She hadn’t, of course. She was avoiding me, and if I were honest, I was avoiding her too. The occasional passing in watch rotations and at dinner had been the only times I have really seen her.
Aria's crumpled face from all those centuries ago resurfaced in my mind, and I had to stop walking and close my eyes at the memory. It's haunted me, stayed with me through these centuries, and I still couldn't fully remember what happened. Only an overwhelming sense of guilt and her devastated face.Now all we had were moments like the other day, fleeting and far between.
It was one of the reasons I had so desperately wanted the mate bond with Zara. It would have meant… it didn't matter. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.
Throwing on the shirt I grabbed, not bothering to button it, I stalked toward her tent. It was time to go. I'd done what I set out to do, and she hadn't made any move toward the ward, aside from repelling the attacks that breached its defenses. I'd be more useful elsewhere. Staying any longer would only create more problems or complications, and I needed a clear head for the fight ahead. To fix what I caused by opening that damn portal.
The aftermath of the previous day's attack still lingered in the camp. Even though we managed to extinguish the fire, the heavy, crisp smell of smoke still permeated the air. As I turned down a row of soot-covered tents, I noticed the scorched earth where I had encountered Lana. A large ring marked the area, littered with scattered fragments of wood, torn fabric, and broken furniture from the ruined tents. Fortunately, we had enough supplies to ensure the previous inhabitants were taken care of.
As I approached the scorched earth, I spotted Agatha and the others rolling in the dirt. They were outside of Aria’s tent, and they were all chirping to one another as if they were laughing or talking. A smile tugged at my lips as I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the bizarre clump of feathers and fur. A flash of red between them caught my eye, and to my surprise, Aria’s head appeared over Dimitri’s long, outstretched feathery wing.
The wing snapped back, brushing against Agatha’s face. Agatha puffed up in irritation, then ducked under, allowing Aria to see her again. Aria was in the middle of them, scratching and laughing as they rolled playfully, each vying for her full attention. A large grin spread across her lips, and my throat tightened at seeing it. Her laugh sounded again, and I struggled to take a breath. Aria looked happy. She was grinning, laughing, and that was something she didn’t do nearly enough anymore.
I held my breath, afraid to move. I didn't want to interrupt or ruin the moment, but Aria had already seen me. She straightened her back, her smile vanishing as she jumped to her feet. Her griffins scrambled up too, their eyes scanning the surroundings for danger. Their growls were loud and menacing, and Agatha was the first to spot me.
Her growls intensified, and I shook my head, my smile morphing into a smirk. I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic and teasing, but someone else spoke first.
“Well, I’m glad I arrived in time to witness this.”
Theo was trotting toward us. He was shirtless, his navy blue tunic strung around his neck, the brown leather of his pants worn and stained from his travels. Theo swung off his mare Konai and his horse ran off into the trees. Theo glared after her but turned toward us with a grin.
“She is finally going to do it!” Theo said, chuckling. “Xavier, of course, won't be happy, but at least I can confirm how you died.”
“I wasn’t going to kill him,” Aria deadpanned, but her black eyes burned like coal. “Agatha on the other hand.”
Aria smiled wickedly, and Agatha huffed as if in confirmation, standing up taller.
I rolled my eyes at them. “As if.”
Agatha narrowed her gaze on me, challenge sparking in her golden eyes as if saying, try me. I only shook my head at her, my smirk still plastered on my face.
Aria pushed past her towering protectors, stopping at Agatha’s flank. She crossed her arms and leaned against the vicious, murderous beast at her side. “And what do we owe the interruption, Theo? Xavier worried about his brother’s safety suddenly?”
“Just passing through. Watching you two face off is just a bonus,” Theo said, winking.
Pulling my gaze from Agatha’s still piercing one, my spine prickled in irritation as I faced Theo. “You can tell my brother I don’t need a babysitter,” I spat.
“No, but it looks like you could use some backup.”
Theo squared up to Aria like a fighter, tossing a few exaggerated jabs into the air. “So—what are we fighting about?”
Theo continued to jab the air like a little kid, and I could have sworn Aria was holding back another smile. I punched Theo in the arm, and he flinched dramatically, rubbing the spot as if I’d broken a bone. So dramatic…
“We aren’t fighting about anything,” I sighed. “I just woke up and found her in the middle of some kind of tickle fight with her beasts.”
Theo choked on his laughter, struggling to stifle it when Agatha’s gaze snapped to him. Her growl rumbled so low it shook the air, and Theo’s face lost a shade of color.
“Easy there, beasty,” he said carefully, a smirk forming. “I like a good scratch too. It doesn’t make you any less terrifying.”
My stomach dropped as he stepped closer to her.
“Theo, don’t,” I yelped, reaching out to stop him, but he was already in front of Agatha, hand raised.
To my horror and utter shock, the massive griffin leaned into his touch, giving Theo a throaty purr. I blinked in surprise and my mouth nearly fell open as Agatha cracked one of her sharp beady eyes at me. They were sparkling with amusement and I could have sworn she was fucking smirking at me as she chirped again into Theo’s scratches.
Aria pressed her hand over her lips to smother her laughter, but it burst out anyway, rich and unrestrained. I made the mistake of smiling back at her and she straightened, her smile vanishing as Agatha, sensing Aria’s change in mood rose with her and once again glared at me.
“You can tell your brother, message received,” Aria scoffed in annoyance. “You have done what you came to do. You can leave.”
