“I’ll handle Viktor and the others,” Kai promises. “You’re right that we can’t hide that she’s Fae, but as long as she’s not using magic everyone will get used to it. We got used to you, didn’t we.” he grins, but I don’t return it.
Aurelia flashes a wide smile. I wonder if she hasn’t yet realized what staying here will mean—not just that she won’t be able to use magic, or that she’ll be shunned by nearly the entire camp, but we’ll have to pretend to be mates.
That thought does strange things to my insides—I feel sick, and at the same time, excited. My heartbeat has picked up and I’m not sure if it’s anxiety or anticipation.
“Fox,” Kai says, in a tone that implies he’s been trying to get my attention.
I look up sharply. “What?”
“I could use your skills with the patrols while you’re here.”
“‘Course.” I mutter. I already knew that was a given. No one in these camps avoids the battlefield unless they’re dead. Again, I’m hit with that strange mixture of dread and excitement.
“Good. I’m glad to have you back here even if it’s temporary.” Kai drains his tankard and pushes back from the table, the wooden legs of his chair scraping against the ground. “But now I’ve got a perimeter check to oversee.”
I stand too, understanding that he’s dismissing us, and Aurelia jumps up. I glance at her and notice the tiny face of her squirrel poking out from underneath the loose fabric of her cloak. I scowl at it, and it dunks back into Aurelia’s hood.
Kai stretches, joints popping, then glances silently toward the tent entrance, eyes narrowing in concentration. He telepathically calls to someone outside, and a few moments later a skinny boy of about twelve with Kai’s same light brown hair and pale eyes pokes his head inside.
“This is my oldest son, Finan,” Kai says proudly.
“Strong name,” I comment, exchanging a pointed glance with Kai.
He nods meaningfully. “He’ll show you to your tent. Fin, show my old friend and his mate to Ronan and Elsbeth’s tent.”
“Won’t they mind?” Aurelia asks, looking nervous.
“Not around to mind anything anymore,” Kai says, without any change in his tone. “Both of them died last week, but we haven’t gotten around to removing their things yet and it was a large enough tent that you should both be comfortable enough in there.”
“Oh.” Aurelia’s eyes widen, but mercifully she doesn’t argue.
We say goodbye, and Finan leads us to a tent at the far edge of camp. The canvas walls ripple in the wind, the faded blue fabric patched in places with mismatched swatches.
The moment we reach it, he gives me a silent nod, and his gaze lingers on Aurelia for a moment before, without a word, he turns to leave.
“Not a very talkative boy,” Aurelia comments under her breath.
I say nothing, not wanting to tell her that she’s going to have to get used to that, as no one here is likely to be very chatty. Especially not with her.
Aurelia steps inside the tent and I follow. The room inside is round and smaller than Kai’s tent by about half, but the ceiling is high enough that at least I don’t have to duck. There’s a single narrow cot pushed against one canvas wall, draped in furs and a colorful patchwork quilt, and a few sheepskin rugs covering the dirty ground. The only other furniture is a three legged wooden table and two chairs placed on the opposite side of the tent, and beside it, a battered trunk with tarnished metal clasps.
I barely have time to look at any of it though before Aurelia rounds on me. “Right. So, do you want to explain to me what the hell is going on?”
“Shhh,” I hiss under my breath, listening hard for the sound of anyone breathing nearby. I can still hear Finan’s footsteps, but they didn’t falter at Aurelia’s outburst. “It’s not safe to talk here,” I mutter under my breath.
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, I got that. No one will hear us, I put a muffling wall of air around the whole tent.”
I gape at her. When did she do that? I didn’t see her move her hands at all. “Did you not hear them saying you can’t use magic?”
“They’ll never know.”
I close my eyes for a moment, trying to calm myself. I’m not angry exactly, but…anxious. She’s putting herself in danger and doesn’t even care.
“Is this where you grew up?” Aurelia asks.
“Not here exactly, but somewhere like it,” I grit out. “The camps move around.”
“But these are the soldiers you lived with, right?”
