Page 23

CHAPTER 23

AURIA

“Y ou’re sure you’re okay?” Siara asked as we approached the house I was staying in. Her blonde hair whipped around her face as she reached up to tuck it behind her ears, her hood having blown off when she joined me.

“Really, I’m fine.” She hadn’t mentioned Paxon on our way through town after she’d approached me. I’d been scared she was going to reprimand me for being out in the storm, but she’d only wanted to make sure I was okay. She hadn’t asked where I had been or why I was alone. It was odd having her only curious about how I was doing and not pestering me over my whereabouts.

We paused before the door, and she turned to me. “I guess I believe you. You’re still coming to dinner tonight, right?”

Shit . With everything that happened after Siara and Flynt had left earlier, I’d forgotten about her invite. I know I’d agreed, but now my mind was reeling with the ultimatum Paxon had given me—the ability to get out of this marriage, but the potential of putting myself in a worse situation.

“About that…”

“Please don’t cancel,” she begged. “I’m tired of sitting at a table full of boring men.”

Didn’t she know I was only here temporarily? That this was likely a one-time thing?

“I’m any better?”

She laughed. “Auria, please. I can already tell you’re much better company than the men in this town, and I’ve only talked to you once.”

My brows furrowed. “I guess that’s why I’m confused.”

She angled her head in question.

“My group stumbled in here unwarranted, and you’re inviting us to a dinner? It doesn’t make sense,” I explained.

Her shoulders dropped. “I can see how that might be confusing. It’s not really a dinner out of courtesy, more so to inform your group.”

“Inform us of what?”

“Well, you’re here for about a week, right? And you’re not exactly…” She searched for the word, tossing her head back and forth. “Liked?”

I rubbed at my chest, where it ached from slamming into the cliff’s wall. “Thanks?”

“What I’m trying to say is that Deadwood isn’t like your heavily guarded castles. We have a few guards stationed around the town, but that’s mainly to be sure no one’s getting killed in the streets. The people, they mostly do whatever they like, and sometimes those aren’t the best…activities.”

Her use of the word activities sent a shiver down my spine. “I didn’t assume we were safe here.”

She tilted her head, studying me. “And yet you’re out here walking alone.”

My throat worked on a swallow. She was trying to get more out of me, and I refused to fall for it. Paxon would most likely kill me if I said anything about what had happened. I didn’t know the lengths he’d go to protect himself or his brother, and I didn’t want to find out.

“It won’t happen again,” I assured her.

She shook her head. “That’s not what I’m saying, Auria. Just— please come to dinner. And cover your mouth and nose when you’re outside while the storm is bad.”

“Why?”

She walked backwards a few steps, facing me as she did. “I guess you’ll just have to come to dinner to find out. I’ll come get you in one hour.” Before I could say anything else, she spun around and headed away from me, into the street.

I opened the door, the force of the wind causing it to swing in fast. Bracing my hands on the back of it, I managed to shove it shut after I was inside. Despite being in the house, the wind still howled through the walls. Already from when I’d left, the speeds had picked up.

Given I had an hour and no choice but to attend this dinner, I decided to take a bath and finally get the days’ worth of grime, blood, and tangles out of my hair. I headed upstairs, still catering to my hurt ankle, and found the bathroom next to the main bedroom. I turned on the faucet to the tub, thankful they had running water like we did in Amosite—and, as I’d hoped, it was coming out hot. Going up and down those stairs with buckets would have been a pain. Many of the kingdoms seemed to have the same luxury, but there were certain parts of the cities that weren’t as lucky, so I’d been told.

Once the tub was full, I undressed and left my clothes in a pile on the floor. My fingers carefully undid the wrap around my ankle, and after it was off, I tested the movement in the limb and instantly regretted it. It wasn’t as bad as it first had been, but it still hurt to move much without the support from the wrap.

I set the fabric by the sink and lowered myself into the tub, nearly moaning as I did. The hot water instantly felt blissful on my aching muscles, so I gave myself a few minutes to enjoy the warmth before getting to work scrubbing myself from top to bottom with a bar of soap. It coated my skin in a beautiful floral scent, which was a wonderful change from the stench I had before.

As I sat back against the porcelain, I stared at the ceiling, wondering how we’d ended up here. Being stranded and losing nearly all of our guards was the last thing I’d expected to happen on this trip, and yet, here we were. I couldn’t help but feel lucky that we had landed here, as bad as Deadwood might seem on the surface. Siara and Flynt had been welcoming so far, and I wondered how they had grown so close to Bowen. I’d admit I was curious to meet Raiden, partly to see the company Bowen kept aside from the other two.

As soon as I was done soaking in the last moments of warmth, I rinsed off best I could and got out, using a rag to wipe myself dry. After I put the black dress back on, I braided my hair, figuring it’d be easier to keep tame in the wind that way.

Then, I sat on the edge of the bed to rewrap my ankle and stayed there while I waited for Siara to come and get me.

* * *

The house the dinner was held in was more like a massive, narrow room. The table stretched nearly the entire length of the space, the top made of fresh-cut wood, sealed with a glossy finish. Each knot and groove was left in its imperfect state, not filed down or filled like I’d normally seen them.

Siara had come to gather me not long after I’d finished my bath, and on our way over, she’d told me Flynt was fetching Lander and Paxon. Like Bowen, she hadn’t questioned why Lander was in separate quarters from me, and I was thankful for it.

As I was taught, I kept my feet flat on the ground, my elbows off the table, and took small bites so as not to make a mess. All the while we ate, Paxon kept his eyes on me from down the table. I’d avoided his intimidating gaze as much as I could, but anywhere I looked, I felt his stare, unease crawling over my arms with each passing second.

Bowen sat directly next to me at the head of the table, with Siara, Flynt, and Raiden—who I could finally put a face to—across from me. On my other side was Lander, with Paxon beside him. Whether I leaned forward or back, he somehow kept finding me.

It’d been a silent dinner, aside from some of the side chatter between Flynt and Siara. Raiden, Bowen’s commander, had been silent the entire meal. He gave each of us equal attention, most likely watching our body language to tell if we were about to strike or not.

I’d avoided the meat on my plate all evening, only picking at the mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. I hadn’t seen any protein look the way it did, and I wasn’t in the mood for food poisoning tonight. Who knew what they ate in this town?

“What’s wrong, Princess? Never seen food before?” Bowen asked, interrupting my stare down of the food in front of me. Siara was peppering Lander with question after question now, drowning out Bowen’s voice from the others.

“Is this bison?” I asked quietly. It sounded outlandish, voicing it aloud.

He studied me, likely trying to gauge if I was being serious.

My gaze moved back to the plate in front of me as shame filled me. “My apologies. That was a stupid?—”

“It is,” he interrupted.

My eyes shot to his. “That’s impossible. They’re extinct.” He had to be playing some sort of joke on me. The innocent, na?ve girl staying in his town would surely have a prank or two played on her. I should’ve been expecting it.

“Maybe in Amosite, but not here.”

“You’ll have to excuse her. She’s a little unacquainted,” Lander said beside me, inserting himself into our conversation.

Bowen gave Lander a flat look. “Is that so?”

Lander nodded while finishing his bite. “Kept locked in the castle and all that.”

“I wouldn’t say that makes her unacquainted,” Bowen said blandly. I wanted to shrink in on myself. If I had to make bets on the two of them, Bowen would surely win. No offense to Lander, but Bowen had him beat by a long shot. Lander had barely any muscle on him, while Bowen was built like he trained for battle every day. Lander wouldn’t stand a chance.

“It’s okay—” I began, but neither paid me any mind as Lander’s eyes narrowed on Bowen.

“Do tell. What does it make her, then?” Lander asked.

Bowen moved his gaze to me, the two of us locking eyes. In his, I found remorse… almost like he regretted something, but that had to be wrong. He had no right to feel pity for me. For all he knew, I lived a great life.

“I’m not one to put a label on a person,” Bowen said, his voice quieter now as he didn’t bother to look away as he spoke.

“I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to her defense,” Paxon said from down the table. I didn’t need to glance his way to know he had distaste in his gaze. It was polar opposite from what I saw in Bowen.

Bowen regarded him, a bored look on his face. “Because you won’t?”

My mouth parted slightly at the shock from his response. Across the table, Siara and Flynt watched with rapt attention while Raiden sat with his arms folded across his chest, a subtle shake to his head as he watched his leader. Though he was casual in the way he was seated, it was clear he was ready to jump in if needed.

“Because she’s gotten men killed for less,” Paxon said without hesitation.

My fork fell from my hand to the plate in a clatter, my eyes fixating on the ceramic in front of me as my mind threatened to be pulled back to that day. My father had told Paxon about my past? After he’d been so careful to keep me hidden away, along with my secrets, for so long? He not only controlled my present and my future, but held my past in his hands and did whatever he pleased with it.

I wished it was anger I felt, but instead, it was embarrassment.

Bowen gave no reaction, as I assumed Paxon expected him to ask for clarification. For some reason, Bowen didn’t. He simply grabbed his napkin from his lap and set it atop the table.

A man came out from the kitchen and grabbed the plates, retreating back through the door with them. I’d barely had a few bites the entire meal, my appetite nonexistent tonight.

“We appreciate the hospitality your people have shown us, but we’ll be leaving in the morning,” Paxon stated, moving on from the topic when he didn’t get the reaction he was clearly seeking.

Bowen leaned back in his chair, leaning an elbow on the armrest. “Oh?”

“Torbernite will be much safer for the newly engaged couple,” Paxon explained.

“I didn’t know you called the shots,” Flynt spoke up.

Paxon lazily looked to Flynt, letting out an annoyed breath. “I’m here for the best interest of Lander and Auria.”

“The best interest of Auria, yet you just insulted her,” Siara muttered.

My gaze shot to hers. Was she defending me?

Paxon didn’t bother acknowledging her. “I may have spoken out of line. Regardless, we will be leaving at first light.”

He knew just as well as the rest of us that he’d said it for a reason. He didn’t regret the words passing his lips one bit.

“Not a good idea,” Flynt said. “The storm is only getting worse, and even if it breezes over down here, it’ll stick to the mountain pass. I’m sure there’s more than a dozen feet of snow up there at least, and it’s only dumping more.”

“I agree with him,” Lander piped in. “It’ll be too dangerous to try to get back over the Brimstones. Plus, the guards haven’t had any time to recover yet.”

Paxon eyed his brother with something akin to disgust for not agreeing with him. “I’d send a team back to get them when we arrive in Torbernite.”

“You wouldn’t take your own guards?” Siara asked, her tone incredulous.

“It’s easier to travel in a smaller group,” Paxon answered.

“I won’t go,” I spoke up. “I’m not leaving anyone behind. We can wait the storm out.” That, and I didn’t think we’d survive if we were ambushed again.

Paxon tried to keep his mask of calm in place as he stared at me, but I saw the crack in his facade. He didn’t want me to have a say in the decision.

“I’m with Auria on this one,” Lander agreed.

I glanced at Bowen to find him watching me, but once silence rang through the room, he finally spoke. “Now that that’s over with. In regards to the storm, you’ll all need to cover your nose and mouth if you go out in it. With the wind kicking up so much sand and dirt, there could be magic in the air, and you don’t want that entering your body if you don’t know what it is.”

Paxon scoffed. “Surely it won’t do much damage.”

Bowen’s lips lifted with the slightest amusement. “You may not get the kind of storms we do, but I can assure you that the magic will poison your lungs, and it’s a long, painful recovery if it does.” He sat back in his chair with the flick of a hand. “But by all means, Bular, feel free to go against my advice.”

Paxon’s teeth ground together, indicating he was pissed at the way Bowen was talking to him. I had to admit that I felt a bit of satisfaction at the way Bowen put him in his place with only his words. It served Paxon right for thinking he called the shots. He wasn’t untouchable.

“Right.” Paxon’s lips pressed together, his nostrils flaring the slightest bit. “Well, if there is nothing else, we will return to our homes.” Every word was stiff, forced through gritted teeth. He was at his end with the conversation, holding himself back from blowing his mask clean off.

Bowen gestured to the door. “Enjoy the weather.”

Lander and Paxon stood, but while Paxon immediately headed for the exit, Lander looked down at me.

“I’ll catch up,” I said to him. I didn’t want to hear their recounting of the evening and the nasty things they were sure to say on the walk back.

He nodded, giving Bowen a wary glance before following after his brother. On his way out, he grabbed a bandana from the small table by the door. I wasn’t sure if Paxon had done the same.

I stood from my chair and the others did the same. I looked at all of them. “Thank you for dinner. It was lovely.”

“Do you want some food sent to your home?” Siara asked. “You barely touched your plate.”

“Siara,” Flynt warned, sending her a look.

“She must still be hungry,” Siara defended.

I gave her a small smile. “I’m okay. Thank you, though.”

Siara nodded, then headed for the door with Flynt. Raiden had backed toward the wall so he was cast more so in shadow than the lantern light. I turned toward the door, wondering how painful it’d truly be to have magic in your lungs.

“Auria,” Bowen said from behind me.

I twisted, careful of my ankle, despite it feeling slightly better, and found him standing by the corner of the table. We were maybe four feet apart, but it felt like mere inches.

“What happened before dinner?” he asked.

I swallowed the surprise at his question. I wasn’t expecting him to ask about that .

“What do you mean?” Had he seen me? Had he been out near the fissure when Paxon dangled me from the ledge? “I bathed, and?—”

His lips pursed into a thin line before he interrupted, “Not that. You disappeared with Paxon.”

I blinked a few times, pasting on a smile. “Right. That. We only went for a walk. I hope that’s okay?”

Bowen shook his head. He wasn’t dumb, and yet here I was pretending he would take nonsense answers. “You came back alone.”

“I tripped, so I was a bit slower on the way back,” I said hurriedly.

As if on instinct, his gaze fell to the bottom of my dress, like he could see through the fabric and gauge how injured my ankle really was. His lips pressed together. He wasn’t believing it for a second, but making the story believable wasn’t my concern. It was the way he asked, like he truly wanted to know what had happened, that worried me more.

“You don’t need to feel guilty, Auria,” Bowen said, his eyes finding mine again.

“Guilty for what?”

“It’s written all over your face.”

It dawned on me he was no longer talking about the walk, but rather what Paxon had said during dinner.

My father, nor Paxon, had any right to bring up what had happened when I was younger. But rather than being angry, it mostly hurt me that my father would share my secrets so easily with someone else. A stranger, nonetheless.

It wasn’t my fault the boy had been killed either. He’d been visiting the castle with his father, who’d come to show the king his newest perfume scent. He had snuck off, and I’d found him in the halls. We’d…clicked.

The act was innocent, yet my father made it out to be my fault. He’d been irate to find him in my room, watching as I filled a vial of ice magic. My father hadn’t hesitated to kill him right there on my bed, shoving a sword right through his chest. The image of his lifeless body visited me some nights when I was weakest from the pull of my magic, and I wished sometimes I could erase it from my memory altogether.

He hadn’t deserved to die.

“I won’t pry into your life, Auria. But little piece of advice?” Bowen said, interrupting my thoughts. I was thankful for his voice in that moment, for it pulled me from a place I didn’t want to be. Not when I was vulnerable in a room full of people I didn’t know I could trust.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t live the one life you get with regrets.”

Before I could reply, he walked past me. Raiden followed him out of the room, leaving me alone in the flickering lantern light.

His words couldn’t be for me. Not when I didn’t even get to live the life I had, no matter how that might be. What could I do with being stuck in a castle for the rest of my days? My father had already made it clear I wouldn’t be living with Lander, which proved that even the one relationship I could’ve had was a farce, and I wouldn’t even get to enjoy it if I wanted to.

I loved Taylin, and if she was the only friendship I got out of this life, I’d be grateful. But being out here, especially in Deadwood, gave me a sense of freedom I didn’t want to give up. I should’ve known this would happen, and yet, I’d been na?ve.

Maybe the life I was already living was the right one for me. I clearly couldn’t make choices for myself or even so much as stand up for myself when it mattered. I was a puppet.

Grabbing a bandana from the basket on the table, I tied it behind my head and walked out into the night.

Tonight, I’d start making a change.