“You wanted to know how to kill an Infi,” came Draven’s voice. “I assume you are satisfied?”
“That was disgusting,” Aydra said as he walked around her towards the creature.
“I never claimed it to be pretty,” he said, crouching down beside it. He pushed on the rubber-like skin of it left behind. “The rain will take care of the shell.” He stood once more and brushed his hands on his pants as he turned back towards them.
“Who’s hungry?”
Draven left them to hunt for rabbit a few minutes later. Aydra sat with Dorian against the boulders, and neither could stop staring at the empty skin lying at the bottom of the hill.
“We should tell the Scribe of this when we get back,” Aydra said, sipping on her water.
“I volunteered to help him rid the others,” Dorian said in an almost trance-like voice. “Tell me again why I volunteered for that.”
Aydra almost laughed. “Because you’re the bravest of us,” she replied.
Dorian shook his head and then leaned back against the boulder. Aydra curled her knees into her chest, and movement caught her eye across the field. She squinted, and she could see Draven lying in the grass on his stomach. She couldn’t see the weapon he had in his hand, but she felt the thud of the rabbit’s life leave its body a moment later.
A grunt behind them made Aydra smirk. Lex was trying to get a fire started, but the wind kept putting it out. She heard her curse Duarb’s winds, and then throw something forcefully into the open field.
Aydra exchanged a look with Dorian, and he laughed as he shook his head and stood. “Looks like your Second could use some help,” he said as he offered a hand to Aydra.
“I believe this is your chance to show off,” she said, taking his hand.
Dorian had grown in the last year, he was a couple inches taller than her now, but still as gangly as ever, as though his muscles seemed to be struggling to keep up with the stretching of his bones. Some of his muscles seemed to finally be filling out with all the training he had begun doing with Lex. His deep set, widely rounded stark blue eyes tore through her beneath his bold brows. His fluffy black ear-length hair fell over his eye, angling with the sharpness of his cheekbones and triangular set of his jaw. She was glad he was finally growing into his stature. At one point when he was younger, she remembered his eyes being all she would see when she looked upon his young face, and while that still reigned somewhat true, at least he was growing into the sarcastic smirk he wore on his face all the time.
Aydra reached out and fluffed his hair playfully as she usually did. “I can’t decide if you always look as though you’re up to no good or if you’re sad with those eyes,” she said fondly.
He huffed amusedly under his breath and held his arm out to her. “Ah. Secrets, sister,” he mused.
The noise of Lex throwing something else frustratedly into the air diverted their attention. Dorian raised a brow and grinned at Aydra.
“Calm down, Second Sun,” Dorian said as he quickly made his way down the hill. “I’ll help.”
Lex’s hands sat haughtily on her hips. “You can’t. This damned wind of the Venari is debilitating. I can’t—”
Dorian put his hand beneath the pieces of wood she’d piled up, and a flame grew in his blackening palm. Aydra saw the flash of fire in his pupils, and she crossed her arms over her chest, smiling proudly at her brother.
“Oh.” Lex’s gaze met Aydra’s. “I forgot he could do that.”
Dorian grinned as he stood. “You can thank me when I get back from the villages,” he said with a wink.
Lex’s brows raised amusedly. “Bold,” she mused, exchanging a look with Aydra. “But you’re not really my type.”
“Didn’t know you had a type, Second,” came Draven’s voice as he joined them. “It was my impression you merely took your Queen’s leftovers.”
Lex snorted and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, and Dorian chortled aloud. Aydra felt her nostrils flare as she attempted to keep her amusement inwards at the snarky crook of a smirk on Draven’s face.
“Funny, Venari,” she finally said, lips pursed. “Lex, I’ll finish packing the horses if you want to get a move on with breakfast. We’ve a long journey back to Magnice.”
The deliberate once over Draven gave her then made her hug her arms around her chest. She returned it with a raised brow, and then turned on her heel to pack their things.
Damn Venari.
CHAPTER FIVE
TWO DAYS PASSED before Aydra and Lex returned to the ever bright kingdom they called home. Aydra paused her horse upon seeing its glory a few miles out, and she allowed herself a moment to take in the sight of its white facade built into the cliffside. Soldiers walked along the top of the great walls surrounding the bottom of the hill, the gates to the kingdom. The iron wrought gate was open, as it always was. Farmers and traders flooded in and out of it, the busy day coming to an end. Colorful tarps sat stark against the white rock over some of the winding streets to block the bright sun.
The road was busy as they continued on at a leisurely pace. Every Dreamer to pass gave a nod and moved off the path, allowing Aydra and Lex to pass. Aydra knew a few, and she paused to speak with them. They told her of how their goods were moving, if they were having any troubles with securing items, and of how their families were doing.
