‘Itisimpressive, isn’t it,’ he drawled with a wry grin; as if he could sense the levity she so desperately needed.
And despite the tension of the day – the weeks, really – a laugh rasped from her. Will’s answering smile was dazzling, the green in his eyes flaring as he stared down at her. ‘I think we’ve both been through far worse,’ Aya remarked.
Will shook his head, that light in his eyes fading as quickly as it had come. ‘Don’t remind me. I thought you were dead that night the Athatis attacked. When I couldn’t feel you anymore, I thought they had …’
He shook his head again and cleared his throat, as if the words were stuck there.
A vision of him on his knees rose in her mind, the echoes of him bellowing her name tugging at her memory. Her hand flattened on his side, and Will stilled, his eyes locking on her. She wondered if her own tangled emotions were reflected there: the confusion and the surprise and the hesitation and something else that she was still too wary to explore.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. ‘I never thanked you. For coming after me that night. I would never have made it out if you hadn’t found me.’
His brows rose. ‘What happened to, “I would’ve been able to fulfill my oath to our citizens if you hadn’t involved yourself”?’
Aya groaned. ‘Insufferable.’
His laugh was a caress against her mouth. ‘To consistency, Aya love.’ She could feel the warmth of him, his wood-smoke and spiced-honey scent wrapping around her as a breeze blew in from the ocean. Her heart kicked into an unsteady rhythm as the smile faded from his face, replaced by something else entirely. It tightened the air between them, stretching it so taut that Aya could feel the pull toward him. But Will let out a shaky breath as he shifted away from her, his hand grabbing his abandoned glass. He took one last, long sip of his drink. ‘We should get some sleep.’
She blinked, as if coming to. Sleep … of course. Such a thing seemed impossible. But she nodded and bid him goodnight. She was at the balcony door when he called out to her.
‘I got you something. It’s in the top drawer of my dresser.’ She cocked her head, but he merely turned back to the ocean, his figure a dark outline cut against the star-flecked sky.
The parcel was wrapped in simple brown paper held in place with a white ribbon. She tugged gently on it, her breath catching as she took in the small, sharp whittling knife and untouched block of wood. A note rested on top, scrawled in handwriting she hadn’t realized was familiar:
Just don’t stab me with it.
50
Aidon strolled across the beach, weaving between the unlit bonfires and stopping every so often to greet various townspeople. The night was warm, the dusk sky a deep purple. A quartet had set up near the largest fire, which would serve as the heart of the dancing and celebrating, though the festival stretched all the way down the crescent beach.
He was relieved the Pysar celebration had finally arrived. The city needed something festive. And with two weeks having passed since the last Bellare attack, perhaps the celebratory mood would last.
Even if his was lacking.
Despite his attempted refusals, Aya had taken him to lunch just after the attack – as a thank you for saving her and Will’s lives. He didn’t bother telling her he didn’t know that he quite deserved it.
The screams from the dungeons had still been ringing in his ears. The Bellare members they’d captured yielded nothing of Helene’s whereabouts, even under Sensainos and Persi questioning.
It is not the power behind the blade, but the timing of the strike, his mother loved to say.Patience, Aidon.
But he was growing restless.
Aidon sighed and made a silent commitment to put such thoughts to the side, at least for the evening. Because those were flames he saw at the far end of the beach. The Lighting had begun.
He scanned the crowd for Aya. He wanted her to see this,to take in how the flames flickered down the beach, racing toward the central fire, where torchbearers stood ready to ignite the massive structure and officially begin the festivities.
He found her weaving through the crowd in a long, loose white dress that barely dusted the sand. A long slit up the side showed flashes of the golden sandals that laced up her legs. She’d coaxed her hair into loose curls, one side pinned behind her ear and the rest cascading down her back. Josie walked with her in a peach gown of similar light fabric that hugged every curve, the skirt fanning out around her feet.
They each held glasses of sparkling wine, and Josie lifted hers in greeting before wordlessly walking off with a small, knowing smile. No sign of Will, though Aidon didn’t miss him. He’d invited the Enforcer out of courtesy, and perhaps an apology for the attack. It didn’t mean Aidon found his company any more enjoyable.
‘So … this is Pysar,’ Aya said, her eyes scanning the beach.
For a moment, he couldn’t find the words to respond. It was as though her mere presence had trapped his voice in his throat, and all he could do was trace the length of her stunning white dress that twisted at her neck, the back entirely open before meeting again just below the small of her back. She cocked her head at him, a quizzical frown on her face. ‘What?’
‘Nothing,’ Aidon coughed. ‘Yes, this is Pysar.’
She grinned at him. ‘Are you going to tell me what it’s all about?’
Aidon shifted on his feet, his hands sliding into the pockets of his tan linen pants. ‘We weren’t always the leaders in trade that we are today. It wasn’t until a group of sailors discovered the spring migration patterns of a fish unique to this region that we started to become known for our delicacies.The festival celebrates that discovery. It’s the beginning of the spring season – an awakening.’
