Despite her small stature, she seems to be towering over everyone. She and Rafe share the same tanned skin and dark hair.
“Adrienne?” The woman snaps her head towards me, and the light hits her face, highlighting prominent burn scars on the right portion of her face, spreading from her lip and disappearing into her hairline.
“You didn’t tell me you were bringing him here.” Her words are dripped in venom.
“Kind of a long story, Ren. They’re not staying long.”
“What’s going on?” I’m missing a piece in this puzzle.
Rafe might have some reason to be mad at me, miscommunication aside, but I barely knew his sister. There is no reason for her animosity towards me as well.
“‘What?’”Adrienne mimics me. She shakes her head. “Fuck you, Cal. You know what you did.”
I’m almost at my breaking point with Rafe’s fury, and I am about to reach that point with her anger as well.
“Could someone please enlighten me then?! I would love to know what I apparently did to piss everyone here off.”
Adrienne shoots daggers at me. “Oh, so you’re claiming you didn’t attack the Arcadia? Didn’t blow up the civilian ship?
“What are you…?” The words trail off from my mouth. My heart is pounding in my ears, and my blood rushes to heat my face. I’m struggling to keep up, the mental and physical exhaustion from this trip finally seeping in.
“The Arcadia? The galleon vessel?” Ginna glances at me before turning back to Adrienne. “That was a rogue ship. Stolen from Guilmond’s navy.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Adrienne states coolly. “It was a ship carrying refugees. Civilians who were trying to find a better life for themselves. And you destroyed it.”
“Callum?” That’s Elia. I don’t have it in me to face her right now.
My jaw tightens and I grind my teeth together.
That can’t be possible. I didn’t remember the ship until Ginna triggered my memory.
It was a hunt we completed almost immediately after Rafe left.
The King had told me the ship was taken over by navy deserters with plans to attack Ashven.
So yes, we had sunk it. But there were no civilians on board.
There couldn’t have been.
“I – there were no – ” I stop to compose myself and take a deep breath. “Like Ginna said, there were deserters from the Guilmond navy steering the Arcadia. There were no civilians.”
Adrienne gestures to her face. “So what am I, then? I was on that ship five years ago. When I saw the Midas and the Hunter’s flag, I thought you were there to escort all of us to safety. Back to Rafe. And then you brought out the cannons. I barely survived.”
“Why were you on that ship, anyways? If it was full of refugees, as you claim.” Ginna doesn’t seem as shaken by the news that we might have exploded a boat full of civilians unless she’s hiding it well.
Adrienne gestures towards Rafe, as if giving him the honor to answer this.
“She was escaping her forced betrothal to an abusive man. That’s why I left.” Rafe exhales, glancing between Ginna and me.
“The night I left, the King told me that Adrienne was leaving Iven. He didn’t tell me why at the time, but Adrienne had already sent me a couple letters before saying she was having a bad time at university, so I wasn’t all that surprised that she had made the decision to leave.
But he kept saying things like ‘ships always sink’ and shit like that.
“Don’t you see?” His eyes land on mine. “It was a test. The King threatened to sink Adrienne’s ship, knowing I would leave to save her. And he told me that if I did that, I wasn’t welcome back to Ashven. That I would no longer be his son or prince.”
“And you still went.” Elia’s soft voice breaks the heated air. “Then the King told the Hunters about a so-called rogue ship to destroy, knowing Adrienne was on it. He was cleaning up his loose ends. He’s – he’s evil!” She spits out the last words.
I’ll be the first person to admit the King isn’t necessarily the nicest man. Sure, he has eccentric ways of training and is hard on those closest to him, but to order the essential death of his own daughter… Was that something he’s capable of?
If that was true, my entire existence of everything I’ve known and believed in would be shattered.
“I’m sorry, Adrienne. I swear I had no knowledge that there were civilians on board. We never would have attacked –”
“Bullshit!” Rafe yells. “That can’t be your excuse for everything. You can’t blame ignorance for your own shortcomings.” Rafe is getting worked up now, ready to release the steam that has been boiling inside him.
“You hide behind the King in everything you do! The King told me to do this, he said that. Do you ever think for yourself, Cal? I left because you were turning into someone I didn’t know.
Someone of the King’s own creation. A blind and loyal follower.
You can’t tell me that you didn’t know that the King was going to name you as heir - it was obvious to most of us. ”
I take that time to glance at Ginna, who also didn’t know that I was being named heir. She throws me a crooked expression.
“I’m not surprised, Cal. You were always the King’s favorite.”
Cracks are forming in the foundation that I’m standing on. I’m not strong enough to look to see how Elia reacted to that tidbit.
Rafe continues his tangent, releasing all his emotions that must have been bottled up for five years.
“And fine - maybe you didn’t know that my sister and others were on that ship.
But you can’t tell me that you did any extra work to verify that.
You could have sailed closer to the ship and seen no one was from the navy.
You could have examined the ship's logs and seen the passenger list. Instead, you blindly follow the King’s orders.
No questions asked. A Hunter turned into the King’s personal assistant. His personal assassin.”
Rafe shakes his head. “You know, I should have seen this coming, you becoming heir. Ever since your idea of the Golden Hunt - the utter disregard you had for other people’s lives. I thought that might have been a one time thing, an accident, but you’ve only turned more into the King since then.”
The last part of his statement was lost on me. I was too focused on the horrified gasp that had escaped Elia’s mouth.
I never told her that it was my fault that her parents never came home. That it was my fault that she ended up in the labor camp for ten years.
Because this time, Rafe’s accusation was correct. I had suggested that treasure hunt all those years ago. And Elia’s parents would forever be two additional names I would never be guilt-free from.