“You don’t know that.” His words come out fast, angry. But he isn’t fooling me, not anymore. There’s fear in his voice, thinly veiled by the anger he uses as a mask.
I shake my head, voice soft but sure. “But I do know, Zephyr. I see it every time you look at him—how deeply Niko loves you. And I love that about you… how fiercely you love him back. When I see you two together, it just feelsright. All of us, tangled up in each other—it feels like home. There’s never been jealousy brewing within me, and I think Niko would say the same.” I pause, my chest tightening. “But I’ll respect whatever you choose. I just want you to be happy, Zephyr.”
For the first time since I met him, Zephyr is speechless, and not with anger. I’ve come to know his silence well, and this one feels different. It settles between us like a quiet understanding, heavy with all the things we don’t know how to say. I don’t rush to fill it. I let it linger, soft and familiar, like an old friend.
Then I feel it. His arms tighten around me. Just a little. Just enough to know he’s heard everything I just said, and it feels like something shifting, like the smallest crack in the walls he’s built. It feels a lot like hope. Like maybe he’s starting to imagine what we could be… if he’d only let me in, but I won’t push him. Even if my feelings for him are growing stronger by the day. No, he needs to come to terms with this on his own. I desperately hope he does.
We ride for another few hours before the sun sets. The fae in front of us stop for the night, dismounting their horses. Finnick flies over to us, eyeing the way Zephyr is holding me firmly against his chest. His brows rise, but he doesn’t comment.
“We’ll rest here for the night. The wolves are a few miles out, same with the dragons. It’s best if we spread out for the evening so we don’t draw attention. I vote Zephyr pitches our tent, while Evangeline sits here and looks pretty.”
Zephyr strides toward the edge of the clearing, pulling a bundle of canvases from his satchel. He kneels and begins pitching the tent with swift, practiced movements. Every now and then, he glances over, like he’s making sure I’m still there, still safe. I don’t think he realizes how often he does it, but it makes my cheeks flush. He likes to think himself unreadable, but I’m learning he wears his heart and emotions on his sleeve.
I let my gaze follow him, watching the careful way he works. Zephyr’s never been one for wasting words. He speaks in gestures. In action. In the small, tender silences that bloom between us. And right now, his silence is sayingrest.I’ve got this.
So I do.
My body begins to relax under the dappled shade, the last of the sunlight warming my skin, the sound of water nearby lulling me into something close to calm. Finnick leans back on his elbows, humming a tune I don’t recognize.
And for the first time since we left, I let myself breathe.
Because tonight, there will be no sleep. Tomorrow, there will be danger, but right now, there is stillness and a moment to gather the strength we’ll need to face what’s coming.
Chapter 36
Evangeline
Idon’t remember falling asleep last night. Zephyr finished pitching the tent—a feat I thoroughly enjoyed watching. His muscles strained against his tunic as he built our sleeping chambers for the night. I’ve never been camping, except for the first time I arrived in Mescos. I’ve never even had the notion to camp, but the moment he rolled out the sleeping bags and called me over, I was all too ready to sleep under the stars.
The sleeping bags were surprisingly comfy, much better than the cots from my arrival. To be fair, their comfort levels are due largely to how uncomfortable I was atop the horse, so everything feels ten times better now that I’m off. Sleeping came easily after that.
I wake to the sound of howling. Long, mournful cries slice through the morning hush, jolting me awake. My eyes snap open, my heart already pounding. Just beyond the thin canvas of my tent, a shadow moves, and I freeze.
The outline is massive. Easily three or four feet at the shoulder, with a hulking frame that blots out part of therising sun. Muscles ripple beneath a thick coat of fur, and I can make out the shape of pointed ears and a heavy, wolfish muzzle. It paces slowly, deliberately, the size and presence of it far too large to be any ordinary wolf. This beast of an animal is terrifying.
A gasp escapes me, and I clutch the blanket tighter to my chest, as if the thin fabric could shield me from whatever waits outside. Beside me, someone chuckles softly.
“Don’t be alarmed. It’s only Alpha King Rip’s wolves. Possibly the alpha king himself. They just arrived. Dragons aren’t far behind them.” Zephyr sits up next to me, calming my fears. I note that he’s fully dressed, meaning he probably got little to no sleep last night, which worries me.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask, my brain spiraling with images of wolves and dragons. Every time I think I’m used to living in a magical kingdom, I’m reminded of all the creatures that walk amongst me now, and I’m thrown back into a dream-like state of wondering if this is actually real. Will I ever get used to this?
“A while,” he admits but doesn’t elaborate, simply hands me a canteen of water. My stomach takes that moment to growl something fierce. I would kill for some buttery, flaky biscuits and gravy right now.
Zephyr winces, as if my hunger is his fault. “The wolves and dragons attempted to bring food into our land, but as Finnick mentioned, it immediately rotted. I fear we are out.”
I shake my head, not wanting him to worry about me. I’m doing enough of that for both of us. Besides, Ican ignore my hunger for now. “It’s fine. I’m not even that hungry,” I lie, grabbing the canteen from him. I take a long drink, leaving a little for him or Finnick before handing it back.
“Alpha King Rip and King Malix will want to speak with us before we begin. Do you feel up to joining us?” he asks. “It’s okay if you want to stay here. I’ll have Finnick stay with you until we’re ready to go.”
I appreciate his offer to stay behind, but I want to go. My curiosity about what will soon happen will eat me alive and make waiting for him to return unbearable. Plus, I don’t want to miss a chance to meet a wolf and dragon king. “I’ll come.” My hands immediately go to my hair. I’m sure it’s a mess. I could use a bath after a day of travel and sleeping on the floor, but a clean outfit will have to do the trick. “Just let me change first.”
Zephyr nods but makes no motion to leave. He’s seen me naked and spread out for Niko before, and yet this somehow feels more intimate. My cheeks flush as I turn my back to him, stripping out of my clothes from yesterday.
I feel his eyes boring into my back, and I desperately wish I knew what he was thinking. Does he find me attractive like I find him? Does he think of kissing me, of touching my body just as much as I think about doing the same to him?
These are not the thoughts to have right before battle, and yet they play on a loop inside my head.
Once I’m dressed, I turn back around. I don’t realize I’m trembling until Zephyr takes my hand in his, giving ita gentle squeeze. “You will be safe, Evangeline. I promise. Nothing will happen to you.”
