Chapter Forty-Two
Wyatt
Andi’s face beams with pride when she bounces out of Caelan’s hut, and rightly so. Accepting her birthright, taking back her family’s throne, is a damn huge deal. I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tight.
“Wyatt…can’t…breathe,” she says, hitting my back. I let her go, beaming from ear to ear.
“Did I hear Caelan right, Queen Andrina?” Andi rolls her eyes and pushes past me. “Hey, that’s no way for a queen to behave.”
Andi glares at me before walking back to her hut. I turn to Ronan, who I know is lurking behind me somewhere. Wherever Andi is, he isn’t far behind.
“If she’s heading out there, she needs to be trained with weapons, she has to be able to protect herself. She can’t rely on magic alone.” He watches her walk away beside me. Caelan calls us both in, ringing a bell outside the door.
“We’ll get started with her training after this,” he replies, before heading into the chief’s hut.
Caelan waits for everyone to quieten down before addressing the crowd.
“I’ve called you all here because Andi has decided she will be taking back her throne.
” The quiet crowd erupts in whispered murmurs.
“For her to do that, she needs to get to the Temple of Savni, hidden deep in Yiren’s Alsi forest. There she will learn more about her magic.
While we’re there, we will be researching everything we can in regard to the attacker.
I don’t believe for one minute Zayn killed it like he claimed.
‘At present, we know nothing more than that he is male and was known to the family, which doesn’t narrow things down much.
But, in order to defeat him, we need to know what powers he has now.
Where has he been hiding all these years?
How can he be stopped? This will be no easy task and is volunteer only, I won’t ask any of you to come with us. ”
Someone snickers within the crowd, “You’re going?” Someone else shouts, “Be careful out there, old man. You might break a hip.”
“Yes, I will be going. You might think I’m old, but I can still take on each one of you.” He smirks at the group, his eyes shift to one of the younger men, a teenager at best.
“Ronan will be left in charge.”
“What?” Ronan shouts at Caelan. “No. I am going with her. Try and stop me.” He scoffs and storms out of the hut.
Caelan watches after him, Arel shrugs his shoulders. Aron and Izaac smirk at me. I glower at them, unwilling to accept that they might be right about Ronan and Andi. Caelan rubs the bridge of his nose.
“Kaleb. I’ll leave you in charge. Unless you have any objections?” Kaleb shakes his head with a smile so big it reaches his eyes. Arel pats him on the back, congratulating him.
Caelan talks about the plans, but my mind wanders elsewhere. What is this thing Ronan has with Andi, another mating bond? Nah, can’t be. They’re supposed to be rare, how can Myles have one and then Andi, and to different folk. I had barely heard of it until Myles and Lura. It’s odd.
Since I arrived in Nu’cov, Ronan has been calm and collected, nothing ever gets under his skin. He is Caelan’s right hand, of course, he would be asked to take his place. His reaction is way out of character.
Folk start leaving the hut, and I realise I have been preoccupied the entire meeting. I’ll get Arel to fill me in later. Right now, I need to get Andi in that training field. Unless Ronan has already beaten me to it.
Iza nudges me and whispers, “Can we talk?” I nod and follow her out.
Iza walks towards the barrier at the side of the chief’s hut, digging her nails into the fence. “What’s up?” I ask.
Since that night she told me about our family, she has kept her distance, partly because of Andi, I presume.
“I take it you’re going with Andi?” I nod. Of course, I will be, I’m not leaving her side again. “Thought as much. While you are away, I will go and hunt for the remaining members of our order. A lot of people scattered after the attack.”
“How will you find them? It’s been fifteen years.”
“Oh, little cub, so much you don’t remember.
The order had a way of calling for a meeting discreetly.
I remember Mum hanging a blue piece of ripped fabric out of the window, the order knew to come that night.
That’s what I’ll do.” She pulls out a ripped piece of fabric, freshly dyed based on the white patches remaining.
“I’ll go to towns and find our members. Together, we will bring back Iron Claw and fight for Andi. ”
I fight back a smile, for years, I always felt like I didn’t belong, like a part of me was missing. I love Andi and her family; they looked after me like a son, but it still didn’t fill that void. Now, with Iza, I know who I am, I know where I come from. I have a member of my family choosing me.
“Thanks, Iza.” She shrugs me off, but can’t hide her smile, her stone face from the beginning completely gone.
The next few weeks are spent training, gathering supplies, and planning the route.
Caelan has everything down to a tee, the only thing that is undecided is the day we are leaving.
Caelan thought it best to wait for the weather to lighten up, so finally, after days of waiting, we leave in the morning.
Andi has come a long way with her training. Ronan was tough on her, like he was on me, maybe more so.
He pushes her to her limits and keeps pushing until she physically can’t take anymore. I join her for her morning runs; every day she is getting stronger, but will she be ready if we meet guards on the road? I have no idea.
Arel has been devising strategic plans to aid her training, which normally include attacking her when she least expects it.
Iza and Lilah have been a huge help, with Lilah’s illusions, she has been able to create a scenario when Andi could be attacked, with Iza instructing her movements.
It started as a training exercise for Andi, but Ronan has us all doing it, saying we can never be too prepared.
Caelan catches me in the training field, asking me to walk with him.
“This is between us for the time being.” I nod.
“With Aron feeling better, and Seema’s approval, he and Izaac will head out for Zury in the morning.
Their mission is to locate your family and forward the information using the Echo stone.
I feel it would be prudent to keep this between us, at least until we find out more. ”
My heart thumps in my chest, I’m not sure if I can keep any more from Andi. Secrets are like a spider’s web, intricate and complicated, and with one wrong move, the whole thing falls apart. Is this the right move?
Caelan squeezes my shoulder before heading back to his hut. I drag my feet back to the training field, leaning against the fence, watching Andi, carefree and happy. Caelan’s right, I need to keep her in the dark for a little while longer.
For the first time in, I don’t even know how long, Andi is laughing and joking with my friends, with Ronan hanging around her like a bad smell.
Should I stop this? Or step back and allow Andi some happiness.
Even though I am adamant that he is reckless, at least he would be protective.
He can look after her, unlike Myles. He’ll challenge her in a way Myles couldn’t.
Andi glances at Ronan, her cheeks flushing a little each time. What was I thinking? There is no way I’ll be able to stop this. I’ll keep up the rouse, let them think I’m against it.
A sharp whistle from the entrance makes us all stop what we’re doing and turn to the gate. No one went out, so we shouldn’t be expecting anyone.
The glint of golden hair has Andi running.
Kali throws her arms around her, gripping her tightly.
Looks like she has ventured through the veil and come back to tell us about it, with large purple bags under her eyes, her sleeves cut and bloody, like she has seen a ghost or has been running for her life.
“I had to come back. Cyvail, it’s in ruins.
The houses and shops have been torn down, and bodies litter the streets.
Even the governor’s house, the windows have been smashed, the girl’s toys scattered along the ground.
” Kali sobs into Andi, her top glistening with blood and tears.
“They’re all dead. My friends, they’re gone. ”
Andi grips Kali tightly, looking around at us she says, “Can someone get Seema?” She turns to Kali, “We need to get you cleaned up, come on.” Kaleb runs to Seema’s hut, and Andi follows him with Kali clinging to her.
Caelan stomps back into his hut. Ronan and I follow him, curious over his reaction.
Inside the hut, Caelan muses over his map, mumbling to himself, adding more red pins with a curse.
The map is imbued with claret red pins, like the wine Caelan favours.
Continuing he mutters to himself, “If we… no that won’t work...
How are they… Fuck!” Caelan stands up straight, with his hands interlocked behind his head.
Ronan steps forward. “What’s going on? You’re not telling us something.”
Caelan rests his hands on his hips, eyeing the map.
“There have been reports of mercenaries raiding the towns, Adrian’s men have fallen back to Zury.
These guys are destroying everything in their wake, but they’re moving too fast, and I don’t know how.
All these red pins are known attacks. We need to get Andi out of here tonight.
The attacks are getting closer, and soon they will block our path to Yiren. ”
“Tonight?” I ask, stepping forward. “Do we have what we need?”
“We’re going to have to be ready. Tell everyone. Tonight, under the cover of darkness.”
Ronan and I look at each other, it’s what we’ve been preparing for. Andi will be ready; she has to be. She’s had the most intense training out of all of us.
Together we walk in complete silence to Seema’s hut, contemplating the journey ahead. Although we may not see eye to eye on many things, we both have Andi’s best interests at heart.
Seeing us walking towards the hut through the window, Andi steps into the cold and visibly shivers, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Kali is shaken up, but Seema said she’ll be fine.” She sighs and smiles to herself before her smile fades, taking in the sight of us together. She wags her finger between us. “What’s going on here?”
“You know we knew each other before you dropped out of thin air,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest, and Andi copies me and raises her eyebrow.
She gets her stern face from her mum. Her mum.
I swallow hard at the thought of them, hurt or worse, I can’t even think about it right now.
I have to get my head in the game, we’re leaving with Andi tonight and she doesn’t know.
How do I even broach the subject? Caelan would lose his shit if I went against his orders.
“I don’t think you have said two words to each other since I arrived. Sorry, nice words.”
Ronan rubs the back of his neck and looks at his feet.
I clear my throat. “We’re here to tell you that Caelan has decided we need to leave tonight.”
“Tonight?” Andi’s arms fall and she immediately presses on each of her fingers, hesitantly she says, “Okay. I’ll make sure I’m ready.”
As night approaches, the few that Caelan would allow to come stand armed and ready at the gate.
He needn’t ask any to come with us, but he has had to turn quite a few away.
Nu’cov still needs fighters here. He only agreed to let Iza and Lilah go after Iza explained her plan, reluctantly, he had to agree.
He wasn’t sure what was even left of the order, but Iza is adamant she will find them.
Kali rests against the fence beside Seema, forcing a smile to her face. Andi walks up behind me, wearing darker colours and a scarf around her neck, the usual garb we wear out to hide under the cover of darkness.
“Here we go,” she says. I can’t tell if she is nervous or excited, maybe both.
Caelan addresses us all. “Remember, stay quiet, we don’t know if there are any soldiers nearby. We will avoid a fight if we can help it, save our energy.” His eyes dart around each of us.
The cave door opens, Kaleb comes up, gripping my hand and wrapping one arm around me, “Behave yourself, little cub.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Aron says, frowning. I clasp his hand in mine.
“Find them. Please,” I whisper. Aron nods, clasping his hand on my shoulder.
Iza and Lilah say they’re goodbyes and slip off into the night. Caelan reckons it will take us possibly three, four weeks to get there. Once we get to the border of Yiren, we’ll be in the clear. The next few days will be the hardest with the soldiers hanging around.
Andi stomps off after Caelan, leaving the rest of us to follow in her wake.