“Thanks,” Lora said, trying to sound untroubled.
Elyssa stepped closer, putting an arm on her shoulder. “Even if Saydren needs a bit of time to mix a cure, you will go home tomorrow. We can get it to you once it’s done.I’llmake damn sure of it.”
Lora was out of words. She didn’t feel like she deserved Elyssa’s kindness, but she was grateful nonetheless.
“Now go get some rest, okay?” Elyssa said, dropping her arm. “No offense again, but you look worse than the last time you were beaten up.”
Lora smiled. The movement still hurt a bit. Half of her face felt bruised.
“There’s a med kit by the showers. If you need anything else, come find me. I’ll be with Farren and the others.”
Another scream pulled Lora’s focus away and Elyssa’s gaze followed.
They all wore scars from that fight. Lora could still feel her own. Some were invisible but etched deeply in her soul.
* * *
The eyes staring back at Lora didn’t look like her own. They didn’t look natural,human.It was as if there was a storm brewing behind them, making them more vibrant, untamed. The blue-green had turned a vivid shade of turquoise.
Did everyone notice? Would she be unable to hide her fae side from now on?
The shimmer of power brightening her eyes in her reflection was unmistakable. Lora didn’t know how to dim it. As much as she tried, every time she forcefully shut her eyes, she reopened them only to find the same telling shade reflected back at her in the bathroom mirror.
Eyden could dampen it. His eyes looked fae, but she’d never seen his true level of power staring back at her.
Standing there, blood and dirt washed away, Lora took note of her injuries. Her nose had healed but there was a faint bruise on her left cheek and a cut that hadn’t quite healed yet. Her face appeared dull. Her usually tan skin was washed out by exhaustion.
The slash on her arm had closed but was still faintly visible. The most gruesome was the stab wound on her stomach. It had closed but was still an angry shade of red. Lora had cleaned it again the best she could and added a bandage, not wanting to see the reminder of Kelvion’s attack. Kelvion, who was now dead. He had deserved it, but that fact alone didn’t erase the guilt of being the one responsible.
Lora gripped the counter of the makeshift sink that she had filled with a bucket of fresh water. All of this, her injuries and scars—physical and mental—in some way had all been for Eyden. To return the favour, to fight with these people that deserved more than what life had treated them with. Most were grateful, she knew that.
But the person she cared most about in this not-so-foreign world wouldn’t even talk to her. She’d thought they’d broken through a barrier, built a bridge of understanding and shared empathy. Yet he didn’t understand now. He wouldn’t even let her explain herself even though he’d carried his own lies.
And as much as she’d liked to avoid the thought, Lora needed him now. Her parents’ lives were hanging in the balance more than ever and the one person she wanted to confide in was avoiding her. It was a cruel world. Just when she thought she’d made a connection, built the outline of trust, it was all torn down, leaving her in shambles.
Lora’s skin felt on fire, her body overheating as the anger and despair filled her to the brim. She dunked her hands in the cold water and a hissing sound startled her. The water was boiling under her touch. Lora quickly pulled her hands back as the water steamed from the heat of her.
Was that another price she had to pay? Her fae side was untrained, unpredictable. Lora was way over her head.
She remembered the first and only other time the fire had overwhelmed her. She had barely been eight years old. Her parents had been arguing; she couldn’t remember the reason. All she could picture was her own tears and her small voice trying to break up the argument. The two of them had been too engrossed in their fight to stop and acknowledge Lora’s presence.
Finally, she had screamed and stomped her foot, demanding their attention. They had paused then, but not to look at her. No, they had been staring at the fire stretching across the living room. Her dad had frantically tried to put it out while her mum had screamed at her to stay back before running off to make sure her baby brother was safe.
Although her mum had told her she wasn’t mad at her, Lora would never forget the look of fear and panic in her dark eyes. It haunted her to this day. The necklace hadn’t just saved her from accidentally starting another fire, it had saved her relationship with her mother.
An angry tear ran down Lora’s cheek, over the bruised skin. She wiped it off and forced her mind to clear. Once she was home, she’d get another almandine necklace. Her mum never had to know she’d let the fire out. Her fae side would be a secret again and she’d lock away every single painful moment she’d experienced in Liraen as if it never existed.
* * *
Lora’s head felt heavy as she made her way back to her tent. She was craving a good night’s sleep. She needed to rest for the mission still looming before her.
But every thought of tomorrow’s struggles left her when she spotted Eyden at her door, pulling the fabric back into place. He had changed too. No one would be able to tell he had been in a gruesome fight or had been walking through the desert for over a day. But Lora could see it in the shadows underneath his eyes.
As he turned to walk away, their eyes met. Neither of them spoke. The silence was unbearable. An eternity passed in a few seconds.
Eyden shifted on his feet as he dropped his hand and the fabric of the door with it. “I thought Elyssa might be here.” His voice was all business, no hint of what was brewing beneath his concealment.
“She’s probably with Farren,” Lora replied, uncertain of how to act now. She hadn’t expected to find him here tonight.
