Elyssa’s story filled in some of her lacking knowledge, but there was still one missing piece. One piece that remained unanswered, even though Lora’s suspicions were loud in her mind. She needed to hear it. “If you had to keep Eyden a secret, then how come you both came to save me?”
Wide hazel eyes met hers. “What do you think, Lora? He thought you were gonna die. He knew we were following the human blood traffickers and when he couldn’t reach me, he showed up here. My brother—the guy who had been so goddamn careful to keep me hidden from the fae and himself hidden from the camp—just appeared. Out of nowhere.”
Lora’s breath caught in her throat as she struggled to work out Elyssa’s words.
Elyssa’s eyes didn’t leave hers as a small grin stretched the corners of her mouth. “I walked out of my tent and there he was, surrounded by scared, angry humans with weapons drawn, ready to strike. I cooled them down just in time. I think Jaspen would have kicked us both out right then if it wasn’t for our friends who got taken. We had a lead and were planning to strike even before Eyden told us about you.”
Lora’s gaze drifted to the ground as Elyssa’s words fully sunk in. She was analysing every single one of Eyden’s actions, going through his possible reasoning and coming to a terrifying conclusion that her heart was not yet ready to accept. She thought back to that tiny room in Ilario’s home. When they’d played for truths. When they hadn’t purely danced around lies.
Eyden’s words were haunting her mind and her heart. Melting away the uncertainty, the worry that she was purely imagining things.I spend all this time being on watch, waiting for something, anything to fall into place.
He hadn’t waited this time. He hadn’t merely watched.Why?The answer was a whisper in her mind, making her heart flutter. She couldn’t fully think it into existence. If she accepted the truth before her, what would happen?
Her own lies were holding her back, keeping her unmoving, waiting, but wishingsomethingwould fall into place.
* * *
The smell of smoke clung to the air as the bonfire warmed Lora’s skin. The sun had set and people had gathered around the open flame, eating and drinking ale. Apparently, it was tradition for them before going on any sort of mission. Lora had seen lots of new faces. Most had been friendly, although some cut suspicious glances to the fae sitting beside her on an old log. Next to Eyden, Lora wasn’t the most intriguing new face. Jaspen had filled everyone in, telling them Lora was human; otherwise, she was sure she’d be receiving suspicious glances too.
As the food disappeared and the bottles of ale were emptied, only Lora, Eyden, Elyssa, and Iris remained. Jaspen had been the first to leave, seemingly bothered by Eyden joining in on their laughter and joy.
It felt like a rare night. The calm before the storm. The laughter before possible pain. It reminded her of Falea Night.
Lora was drinking it all in, trying to bottle it up for when times would get harder again. She wasn’t naïve enough to think tomorrow’s mission wouldn’t be difficult or dangerous. But tonight, her worries were laid to rest. They would still be there tomorrow.
She’d be lying if she said Elyssa’s words from earlier that day didn’t still sneak to the forefront of her mind every so often.
As they were laughing at one of Elyssa’s jokes, Iris cleared her throat and stood up. “I think I’ll go to bed. The ale is getting to my head.” The smile she pointed at Elyssa was a little off. “Good night.”
“Night,” Elyssa said as Iris bit her lip before slowly turning away and walking off.
As her tall figure disappeared in the darkness, Eyden glanced over the flames to Elyssa. “Am I sensing something here?”
Elyssa exhaled loudly. Her hair, free for once, fluttered in the breeze. It was only a few inches shorter than Lora’s. “So perceptive, are we?”
“I was thinking, since you and Farren aren’t together anymore…”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? I always have to force things out of you.” Elyssa took a sip of her ale. Lora had barely touched hers. It seemed the other girl could hold her liquor much better.
“I tell you things,” Eyden said, setting his empty cup on the ground.
Elyssa squinted as she pretended to think, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. “It’s more like I make brilliant guesses and sometimes you agree with me.”
“That’s because you are much more perceptive than me.”
“Now you’re talking.” A smile broke across her face. “I can read you like an open book.”
Lora leaned forward. The warmth of the flames felt pleasant against the cold night. “Can you fill me in on how to do that?”
Eyden gave her a curious look as Elyssa answered between laughs. “I’m afraid it took my whole childhood to get to this point. It was no easy feat. Harder than beating the crap out of an armed guard.” She turned to Eyden. “But to answer your question, Iris and I are better off as friends. We kissed once and she’s really pretty, but I don’t see it working out between us. Not because of Farren. We’re just too different.”
The name sounded familiar. Lora recalled Jaspen’s comment about Farren’s role in their camp. “Farren is the witch, right?”
Elyssa met Lora’s eyes across the flames. “Yes, he’s been my closest friend ever since I returned to the camp. We tried dating for a bit, but we’ve moved on from that now.”
Lora wondered how Elyssa became so open when Eyden was so closed off. They had much in common, but not this.
“Anyway, that’s enough about me,” Elyssa said. “I wanna hear more about what you two have been up to. Eyden mentioned you were at Ilario’s. I’ve never met this ‘best friend’ of his. Is he real or a figment of his imagination?”
