Chapter Seven
“At least I don’t have a stupid scar running across my entire face,” Matea snarked.
“At least I have my mastery tattoo,” Drayven quipped back.
“Well, at least my whole personality isn’t shaped around being broody and mysterious,” Matea responded without missing a beat.
“What is the matter with you two?” I snapped, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. They’d been at this for the past day, and I was fed up.
Honestly, I’d come to expect this kind of attitude from Matea.
It seemed to be how she defended herself and kept at arm’s length from those around her.
But what I didn’t expect was Rayven allowing her to get under his skin so easily.
I was accustomed to him being much more…
unbothered. It was a sight to see, but it was also getting on my final nerve that afternoon.
We’d been traveling a little over two and a half days, having avoided the Salic Mountain-range for as long as we could.
Rayven and Matea weren’t accustomed to the severe climate and elevation of the mountains, so we were attempting to take it easy.
We didn’t want to wear ourselves down too soon, so we traveled by foot often, to not solely rely on our shadow wielding.
This was extra beneficial for me, as somebody who had yet to master her shadow wielding abilities.
It had taken a few tries in the beginning, but the shadows were slowly becoming friends of mine.
Crossing the border had been easier than we’d thought, as we’d taken a path that was rarely used, and therefore hadn’t been guarded.
Since then, our little trio had been heading northwest that whole time, and now we were about a ten-minute trek away from the outskirts of Genisyn—a smaller Northern town—which was the first and only town to stop in during our journey, besides Hollis itself.
“If I’m correct, we’re almost upon Genisyn now,” I said, turning to Rayven, who was carrying the map with our route marked on it.
He’d just set his pack on the ground beside us.
We’d started heading into the mountains this morning, and I could already tell it was going to be a rough trip from here on out for these two Southerners.
“Right, we should be there and back with enough time to set up camp for the night.” Rayven nodded as he held out the map between the three of us. “We’re about right… here,” he said, indicating to just south of Genisyn, within the base of the mountain-range.
We had just found a small cave carved out of the side of one of the smaller mountains outside of the town, and had decided it was going to be our spot to re-cooperate and check in on each other and our location before carrying on.
Fortunately, the inside of the cave was lined on almost every surface with moist moss, which stopped our voices from echoing too much.
“Well, I’m short on rations. I forgot just how hungry wielding so often makes me,” Matea said. I couldn’t help the quiet chuckle that rose from my throat. “What?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as Rayven rolled the map back up.
“Nothing, nothing,” I said, though I couldn’t help but think about how differently we must have been raised, simply by the difference in mannerisms and bluntness.
I caught my sister rolling her eyes, but she didn’t press further.
“I’m low too,” Rayven admitted, slightly sheepishly. It was the first time I’d seen him embarrassed about something before.
I sighed. “So I have to make a pit-stop in Genisyn for you hungry fools. Got it.”
“Hey!” Matea exclaimed.
“Why did you make it sound as though we won’t be going with you?” Rayven asked, both of us ignoring Matea’s outcry.
“Because you won’t be,” I said simply, shrugging.
“Wrong answer,” Rayven said, while Matea raised an eyebrow as though to say, as if.
“Stars,” I cursed, exasperated. “Look, only one of us is going to blend in around here. You two don’t have wings, remember?”
“Oh right, I forgot. Thanks for that reminder,” Matea said flatly.
Before I could respond, Rayven jumped in, “I think what she’s trying to say,” he glared at Matea, “is that you don’t exactly blend in, either. The hair? The two-toned wings? The eyes?”
“Alright, alright, we get it,” Matea said, side eyeing the male.
“He’s right. But,” I paused, pulling out a small vial from one of my various pockets, “I’ve got that covered. For the most part, anyways.”
Matea, without warning, snatched the vial from my grasp and popped off the cork.
“Wait! It isn’t edible!” I exclaimed before she could knock back the dark, murky liquid.
She tilted her head, then asked, “What is it?”
“It’s a concoction that Chester made me!
I’m supposed to smear it on my wings and hair, and it’ll help darken their color temporarily.
It’s like ink, almost. He said the main ingredient comes from some part of a fish he collected back in Echen Bay, so I can’t imagine it would taste, or smell, very good. ”
Rayven shot me a quizzical look, causing me to explain further.
“Back during the battle at Wittuck Woods, the ash and soot washed off my wings far too easily. You were there, Rayven—you know I’m telling the truth.
If things were to go awry, and a weather or water wielder came at me, the soot would wash off again.
This time, I wanted to feel more secure about my identity being hidden if need be.
Thoroughly,” I said. “Chess even made me a special cleansing oil that will help get all of the ink off when we’re done. ”
“How did you know we’d need this?” Rayven asked as Matea put the cork back into place.
“I didn’t,” I said lightly, “but I wanted it, just in case.”
Rayven, seeming to find that answer sufficient, nodded.
Matea held out the vial towards me and said, “Here.”
“Actually, keep it. You have to help me put it on.”
I set my pack on the ground, then started unbraiding my waist long hair, freeing it of its plait.
“I can—” Rayven started.
“No,” I quickly interrupted. “Not this time, Rayven. I know you can, and I appreciate the offer, but it has to be Matea.”
Rayven shot me another questioning look, but before I could explain, Matea reached out and softly brushed a hand along the top of my left wing.
Chill bumps immediately broke out across my skin, the feathers sensitive to the touch.
The spy, finally realizing what I had meant, had the decency to look embarrassed before saying he was going to fill up our water skins and dipping out of our little cave.
Once it was just us females, Matea muttered, “About time. I thought I would never be able to get rid of him.”
“What’s your problem with each other?” I inquired.
“He’s just so…” she trailed off, making a nasty face towards the entrance of the cave where we last saw Rayven.
“Oh, yes, because that answers all of my questions,” I sighed.
Matea cleared her throat, then changed the topic. “Shouldn’t we get this gunk on you?”
One at a time, I stretched my wings out as much as I could inside the relatively small cave.
Matea and I passed the vial back and forth, applying a thin layer of ink-like liquid to every feather on my wings.
We used strips of an old cloth shirt to apply the liquid, so as not to stain the skin of our hands with it.
With every pass we made, my white and gray feathers turned a gray so deep they were nearly black.
The sight reminded me of Father, and once we were finished, I pulled my wings in close to my back and refused to look at them.
I wanted to be nothing like him, and yet here I was—looking the part of his daughter.
Picking at my fingers, I couldn’t help but hate the way it made me feel.
“Viva?” Matea said, waving a hand in front of my face.
I jumped, but her expression softened slightly when she saw that I’d been messing with the skin around my nails—something I couldn’t help but do when anxious.
“Come.” Matea gestured to the stone ground in front of her as she took up a spot with her back against the wall. “Sit, and let’s cover up your blindingly white hair.”
I couldn’t stop the sad smile that lifted my lips.
As I sat with my back to my older sister and her fingers slid into my hair to deposit the ink, I was reminded of Mother.
The way she would have me sit at my vanity and stand behind me to do my hair every morning.
I used to wonder why she insisted, when we both knew a servant could do the task, but now I got it.
It was an escape for us both—a moment to breathe.
A swell of warm emotions filled my chest as I realized how much I missed her, but the feeling quickly turned sour.
I hadn’t realized just how little of Byn’s feelings I could still sense until now. But the moment I became aware, it felt like a gaping hole had been opened up inside my chest. As though I was no longer complete, like I was missing a part of my own soul.
Is this what Quinn has been feeling for weeks?
I could still sense the bond between us, like a rope leading from my soul to his—as though I could use it as a way to get back home.
To him.
Home.
Yet, with each step I took farther away from him, the tauter that rope became—as though he were on the other end of it, trying to pull me back to him.
Stars, did I ache for him.
Even now, with kingdoms and distance and time standing between us, I ached for him with every fiber of my being.
My power sang in my core at the very thought of him and that soul-bond we had somehow found ourselves with.
Shaking my head slightly, I rubbed at my chest as though it would ease the aching pain I felt there.
“Hey, be careful or this will stain your pretty face.”
I was snapped back into the present moment at the sound of Matea, and I realized she was now massaging the liquid into the ends of my hair; she was almost done.
A moment later, she handed the completely empty vial back to me.
“We needed every drop, but I think it looks great. Here, turn around and let me see,” she said.
Getting to my feet, I turned to face her, doing my best not to let my wings into my direct line of sight.