I sheathe my weapons again and move to make my way to them when Ronyn sails past, a roguish grin on his face. “I like him.”
“Things are about to get a whole lot... louder,” Merrik exhales the words, as if already exasperated by the pairing Ronyn and this new man will make.
“Daelen, can’t say I’ve missed you,” Jax croons, though she embraces him all the same.
“Jaxxy, still being difficult, I assume?” Daelen quips.
Maybe I like him too.
“You fuckin’ know she has, Dae,” Merrik growls, clasping Daelen’s arm in a warrior’s embrace. “It’s been too long, brother.”
The group take a moment to reunite, affection and camaraderie flowing freely, when Ronyn clears his throat, asserting himself. “You don’t know me yet, but I’m the better-looking, more talented, and generally quicker-witted version of whatever you’ve got going on. Ronyn, at your service.”
He extends a hand. Daelen stares at it.
A beat passes—just long enough for me to consider drawing the Starforged Blade again—before Daelen roars with laughter, grabs Ronyn’s hand, and yanks him into a handshake-turned-hug.
Daelen looks to his comrades and grins. “I like him.”
“Dae, this is Elyssara, the Lightborne, and this is Seren,” Therion asserts simply.
Daelen’s eyes meet mine, and I swear I sense sadness, perhaps even resignation, in them. He lingers on me before extending a hand, “Elyssara, it’s a pleasure.” He turns to Seren then, and a warm smile graces his face, as if hoping to disarm her, “I look forward to working with you, Seren.”
Before I can respond, Therion shifts, as if sensing something. We all notice, and go straight for our weapons, eyes darting, searching, seeking answers for whatever has put Therion on edge.
Through the trees, a tall man with ashen white hair and pulled back in a simple tail with a leather strap walks with an unsettlingly controlled and powerful gait. The others sheathe their weapons, but they don’t relax completely, especially Therion, who looks decidedly uneasy with the man’s presence.
The tall, sinewed figure stalks toward us, his blue-gray eyes bore into me, as if my very existence is a burden to him.
“Oh yeah,” Daelen drawls, “I forgot to mention that fuckin’ Zakarius brought himself along on this little adventure of mine.”
“How the fuck did he know you were coming?” Kael grits out, some color and energy returning to him now that the cloak has dropped.
“He’s not an Aetherstride, Kael, but he tracked me all the way from camp to here without a single fucking sound,” Daelen explains, though his irritation is evident.
“Fuck’s sake,” Merrik exhales. I tuck the reactions away into my mind for analysis later.They do not like this man.
The closer Zakarius gets, the more unsettled I feel. His stormy gaze flicks over me, unimpressed. Dismissive.
Then he exhales through his nose, barely concealing his disdain.
“I see you didn’t just find the Lightborne. You picked up a few strays along the way.” A scoff, cold as ice. “Not the plan, Kael.”
There’s something in the way he looks at me that makes my stomach tighten. Not curiosity. Not interest. Not even disdain.Calculation.
Like he’s assessing risk. Like I’m a problem that needs solving.
Or removing.
A flicker of something cold flashes in his dark eyes—gone too fast for me to name.
I swallow hard, forcing my spine straight.
I notice a subtle shift beside me.Kael.
I don’t need to look at him to know his body has gone rigid, that he’s already picked up whatever passed between Zakarius and me.
His fingers flex at his sides. Just slightly. But enough for me to know that he sees it all.
