“It is good to see all of you. It was rather convenient that you knew where to find us when we left the temple. The cannon fire is what turned the tides.”
“That was Lyla,” Mullins said as if it burned his tongue to admit. “She told us to circle the place like she knew you wouldn’t be leavin’ through the front door.”
I turned my attention to Aeris. She was staring into the flames like she wasn’t listening to the conversation.
“Vidar said it was you who freed her,” I said.
She turned her head at that, shyly pulling the blanket she had wrapped around herself over her shoulders.
“I trusted myself, that is all. I trusted that my theories about Lyla were correct.”
“What theories?”
“That she wanted freedom. Do not let my words fool you. She’s a violent creature, but I trusted that she would be of use without her binds. And she was,” she shrugged. “After she threatened to gut me, that is.”
“She was useful.” I took another sip of rum, clearing my throat. “I do wish I knew where she was. I have questions.”
Aeris turned her head toward the beach on the other side of Vidar’s tent as if she heard something.
“I imagine she has questions, too. Which is why she’s been hidden in the rocks there since this morning.”
All of us whipped our heads around to see a small outcropping of rocks down the beach.
“You’re shittin’ us,” Mullins said, rubbing his brow. “She can’t have been there the whole time. That would mean our lookouts are shit.”
“You were on lookout duty only moments ago,” Meridan reminded him.
“My point stands.”
“No, it means Lyla has no intention of attacking any of us,” I said. “Except Cathal, perhaps.”
Meridan chuckled, but the others remained unamused.
Handing the bottle back to Nazario, I took a deep breath, gathering the will to go to her. If she was there, she had a motive and it was no longer to slaughter us all and surrender me to the now absent father.
Meridan reached out, wrapping her hand around mine.
“You will let it hang over your head for the rest of your life if you do not speak with her,” she said. “I despise her for what she’s done, but… I am grateful to have you back and I understand she had a hand in that.”
I squeezed her hand, offering her a soft smile. “And I am thankful that I am able to be here with all of you again.” I grunted as I stood from the sand. “I suppose I should thank her at the very least. If she can tolerate my presence, I shall ask my questions.”
Turning, I stared at the textured cluster of rocks, narrowing my eyes. I began to walk towards them, my heart pounding nervously in my chest. I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t as if we’d never met. Or maybe it was. Without that heavy presence that had been taking up space in both our lives, perhaps we were completely different people.
The closer I got to the rocks, the clearer the slow and subtle rhythm of her heartbeat was. Just as I focused my eyes in the dark, the faintest glint of light reflected off two eyes peering in my direction. A body uncurled from the jagged stones, shedding the dark colors like a snake shedding its skin until a slender, pale form stood before me, washed in moonlight. Her black hair hung over humble breasts, but without anything else covering her, I could see just how marred her body was. Enough scars and blemishes littered her skin to rival mine. Bite marks. Slashes. Punctures. Her body was riddled with them, illustrating hardships I couldn’t even fathom.
“What do you want?”
She continued to stare at me, her head slowly cocking to one side. Then, as if her thoughts were distracting her away from me, her gaze lowered and she slowly turned toward the rocks, taking a seat on one of the sharpest ones as if seeking comfort was foreign to her. I hesitated for a moment, but curiosity got the better of me.
“You must want something if you’re back here,” I said, lowering myself on the more comfortable rock beside her. “You were free to go wherever you wanted.Dowhatever you wanted. So why return if—”
“I don’t know how to be free,” she mumbled.
Her words caught me off guard. I hesitated, staring at the side of her face. She was slouching over herself, her hair like black webs falling over her eyes.
“Nobody knows how to be free,” I said. “It is not something that can be taught or learned.”
“And what choices shall I make with this gift you’ve granted me?”
