Hadn’t I embraced Kaelun like I’d done with Eithan countless times before?
Did that mean I trusted him, or was it merely a side effect of relief and adrenaline forming an intoxicating cocktail of comfort I greedily drank down? It’s not like I was going to randomly hug the others to see if my aversion was cured. Though, given Tarrin’s kiss, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. When we were back and settled, he and I would have to have a much longer conversation about how he’d chosenlove over war.
Steps ahead, Sidrick shifted his pack and sword for what the hundredth time since we’d left that valley. “You okay?” I asked.
“Just itchy.”
My nose wrinkled, remembering how Myron’s touch had itched something fierce when he healed the wounds Amos inflicted. Wrapping my arms around myself, I rubbed warmth into my arms from the memory of the searing cold fog against my skin, and was acutely aware of how my breaths began to mist when the sun finally tucked herself away.
We ate rations on the fly as we traveled across the land at a healthy pace, jogging across any valleys—no matter how small—and while exhaustion had long since taken adrenaline’s place, I doubted we’d break for camp. Our risk grew for every moment we intruded on Wymond’s land—as did Artton’s. I didn’t care whatSidrick said about being shielded by some sort of code because they were Caius’ commanders, until Artton was safe and sound, I wouldn’t be able to take a full breath.
“Brother?” Kaelun called from behind me, not waiting for a response before he ran past and clasped Sidrick’s shoulder with a tight grip. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t realized that our leader had reached to balance himself against a tree. “What is it?” Kaelun asked, his features cutting with concern.
Releasing his palm from the wide, knurled trunk, the commander rested it on his brother’s hand and patted it once before standing straight. “I’m fine.”
Kaelun’s brows furrowed. “With all due respect, Sir, I don’t think you are.”
Tarrin sidled up next to me, exchanging a glance with me before saying, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Sidrick said.
“With all due respect, Commander,” Tarrin said, mirroring Kaelun, “I wasn’t asking you.” He pinned the younger brother with a look that showed exactly why he’d been Thaddeus’ highest commander for centuries, and I was grateful that I wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
Kaelun flashed his brother an apologetic look before answering. “There’s something wrong with his magic. His shield has been flickering over the past hour, but it just went down completely for a moment when he stumbled.”
Tarrin’s focus snapped to Sidrick. “Is this true?”
They stared each other down, commander to commander, before the summer fae breathed out. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth as if pained to admit it.
“It’s his back,” I said. “He’s been fussing with his equipment since we left.”
“Where that thing dug its claws into you,” Tarrin said.
“Wait,” Kaelun interjected. “You were injured by one of them?What if their talons were poisonous like the arrow Uncle Artton took?”
His older brother went to object, but Tarrin cut him off. “Remove your clothes so we can take a look.”
“We can’t afford to stop. And, you don’t give me orders,” Sidrick tossed back.
“No, Co-mman-der,” his human counterpart said, enunciating each syllable to drill his point home as he took a step forward, his broad shoulders now square to the summer fae. “What we can’t afford is losing the protection your magic provides—as a shield or a weapon. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to go back to the Summer Court to report to a very powerful, very angry High Lord that we lost both of his commanders on this botched mission. I, for one, value my life too much for that. So, if it’s all the same to you, strip. Now.”
The deep timbre of Tarrin’s voice left no room for negotiation, but that didn’t stop Sidrick from staring him down for a long, heart-stopping moment.
“Fine,” he huffed, dropping his pack. “But I’ll say this, Artton’s right, you really are a pain in the ass.”
Taking a step back to give him space to disrobe, Tarrin chuckled. “Says the man refusing to comply with basic post-battle mending.”
“It’s male,” Sidrick corrected, taking his uncharacteristic frustration out on Tarrin as he unstrapped his scabbard buckle from the front and placed it on the ground, gently resting it against the trunk he’d grasped for balance.
Tarrin made a dismissive motion with his hand. “Same thing.”
“Actually, it’s not,” Kaelun said with a tentative voice.
“Oh?” Tarrin said with a raised brow, then crossed his bulky arms over his wide chest.
I watched the summer fae like a hawk as I idly listened to the conversation, feeling more than a little annoyed at how alpha types—even a softer-spoken one like Sidrick—always felt the need to grin and bear pain.
“Well, yeah,” my shadow said, and from the corner of my eye, Isaw him pulling on the back of his neck before continuing. “The etymology ofhumanis derived from the wordhumanusin a language long since dead to your kind. Translated it means human being. We are not human. Therefore, we are not men—we are male.”
