Chapter 18
Theo
A nearby branch smacked me in the face, its leaves rustling as I wrestled with it. My palms scraped against its bark as I batted it away, ducking in irritation when the leaves slid across my scalp.
My thoughts were elsewhere. I was preoccupied with Gunnar, the witches, and the war, so I hadn't noticed I'd guided my horse, Konai, too close to the forest's edge. She was restless, shaking her head, her long white mane falling to the other side of her neck.
Yawning, I patted her head, knowing she could probably use a break since we hadn’t stopped to rest much.
Dedra and I had split up to check on other camps.
While I knew Aria had the southern part covered, I wanted to see it for myself.
Well, and to make sure Jaxon was still alive.
Xavier told me he sent Jaxon to see Aria, but we hadn't heard anything since, and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
The path ahead curved, and we started to slope at a decline.
We were traveling close to the ward, following it down as opposed to the usual paths.
I wanted to monitor it. Make sure nothing funny was happening where we weren’t stationed.
So far, thankfully, besides the occasional daka, it had been quiet.
Stroking Konai’s mane, she neighed loudly, and I sighed. Steering her away from the ward, I found a large tree and climbed off her back, landing with a thud.
Pulling a few apples from my pack, I tossed one onto the forest floor, and Konai greedily took it, trotting off to lie under a nearby tree. I threw the remaining few toward her, and she snorted happily as I smiled at her.
I turned and jumped, grabbing onto a low-hanging branch, which I used to pull myself up. After climbing a few more feet, I leaned back against the trunk, settling in and propping my feet up. With my eyelids already heavy, I closed them and sighed, anticipating the amazing nap I was about to have.
CRASH.
My eyes shot open.
What now… that branch was so comfy.
A shrill cry rang out, and I leapt from the branch.
Landing in a crouching position on the forest floor, I tilted my head to listen.
The cry rang out again, and I ran toward the direction of the sound.
Konai, not even bothered in the slightest, merely rolled onto her side under a nearby tree, and closed her eyes.
Approaching a clearing, I heard the girl more clearly.
“I’m not one of them! Get off me, you pests!”
Her cries made me slow my approach, and I wondered if I was about to encounter a witch.
Peering around a nearby tree, I saw a flash of red hair.
It wasn’t Aria; her hair wasn't as curly or as orange. Aria’s was a truer, darker red that glinted, whereas this hair was wild and bright.
I watched as she swatted at the air above her head, where two small pixies were laughing and pulling at her curls.
They sniggered as the girl twisted and swatted at them, their tiny blue hands yanking at her strands as if it were a game.
A smile tugged at my lips as I watched the pixies attack.
The girl was beautiful, with fair skin dusted by freckles across her nose and cheeks.
Her curvy figure drew my gaze, particularly her nearly exposed chest where half-undone buttons on her shirt revealed a hint of white lace beneath.
She looked wild and fierce, and I realized I was watching like a creep instead of helping her.
Clearing my thoughts, I started to step into the clearing, but paused as she cried out again.
“Enough, you little beasts!” she screeched, still swatting wildly at the air. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if you keep this up, I’ll freeze you and smash your corpses!”
At this, the pixies took off into the sky, their laughter still ringing in the air.
The wild beauty before me grunted in satisfaction, running her hands through her hair, trying to smooth it out.
“Pests,” she muttered under her breath, straightening her clothing and tucking her shirt back into her pants.
She bent down, picked up a vest I hadn’t noticed, and threw it on over her shirt, which was still not fully buttoned, revealing the curve of her very full breasts.
Stop looking at her chest, Theo…
I cleared my throat and finally stepped into the clearing. Her head whipped in my direction, her large brown eyes widening in surprise. As I opened my mouth to speak, I was forced to duck, a large spear of ice whizzing past my face.
“Fates! I was just coming to ask if you were alright!” I straightened, my eyes widening as another icy spear hurtled toward me.
Scrambling behind a nearby tree, I dove out of the way as the ice shattered against its trunk.
Glancing around, I found the clearing empty.
Then, through the trees, I spotted her sprinting.
She was heading directly for the ward… damn it.
I surged forward, unleashing a torrent of water in her direction.
She must have sensed it, spinning around and crossing her arms over her face just as my magic hit her shield, shoving her back.
I closed the distance instantly, crashing into her and sending us both tumbling to the forest floor, just feet from the ward.
“So, I take it you're a witch, then?” I growled, pinning her as she thrashed beneath me, ice forming under her palms.
“Do I look like a bloody witch?” she spat. I held her wrist down, preventing her from directing her magic at my face.
“You lie like one,” I retorted. “You told those pixies you were on our side, when it's clear you're heading back to your friends on the other.”
“It's complicated,” she barked, managing to free one wrist and elbow me in the jaw.
I tried to regain control of her arm, but she blasted magic into the dirt, using the force to throw me off her.
She shot to her feet, sprinting again. I tried to get to my feet, but she made a patch of ice that she clearly thought ahead for, and I slipped and fell with a crash onto its now splintering surface.
A growl tore from my lips as I watched her smirk over her shoulder at me, stepping through the ward.
To my surprise, however, she stopped running and turned to face me. Her lips pulled into a satisfied smile as she chuckled. She stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out—pulled out a fucking piece of cheese and popped it into her mouth.
Slightly wounded that she had gotten away from me, I grumbled and got to my feet. Slipping like an untrained child on the ice once more, I eventually regained my balance and walked the short distance to face my opponent.
“Why were you on this side of the ward, witch?” I barked, but the girl only reached back into her pocket and pulled out another cube of cheese.
“Not a witch. I don't need blood to use my magic,” she said with a smirk and plopped the cube into her mouth, chewing slowly as her eyes slowly roamed over me.
“In this heat, that cheese is probably going bad in your pocket, I personally prefer grapes as my travel snack—less mess.” The words were out before I could stop them, and I instantly cringed, wondering what possessed me to engage in small talk. Gross.
Her wild red hair framed her face, spilling over it as she tilted her head and looked at me incredulously. A flush crept up my neck as she asked, “Are you stupid?”
“Excuse me?”
“You have magic, don't you? You can spell your pocket to be temperature-controlled, allowing you to keep whatever you like inside,” she said with a scoffing laugh. “Boys are such idiots.”
My cheeks flushed.Why hadn't I thought of that?
She continued to ramble, “What a shame. I was hoping you were a smart one.”
Stuttering, I managed, “I—what?—I…” Clenching my fists at my side, I took a composing breath. “What were you doing on this side of the barrier, witch?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “I already told you, I am not a witch.” She flashed her teeth as if to prove the matter. “You aren’t a very good listener.”
“I listen just fine,” I snapped, rolling my shoulders. Why was I letting her get under my skin? I needed to take control of the conversation. “You are the one who must not be very smart if you are working with them,” I countered, and she seemed to narrow her eyes on me.
“And I told you it is complicated.” She sighed, pulling another cube of cheese from her pocket and chewing.
“As for your previous question, those damn pixies picked me up while I was napping and dumped me in that clearing.” She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Those bastards are cute and all, but fates they are a nuisance. I don’t know how you guys co-exist with them.
Are they always just around playing tricks on your people or only sometimes?
Do they behave and act civilly ever? And where do they even live?
I heard rumors they live in hollowed-out trees, and others say they have places in your villages, or is it both? ”
Caught off guard by her rambling, I blinked. Who was this woman? And holy fates, she was still talking.
“Do you ever—”
“Stop,” I groaned internally.
She pursed her lips and stared at me pointedly, as if waiting for something. “Well?”
“Well, what?” I said sharply, blinking at her again, unable to stop my eyes moving over her hair, her face—
She rolled her eyes and uncrossed her arms. “The pixies, my questions! Were you even listening to me?” She grumbled, and she seemed really put off by it.
“Why would I tell my enemy anything about my lands or its people?”
“I told you—I am not your enemy. Kind of. Technically. Look, I’m a rebel, a spy for my people, which means yeah, I’m against her, so I guess that puts us on the same team…
sort of.” The girl looked at me pointedly, and when I didn't respond she said smugly, “Did you understand that? Or do you need me to make a chart or something?”
My blood boiled. “Don’t you think that’s risky, admitting that so loudly? Anyone could be listening.”
“You really are dense,” she said, rolling her eyes yet again, the brown hue making my stomach flip. “I obviously put up a silencing spell around us.”
Snarling, I took a threatening step toward her. “Stop insulting me, witch.” But she only smirked. Fucking smirked! She is lucky this barrier is between us…
“It’s really too easy.”
“What is?” I hissed through clenched teeth.
“Getting under your skin. You have many tells, did you know that?”
“I do not have tells.”
The girl kept smiling, smugly. “Well, if you aren’t going to answer my questions, I think I’ll be going now.
It was—” she paused as if trying to find the right word— “an experience meeting you. Hope to never cross paths again!” She said it almost too cheerfully and spun on her heel and started skipping…
she was literally skipping away from me. What the—
“Wait!” I called out, and I wasn’t sure why. She stopped and turned halfway, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I’m Theondrus.” My birth name slipped past my lips before I could stop myself, and embarrassment crept under my skin at practically shouting it at her.
She smiled softly, and something in my chest fluttered. Fucking fluttered.
“Cynthia.”
Cynthia… the name felt strangely familiar, but I couldn't place why.
The girl turned and skipped away through the trees, and I just stood there, staring after her, unable to look away.
Something brushed against my cheek, and I turned to find Konai stepping up beside me.
I let out a breath, and reached into my pack for one of the many sandwiches I'd stolen, taking a huge bite.
Still staring after her, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to be trouble.