Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
Samaria
Gasping, I sit up with a start, clawing at the panic in my chest.
“Sam?” Jarek reaches for me but I push him away. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I say a bit breathlessly. “Just a nightmare.” One I can’t remember but I’m sure involved flames and Loxley and Jarek. The same repeated images for the last several days.
“Lie down, Sam.” Jarek reaches for me again and this time I don’t push him away. He wraps me in his arms, placing my head against his chest. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s been going on?”
His fingers run down my arms. I close my eyes, honing my focus on the movements of his chest. I want to memorize his heartbeat. The way his lungs expand. The scent of him and his taste.
“Yes,” I whisper.
And so, in the darkness of our room, I do.
I tell Jarek of the pain I feel every time I think of Loxley. I tell him of the brokenness inside of me every time I think of him leaving. I tell him of all the envious feelings I have toward my brother and the ridiculous resentment I feel toward my mother.
I tell him of my magick and seeing my father. Of seeing Elora’s mother. With every admission, little by little, the heaviness in my shoulders begins to lessen.
He strokes my shoulder with his thumb as we lie curled into each other. “I wish you would have told me sooner.”
“So you could pity me?” I smile, attempting some lightness after so many weeks floating in the dark.
He takes my chin and directs my face toward his. “No,” he says. “So I can help you.” His lips meet mine briefly, and my stomach erupts as a swarm of butterflies works their way through me.
“I’ve decided something by the way,” I say.
“Have you?”
I prop myself on my elbow to get a better look at him. His blue eyes are the color of the sea. Not the water closest to the shore but the deepest parts of the ocean. Filled with secrets and life. “I’ve decided that you’re right.”
He throws his hands up dramatically and gasps.
Arse.
“About what?” he asks through a laugh as I pinch him under the blanket.
“That even an ocean isn’t grand enough to keep me from loving you.”
Jarek stops laughing, his face growing more serious.
“When the blight is over, and the seas have calmed.” I climb on top of him. “When the people of Loxley are settled, I’ll come for you.”
He closes his eyes as I take his face in my hands.
“I’ll board a ship.” I kiss his cheek. “I’ll sail across the ocean.” I kiss his other cheek. “And I’ll find you.”
Jarek pulls me into him, his kiss bruising and claiming and that’s all it takes until I’m lost in him. He peels off my camisole and tosses it aside, then my undergarments.
“On your back.” His lips graze the shell of my ear before nipping the bottom. His hands wrap around the back of my legs, tugging me toward him.
“Jarek.” I moan as he trails kisses across the inside of my thigh, then the other.
“Let me see you, Sam,” he says.
My legs fall open and he takes his time, kissing me, looking at me, driving me mad with his tongue. When I’ve had enough, I pull him up so his body encases mine.
“Needy.” He chuckles before kissing my neck.
“For you?” I say, wrapping my legs around him. “Always.”
This earns me whispers of praise, and my body ignites as the last gap between us closes. His body works against mine as my fingers pull through his hair. My legs clench around him, and when he angles me just the way he knows I like it, stars erupt behind my eyes.
“Good girl,” he mumbles against my neck. “But you can give me another.”
And so, I do.
“You’re still flushed,” Jarek whispers as we head to breakfast.
Or perhaps now it’s closer to lunch.
“I am not.” I push him lightly, but he grabs my arm and wraps me into his side.
As we reach the kitchen, the smells hit me first. Freshly baked bread, sugar-coated blackberries with mint, and… I stop just outside the doorway and take a large inhale.
“Coffee!” I scream, abandoning Jarek in the hall.
My mother, Letty, and Eviey all chuckle as I help myself to a cup of the freshly brewed liquid. It’s spicy, rich aroma calms me instantly, and I savor the first sip even though it scalds my tongue.
“Morning,” Elora says through a laugh.
“Where did you get this?” I ask Agnes as she slices the bread.
“Lord Thaddeus,” she says. “Since we’re leaving tonight, we figured we’d make the entire day a celebration. Although he and Calix plan to leave shortly. The other Guild members are arriving this week and they want to get a headstart.”
My stomach drops thinking of the other Guilds. Of all we have left to do.
Agnes turns to place the basket of bread on the counter and winces before nearly dropping it.
“Agnes?” Elora says, dropping her knife onto her plate.
“You okay, Mum?” I rush to her side, setting my coffee down on my way.
She brushes me off and glances at the twins. “I’m fine, Sam.”
Letty hands her a small satchel.
“Just tired, I’m an old lady after all and the last few weeks have been trying.” She smiles as she dumps the contents of the satchel into a cup of hot water. “Tallulah gathered me some tea to help with the pain, I just need to sit down for a while.”
I’m reluctant to let go of her arm, but when she insists a second time, I finally do. I drink my coffee in weighted silence with Jarek and Elora at my sides.
“Well, we’re off.” Thaddeus and Calix join us in the kitchen. Thaddeus pauses at the counter before plopping a blackberry into his mouth. “Make sure to leave by nightfall, don’t want to get caught in the Trinity Forest after dark.”
“Why not?” Elora asks. “Oh right, vicious wolves.”
Was that a joke ?
“I’ve heard they’re feral, beasts.” I decide to lean into it. “They’ll rip your throat—” I wince, remembering just how feral the wolves truly were yesterday on Cade. “Too soon?”
“Too soon.” Elora throws a blackberry at me, and I’m mad when I don’t catch it in my mouth.
“I wanted to thank you,” Calix says, stepping to join Elora and I at the table. “I know you didn’t have to hear me out, but I’m thankful you did.”
All humor and playfulness washes from Elora’s face. She smiles, tight and closed, and Calix must take it for what it is because he only nods before he turns.
“Calix,” she says, standing from the table.
He turns to her, his eyes wide. Hopeful? I missed something, clearly.
“I’ll see you at the Onyx Guild,” Elora says. His face lights up, like she has just tossed him a line in a raging sea.
He and Thaddeus pack a few provisions, say a few more goodbyes, but as they leave, a wave of unease hits my gut. I stand and follow them, keeping light on my toes. Thaddeus is already in the caravan by the time I make it outside, but Calix has stopped, bracing himself against a pillar, his hand hanging loosely at his side. My heart constricts, the wave that I felt earlier intensifies and it is still an unnatural feeling that I forget the wave is my magick calling to me. Taking a deep breath, I accept its presence and that’s when I see her.
Elwyn.
She manifests with a glowing aura filling the space next to Calix. She reaches for him and when she does, his hand flexes before he shudders and moves forward. Just out of her reach. Her eyes trail him and it isn’t until he’s in the caravan that she vanishes. Gone. Like she was never here.
I stumble back into the kitchen in a haze.
“You’re up late by the way,” Elora says between bites of jellied bread. She smiles but her eyes bounce between me and Agnes. A similar weariness in them that I’m sure is mirrored in my own.
I retake my seat and bury my face in my coffee cup.
“Oh, we’ve been up,” Jarek mutters next to me.
I cut him a glare but it quickly melts when I’m met with a smile.
Elora pours herself a cup of coffee, bringing it to her nose and taking a long inhale just as I had done. Agnes pats her arm lightly, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Did something happen with Calix?” I ask over my mug.
Elora sighs, dropping the last bits of her bread on her plate. “Yes, actually. Turns out, he knew my mother.”
“Oh?” I take another sip of coffee, savoring the bold yet nutty flavor.
“Yes,” she says. “He knew her.”
“Knew her…” I place my mug down.
“Apparently they knew each other very well.”
I throw my hands over my mouth. “Elora!” I move to sit beside her. “Calix is your father?”
“It would appear so.” She shrugs, but I don’t miss the smile on her lips before she takes another bite.
“This is what I get for going to bed early.” I sigh. “I want all the details on our way to the Onyx Guild.” I pick my mug back up and cradle it between my palms. “Where is my brother, by the way?”
“I’m not sure,” Elora says. “He was gone when I woke?—"
“Miss me that much already?” Sorin enters the room as he does every room, like he owns it. He kisses Elora’s cheek before pouring himself a cup of the delightfully sinful liquid.
“Where were you?” Elora asks.
“A walk.” He shrugs before taking a large gulp of coffee and setting his cup down. “Was feeling restless. Now!” he shouts, clapping his hands together. “Today is our last day at the beautiful Jade Guild, and since we’ve agreed to wait until nightfall to travel with the wolves, I heard talk of a party?” His voice is boisterous but something about him is off. His shoulders are tense and darkness lines under his eyes. Then, I notice how he twists our father’s ring on his finger.
He’s nervous about something.
But what?
Letty and Eviey lay out a small plate of mixed cheeses and cured meats, along with the sugared blackberries I smelt earlier. Tallulah and Evren join us, filling their cups with tea and plates with breakfast.
Lunch?
I still have no idea what time it is.
“We must celebrate our Samaria.” The twins rush my sides, pinching my cheeks just as they did when I was a child.
I groan into my cup. “It’s not just about me. Surely there’s something else we can celebrate too.” I look to Sorin for help, anything to keep the focus from me for a moment. I’m typically the first to jump on the opportunity for attention, but after seeing my father yesterday I’m still shaken up.
Sorin’s face cuts into a wicked grin. One I know too well but have seen so little the last few weeks. “There’s one thing we can celebrate.”
“Sorin,” Elora says, holding up a hand before he can elaborate. They share a look and despite my brother’s odd demeanor it’s difficult not to laugh at just how opposite they are. Her brows are furrowed, and Sorin’s grin is wide. He props his elbows on the table and bats his thick, dark lashes at her.
“Perhaps a wedding?”
Most of the afternoon is spent packing the remainder of the Jade Guild’s belongings; the rest of the larder items, some cots and blankets, and boxes upon boxes of plants Tallulah insists we bring. But after most things are secured, we shift our focus to the celebration. When Sorin told Elora about a wedding, of course she insisted on doing nothing of the sort. But with a little convincing from the twins and a grotesque amount of talking from my brother, she conceded and now here we are.
Just outside the keep is a small garden that Tallulah happily explained she grew from scratch.
“Not an ounce of magick was used to grow these beauties,” she says, pointing to the beautiful dahlia’s and orange pumpkins.
The twins took the last of the candles and lined them down a small path between two pine trees. The sight brings me back to Loxley. My eyes sting but I continue to set a few chairs out, although I’m not quite sure how this works. I’ve never attended a wedding before but somewhere to sit seems like a good idea.
I smooth the wrinkles from my deep, emerald dress. It’s too tight for my curves, but Tallulah was generous enough to loan Elora and I each something to wear, so it felt wrong to decline.
“Sam.” Agnes peeks out the doorway. “Elora needs you and Tallulah to come help her.” Tallulah and I share a smile as we head in.
Tallulah walks ahead of me, reminding me the way to Sorin and Elora’s room. Her dark hair is braided in a crown, ivy woven throughout. Her skin is luminous against the pale pink dress she wears.
When we enter the room, my breath catches. Elora’s hair is swept back but loose, a few golden waves framing her face. The dress, one of Tallulah’s, is a beautiful sage with delicate yellow flowers across the bodice and down the tight sleeves. The neckline is high, but when she turns around, doing a spin for us, the back is swooped low, showing off her ivory skin.
“Well?” she asks, her cheeks turning as pink as Tallulah’s dress.
“Beautiful!” Tallulah says, clasping her hands together. “I knew it would fit.”
“Beautiful,” I whisper.
“May I?” Tallulah steps forward, gesturing to Elora’s hair. She shrugs. and as Tallulah raises her wrists. my stomach drops.
“Wait.” I step forward. “Hunters?”
Elora and Tallulah share a glance, smiles splitting across their faces, and before they say anything, I already know. They’re not worried about hunters anymore.
Because they’re not afraid.
Perhaps it was easy for us to be frightened alone in all of this, but we’re not alone anymore. I square my shoulders and take a deep breath. If they’re not scared, then neither am I. I’m a Mother-blessed Enchantress, for fuck’s sake. My palms tingle, magick flowing through them with ease. My skin prickles as a spirit enters the room, raising the hairs on my arms.
Elwyn steps to my side, her glowing skin flickering, as if she may fade away any moment. She holds her hands to her chest, and although she can’t cry—at least I don’t think she can—her face twists as if she is. An ache forms beneath my breast for her.
Tallulah flicks her wrists, drawing my attention, and Elora and I both gape as beautiful white flowers begin to blossom in the palm of her hands. She places them in Elora’s hair so they cascade down her loose waves. She flicks her wrist again, and this time a slightly larger, white flower grows. She tucks it behind Elora’s ear and grins.
“Now you’re ready.” She spins her to the small mirror and the smile on her face is almost enough to bring a tear to my eye.
“I told your brother this could wait,” she says to me through the mirror. “But he wants to ensure we’re married before he meets with the council. Besides, you know how stubborn he can be.”
I choke on a laugh. Of course I know, because he gets it from me.
Elwyn’s spirit draws closer, so I raise my wrists slightly, making sure the movement is subtle enough that Elora doesn’t see. I don’t wish to upset her, especially on this day. But I open the window between the spirit and myself, giving her just enough time to pass along a message.
“She is radiant.”