Arrow’s jaw tensed as he grunted his approval. “You will all be under Lieutenant Salvitto’s command. Leave before daylight in the morning. Be back within the week with the Key.”
My stomach plummeted. If my body weren’t so tense, my jaw would have dropped to the floor.
“Salvitto?” I croaked.
Now I knew why the lieutenant looked so familiar—brown, wavy hair, deep, warm brown eyes.
A medium-sized portrait of her with her family sat on her nightstand, including a man I hadn’t met yet. I gently picked it up and looked into their happy, smiling faces. The man was taller than Laney, but they shared the same features. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders and looked only a few years older than us.
“That’s Nash, my older brother.” I heard her unpacking her bag behind me. “He didn’t attend Mageia, but he’s a water elemental. Our parents don’t really agree with his chosen profession, but he’s an adult. And they will always love him anyway. As long as he’s happy, healthy, and taking care of himself—that’s all that truly matters.”
My heart raced, pounding so hard it echoed in my ears. My palms turned clammy, and an uncomfortable heat crept up my spine. I curled my fingers into fists to stop them from trembling.
“Maybe he doesn’t know you two were friends...” Lakota murmured, trying to soothe my racing thoughts.
Nash extended his hand toward me. “Nash Salvitto. I’ve heard all about you.”
Chapter 16
Just when I think I’ve grown a backbone, life says fuck no.
“Fuck me.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh, hollow and barely masking the anxiety twisting my stomach into knots.
“I plan to.”
Rhodes’s warm breath tickled my ear, his voice low and teasing, grounding me before my spiraling thoughts could fully consume me. As we all exited the war room, his hand found its place on my lower back, firm and steady, guiding me through the Hollow.
I was numb.
And I wanted to melt into nothingness.
My breaths came shallow as my vision tunneled, but I forced myself to focus, blinking rapidly. The world snapped back into clarity as we reached a familiar hut—his, not mine. I glanced over my shoulder, locking eyes with Rhodes. His teasing smirk told me his provocative comment was meant to snap me out of my downward spiral.
I didn’t smother the tiny spark of happiness. Instead, I let my grin cover my face naturally as heat rushed to my cheeks. Even when everything was unraveling, he found a way to tether me back to something real.
“And why, may I ask, have you led me to your hut instead of my own, Wylder?” I teased, arching a brow.
Rhodes shut and locked the door behind him, leaning back against it with a casual ease. Arms crossed, ankles locked, his chin dipped slightly, and the blue in his right eye shone bright, even in the dim light of the room.
“Because we’re about to be on the road with a squad and no privacy. So selfishly, I’m keeping you to myself.”
Heat flushed my cheeks, and I turned away, hoping he wouldn’t catch it. “What about my belongings?”
“You have no past belongings here. I’ve already packed your drawer with new belongings. Courtesy of Fallon’s wardrobe.”
I whipped back around, meeting his gaze. “You packed me a drawer in your hut? And what if I didn’t want to stay with you?”
“I would’ve changed your mind.”
Stunned, I blinked up at him. This newfound confidence—this unwavering certainty in the tether between us—was new. Rhodes had never been this forward before.
He closed the distance between us, his touch featherlight as he tilted my chin up with a single finger. “I’m not pressuring you,” he murmured. “If you want to leave, you can. I just wanted to have a drawer ready for you if you decide to stay. For you to know that you have a place, if you want one.”
His gray-blue eyes searched mine, earnest and unguarded. My throat tightened.
“Take a hot bath, get some rest,” he continued. “I can sleep on the floor.”
He better not.
