Page 6 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)

Chapter Four

Ace

I n the dark hours of the early morning, the rebellion had never been so busy.

Fae, orcs, and other creatures of all shapes and sizes were setting up the tents, some of our best hunters readied to go hunt for food, since we’d had to abandon most of our supplies at our last base camp.

Witches were casting spells of protection over the new camp, glamouring it with their magic.

Atreya had told me to prepare for a trip to the Capital City to get more supplies.

She was going to leave Baron in charge until we could get back.

Since being separated from Emelyn, my nerves had left my body taut and restless, riddling me with unease.

However, knowing she might respond to my letter soon had somewhat eased those emotions. Or, at least I hoped I would.

Atreya, Luana, Sedrin, Maeve, and I were to leave within the hour.

I had already packed my bag and eaten a quick breakfast to prepare for the long journey.

If we went straight there and back with few if any breaks, we should be able to make it back here in less than a week’s time.

If we stopped, it would take longer. If I could use my wings, I’d be there and back within a couple of days if I pushed myself, but Atreya had said it was too risky flying that close to Woodhaven after the ambush in Westwell.

I agreed, but now the trip would take twice as long.

Maeve stumbled by me as I tossed my bag onto my back.

Placing it between my wings, I grabbed for her, steadying her.

She was carrying a large sack over her shoulder that I assumed by the smell was assorted food of some kind.

Most people had grabbed what they could in the midst of all the chaos, and Atreya had asked for everyone to gather whatever food they had to one of the main tents.

My guess was Maeve was helping gather what she could before we left.

“Need some help?” I asked, and she tugged away gently.

“No, I’ve got it, thank you though,” she signed as quickly as she could with one hand and sauntered off. I blew out a breath, and Sedrin smacked a heavy hand down on my shoulder.

“Give her time,” he said, giving me a small, hopeful smile. “She’ll come around.”

“It doesn’t seem like it. I wish there were a way I could fix it.”

“She understands. She talked to me about it. It’s just, it’s still a fresh wound for her. You were the first person she had shown interest in, in a long while,” he said, and I rubbed a hand down my face. He was trying to make me feel better, but he was only making it worse.

“I do care for her. I hope she knows I didn’t intentionally hurt her,” I signed, and he wagged his head.

“She knows, Ace. Like I said, give her some time. She’ll come around.”

“We’ll see,” I signed, and he continued going the same direction Maeve had gone.

Both of them carried a large sack of food over their shoulders.

I walked over to where Atreya was going over the last-minute details with Baron of all the things to remember while we were gone.

I was sure he knew the protocol, but Atreya continued going over everything anyway.

He kept nodding and reassuring her they would be fine until she returned.

I could tell she loved these people and only wanted them safe.

“Ready to go?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Go ahead with the others. They should be waiting for me on the path we took to get up here. I’ll be there shortly,” she signed, and I gave her a nod of appreciation before turning away.

I felt a little out of place about heading toward the meeting spot already, like I should have been helping somewhere else like the others were.

I didn’t have a place here, not like the others did, or at least it didn’t feel like it.

I wasn’t able to fall into the roles that everyone else had.

I did my chores or the things that were asked of me with no complaint, but after the work was done, I didn’t have anyone to turn to.

Maeve was avoiding me, and Luana had been hot and cold since the night of the party.

I didn’t know where I stood with her anymore.

I needed to make friends . . . but after being on the run with Emelyn for so long, she was the only companion I had ever trusted. And now that she was gone, I was entering a spot in my life that was foreign to me.

I knew I could spend time with Sedrin or Cyran, that they would accept me with open arms, but it just felt—off—different.

I kicked a stone along the path, lost in thought. The memory of Emelyn, Crow, and I travelling to the rebellion tugged a smile to my face even though I still believed Crow to be an ass.With my eyes glued to the stone, I bumped into Luana, making her stumble backwards.

“I seem to knock you off your feet often,” I signed with a jesting smirk, grabbing her elbow to stabilize her, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“ Ha ha ,” she said out loud with a small grin, and it only made my smile grow.

“Where are you headed?” I asked.

“To talk to Atreya, to ask if there’s anything more she needs me to do before we leave.”

“Can I come with you?” I asked, and she hesitated a moment.

“Sure.” I turned to walk next to her back in the direction I had come. Maybe this would help me feel better about belonging here, finding my place.

We walked, and Luana hummed a song I didn’t recognize, but it was beautiful and one I had noticed she hummed to herself often.

I wondered what her singing voice sounded like and if it was as beautiful as she was. I was sure it was because every little thing about this woman was breathtaking.

As we walked, I noticed myself admiring her every detail: her dark, short curls, the warm brown of her skin, the single freckle she had on her chest just below her collarbone that was slightly darker and more prominent than the ones speckled across her cheeks.

She was heavenly, and I desperately wanted her to be mine.

We made it back to Atreya, who looked to be unloading buckets of water to help them prepare for the next few days.

Luana didn’t ask. She went directly over to where the large buckets sat and began carrying them two at a time, following directly behind Atreya, and I did the same, getting all the water in one of the open tents so people could use it to bathe, cook, clean, or anything else they might need.

We didn’t have a spring to bathe in like we had at the other camp.

Or, at least we hadn’t explored all the mountains yet to see if there was one close enough to use.

I missed my hot bath at the end of a long day.

It helped ease my wings and taut muscles after training days.

I lugged the buckets to the tent, following directly behind Luana.

I sat them down next to hers, and as she turned around directly into my chest, she looked up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes.

Our bodies were practically buzzing for each other.

Her skin called to me to touch, but she cleared her throat and moved past me to get more of the water.

But I couldn’t hide my grin as she walked away.

We finished the task and walked together to the rendezvous point on the trail.

As we walked, I pushed my luck and placed my hand on the small of Luana’s back.

She tensed at first and I almost moved away, but then she slowly leaned into it.

When we finally met up with everyone else and I took my hand off of her, I noticed she deflated a little, but maybe it was my imagination playing tricks on my mind and heart.

“Everyone ready?” Atreya asked, and we all nodded in agreement.

“This journey will be long. I do not intend to stay away from the rebellion for longer than we need to. Our people need these supplies. We have enough food to last for the next couple of days as long as we ration, and I’ve assigned a group to haul water from the river flowing through the mountains.

As long as our hunters and gatherers continue working, our people should be okay until we get back with more.

I’ve sent word to the Capital City. They know we’re coming.

There should be a wagon of supplies waiting for us when we get there.

We don’t know if there are any of Ember’s camps set up around Woodhaven’s territory, so we need to stay alert.

Don’t travel far from the group alone. There are other creatures out there to worry about, not just Ember’s soldiers.

Got it?” She spoke and signed at the same time.

“Yes, commander,” everyone said or signed in unison.

“Good, now let’s go.”

She took the lead with a steady walk on the uneven trail.

The first few hours went smoothly, but it didn’t take long for me to start feeling the exhaustion setting in.

We didn’t stop unless it was to relieve ourselves.

Sweat drenched my back, and I wondered how Luana still looked flawless even through this trek.

Was she even sweating? I walked closer to her and soon realized that the earth was shifting under her feet, moving her along the rocky terrain.

I huffed with a chuckle, and she glanced over at me.

“What?” she asked when she noticed me staring.

“Cheater,” I signed, and she laughed.

“Work smarter, not harder,” she said.

“Could you do the same thing for me?” I asked, and she pinched her brow.

“I don’t think it works that way. Being an earth bender requires immense balance,” she replied, and I scoffed.

“Are you saying I can’t keep my balance?” I felt a little insulted.

“No, I’m only pointing out that an Earth Dryad has more control over their balance than other benders,” she replied, and I saw Atreya look over her shoulder with a grin on her face, listening, waiting, and watching to see how this would play out.

“Alright, try me,” I signed.

“Ace, I don’t think . . . ,” she started but didn’t continue, knowing that my face was telling her I wouldn’t take no for an answer.