"You'll pay for that," Arnan said with a growl. "Accept your banishment."
"I don't care! Banish me! Right now, my only concern is finding Evree." Though his skin prickled with fury, Eramus stepped towards Arnan and outstretched his hand. "Evree needs our help. Are you coming with us or not?"
For a moment, Arnan stared at Eramus's hand, his brows drawn so tight they almost touched.
"I'm coming," he said finally, slapping away the gesture and rising to his feet. "I will protect my family from the mercenariesandfrom you." He stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door against the inner wall.
Kieran sighed, his expression riddled with an unspoken apology. "Thank you, Eramus." He disappeared in the sunlight that percolated through the door.
Eramus turned around, his gaze settling on his mother and Yelene. "Will you stay with her?" he asked, nodding towards Inara's trembling form.
Yelene rubbed Inara's shoulders, a weak smile pulling at her lips. "Of course." She bit her lip for a moment, her concerns revealing themselves through the deep creases in her forehead. "Are you certain about this? Perhaps Aldeth—"
Eramus shook his head. "He should stay here. We don't know what the mercenaries have planned. They could return, and I would prefer Aldeth to be here just in case. I can handle myself, but my people stand little chance against well-trained men."
Her expression softened as she studied him. "You remind me so much of him…at least who he used to be." Eramus opened his mouth to question her words, but Yelene quickly cut him off as though she'd made a mistake. "Go. Find Evree and promise me you'll be careful. I worked hard to find you, and I can't lose you now that I have."
Though he did not allow his emotions to show, Eramus was grateful for his aunt and uncle. In the short time they had stayed in his home, Eramus had formed a connection with them, and the warmth he experienced in their company could only come from knowing they truly cared about him.
"I promise," he said, moving towards the door. Eramus paused in the cascade of light that fell through the open doorway. "And thank you, Yelene."
He glanced over his shoulder to find a perplexed look on her face. "For what?"
A half smile pulled his lips to one side. "For never giving up on your nephew. For finding me."
Yelene mirrored his sentiments and nodded. As he crossed the threshold of the cottage, a mixture of emotions surged through his body, but despite the chaos of his racing mind, one thing became clear—Verascene would be his new home.
***
"It's the most logical plan," said Eramus, trying to keep his antsy body from making too much noise as they crouched behind a large English Boxwood.
Finding the mercenary camp had been far easier than he'd expected. Within an hour, they had stumbled upon a sea of cloth tents resting in a long clearing. Dozens of men weaved between them, their plates of armor clanking with each stride. The vanishing light made it difficult to count their numbers with any sort of exactness, but it was clear that a small army lay before them. Three men would stand little chance against so many.
At least not three ordinary men. Although, Eramus wasn't too keen to call Arnan anything but an arrogant simpleton. Eramus had his magic, their best weapon and hope of retrieving Evree, and Kieran had his rage and pure desire to save his daughter. Arnan only possessed a grouchy attitude and mouth that opposed Eramus at every opportunity. Perhaps asking him to come hadn't been the best idea.
"You're going to get us all killed," grumbled Arnan. "Think you know what's best just because you have—"
"Enough," said Kieran in a loud whisper. "Eramus's plan makes sense, and he is our best bet for saving Evree. If you can't accept that, then go home. I want my daughter back."
Arnan's scowl threatened to unleash a wide smirk across Eramus's lips, but he restrained himself. He needed to focus.
"Fine. What kind of distraction do you propose,Eramus?"
Eramus shifted. Truthfully, he wasn't as sure of himself or his plan as he wanted to be. Any number of things could go wrong, all of which put Evree in more danger, but they had to do something. He had to save her.
"Fire," he answered with a facade of confidence. "We'll set one tent on the outskirts of the camp ablaze. It will create enough of a distraction that we can slip in and find Evree."
Arnan snorted and shook his head. “That’s your plan? You really think they won’t notice us strolling through their camp? The moment we’re spotted, they’ll skewer us. Even you, with your magic, can’t fight off so many.”
"Which is why I brought these," said Kieran, opening the sack of supplies he'd brought with them. He pulled out several swords, two clubs, and at least six knives. Eramus lifted his brows, and Kieran shrugged. "After what happened to my wife, I swore I would never be unprepared again."
He chucked a sword towards the ground, and it landed in front of Eramus. "Take that. Evenyoumight need a blade."
Besides the fact that Eramus had never actually used one, having a sword made him feel better. With his magic, he likely wouldn't need another weapon, but if nothing else, the thick metal looked intimidating sheathed at his waist.
Arnan loaded several weapons on his belt with a continued scowl and an occasional muttered insult. Eramus ignored him.
"All right," said Kieran. "Let's move to the east side of the camp. They have a few fires already going over there that we can use to light the tents. Once we do, we can look for Evree." He turned toward Eramus, his expression stoic but hope burning in his eyes. "We'll follow your lead."
