Page 100 of Her Ivory Flame

“I wanted you to see that they loved you and that you are more than enough for them,” he whispered against her forehead. “You are enough Alyra, for all of us.”

His words hung between them for a long minute in silence, her mind trying to process everything.

“You not only saved them, but you got to know them too?” she asked quietly.

“When we first arrived, they were skeptical of us but once they figured out we were there to help they have been nothing but friendly. They mourned everyone who died and when they learned you were alive a few months ago they celebrated.”

She pulled away and gave him a questioning look. “It’s not that long of a flight to get here from Elnora, did you come and sleep here in the evenings?”

He nodded and she clenched her fists in his shirt.

“So if I hadn’t fallen for Silas’s manipulation, I could have come home sooner?” she growled.

“Maybe,” he shrugged, “But Emris doesn’t know Mydalsa is still here and it would have been hard to explain your disappearance every night.”

That made sense and she just looked in a deep breath and let it back out. “We leave tomorrow?” she whispered.

“We still need to get you to Bromel so no one suspects anything. The horses and wagon are in a town just past Grimstone so we landthere early in the morning before the sun rises and we should make it to Bromel as scheduled.”

He slid his hand from her neck and traced it down her arm before taking her hand again in his. She didn’t fight it as their fingers tangled again and that thread between them pulsed.

“We do need to get you back to the Longhouse though, you need to eat and rest up some more before we leave.” His voice was quiet and she sighed in agreement.

They started up the path back to her house, her eyes watching the woods again.

“Do you think Mavros will come after you if he finds out you have the Ebony Fire?” she asked quietly.

“Probably.” he squeezed her hand. “But I would never give it to him.”

“Do you think one person can hold both powers at once?”

“I think that would make whoever held them as close to a god as they could be.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” she mumbled and Kaden rubbed his thumb on her hand for comfort.

She knew neither she nor Kaden would give Mavros their power, but if he could reanimate the dead, who knows what else he could do now that he has The Book of Trenches.

She tried not to think about it and kept walking silently up the path, her heart for once finally starting to feel like it was mending.

Chapter 37

Dinner was different than when they were on the road, and she was thankful for it.

Titus was still their cook and this time there was rotisserie chicken laid out on the table in front of her with boiled potatoes and fresh veggies. Her mouth watered at the site of it and realized she couldn’t recall the last time she ate.

“How did the visit to town go?” Finnley asked casually from across the table.

“Everyone was happy to see her.” Kaden responded next to her as she put food in her mouth.

“I’m sure they were.” Boone chuckled.

She kept quiet and continued to eat, the taste of food on her tongue making her realize just how hungry she was.

“Everything is in order to leave in the morning.” Xander said a few seats down from her.

“Good.” Kaden replied before taking a bite of his own food.

They ate in silence for a while after that, everyone cleaning their full plates and when Titus rose to grab them, she looked to Kaden.