33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter thirty-three
Despite not believing her, Varistia’s words still echo in my mind days later.
The sick feeling has eased, and I’ve even managed to eat and train twice since I spoke to her.
I wish I could tell the twins about talking to a damn dragon without making them think I’ve gone insane.
The edict about bringing her the feathers isn't relevant unless they actually find them on one of the last few peaks. Until that happens, I’m keeping my mouth shut.
"I give up. I honestly can’t do this." I grumble, frustrated at another failed attempt at a simple braid, a truly ridiculous thing to care about with everything else going on.
Being stuck in camp makes me stir crazy, though, so failing at something as dumb as my hair is getting on my last nerve.
Not to mention when I wash it, it takes forever to dry in the icy air.
I wish one of the Adaptors would come up with a powder to make it stay clean and shiny for months. I'd pay good coin for that.
Nav always stands watch when Lira is taking care of Hendrix, and when we swap shifts, Willa stays with me.
She sits cross legged in front of me, trying unsuccessfully to hide the amusement dancing in her sparkling blue eyes.
"Here, watch me again. I told you it's much harder to do your own than someone else's.
It just takes practice and patience." She adds with a sly grin and I narrow my eyes until she turns around and starts separating the thick red hair spilling down her back.
I wince at the ache in my arms as I reach up and mimic her actions, muscles sore from holding heavy stones while doing squats and lunges this morning.
"So, are you ready to tell me what's going on with you and my brother yet?
" Infectious laughter spills out of her, filling my chest with an affectionate warmth, even if she's laughing at my expense.
"Ok, I’m done. That's enough for today," I joke, tying off my latest attempt just below my shoulders, even though it's only half finished.
More giggles. "Aly, come on. Talk to me."
My eyes dart to Hendrix, fast asleep on the other side of the fire. His leg is improving, but he can't put weight on it for longer than a few minutes and still needs a lot of rest. "There's nothing to tell. All that goldenblood bullshit isn't going away, remember?"
“Does that mean you want it to?”
“Wils,” I groan, burying my face in my hands to avoid eye contact.
“What? I know I said you should be careful, but I wouldn’t be getting to do any of this without you.” She glances at Hendrix with a soft smile. “Is it really so bad I want you to have a little fun too?”
“With your brother?” I ask, face conveying my disbelief at her encouraging this.
“With someone you choose, not someone your mother pressured you into being with. I haven’t seen you so much as look at another man since everything with Kentiz. You’re different out here, and I think it’s at least partly because of this thing with Zenn.”
“Except there is no thing with him,” I protest feebly.
"Oh, really? There’s no tension between you two?” she teases. “At first, I thought you just annoyed each other. Now, I'm convinced it's something else entirely. I can't remember ever seeing you blush before."
"Don’t know what you’re talking about. There's no blushing."
Willa ties off her perfect braid and gives me a pointed look. "You actually believe that, don't you? It's lucky you can't see yourself at training."
"He's not much better," comes the smug voice of someone who's obviously only been pretending to sleep—fucking Hendrix. "I've never known him to have the patience to train a newbie before. Especially not so…intently."
As if to prove them both right, my cheeks warm at his comment. "Ok, you're clearly in need of another dose, and a nice big pot of tea, extra strong," I say like the threat it is.
The grin slips from Hendrix's face, and he grumbles, "Of all the rotten curses, why did I have to get this damn thing after we lost all our medical supplies?
A few doses of Hortica's healing tonic, and I would've been back walking within a day.
" He grimaces at the bandage on his thigh, and Willa says something soothing I don't catch.
His words render me speechless when I realize my mistake, and all warmth drains from my face.
"Oh, gods, how could I be so stupid?” They turn to look at me, eyebrows raised in question.
"You're either going to love me or hate me after this.
" I toss over my shoulder as I dart to the tent and rummage around in my pack for the silver bottle.
We've been here for a week, and I've stayed in or around camp most of the time, so I haven't needed either tonic.
They're both approaching empty, but I can't believe I didn't think to give what's left of the quick-healing one to Hendrix straight away.
I'm about to take it out to him and confess what a horrible healer I've been, when I get the strangest feeling maybe I should hold on to it.
That would be ridiculous and selfish, though.
He needs it much more than I do. Even if we do still have one peak to scale and the full descent to make afterward, I'll manage ok without it.
The rosy moons are still high in the sky when Lira gently shakes me from the deepest sleep I've had since leaving the castle. I’m energized as I dress, feeling inspired to try something different.
Quietly rummaging through the side pocket of my pack, I pull out what’s left of the spices Benz gave me before we left.
After Lira confirms Hendrix has significantly improved and Xaavi takes over watch from Nav, they head to bed, leaving the two of us alone.
"You want coffee?" I ask when he comes to sit by the fire, eyes casually sweeping our surroundings every few minutes.
He nods, and I hand him a clean cup, filling it from the fresh pot I just made.
"Unfortunately, we're low on supplies, so it's blended with that awful chicory root stuff.” I grimace, holding out a small bag.
“We still have a little sugar left if you want it.
Just don't tell Zenn I used a double ration to make breakfast." He and Jeska got back late last night, another unsuccessful search.
Xaavi laughs, balancing his mug on the makeshift tree stump table to pull out a pencil and sketchpad.
"Your secret's safe with me, although I'm sure you'd only have to ask.
and he'd let you use it all." He’s engrossed in his art before I can formulate a response, and we fall into a companionable quiet.
Hours later, Zenn slips out of his tent, still pulling on his long-sleeved shirt before going to check the camp perimeter, silvery shield fixed firmly in place, like always.
He smiles at something over Xaavi's shoulder, and they exchange a few quiet words.
I catch the tail end of him saying he'll take over watch. Once the sleepy-eyed artist heads back to bed, Zenn checks on a sleeping Hendrix before joining me, effortlessly creating a sound shield around us like he always does when we’re the only ones awake.
"Morning. What smells so good?"
And there it is, that damn smile, enticingly soft on a face full of harsh lines, sharp edges, and dark stubble.
With a grimace at my mug, he tosses the contents out and starts making proper coffee, eying me curiously.
Lifting the makeshift cover I cobbled together, I show him the lightly golden dough spirals slowly rising over the embers of the fire I've been tending since getting up.
The cinnamon and treacly sugar mix is just starting to crisp and bubble.
"Damn, they look as good as they smell," he says, brushing my arm when he leans over to inhale the sweet, spiced steam escaping from the lid. Funny, I was thinking the same thing, not related to the food.
"They worked out better than I expected, considering I had to improvise a few ingredients."
"What brought this on? Did you sleep well or something?"
"I wanted to do something nice, and yes, I did, actually. I've been sleeping better lately."
"Glad to hear it," he replies with a new, secret smile I've never seen before.
Pulling a few rolls away from where the edges have just stuck in the low pan, I find a clean plate and hand them to Zenn. "Now, I just have to hope the rest stay warm until the others are up. They're so much nicer that way, but I can’t leave them on the heat, or they’ll burn."
"If only someone could do something about that." Silvery wisps trickle from his fingertips to form a protective dome around the breakfast treat.
"Just the way the gods intended for their gifts to be used.
" I laugh, following him to a spot near the fire.
We eat in silence, listening to the crackles and pops of pine sap and savoring the rich, bitter coffee with the sugary buns.
"What happens if we don't find anything in the final cave?
Are there other places we'll have to look?
" I ask, trying not to focus on his leg against mine.
It's the closest we've been since he almost kissed me.
"Worried your deadline is approaching, and you'll finally have to tell me where you're really going?"
"Something like that." Ok, exactly that, if I feel like being honest. I don't even pretend to hear whatever he says in response, because I meet his eyes just as he smirks and licks the sticky mixture from the corner of his mouth, making every cohesive thought dissolve from my head. Good gods, this man.
He reaches out to tuck my hair behind my ear before dropping his hand to my leg, resting it there like it's the most natural thing in the world.
We watch faint wisps of silvery magic emanate from his fingers, as if he has such an excess of power, his body can't contain it.
Unable to stop myself, I trace the fine, dark lines of his tattoo with my fingertip, and he shivers at the light contact, tightening his grip on my knee.
I want to ask about the ink disappearing under his sleeve. I’ve never seen one like it. Other than our constellations representing the strength of our magic, people only really get small, usually hidden tattoos to honor loved ones who have passed on. His must be for his mother.
Zenn flips his palm up, catching my trailing fingers mid stroke to intertwine them with his. The tiny intimacy makes my heart race faster than it already was.
"You two are nauseating, you know that?" A rasping voice shatters our bubble. I try to pull my hand back, jaw dropping when Zenn holds firm. Hendrix laughs, "Don't mind me. I'll just be over here, keeping my eyes very, very shut."
"What are you doing?" I hiss, staring pointedly at our joined hands. "What happened to we can't do this?"
"I don't know, Aly. I'm tired. The last week has been shit, and your skin is really soft. That's the only explanation I have for you right now."
My mouth curves up at his ridiculous logic. "What will people think if they see us? Granted, Hendrix doesn't seem particularly bothered–"
He cuts me off, releasing my hand, and I mourn the loss.
“I trust my squad and my siblings. They’re not going to say anything.
We can talk about this more later, though.
” Both shields drop, and I'm surprised to find the sky already light grey, the campsite filling with the sounds of people waking and dressing around us.
I hurriedly make tea for Hendrix, pretending he didn’t see whatever that was. "How are you feeling?" I pass him the mug.
"Not too bad. Can't say I slept all that well, what with the hole in my leg.
" His reply is joking, but I hear the lingering pain and exhaustion behind it as he winces at the bitter tea.
I grab the last of the antibacterial paste and our makeshift torn shirt bandages and peel back the blankets so I can clean and rebind the nicely-healing wound.
The drowsy effect of the tonic must be lingering, because, mercifully, he doesn't say a word about what he just witnessed.
Although it may also be because the rest of the squad are trickling out to join us around the fire.
The satisfaction of everyone enjoying breakfast sours when Jeska emerges and ignores the food with a frown. "Interesting new pre-training fuel."
"We're not training today," Zenn drawls lazily, swallowing another mouthful of coffee, clearly refusing to be baited by her snark.
"Why not? We train every day, especially when we're not moving."
"Hendrix won’t be walking properly for at least another few days.
" Zenn looks to Lira, who nods in confirmation. "As you know, we should be able to make it to the last cave and back with an intense day trip, so we’ll rest and resupply today and head out early in the morning to investigate the final site. For now, let’s eat and do breath practice then split up and head out foraging or hunting. "
The final site. Does that mean we'll be heading for Orz, and Bri, in a few days?