Page 18 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)

Chapter Ten

Ace

S edrin passed tankards filled with ale around the open fire until we all had one.

Maeve sat next to her brother, and Luana sat next to Maeve, while I sat next to Cyran.

Taryn sat with his arm draped around Nevara, who was resting her head against her mate’s chest. Luana had bent us each a small stool, jutting them out of the ground like small mushrooms for us to perch on as we enjoyed our evening together.

She was chatting to Maeve about something. Every time, whatever it was they were talking about would make her smile. I couldn’t help but watch her over the dancing flames. She glanced over at me from time to time, and a blush would creep over her cheeks before she went back to her conversation.

“If you stare at her long enough, maybe she’ll become one with the wind and grace you with her touch,” Cyran whispered over the rim of his mug only loud enough for us to hear, causing me to choke up on my ale.

Cyran chuckled, and I cleared my throat as I changed the subject. My hands were visible for everyone to see what I was saying, and I’d rather not delve into my emotions surrounded by our friends.

“What have you been up to? I hardly ever see you in our tent, even at night.”

“Oh, I’m always busy with rebellion things, you know, the usual. There’s a tent Atreya sat up to act as a library and she’s been having me try to find anything on the Peacebringer or the emperor that we don’t already know.”

“Any luck?”

“Nothing yet, but I’ve always been a night owl, so I read a lot there to run away from your snoring.”

“I don’t snore, at lease not as loudly as you,” I teased, and he wagged his head with a laugh, taking another long pull from his ale.“Hopefully Emelyn finds everything she needs on Magni,” I signed, and he nodded his agreement.

“How have you been since she’s been gone?” he asked, and I glanced over at him and could see the concern in his eyes. I wagged my head, trying to find the right words.

“Rough. It’s been difficult finding my place here, as everyone is so established with who they are, but for me, not being on the run—not hiding, having friends, comrades—brothers—it’s all new and I’m still trying to find my bearings.

The only person I’ve been around for the last century not being here just adds to my warring mind,” I signed, and then I noticed the quiet.

I looked around, and everyone in our small group was staring at me. So much for not delving into emotions .

“We’ve all been there, Ace. We all have a story.

Maybe hearing ours will make you feel better,” Taryn said over his cup before he finished the rest of his ale and passed his mug to Sedrin for a refill.

I was sure he was already tipsy. “When Atreya stumbled across Nev and me, we tried to kill her. We didn’t know who she was or what she was building, Sky Elves had already been hunted for years, and I would not take any chances with my mate, so I attacked and Nev joined in shortly afterwards.

It took months before Atreya trusted us enough to do any tasks.

There were always two guards posted outside our tent because she feared we would attack her or her people in the dead of night.

But after a while, we saw how she ran things, saw her pour all of herself into this place in hopes of building a better future for all of us, and because of that, we grew to trust her, and we’ve been here ever since.

We all started where you are now, my boy.

Eventually, you’ll find your feet and we’ll all be here to help you along the way.

” Everyone raised their glass in a toast to his words, and it brought a smile to my face.

“Thank you,” I signed, and Taryn stood, giving me a strong slap on the back before grabbing his ale from Sedrin and sitting back down with his mate.

“What about you?” I asked Sedrin as he refilled my ale as well. “What’s your story? How did you find this place?”

Sedrin glanced over at his sister, and she gave him a small nod of her head, as if giving him permission to tell their story.

“We had traveled with a small group of Sky Elves. Maeve and I had left camp to go for a hunt to find some dinner, and when we returned, Ember soldiers had taken over the camp, our friends had been killed, their throats been slit, and they had strung them up by their wings for all to see what they had done to them. It was a monstrosity. Maeve and I waited until nightfall, until all the soldiers were sleeping, and then we snuck into the camp, slicing their throats just as they did to our friends. It was quick and quiet. Too quiet . . .” I watched his eyes glaze over as if he were lost in his mind with the memories.

“Another fleet of soldiers came through the camp that we weren’t expecting.

They captured us and, as a punishment for what we had done to their soldiers, they strung us up in front of each other by our hands and ankles.

We couldn’t move. They flipped a coin to see which of us would lose our wings.

And then they made me watch as they—” His voice cracked, and he paused before continuing.

“They meticulously carved out my sister’s wings, enough to where they would never grow back.

Later on, the camp was raided, not by more Ember soldiers, but by Atreya.

Shay and Baron were fighting with her, along with a few other recruits.

They saved us that day, and it took time for us to adjust, but eventually we did.

And now we couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

The rebellion gave us a home—a purpose after so much loss, and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you and Emelyn.

” He lifted his glass in my direction, and I did the same, but my eyes wondered to Maeve as she shot back her drink.

“Excuse me,” I signed as I stood and walked over to her and offered my hand for her to stand.

She looked up at me with questioning eyes.

“Can I talk to you a moment?” I asked. “Please.” She gave in and took my hand.

We walked a few places away from the campfire, and I turned her toward me and pulled her into a rib-crushing hug.

She tensed at first but quickly wrapped her arms around me as she returned the gesture.

“Your brother told me you would come around eventually, but I’m tired of waiting.

I’m sorry for how things happened before.

I never meant to hurt you, but I want you to know I’m here for you, as a friend, brethren, no matter how much you try to avoid me.

Just know I’m here when you want me to be—need me to be. ”

“I know, Ace. I don’t hate you. I understand things were supposed to happen exactly the way they did, but I can’t deny that I grew feelings for you within the short time we knew each other, and I just needed time is all.

But I promise going forward I’ll stop keeping you at a distance.

We need to work together now more than ever,” Maeve signed, and I gripped her forearm in a comrade’s embrace.

“We will get justice for your wings, I promise. Killing those soldiers wasn’t enough. We will win against Ember. We will find peace again,” I signed, and a faint smile curved her lips.

“Thank you,” she signed as I pulled away, and we turned and walked back to the dancing flames. I noticed Luana’s stump was empty whenever we returned to the fire. I looked at Sedrin, but he only shrugged before I moved to sit back down next to Cyran.

“Maybe she became the wind,” Cyran jested with his hands, sending a small gust of wind to me. I chuckled and sent one right back, knocking him out of his chair on to his ass. He held up his drink to make sure he didn’t lose any of it and laughed as he got situated back on his stump.

“She said she was tired and calling it a night. No need to look like you’re going to rip the world apart to find her,” he quipped, taking another drink, and I rolled my eyes, taking down my ale.

Nevara was now sitting on Taryn’s lap, making out with him.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they stripped and claimed each other right here for all to see.

Both were intoxicated, and with the mating bond, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities.

I had heard stories about how it made you feral to claim what was yours for all to see.

To ensure everyone knew it for more than just the scent it left behind, but for them to witness any mate’s claim.

Cyran stood. “I think I’m going to call it a night too,” he said and signed as he sat his cup on his stool.

“Maybe if I fall asleep first, you’ll have to deal with my snoring instead of I yours.

” He slapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.

Nev and Taryn weren’t paying attention to anything we were doing.

They were both too lost in each other. I watched as Cyran walked into the dark woods, heading back toward camp.

The shadows seemed to swallow him whole as he got farther away from our fire.

“Anyone down for a game of Tile?” Sedrin asked, and Nevara and Taryn untangled themselves long enough to get to their feet.

“I-I think we have to call it a night as well,” Nevara said as Taryn gripped her, never looking away from her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as he stood behind her.

She kept her wings lowered so he could hold her.

His hands ran down the sides of her hips, and their arousal on the wind was so strong I thought I was going to have to excuse myself before they left.

“You do that,” Sedrin said with an amusing tone as he began setting up the board, and then they took off into the skies together.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they fucked in the stars before making it back to their tent.

We all chuckled under our breaths as if we were all thinking the same thing as we began playing Tile.

I let Maeve win every game.

I had faced deadly wars, bloody battles where I had lost friends and comrades, but nothing made my heart pound louder in my ears than right now, as I stood in front of Luana’s tent.

I’d never gotten to tell her goodnight before she’d left the fire, and I didn’t want her to think that I had changed my mind just because of my conversation with Maeve.

I would wait as long as she needed, and I meant that.

I raised my hand, placing it against the rough fabric of the tent flap, but I hesitated.

She’d asked for time. I was sure she needed space.

I didn’t want her to think me overbearing, so I let my hand drop to my side, clenching my fists lightly as I turned away and began walking down the rows of tents to find mine, but my mind, body, and heart begged me to turn around. To go to her.

I pushed it down and made the quick trek. Before entering, I saw Cyran emerge from the darkness behind it and my brows pinched together. The shadows almost seemed too dark behind him, in a way that made me think of Crow’s darkness.

“Is Crow here?” I signed, and he looked at me before glancing behind him with a raised brow as he buttoned up his shirt.

“No, why?”

I shook my head. “No reason. I thought you were calling it a night?”

“I am now ,” he said with a mischievous grin as he flipped the tent flap and held it open for me to go first. I obliged and walked over to my bed, taking a seat as I bent down to unstrap my boots.

“You seem . . . happier than normal, brother. Should I be concerned?” I asked as Cyran did the same with his boots. He let out a chuckle.

“What? I can’t be happy?” he asked, and I smiled at him.

“Well, I’m glad one of us is,” I said, and his face fell.

“Good things come with time,” he signed.

“I know, and I’ll wait forever if I have to,” I replied as I plopped back on my bed.

“Are you getting sappy on me?” Cyran joked as I let my wings spread wide beneath me.

Our tent and beds were plenty big enough to accommodate our wings, something I appreciated Atreya doing for all the Sky Elves.

I had noted the woman always did the best she could for her people during my time here, and I could see why they all admired her.

She was more than just a great leader. The love she had for her people leaked into everything she did, regardless of the stern grip she held on her outward appearance.

“You started it,” I signed, and he let out a chuckle.

“I’ve seen how that woman looks at you,” he signed, and I rubbed a hand down my face as he plopped back on his bed, turning his head toward me so he could still see my hands and I could see his.

“She looks at you as if you carved the mountains of Heavensreach yourself, as if you plucked the stars and hung the moon, as if . . . the Mother blessed you and her to be together. I’m sure soon enough, you’ll find out I’m right,” he signed, and I turned to my side to get a better look at him because I had never heard the man sound so serious.

There wasn’t a hint of wit to him as I looked him over.

“You speak of such emotions as if you’ve felt them before,” I signed, and he eyed me before looking at the ceiling.

“I have—I do,” was all he whispered before he turned away from me, letting me know this conversation was over, leaving me wondering about who had his heart.

I didn’t pry, but I hoped he was right, and as I shifted under my blankets, I let my thoughts wander to all the good things that awaited tomorrow and the one I was most excited for.

I should receive a letter from Emelyn in the morning, and I hoped she was having an easier time on Magni than I was here.