Soft breathing beside him was a relief. He leaned over to touch Celina’s face, tracing the lines of her brows and cheeks as she slept. Cold air nipped through the open tent flap, tugging at his loose hair. They were alone; the child having been moved somewhere while they recovered.
The smell of roasting meat made his stomach growl, determining his next step. Rousing fully, he pulled on his boots, which someone had kindly removed yesterday, and got up.
Bright light assaulted him as he stepped outside, slowly making his way toward the food. He tried to look around camp but failed as his eyes watered and his head began to pound. Trusting that Cass and Sev could handle pretty much anything that had needed handling after he’d passed out, he gave up and sat to wait out his mind’s adjustment to the sunshine.
“Nice to see you up and about.” Sev moved around the fire, pulling out a chunk of bread and a canteen to go with the cooked meat.
“You’re taking this all in stride.”
Sev’s mouth quirked into a half smile as he handed over the food. “I have my own issues, but none of them revolve around magic.”
“Well, that’s good, considering…”Magic.He had magic.Was one of them. Just like Avery, Damien, and Brenna. How had he not known?
“Hey, don’t talk yourself into a spiral. Eat first.”
“Not bad advice for an old man. How’d you end up catching us, anyway? I never had a chance to ask.”
“After we talked, I decided it would be prudent to keep a closer eye on things in my territory. About a week ago, I got wind of another incident—a child disappearing in the next territory over. Thought I’d track them, see if I could get any other helpful information for you, figure out where they might be holding the taken.”
Rodric’s heart filled with gratitude as his mind caught up with the logistics of Sev tracking another victim. “You were able to follow their tracks easily? None disappeared?”
Sev shook his head. “None. Whatever happened with the group that grabbed Brenna was unusual. They have any ideas?”
“No. Celina has been very forthcoming, and surprisingly, Cass has too. If she knows anything, it’s highly classified and she’s keeping it close. She’s been careful, but so far hasn’t hesitated much to share when it's really needed. I’ll go check their tracks in a bit, see if there are any familiar markers to the group I was trailing before.”
“I caught up to them and tracked them for a few days before crossing your path with no problem. Was surveilling them from a tree when Miss Shadow of Death streaked in, wreaking havoc. I was trying to decide whether to help or just enjoy the show when you joined the fray.”
“You were going to leave Cass to fight alone?”
“Wasn’t sure how to jump in without becoming collateral damage.”
Sev’s eyes wandered to the perimeter, where he assumed Cass had gone since she wasn’t in the camp. “Infatuation hasn’t worn off?”
“Not in the slightest.” Sev grinned at him.
“Good luck, my friend.” He smiled before sobering. “How’s the kid doing?”
“He’s going to make it. Cass has been talking with him whenever he’s awake. He didn’t hear anything useful in pinpointing where they were going, at least not that he can recall. He’s physically recovering but traumatized. Cass thinks he’s blocked most of it out.” Sev flexed his forearms as he looked at his feet. “I’d apologize for killing your information source, but…”
“No argument here. We’ll find them somehow.” He shook off the nightmare images that tried to rise at the thought of Brenna in the same hands as this kid had been. At least they’d rescued the boy from his captors.
“You saved him, Rodric.”
He’d done that, with Celina. And yet… “Doesn’t make it easier to accept.”
“Grief haunts you. We both know that well. But fear? Fear keeps you from moving forward. Don’t lose her over it.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling me to get over it so that I can become whole and grow?”
“Maybe. If I didn’t know you the way I do. You’re much more likely to get over it by doing it forherrather than yourself.” Sev winked, smirking obnoxiously.
Rodric refrained from kicking his friend for his deep and remarkably accurate insights. “Go find my pack, will you? I want to check something.”
Sev took the dismissal in stride, gamely taking off to fetch his pack. Pushing aside the huge, life-changing thoughts, he let his mind and eyes drift quietly around the camp. There was one other tent up, but everything else had been broken down and stored. Not a body was in sight, and fresh earth covered pools of blood from the previous night’s fight. A pile of pilfered gear and supplies was neatly stacked against one of the tents. Cass and Sev had put some work into the camp after he and Celina crashed.
A large group of horses grazed nearby, including his own, who was ruling her enlarged herd. He watched them, embracing the quiet, peaceful moment until Sev returned.
Happy to have a distraction, he smiled conspiratorially as he unrolled the map and stroked his fingers over it. “Take a look at this.”
