I gritted my teeth as he left me sitting in the saddle helplessly. Instead of getting me off the horse, he guided his sister into the darkness of the cave.
I threw myself over the saddle, slipping awkwardly, but catching myself before I fell.
I stood at the entrance of the cave, watching the trees bend against the wind and the sky flash violently with branches of white light that made me flinch.
“Come away from there, it isn’t safe,” Solas said from behind me.
I was almost mesmerised in its destructive beauty. Lumireth was beautiful one moment and trying to kill us the next. I took a small step back from the storm, but kept my eyes trained on the angry sky.
“Earlier, you said I am to help with the monster problem. How?”
“You’re going to get me in trouble,” Solas sighed from beside me. I expected him to say nothing, the sound of the rain pounding into the ground stretching between us.
“I do not know what history Mortals are taught but there is a prophecy about?—”
“The Sea Goddess rising again. I know. But what does that have to do with me?”
“The Commander is the only one who can kill the monsters. But once you absorb the Soul Relics, imbuing your power into weapons will let us all stand a chance. You could save so many of my people’s lives.”
“Why can the Commander kill them?” A loud rumble of thunder followed by bright streaks of light made me startle.
Solas gently placed his hand around my arm and pulledme backwards into the cave. “Come on, it is dangerous and will lasthours.” He led me further into the cave, past the nervous horses and into the narrow entrance where the Commander and Cerilla had disappeared.
The fire threwrestless shadows across the cave walls, their shapes flickering in and out of the dark. We were sheltered, but the storm still raged outside. The thunder wasn’t softened by the stone. It rolled through the mountain like the growl of something ancient.
Cerilla paced near the back of the cave, fingers twisting nervously in her dark hair. Solas lounged against a rock, a blood bag in hand, the picture of calm in contrast to her restlessness. “Thank you, brother,” Cerilla said, taking a metal travel cup from the Commander’s hands before frowning.
“I’m sorry it’s cold,” he murmured as he guided her to a blanket that he had laid out for her.
“It’s fine.” She took a small sip, forcing a smile to mask the grimace that flickered across her face. “The ingredients will still work.”
My chest tightened in a way I didn’t recognise, and I turned away before I could see more of it. Before I could watch him soften, before I could watch the Commander of Death become something other than my captor. What would it feel like to have someone care for you?
I glanced back, curiosity betraying me. The Commander was helping her get comfortable when Solas caught me watching them.
“Cerilla’s powers are blocked during storms,” he explained quietly, voice barely above a whisper.
“Solas,” the Commander growled in warning, shooting a glare at the warrior that then settled on me. A shiver shot through me; did he see me as a threat to his sister?
“May I?” I asked, stepping closer. Cerilla hesitated before passing me the cup. The bitter scent of herbs hit me like a wall. “What is it?”
“A sleeping brew,” she said softly. “Not having access to my power makes me… anxious. It’s easier to rest through them.”
I nodded, closing my eyes. Power thrummed through my veins, wild and familiar. The water in the cup whispered to me, waiting for my command. I drew in a breath and began to hum, the melody soft and haunting, the kind that made the air itself listen.
Heat,I told it. Within moments, the surface of the brew rippled and steamed. The tin cup seared against my palms. Cerilla took the cup from me slowly, staring down at it as if it might bite her.
“Thanks,” she said quietly before sitting next to Solas to drink her tea. Perhaps she was just on edge from the storm. But the way she avoided my eyes made me wonder if it wasn’t just the storm that made her nervous.
Hours passed. Hours of endless rumbling from the sky. The rain had eased, enough for the distinctive clicking of a Skanthi to echo through the trees outside between booms of thunder. A sound I had never heard before, an eerie rattle had also joined the chorus of horrifying noises. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew in my bones it was another monster. At this stage, I wished I could go to sleep. My nightmares would feel like a reprieve. The others had long been asleep, the fire embers barely glowing. As soon as night had fallen, Solas had extinguished it. He said it would attract more unwanted friends.
I sat up with a frustrated sigh, running my hands through my damp hair.
“Can’t sleep?” The Commander’s voice came from the darkness. It was low and rough, but softer than I’d ever heard it. The fire had burned down to embers, painting him in faint orange light. No shadows withered over his skin, and it made him look almost normal.
“Not with that noise,” I murmured, nodding towards the mouth of the cave. If I closed my eyes and a monster attacked, would I even wake before it ripped me limb from limb?
“I have a question for you,” he mused, muscles flexing as he rested one arm behind his head.
