15. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter fifteen
Four days later, and I'm not sure I won anything. Drea’s condition for coming with us was we had to get off the road and travel through the forest paths, no stopping at lodgings to sleep or even have a hot meal.
The days have been long and punishing, starting out at first light, barely pausing except to take care of the horses, then pushing through until almost dark, finally stopping when we can just see enough to set up tents and collect firewood.
It's been getting noticeably colder since we left the protection of the city walls, where the concentration of so many magic wielders makes the weather far more temperate. Out here, the rain has been constant, only interrupted yesterday by snow, so we’re all wet, tired, and generally miserable.
Not that the weather has slowed my sister down. She says she wants to avoid risking confrontation. I suspect she wants us to hate the harder terrain and rough travel so we’ll decide to turn back. And it might be working, because every inch of my body is racked with pain.
Stiff, aching muscles, chafed thighs not used to long days in the saddle, bruises and stiff joints from sleeping on the cold, rocky ground—if it wasn't for the pain relief and healing tonics I manage to sip in rare moments of privacy, I don't think I'd be coping.
I swear, she's deliberately finding the worst places to stop.
And Benz wasn't kidding about the bland, repetitive food.
I haven't even bothered pulling out the spices he tucked into my pack.
We're down to rationing whatever we brought with us, because Drea won't let us stop and get more provisions, and of course, nothing edible grows outside the capital.
She insists it's too dangerous to hunt anything in the dark.
I'm convinced it's all part of her campaign of misery.
So, we're stuck with nuts, bread, porridge, and the same insipid beef stew every night.
Thanks to magic-imbued crystalline canisters, we did have apples and a few green vegetables left until yesterday. The containers are impressive, relying on trapped thermals and embedded salt crystals to keep food fresh, as long as they're placed in the snow or frigid water occasionally.
A few years ago, Felix adapted the centuries-old design to make the halite resistant to even the most extreme temperatures, doubling their effectiveness.
Without them, we wouldn't have had anything fresh.
Never an ideal situation when traveling Wielders rely on the fuel for relentless days in the saddle and to replenish their magic.
The one bright spot is getting to know Aven.
He tells me all about the collective consciousness Amplifiers get to tap into once they come of age.
That's why they don't attune before then—they have to keep their minds free and clear of outside influences until they connect with the rest of the herd.
It makes sense, then, that Aven seems a lot older and wiser than his years, like he's led many lives and travelled every realm, even though he's been in the paddocks of Zel his entire life.
What it must be like to have that kind of access to your entire history and lineage. Theirs can be directly traced all the way back to Savolia, the winged horse ridden by the Goddess, if the stories are to be believed.
On the fifth day, as I'm contemplating how I might be able to convince my sister to let us spend one night indoors, we ride up over the crest of a snow-dusted hill and almost collide with a familiar figure waiting for us astride a midnight-black Amplifier.
Without needing to say a word, we come to an immediate stop, the four of us nervously meeting the furious glare of none other than Commander Cayzenn Adiston.
We are so fucked.
He nudges his horse toward us, followed closely by a second, lighter one carrying a stunning woman in the same skintight, midnight-blue leathers.
They look like two of the young gods who used to own these lands centuries ago, before the realms were created.
Powerful, muscled bodies move with that lethal warrior grace, Ritual daggers at their hips, glinting in the grey light filtering through the clouds.
The confidence and command they radiate is palpable.
Wind tugs at strands of caramel hair coming loose from the woman's intricate side braid.
The shimmering shades of blonde with one inky black streak are twisted into neat lines resembling the tail of a fish.
My hand trails self-consciously to my own scruffy ponytail in desperate need of a brush, not to mention a wash.
Right, because that's what's important right now.
"Don't bother with the lecture. We're not going back," Willa snaps, not breaking eye contact with the stone-faced Commander blocking our way.
Guess she's decided to go straight for the combative approach.
He scowls at her then Felix, completely ignoring Drea and I for now, although I doubt that will last.
"Yes, you are. I'll pull rank if I have to," he growls in return, the arrogance grating on my last sodden nerve.
"What the fuck are you doing out here?" His horse moves closer to hers.
"I know for a fact you're supposed to be on assignment at the Grotto before you start an Intensive.
And as an Adaptor, Felix has no business being this far out of the city.
" Felix starts to protest, and Cayzenn cuts him off with an angry glare.
Willa glances sideways at me, and he notices before she quickly looks away with an apologetic wince.
The weight of his full attention lands on me.
"This was your idea?" His doubletake is almost comical when his eyes drop from the new purple streak in my hair to the same ones on Aven, realization hitting him hard.
"Care to explain?" His voice is icy and dangerously low, no trace of the man from a week ago.
"Not particularly. It's a long story…" I trail off, undecided about how much I'm willing to divulge.
He raises a dark brow, unimpressed with my non-answer, and I lift my chin in defiance.
"Fine, yes, it's my fault we're out here.
" I'm not letting the twins take any of the blame when they're only breaking the rules for my sake.
His eyes flare at my admission. "And the horse? Do I even want to know how you stole an Amplifier? Since we both know you're a Remedy and haven't been through the Trials.
I roll my eyes. "I didn't steal him. He made a choice. You know, free will and all that?"
"Precisely." I startle when Aven breaks into my thoughts, not entirely used to the interruptions yet. "It seems to be a hard concept for mortal men to grasp. Makes me glad I didn't end up choosing this one when he came to attune. I considered it. Couldn't get past the swagger, though."
I bite my lip to keep from laughing at his memory of the scowling Commander before me. Cayzenn must have caught the slight smile, because he narrows his eyes, moving in close so he can lean over me, despite the threat of our legs being crushed between the two giant horses.
"Is this a joke to you? Dragging my siblings into whatever the hell this is.
Especially when he's aiming for Scholars this year, and she's about to start a round of intensive training.
You're ok with risking their entire futures and your own?
Or has it escaped you that there'll be serious fallout?
" His fury gets louder as the dark clouds break, and it starts to rain.
"It's not a joke," I insist, holding up a gloved hand to shield against the water hitting my cheeks as I look up at him.
"Any chance you want to throw up one of those handy little shields, or is there shelter around here?
You're more than welcome to continue yelling once we're somewhere dry.
" I smile sweetly, and he glares for too long before exhaling loudly.
"Fine. Come with us as far as the inn. Just know I will detain you for theft, not to mention treason, if you can't give me a good reason not to.
It's all too easy to send for the king's guard to take you home to Raviaz.
" Before I have time to respond or agree, he nudges his onyx mare, and she turns in a tight circle, starting a brisk walk, her white and gold tail flicking away the rain.
"Let's go. We need to catch up to the others." He motions for us to follow before looking at my sister. "I'm surprised at you, Drea. Not the best way to show you’re serious about Unit Commander."
She shoots a furious glare at me before guiding Seker up to ride next to him. "Trust me, I tried to make them turn around. I couldn't force them to go back any more than you can. And we both know I should already be UC. If I had a certain something swinging between my legs, I would be."
I laugh under my breath, watching him try to dig his way out of the hole he just tripped into. He mustn't know my sister very well if he doesn't know what a sensitive subject that is.
"What are you going to tell him?" Felix asks quietly after a few minutes of riding in silence.
"The same thing I told Drea, I guess. Unless you two have a better idea?"
Willa shakes her head. "No way that's getting past Zenn. You better think of something more convincing, and fast, because he will absolutely call for the guards if he thinks you're lying."
Well, fuck.
"Hurry up, or you'll be sleeping on horseback tonight," Cayzenn calls over his shoulder. The miserable thought is enough to get us cantering up to a group of leather-clad Wielders I assume are his squad. Their horses meander slowly until we catch up, then we all pick up speed.
The prospect of hours in the saddle in the now-pouring rain can't wipe the smile off my face at the promise of a hot bath, clean clothes, and sleeping in a real bed.
I soon find out those luxuries will be well earned by the time they're a reality, because traveling at this punishing pace is no joke.