Daimon’s chestheaved as he shoved the panic away. Zephyr landed outside the camp, restless as he slid off her back and strode into the darkness of the forest. He didn’t know where he was walking to, just that he needed to clear his mind after seeing Nyx again.
He could feel the tightness in his chest start to ease with each step he took. He passed a patch of flowers—lunaria, rare in this part of the realm. He paused, a wave of memories washing over him of a simpler time when he and a girl sat in a small garden together. They would sit in the middle of the lunaria path, laughing and playing pretend. She was his best friend, his closest ally.
But that girl—now a woman—had become a stranger.
He started walking again, running a hand through his hair as he blindly forged a path through the trees. It wasn’t until he got to the edge of a pond that he realized he wasn’t alone any longer.
Evelina was pacing in front of the pond with strands of light winding around her fingers. Her light affinity was almost as rare as his uncanny ability to manipulate the shadows. It was what drew them together as children. It drew him to her even now.
It took his breath away to see her like this. She had grown up into a fearless woman—and he had missed it all.
A waterfall was flowing into the pool of water behind her, the rushing so loud that she hadn’t heard him approach. For a moment, he stood there, spellbound, watching the way her hands twisted around each other—something she did when she was anxious. There had been a time when he would’ve reached out and laid his hands over her fidgeting. He raised his hand now, almost as if by instinct, reminded that he had changed, too. More than just who he had become, but even his body. His hand was large, weathered—the skin of a Rider—and could likely envelop both of hers now in a single grasp.
Instead, he cleared his throat and tucked his hands into his pockets.
She stopped moving and looked up at him. A gentle breeze pulled small pieces of her hair across her face. Her hazel eyes swam with tears.
There was a tense pause, neither of them speaking. If he were honest, he had no idea whattosay. The memories Nyx had played for Daimon were too fresh. It was too painful to be seeing Evelina right now.
“I was just about to bathe,” she whispered, as if to explain herself. He had no way of knowing if she was scared or overwhelmed. The face he once read so clearly was indecipherable to him now. She took a step forward, but Daimon didn’t miss the way her hands trembled and her lips wobbled.
He had so much to say. An explanation sat on the tip of his tongue; how he’d chanted her name like a prayer every second he was gone. He couldn’t tell her why he’d stayed away all these years—still couldn’t.
He could handle her anger, her fury and rage.
But her heartbreak? It was like a sword sliced him in half when he saw it flash through her eyes. He wasn’t surprised to find it there, but it hurt all the same.
He turned away from her, his heart pounding in his chest.He heard the rippling of water as she stepped into the pond. He didn’t know if they would ever be on speaking terms again, didn’t even know where to start.
And despite everything Nyx had reminded him of tonight, he walked away, wondering if every decision he’d made over the past twenty years had been a mistake.
Nineteen
Evelina
The campin the Zenovia valley had its own rhythm. The first few days, Evelina mostly stayed in her cabin with Gloriana. They went through every single jar that was stocked along the wall, familiarizing themselves with the healing mixtures and memorizing the location of each tonic so they could access them easily in a hurry. The entire living room had been transformed into a place suited for mixing herbs and making tonics. Most of the walls were lined with shelves to house the jars, bandages, and other supplies.
The valley nestled beneath the mountains was forested and rocky, the plush trees doing little to block the icy wind that breezed through the camp at night. Small cabins and tents were scattered around the healer’s cabin, while a tall cavern rested behind what she now knew to be Alpha Fleet’s dwelling. Theirs was the largest, but not by much, making her wonder how well seven soldiers fit inside. She hadn’t been in yet, nor had she drawn closer than a hundred paces, her fear of crossing with Daimon only slightly outweighing her want to see his life here.
When the days were warm enough in the valley, she would open a sliding shutter covered in animal pelt to keep the heat in when the sun wasn’t out. She’d note the way the Alpha Fleetworked in perfect unison in all that they did. They trained together on the ground outside the cluster of cabins, sparring and testing one another. Occasionally, one of them would have to come to her cabin for a mending salve—usually Keir or Brielle. They were the Aegis of the group, so that didn’t come as a surprise.
Then she would watch as they mounted their wyverns, taking their practice to the skies when they weren’t patrolling. She watched Daimon leading them, not shouting orders but laughing along with them.
It was odd to see him this way—relaxed and in charge. They had hardly said a word to each other since being here, but he seemed fully at ease with his fleet. She thought she’d be relieved seeing he was doing well now. But seeing how his life had moved on without her hurt more than she realized.
Today, she and Gloriana were still arranging the last of the supplies, tidying up the shelves and tying each bottle off with a label. Then, the door to her cabin burst open. A soldier came in carrying a Rider Evelina hadn’t met. Her eyes were closed and her head was cradled against his chest.
“Willow was hit while patrolling the west region of the border,” the soldier said quickly.
Gloriana bustled past Evelina and met them beside the nearest cot. Evelina helped the soldier lay Willow down, careful of the wound on her thigh.
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Evelina said as she examined her. “Blood-replenishing tea?”
Gloriana nodded sharply and Evelina ran to retrieve it from the shelves. She quickly grabbed a heated kettle that hung in a fireplace on the other end of the room. Her head snapped up as the open shutter rattled and jars clinked together. The wyverns were restless, pounding the ground and beating their wings. As the water heated, Evelina moved toward the door to check outside.
On the other side was organized chaos. Foot soldiers wererunning about, gathering weapons and saddling their horses. The Riders were mounting their beasts, hastening to take to the skies. She saw a flash of Daimon before he disappeared into the clouds.
Her heart thundered in her chest, but she promptly closed the door and set her attention back on the tea. Gloriana was using her light to mend Willow’s wound on her thigh. Her eyes fluttered open, a painful cry emerging from her lips.
