Page 16 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)

Chapter Nine

Ace

T he early morning breeze kissed my skin as I glided through the sky. Once a week, I would fly to the tallest tree closest to the coastline before the sun crested over the horizon and wait for Emelyn’s next letter to come from the east.

I landed gracefully, the new leaves from spring rustling as my feet planted on a thick branch. Emelyn had been gone for weeks. I missed her company. The days weren’t getting any easier, especially now that we had set up camp and the rebellion was getting back into a routine.

We had been tent sharing until we could build up our new base like the old one. Normally, I’d share with Emelyn, but Cyran and I had bunked together since Luana had quickly jumped on the opportunity to be someone else’s roommate. Although, I had seen no one else in her tent.

It shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did. We hadn’t spoken of being anything more, but after the connection we’d shared the night of the party, and then after what had happened on the journey to the capital, I was hoping to be more.

I wanted more.

It was more.

Everything felt like more with her.

A small black bird landed and perched on my arm.

I gave him a small piece of the apple I had grabbed for breakfast before coming here.

He chirped happily and took it before flying up just a few more branches above my head, and I snatched the letter attached to his taloned foot while he ate his snack.

I placed the note in my pocket before replacing it with my own.

As soon as he finished his snack, he shifted toward the sky and headed back in the direction he had come.

I released a heavy breath as I watched him fly to Magni Island.

Gods, I missed my sister. I didn’t know how much longer she would be on Magni training, but I hoped someday soon she’d be able to come back home.

I took off into the skies and headed back to the rebellion’s new base camp.

We were on higher ground now, within the western mountain ranges of Woodhaven, beyond the Capital City.

I didn’t take my time as I made it back to camp.

I landed in the middle of everyone doing their morning rounds.

Atreya gave orders, giving everyone their duties for the day. She didn’t miss a beat.

“Ace, you and Maeve are on water duty today.” She said it with Maeve walking next to her. I went to walk next to Maeve, but she scurried off in the other direction.

“Atreya, Sedrin and I can handle water duty today.” She signed it without even looking in my direction.

My body tensed as I screwed my eyes shut with a huff.

I expected it. She’d said she was fine, but she’d been avoiding me since the night of the party, and even more so since we’d been here.

Sedrin had told me she would come around, but it didn’t seem likely.

I understood her hard feelings, but I’d rather not feel like a dick every time I saw her.

I made a mental note to find her at some point so we could talk about it. I wanted to make things right, or at least try to.

“I don’t care who does it as long as it gets done,” Atreya said as she walked by with Baron on the other side of her, holding maps and going over whatever plans she was making for the future.

“Maybe you can help Lu with meal preparations. I’m sure she could use it,” Atreya suggested over her soldier as she meandered by.

I let out another breath. That idea wasn’t much better than the first. Luana had been avoiding me too, like the plague.

Any advances I made to see her outside of daily chores, she would shut down.

I would have understood if she didn’t want to, but after the party, I could feel it.

I could feel the tug we had on each other.

Almost as if I could feel her emotions like my very own.

But she kept them buried under a mountain of stone.

I wished she would communicate what she was feeling, but any time I tried to bring up the topic, we either got interrupted or she changed the subject to something else.

I wanted to know what thoughts were infecting her mind.

Her deepest emotions. I wanted to know everything.

What was making her keep her distance? Was there someone else?

Had I done something wrong? The tug and pull between us was strained, something unknown blocking what had been there before. Was she blocking it?

Skies above, here I go spiraling again . . .

I made my way down the already worn paths of the uneven terrain.

Having so many of us walk these paths every day, it didn’t take long for them to groove into the earth.

I made my way to the large tent that we had set up as a kitchen area.

It was one of the first things we’d set up all those weeks ago, along with the infirmary, to tend to anyone who might have gotten injured during our escape.

Luckily, everyone got out with little to no injuries, thanks to Crow’s warning.

I lifted the tent flap and ducked in through the doorway.

Food littered the area. Fruits and vegetables were assorted in large wooden buckets, potatoes sat sprawled out on the tables half chopped, and bags of oats lined the sides of the tent from our last run to get supplies from the Capital City.

They gave us what they could to get us through until Atreya could figure out our shipment situation.

The King of Woodhaven had cleared out Westwell Harbor after he’d caught word of what had transpired there.

Now we were waiting to see if we could get our shipments from a new location.

Luana had her hands full. She was cooking what looked to be stew over an open fire.

Steam barreled through the opening at the top of the tent.

She kept moving between chopping vegetables on the table, her back toward me, and second large pot over another flame where it looked she was preparing oats and something else.

I knew she sensed me walk in because she stood a little straighter. More tense. Her movements stiffer.

Whatever I had done, I wished I could fix it somehow. From the moment we’d awoken the next morning in the capital, she’d put distance between us.

She turned around with her arms full of vegetables and tossed them into the pot and looked at me for the first time in a few days before she looked down. Grabbing the large wooden spoon, she started stirring the soup.

“Would you like some help?” I signed. I could see her eyes glance at my hands before going back to her task.

“No, thank you, Ace. I’ve got it handled.

” She spoke sternly. Instead of using her hands, she wouldn’t meet my gaze.

I looked away as I turned to leave. I didn’t want to linger somewhere I obviously wasn’t wanted, and then I raised a brow and looked up when I noticed a burnt smell.

The oats that Luana were cooking were on fire, the steam from before now shifted to dark black smoke that filled the tent.

“Shit,” Luana cursed as she tried to throw a towel on top of it to smother the flame, but it only ignited the large towel and grew bigger. I rushed to help her. Using my bending, I sent a gush of wind, but it only added fuel to the fire.

Luana stopped and glared at me, dead in the eyes. “Really?” she spat, but I ignored the reprimand and admired her for a moment. She had barely given me a second glance these last few weeks. I had almost forgotten how the specks of green in her hazel eyes shimmered.

Luana scowled. “Move!” she shouted as she knocked me out of the way to grab the other boiling pot of water

My wind had moved the flame, causing it to catch the back wall of the tent on fire. Luana started coughing from the smoke as she continued to put out the fire.

“We have to get out of here. Come on, I’ll get a Fire Fae to put it out,” I signed as I grabbed her. She wouldn’t look at me, too focused on the blaze to listen. I grabbed her, scooping her up and slinging her over my shoulder, and rushed out of the tent.

“Fire,” I signed to the nearest person with a quick wave of my free hand, and a small group darted off to get a Fire Fae.

They came back quickly and put out the fire as I sat Luana down.

She blew out a breath. At first, I thought she was angry.

I thought she was going to unleash on me.

But when she glanced back up at me, she breathed out a laugh.

“What on earth made you think blowing on a fire would make it go out?” She chuckled warmly, and I couldn’t help but join her. The sound was everything I needed. Just the smallest semblance of her being herself toward me filled me with bated breath, leaving me desperate for more.

“I acted without thinking,” I answered honestly.

I had just done the first thing that had come to mind to try and fix the problem.

Suddenly, our surroundings went quiet. Not even the sounds of the birds sang on the wind anymore.

We both looked toward the tent and found Atreya standing there with Baron.

Neither looked please. I prepared for the wrath of the leader of the rebellion.

“You’re both lucky they could spare most of the food or I’d have both of your heads. Instead, your punishment will be light. You’re both to take the post on the outer banks. I’ll send someone to relieve you tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow? That’s a whole day at one post.”

“Did I stutter, Ace? You both will take the post as punishment. Grab some food for the trip. I will see you both tomorrow,” she commanded with her hands and her voice as she took her leave with Baron at her side again. They were heading toward the training grounds that the Earth Dryads had set up.