Page 34 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)

“Ace and I travel there every year for them. It’s a shame we will miss them this season,” I said, and I did my best to hide my somber tone, but it fell through anyway.

He glanced over at me, and I could feel the burn of his stare along the planes of my face, but I didn’t meet his gaze.

I didn’t want his pity. He was a part of the reason I was in the situation I was in, but I was determined to escape, regardless of the kindness he showed me.

He would deliver me to his father, staking claim to the glory of my capture.

It was like this was some kind of game between siblings to see who could win their father’s favor by delivering me to him.

“Evereht will be back soon with something to eat.” He changed the subject, and the mention of food made my stomach growl and ache. Kade smirked to himself.

“Will he be bringing clothes as well so I can get out of this?” I asked, and he gave me a once-over.

“Hmm, I quite like the look of you in my clothes,” he quipped, and I scoffed, rolling my eyes right when Everhet barged through the door with his hands full.

He had two trays full of food and a large bag.

It smelled divine, and I cleared my throat to hide the grumble of my stomach again.

I was starving. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten anything.

Evereht moved over to where the small seating area was and sat down the two trays on the knee-high table that sat in front of the fireplace between the chairs there.

I walked over there and sat down and didn’t stop myself from grabbing some sweetbreads and took a large bite.

I had to stifle a moan from how good it tasted.

My mouth watered. My body had been desperate for sustenance.

I sat and grabbed a cup of fruit and devoured the whole thing.

Everything I tasted was something that I loved more than the last. All the food options were things I was familiar with and some of my favorite things that I hadn’t had in a long while after being constantly on the move.

I had been so tired of fish after being on Magni for so long.

It was nice to have something different, to have more variety.

I glanced over at Rhet and Kade at the desk.

Evereht was leaning against the wall while Kade stood in front of his desk, looking disgustingly beautiful even in his disheveled state.

I couldn’t deny how attractive he was. His brother mirrored his looks, but he had longer hair, and I could tell he was younger.

Both were perfectly fae males with all the distinguished lines and practically perfect features.

“Are either of you going to eat?” I asked through a mouthful of fruit.

“That’s all for you,” Kade said, and I stopped chewing.

“I couldn’t possibly eat all of this.”

“Well, then eat what you can, and we’ll eat the leftovers. When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

“I don’t remember,” I replied honestly, and his hands gripped the edges of his desk from where he stood.

“My sister didn’t feed you?” he asked, sounding angrier than anything.

I shook my head, and he looked away from me.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you on that ship, Emelyn,” he said, and it sounded sincere.

“How long did she have me?” I asked, and he peered over at me.

“Four days.” I swallowed. They would be tucked away in my mind as some of the worst days of my life. “I wished I would’ve gotten to you sooner.”

“Why? I’m still a prisoner, no matter if you’re nicer about it.

The same fate awaits me in Ember, whatever that may be,” I murmured as I continued eating my food, moving to the chopped-up sausages on one tray.

Kade and Rhet grew quiet, not really saying much as they glanced over the desk a few times, lost amid what seemed to be a silent conversation with looks and pointing at places on the maps.

Kade huffed a disappointed sigh as he grabbed his coffee cup and finished the rest of the bitter liquid.

“What are you trying to figure out? Is the rebellion on the move? Have you found where they are?” I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

If I were going to be a prisoner, might as well be a good one, and when I got out here, I could return with information that could be useful.

I stood and sauntered over to where they were.

Glancing over the maps, I noted these weren’t the same ones I saw from the last time he had me trapped in his quarters.

“Is something wrong, Bunny?” Kade asked, and I looked over them again to be sure.

“These aren’t the same maps from before,” I said as I scowled at him.

“Did you really think you would saunter over here and I’d let you look over all the sketches and markups of my plans for the rebellion?” He tsked.

“You did before,” I spat.

“No, before you caught me off guard, but I can assure you that won’t happen again,” he said, and I scowled at him.

“Well, is there anything you can tell me?” I asked, and he glanced at Evereht before looking back at me again.

“We’ll be back in Ember in a week’s time. I suggest you get comfortable.”

So my answer was no, I won’t tell you anything . Maybe once he finally went to sleep, I could search the place when he wasn’t expecting it, see what information I could find for myself.

“Oh, I found this for you,” Evereht chimed in, breaking the tension.

He handed me the bag from before that he had walked in with, and I shifted over to my seat, sat down, and opened it.

Inside, I found a couple of sets of folded clothes.

Nothing too fancy. There was a long-sleeved tunic that had crisscross ties over the chest and some dark brown pants.

The other was a silky night gown that felt like it could have been threaded from the same sheet of fabric as Kade’s shirt. It was black, sleek, and simple.

I wasn’t sure where Evereht had gotten the clothes. I didn’t recall ever seeing any women soldiers on his ship, but I was thankful for them nonetheless.

“Thanks,” I said as I stood and went to the bathroom to change.

I dressed quickly in the pants and tunic.

They fit comfortably, a little big, but other than that, they were almost the perfect size.

I ran my hands over my hips and missed the feel of my weapons there. I walked back out into the main room.

“Did you retrieve my weapons?” I asked. “Or are they still on Valla’s ship?”

“I have them, but they are to stay far away from you,” Kade said, and Rhet chuckled under his breath. Knowing they were on the ship, however, was enough for me to find them.

“You know I don’t need weapons to kill you, right?” I mocked, and Kade looked up from what he was doing, his lip curling into a grin.

“Oh, I’m aware, Bunny,” he said and then he narrowed his gaze. “But as soon as you try anything, you’ll leave me no choice but to put you in chains.” His voice graveled into a growl—a warning. “And trust me, that is the last thing I want to do.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I responded sarcastically.

I knew his father wanted me alive, but I still didn’t fully understand why he wanted me under his supervision the entire trip to Ember.

He could have just posted Evereht outside my cell, commanding him to not leave his post after what had happened last time, but instead, he insisted I stay with him.

It didn’t strategically make the most sense to me, but I guessed having me alive and in perfect condition for his father was worth the risk.

I looked for the silver lining. I was in a position where I could watch him, study his movements throughout the days, and plan an escape. My next objective would be finding my weapons and getting the fuck off this ship.