The words leave me before I can stop them because they’re true. Watching her stride into that clearing with nothing but her pride and a reckless plan very nearly stopped my heart entirely.
“Auren, I’m fine. I—”
The tent flap lifts and Ailyn rushes inside, Lyrea close behind her with an apologetic look on her face.
“I’m sorry,” Lyrea murmurs to us as she reaches for her daughter, just as Dain enters the tent as well.
“Ailyn,” he says sharply. “We need to let Vivienne rest.”
“I just wanted to give her a hug,” she tells her mother.
Dain starts to reach for Ailyn, but Vivienne tells him it’s alright.
Vivienne bites back a wince as she embraces Ailyn warmly.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” Ailyn whispers.
As soon as they’re finished, Dain pulls Ailyn into his arms. He bows his head to Vivienne. “Thank you, my queen,” he says. “Your bravery saved us all.”
Before she can reply, Dain turns to me and dips his chin. “We’ll set up a watch around the camp.”
When they leave, Vaelen slips inside and lowers his enormous body beside Vivienne’s bedroll.
She smiles and immediately reaches out, her fingers sliding into the thick fur along his neck. “Hello, Vaelen,” she whispers. “I’m glad you’re alright.”
The wolf nudges her hand with surprising gentleness.
Watching them together warms something inside me.
She glances up at me. “I’m alright, Auren. You should see to your warriors.”
“They’re fine.” I sit down beside her.
She sighs. “Auren—”
“I’m not leaving.”
She studies me for a moment, before she finally nods. “Very well.” She lifts her chin. “If you insist upon staying, then you can fetch me a cup of tea. I asked the Goblins for one, but they weren’t very good hosts.” A hint of a grin curls her lips. “They had terrible manners.”
I bark out a laugh. Despite everything that has happened today, despite the fear that nearly crushed my heart when I thought I might lose her again, a smile pulls at the corner of my mouth.
Because even exhausted, injured, and upset with me… Vivienne still sounds unmistakably like herself.
CHAPTER 41
VIVIENNE
Morning comes all too soon. I barely got any sleep. I was already in pain after the Ogre attack, but after what happened last night with the rune stone, my entire body feels like one large bruise.
For a while, I simply lie where I am, staring up at the pale canvas roof of the tent. Auren has been constantly hovering over me, but he stepped out to speak with Dain and the others a few moments ago.
Voices murmur somewhere beyond the flap as the warriors break camp, readying for our journey. The smell of damp pine and smoke from last night’s fire lingers in the clearing, mingling with the sharp medicinal scent of the salves the healer used on my ribs earlier.
The healer—Meryl—walks in. “How are you feeling this morning? Did you sleep well last night?”
“Well enough,” I reply, not wanting to complain. She already tried to insist we spend another day here, but I’m eager to leave. The sooner we reach Elyrith, the better. Auren doesn’t thinkwe’ll have any more trouble with Mountain Goblins or Ogres, but I’d rather not chance it.
“Hmmm,” Meryl hums in the back of her throat, seemingly unconvinced as she kneels beside me. Her cool hands hover over the bandages wrapped around my ribs. Faint threads of silver magic weave between her fingers, brushing across my skin like a soft whisper. “Is that better?”
