Chapter 32
Soren untangled herself from Rook’s grasp and chugged water from the canteen on their nightstand. Her cheeks warmed as she looked at the oil lamp and stretched her sore body. She was naked, apart from Rook’s short-sleeved shirt, which hung to the middle of her thighs.
She padded over to her ruck and changed into her training gear, deciding to sweat off her hangover. Then she trudged across the burned ground and tried not to let the smell make her dry heave. She had grown accustomed to it, as they all had over the course of their training, but her resolve had been weakened from the previous evening’s libations. Her stomach did a little flip, and she took short breaths in through her mouth to avoid getting sick.
As she approached the training area, she noticed a few people hard at work. She guessed they, like her, had frayed nerves and couldn’t sleep.
A voice from behind startled her, and she nearly tripped over a nearby sparring dummy.
“Hey, lady. How did you sleep?” Enara looked like she had been out here for hours, a bead of sweat running down her temple.
“I didn’t,” Soren replied honestly.
“I figured,” Enara said, sighing. “Me, neither.”
“I’m guessing Baz is still out?” Soren asked.
Enara chuckled. “Yeah, but I don’t mind. I needed to clear my head.”
“Same,” Soren said. “I’ve missed you. I feel like we haven’t talked since training started.” She picked her fingernails as she continued, “I mean, I know I see you at mealtimes and stuff, but … I guess … I dunno. I miss just hanging out.”
Enara hugged her hard, and Soren could feel the heat radiating off her body. “I miss you, too, lady. How about this? Why don’t we train together this morning and have a girls-only afternoon?”
“Yeah,” Soren replied somberly. “I would like that.”
“Besides,” Enara went on, “you smell like the floorboards of a tavern. We gotta get the rest of that alcohol out of your system.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Soren replied, shoving her.
“For the record, I hope you know I have seen the change in you.” Enara’s tone took on a serious edge. “I noticed you haven’t been drinking as much and, apart from the stress of our circumstances, you seem to be handling things better than before.”
“I don’t feel the need to drink as much now,” Soren replied. “It kind of lost its charm, I guess.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad.” Enara gave her a comforting smile before giving Soren a hard smack on her butt.
“Ow! What the hell, Enara?” Soren screeched, rubbing her behind.
“Let’s go!” her friend replied, flashing her teeth. “First to complete a lap and three takedowns has to give the other a foot rub.”
“Oh, hell no,” Soren replied, swiping a foot out and tripping Enara. She landed with an oof,and Soren took off running.
“You’ll pay for that!” Enara yelled, chasing after her.
The two women spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying some much-needed quality time together. They talked about their favorite moments and memories, wanting to focus on happier times. When they pulled aside the canvas to the mess tent for dinner, their hearts were a little lighter.
Enara took her place beside Baz, and Soren took hers next to Rook. She wasn’t sure what they had gotten up to all day, but she had seen the two of them training with Jai and Erick earlier.
“So, how is everyone feeling?” Baz asked, trying to break the ice. It was the elephant in the room. No one wanted to talk about the fact that they could all be dead tomorrow.
“I’ve been better,” Rook replied between bites of his roast beef.
Mrs. Ferndale and Adaryn had gone all out for their final dinner before the fight started. There was the rosemary-crusted beef tenderloin that Rook was indulging in and seared pheasant legs for those who did not eat beef. Honey-roasted carrots and creamy mashed potatoes were laid out in large troughs atop the wooden tables. Soren couldn’t believe that the vegetables had been from a jar by how well they were prepared. Her mouth had been salivating as she and Enara waited to fill their plates in the buffet line.
They scarfed down their food with such intensity that Baz and Rook gaped at them with open mouths. For once, Rook didn’t admonish Soren for her manners. She guessed he figured manners didn’t mean much in times of war.
They chased down their final supper with a pale ale from Erick’s personal stores.
“It’s a good thing they didn’t bring this out last night,” Baz remarked between sips. “There would be none left.”
“I prefer something stronger,” Rook replied, grimacing at his cup after taking a swig. “It tastes like dog piss.”
“Well, sorry we don’t all have your refined tastes,” Enara jabbed, but it was all bark and no bite.
“Yeah, well,” Rook replied, sitting back lazily against the pew, “we can’t all be this perfect.”
Enara raised her brow, and Soren and Baz burst out laughing.
“Yeah, okay,” Soren managed between snorts.
“I didn’t hear you complaining last night,” Rook said, his eyes darkening. His voice was devoid of all humor now, and he looked hungry, but not for food.
Soren swallowed as a blush creeped up her chest to color her cheeks.
“Anyway,” Baz said, cutting through the sexual tension that had been building between them, “anyone have final thoughts on how tomorrow is going to go down?”
Enara shook her head.
“I know Jai planned on organizing the battalions at first light so we can be ready for anything,” Rook said, turning his attention back to the group.
“On the plus side, the kestrels will be at a disadvantage because we will see them coming from a mile away,” Soren commented, trying to force down a few more glazed carrots. Her appetite had suddenly left her, and she shifted her food around on her plate.
“Yeah, I think Jai definitely made the right choice to wage the battle here instead of the mountains. They have no place to hide now,” Baz said.
“Yeah, but neither do we,” Soren whispered.
“We will manage,” Enara said, sounding stronger than she looked. She had the same doubts Soren did but voicing them would only make everyone feel worse.
“Whatever happens, I love you guys,” Soren said tearfully.
Rook couldn’t help but shift in his seat at the sentiment. He felt slightly disappointed that she was not directing those words at him. He knew how she felt, but he had hoped that, with so little time left, she would say it. He would have begged on his knees to have her speak those three little words to him, but he also knew that when she did speak them, he wanted it to be of her own volition. So, he waited.
He did not regret saying I love you first. He had never spoken those words to anyone in his life before Soren, and he was glad for it. Those words belonged to her and no one else. He would stand by her on the battlefield tomorrow and fall before any sword in an effort to protect her. He would take every cut of a blade, every sting of an arrow, every crush of a fist, and every slice of a talon before he would let Adriel take her from him.
All the soldiers thought they were going to war with Adriel when, in reality, Adriel was going to war with him, and he would lose.
* * *
Soren draggedout dinner to spend more time with Baz and Enara. She had missed this. She had needed today, and she couldn’t be more thankful that Rook understood that she required some extra time with them.
From her understanding, he had spent the afternoon with Meena and Evelyn, making sure they were prepared for what was to come. She knew he was scared for them, but he would never say it; she didn’t think he had to. He loved them just as she loved Baz and Enara, in his own way.
As they left the common area, she gave Baz and Enara one last squeeze and let her fingers entwine with Rook’s as he led the way back to their tent. She remained silent as they entered, the weight of what was to come sitting heavily on her shoulders.
“I have something for you,” Rook said, beckoning for her to sit on the cot. “I should have given them to you sooner, but I was waiting for the right time.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a roll of fabric. He laid it out on the blanket beside her then unfurled it to reveal four immaculately formed daggers.
“Rook, these are beautiful,” she marveled, lifting one of the blades and taking in all the fine details. The handles were carved from the same white antlers that formed the chandelier at Thorncrest Manor. She traced a finger along the roses and vines that had been whittled into the animal bone, and her eyes misted. “You remembered,” she whispered, twisting the blade around in her hand, testing its weight.
“A flower is only as good as its petals, so I thought I would give you some thorns.”
“If I am the thorn, then you are the feather—strong in the harshest of winds, but the softest of souls.”
“We could name them as such,” he said. “If you wanted.”
She nodded. “Name them as the parts of a feather so you can be with me out there.”
“This will be Rachi,” Rook named the blade in her hand then pointed to the other three, assigning their titles. “Then Vane, Quill, and Notch.”
“They are perfect,” Soren said. “Did you carve them yourself?” She traced the blade to its tip and then hissed when she nicked herself.
Rook reached forward to grab the injured finger and sucked it into his mouth to remove the crimson droplet from its end. “Yes, while I healed,” he answered, keeping pressure on her fingertip. It was the tiniest of cuts and stopped bleeding almost instantaneously.
“Thank you,” she breathed and turned to embrace him.
“You’re welcome, little bird,” he said into her hair. “Besides, I owed you.”
She let out a soft laugh. “That you did.”
“I am sorry,” he said seriously.
“For what?”
“About making you lose your father’s daggers. Had I known they were so sentimental, I would have?—”
“Stop.” Soren pressed her hand to his mouth. “I don’t want to spend what could be our last night together dwelling on our past mistakes. I just want to be here with you.”
He nodded, kissing the tips of her fingers before removing her hand so he could lean in to kiss her lips. She sighed against his mouth, and a hungry growl broke free from the back of his throat.
“Wait,” she said breathlessly, and he pulled back, searching her eyes.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, his brow worrying.
“Not at all,” she replied. “I just hope you know how much you mean to me.”
“I know,” he replied, twirling her hair between his fingers. The blue strands had fallen loose from their ties and fell in a soft curtain around her shoulders. Her dark eyes danced in the low flame of the oil lamp, and her skin glowed a deep bronze. He brushed her hair aside and trailed kisses down her shoulder, relishing in the way it caused goosebumps to rise on her arms.
He removed Rachi from her hand and placed it with the rest of the blades, rolling them up and setting them on the table. Soren was surprised when he held out a hand instead of rejoining her on the cot.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he shouldered his pack and led her out of the tent.
He held a finger to his lips and made a shushing sound.
They passed by the rest of the tents and made their way onto the open field. It was silent, and the late autumn air sent a chill up her spine. There was a slight breeze coming in from the west that seemed to clear away the scent of scorched earth.
“I have one last thing for you,” he replied cryptically as he dragged her onto the wooden platform Jai had used to make his address.
She stood aside as he pulled a thin blanket from his ruck and laid it out on the platform, beckoning her to sit. He was leaning against the wood post, and she crawled to settle between his legs, resting her head back against his shoulder. The half-walls of the platform protected them from most of the elements as she let herself snuggle against Rook’s warm body.
“So, are you going to tell me why we’re out here?” she asked.
“No, I am going to show you.”
As if the night itself had overheard their conversation, a meteor shot across the sky, its tail burning in a brilliant flash of white light.
“Oh, wow!” Soren exclaimed, awestruck by the phenomenon.
“I overheard one of the farmers saying there would be a meteor shower this week.”
“How could he possibly have known that?” Soren asked as another bright flash streaked across the sky.
“His son owned a star-glass and could predict showers up to one month in advance.”
“And if he had been wrong?” she challenged.
“Then the stars would have had to do.”
“It’s perfect,” Soren replied, staring upward as more meteors lit up the night. “You’re perfect.” She turned, pressing her lips to his. He groaned as she climbed into his lap to deepen the kiss.
“You’re … going … to miss it,” he growled between kisses as his hands reached around to grab her from behind, pressing her closer to him.
“No, we won’t,” she replied, kissing down his neck and nipping him hard. She smiled at the little indent her teeth left behind.
“Little bird,” he warned.
“Yes,” she replied in a sing-song voice before tracing the shell of his ear with her tongue and doling out another sharp bite.
“Fuck,” he groaned then commanded, “I want you on your back.”
She did as he said and laid back, the blanket doing little to protect her from the wooden boards.
He moved quickly, stalking toward her on his knees, his eyes as dark as the sky above them. Then, wasting no time, he removed her bottoms, and she squeaked as the cool night air breezed over her sensitized skin. He tossed them aside but chose to leave her undergarments on in case they were interrupted. He didn’t want to share this part of her with anyone. She was his.
He traced the lines of her panties, and she let out a little moan as he slipped a finger past the fabric and teased her core. She was wet and wanting, and he couldn’t wait to taste her.
He stretched the fabric to the side and sucked at her sweet spot as he curled two fingers inside her. She bucked against him, moaning his name.
“Rook, please,” she begged.
“Open your eyes, little bird,” he ordered between licks.
She was so focused on how good he felt between her legs that she hadn’t realized she had closed them. She let out another moan of appreciation, and her eyes shot open.
The entire sky was laid out before her from her new vantage point, and the meteor shower was in full force. Her mouth popped open in an O as he circled her clit and she cried out.
“Be as loud as you want, little bird. No one can hear you. I want you to scream my name to the stars as you come for me.”
“Maker, Rook, right there,” Soren moaned, grinding into him. “Don’t you dare stop.”
He was relentless, and the thread of pleasure that was building inside her was pulled so taut she feared she would snap from the ecstasy of it all.
The meteors blazed overhead as Rook ignited the inferno inside her. She exploded around him like a dying star, her orgasm going supernova as she screamed his name.
As she came down from her climax, he crawled up to her face to claim her mouth. She could barely breathe as his tongue danced with hers.
She fumbled to unclasp his belt, and he sucked in a breath as her hand slipped into his trousers to grasp his firmness. She stroked him from root to tip as he palmed her breasts, his breathing getting more erratic by the second.
“I can’t wait anymore,” she said, pushing his trousers past his hips and grabbing his length, pulling him toward her.
“Impatient little bird,” he chided, reaching a hand down to guide himself into her. She was so wet for him, and he growled in appreciation, the sound rumbling low in his chest.
“Fuck, Soren,” he groaned as he pushed in deeper. He grasped her hips hard enough to bruise and started picking up the pace. He leaned back to look at the stars as he pounded into her and she cried out in pleasure. The meteors streaked past in a stunning display, and he clenched his teeth together. He would not last much longer.
“I’m going to … Rook … please,” she begged. “Come with me.”
He could feel her tighten around him, and his eyes met hers. “As you wish, little bird,” he managed as his climax crested. It was as if every nerve ending lit up at once, and the stars in his eyes matched those above.
After finishing, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. Then, once he was able to catch his breath, he rolled off of her, using a corner of the blanket to clean her off.
She slipped her training pants back on, and they returned to their seated position with Soren between his legs to watch the rest of the meteor shower, bodies sated and hearts full.
“Rook,” Soren said quietly into the night.
“Yes, little bird.”
“I lov?—”
She was cut off by an earth-shattering boom in the distance.
Both of them were on their feet in an instant, Rook grabbing the hunting knife he had placed in his ruck for emergencies.
The ground shook as more booms sounded, this time coming from all around them.
They took a moment to face each other. An understanding passed between them. Soren’s eyes were wide with fear, and Rook’s had iced over. They knew that sound. Soren had only heard it once before, but it was a sound that had haunted Rook’s dreams since he was a child. The sound marked the arrival of a Celestial in Entheas.
As if needing to hear the confirmation herself, Soren looked at the field before them and said, “They’re here.”