22. Freshly Planted #2
Thea picked her head up from the table, blinking drowsily, before guilt seeped into her expression. "Yes. That's why it took me so long to come back for you again. I'm sorry." Aaryn felt the need to look away, but she didn't give in. "I was going to come sooner, but…"
"Don't… apologize," Aaryn murmured. "Arguably more important things needed your attention."
Thea was quiet, and her gaze felt heavy. Her lips parted, but she ultimately swallowed her words and the moment passed.
“You named it New Leaf?” Aaryn asked a few moments later.
Thea’s lip twitched.
And still, Aaryn pondered what came next when she took care of Starspark, brushing his scales and using the bristles to scratch in his favorite places while Thea, always there, lounged in the sun and soaked up its rays like a dragon herself.
She stretched, and one of the sleeveless shirts she often wore lifted, baring a pale lavender strip of skin along her stomach.
The question plagued her as she sank into the Thea-shaped dent in her bed each night and listened to the soft snore coming from the floor beside the mattress.
As the giant moon rose and as the bright sun awoke her.
As Thea trained her, putting her through drills to improve her stamina. As Thea introduced her to the healers, the chefs, the farmers and gardeners, and the other Awakened, their dragons, and even some of the druids Thea worked with, who—like Thea herself—had specific duties to fulfill.
"Don't let Thea work you too hard. We know she can be… intense," said one, with mischievous eyes and green horns.
"I am not intense," Thea snapped.
The following silence made Aaryn laugh, and she tucked her grin into her hand at Thea's sharp look.
Thea showed her the school, and paired it with stories of her upbringing there.
"I always had something to say, and I could’ve worked on my delivery a little."
"You were a little shit. Who would've guessed?" Aaryn drawled.
Thea's lopsided grin made her chest warm.
"I'll admit your hand-to-hand is solid. You have good reflexes," Thea murmured between harsh breaths that spilled into the late afternoon air.
"Told you. The prince was thorough," she said, because Aaryn was growing to love the way it made Thea grit her teeth, like she was doing now.
"Bring up the prince one more time and I'll bring out the staff," Thea threatened.
Aaryn discovered a slight problem when Thea wielded a staff: the druid looked very good doing so.
In the breeze, her dark, jagged hair sliced across her heather cheek, which was a deeper color, flushed with exertion.
The angle of the sun revealed freckles on her face that Aaryn had never noticed beyond the one on her jawline.
Her biceps flexed with intention as she held the staff along her body.
She was staring, and she knew it. She blinked and tried to focus on the technique Thea was eagerly explaining. But to focus, Aaryn stared at her mouth as she spoke, and her little cupid's bow was so cute, actually. Was her bottom lip always so full?
Oh my skies. What is wrong with you?
Aaryn shifted her attention to Thea's hands, and the words were landing clearer now—funny how that worked.
Aaryn had never had trouble focusing on the prince's instructions.
Of course, the prince had never looked quite so distracting as Thea did, dappled with the sunlight through the leaves and branches, a curl on her lips, the staff held so casually and effortlessly at her side.
“Here,” Thea said, and turned away toward the other staff leaning against a tree.
Aaryn grimaced behind her back. You could try being a little normal.
Beside that tree was Starspark, and even he looked disappointed in her. I'll be so normal, she mouthed at him, and then smoothed her expression back into something neutral as Thea spun.
“Try it,” Thea said, and held it out to her.
Aaryn didn’t know what she expected, but when she wrapped a hand around the smooth wood, she hefted it easily. “Oh, it doesn’t feel that different from Starspark’s brush!”
"I thought you’d say that.” Thea’s satisfied smirk made it warmer beneath the sun. There was a twitch to her cheek as if she knew, and Aaryn wanted to expire right then and there.
"Ready?" Thea asked.
No, probably not.
"Of course," Aaryn said.
Aaryn’s chance finally came when Thea was called away by Vaelen.
Aaryn had elected to stay with Starspark on Dragons’ Nest. "We'll be fine," she told Thea, and waved her off.
As Thea walked away, she glanced over her shoulder. Twice.
Aaryn offered a small wave, and waited until she had disappeared from sight to whisper to Starspark. "Let's go, hurry!"
She knew it would be weeks before Vaelen or Thea let her attempt something like this, so they'd just have to be quiet about it. Casual. Like she was supposed to be here.
Here. At the Playground. No dragons or Awakened on the obstacle course.
"The Great Dragon is looking out for us," she sang to Starspark conspiratorially. "Do you want to?" she asked, motioning to the sharp hills and low branches and dangling vines that awaited them.
"We've got to be quick," she said, hushed and peering around. "But not too quick," she warned sternly.
Starspark grumbled, high-pitched and excited as she settled onto his neck, feet tucked and hands braced on his scales. "Now—" she began, but she could practically feel his eagerness in the vibration of his body beneath hers, and he flared his wings, flapping them to send himself into the air.
Her stomach flipped as Starspark dove upwards, arcing them over a tall branch, and then lower to swoop under one.
The wind blew her hair back, and exhilaration filled her as Starspark flew through the course, between rocks and vines and over hills.
Aaryn gripped tightly and tried to direct him the best she could, but Starspark was all instincts.
He thrummed beneath her with elation and Aaryn whooped in delight.
…Right up until Starspark got a little too into it, and spun. As his wings expanded and he turned his body, Aaryn was suddenly upside down, weightless, and her grip slipped off of his scales.
They weren't flying too incredibly high, but it still stung when Aaryn landed. Even more so that she landed in a dip between two small hills. She splashed into the puddle that had formed, and sat up, spluttering.
"Starspark!" she squeezed out between lungs that were too tight from the impact.
"Andddd that's why we use the harness," someone said, and Aaryn jerked her attention to the side, where a spectator had unknowingly watched. An Awakened with her dragon, both wearing matching, amused expressions.
"I didn't expect him to do that," Aaryn wheezed, and then laughed as Starspark nudged his snout into her back apologetically. "It's okay," she told him.
"Otherwise, you two did pretty well," Lucille said. Aaryn had briefly been introduced to her, and seen her in action on the Playground.
"Thanks," Aaryn said, and accepted the hand she offered. She pulled Aaryn to her feet, and Aaryn stood there, dripping sadly and a little guiltily.
"I'll keep this between us," Lucille said with a chuckle. "We all start somewhere, and I know how much it hurts to wait for the fun part," she said, motioning to the course.
"You will?"
She nodded, grinning. "Go get changed. Starspark can watch Moonglide and I go through the course."
As much as Aaryn would also like to watch, she didn't want Thea to find her soaking wet from her sins. She'd never live it down.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. We'll be here," she said.
Aaryn turned to Starspark, her pretend glare softening at his big, round eyes. "It's okay, buddy. I'll be right back. Stay with Lucille, okay?"
He made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat, and settled down onto his haunches. Aaryn couldn't help but laugh, and kissed him on the snout before she backed away. "I'll be so fast. Thank you, Lucille!"
Lucille waved her away and Aaryn headed for the transportation runes. In moments she was walking the Heart, surprising herself with her familiarity already. Even without Thea's guidance she knew just where to go, what paths to take, to find Thea's home again.
It was a wonder that weeks ago, she'd been practically afraid of this place. Now she knew better.
Amongst the emotions Aaryn had experienced in her first days with the druids, regret was not one of them.
In fact, Aaryn found that she didn't miss the castle very much at all.
She hadn't known she was allowed to want some of the things that were so freely given here—the training, the flying, her time with Starspark. It was more beautiful here than she could ever imagine. And rife with magic.
She changed and tossed her wet clothes in with the pile of dirtied clothing before slipping back out. Thea would be none the wiser.
As she closed the door behind her, the high-pitched squeals of laughter and delight reached her ears. A small group of kids were approaching, bouncing toward Thea's house.
They stared with wide eyes as they found Aaryn instead.
"Hi there," she said, offering a small wave. "Are you looking for Thea?"
They stood upright, and each of them hid their hands behind their back with a flutter and crinkle of paper. Aaryn spied the colorful marks of drawings on them.
Is this where Thea had gotten her art decorations?
The tallest one nodded. "We had art today! We wanted to show her," he said.
Aaryn smiled. "She's with Vaelen right now, but I think she'll be back soon. Would you like me to tell her to come find you when she's done?"
They nodded excitedly, hopping around with the energy only kids could muster.
"Are you Thea's wife?" one of the girls stopped to ask.
Aaryn choked on a laugh. "No, not at all."
"Then why are you living together?" a small boy followed up, and was immediately elbowed by the tallest.
"Not everyone who lives together is married. We live together. We're not married," he pointed out with logic only children could use.
The small one opened his mouth as if he had come to a conclusion. "Ohh, so your family was hurt too?"