After several rounds, plucking out rebels to kill along the way, Ranick and Elias arrived with the ground unit. The two Aegis were lethal together, the final push of flames and mind influence building as the ground soldiers closed in around them.
“Daimon!” Evelina shouted, pointing to a cave in the distance. He watched as a line of rebels moved in and out of the cave, some running away from battle while others came out refreshed and ready to fight.
But a torrent of flames from the ground pulled his attention back to the fight. Zephyr rotated, flying sideways to avoid the fire. The ground unit worked with the aerial fleet, keeping the rebels distracted so the wyverns could swoop down. Several of the ground soldiers fell, and Codax took a nasty wound to the base of his neck, but they managed to whittle the rebels down until they were all gone.
Daimon was breathing heavily, and he could feel Evelina’s shield flicker. She had never shielded more than herself for this long. He nodded to his fleet, motioning for them to lower to the ground. Evelina’s shield receded, the chill returning to his skin.
“They were coming in and out of that cave,” he shouted. “Brielle and Willow, take the first shift to patrol the skies. Set up a wider perimeter than usual; we don’t want any lingering rebels catching us by surprise. Keir, Ranick, and Elias, investigate the cave.”
Evelina slumped her shoulders, her back resting heavily against him.
“She doesn’t look so good,” Keir said, narrowing his eyes. “Best to get her back to camp.”
Daimon glanced between Keir and Evelina, a tinge of distress working its way up his back. He knew she would be okay with Keir. He knew he had to stay and investigate the cave with his fleet.
But he didn’t want to leave her.
Daimon nodded stiffly, dismounting and helping Evelina down. She nearly fell off Zephyr, her knees giving out when her feet hit the ground and her body collapsing against him. Daimon wrapped Evelina in his arms as Keir helped him lift her into Codax’s saddle, securing her with the ropes. Keir didn’t waste any time before taking back to the skies.
Daimon knew the moment they landed at camp, Gloriana would sprint over, her arms outstretched to help Evelina down—scoop her up and scold her for exerting herself too much. She would check her over for wounds, even though Daimon had already done so—already knew there wasn’t a visible cut on her.
She was safe. He didn’t have to worry. As commander, he had to stick with his fleet.
But as he watched Codax’s wings turn into a black silhouette against the sky, all he could think was how it should have been him carrying her. Duty be damned.
Twenty-Eight
Evelina
The moon hung brightlyin the night sky. Evelina’s body was exhausted, but she couldn’t quiet her mind enough to find rest. All she could see were the faces of the rebels as they were killed, the faces of her own men as they fell too.
There was a small crack in the ceiling—a sliver she wouldn’t yet mention was there, not when it gave her access to see the stars above. She considered going out to lay by the fire, but she couldn’t seem to get up, warm and surprisingly cozy in her bedroll.
Besides, in here there was no one to see her smoke valeriana root and tell her to stop. She coughed through the haze, the room filled with smoke from the lavender and mugwort she’d been burning. The moment the smoke began to dissipate, she would light a small stick tipped with powder, letting it fill once more.
Gloriana checked on her every so often, even sat with her so they could pass the root back and forth. Evelina’s skill in herbs didn’t only revolve around healing; she also found ways to mix certain elements that would spark a small bundle enough to light the end on fire. And while the room was already filled with smoke, she added to it by burning rolled-upbundles of valeriana stems and filling her lungs with it. The effect of the root was almost instant, causing her limbs to loosen and her mind to relax. It was the only way she was able to stay afloat.
It was overwhelming—being in the midst of a battle and exhausting her Essence all at once.
She tried to focus on the good, on how she’d managed to save so many people during the attack. But instead of joy, she just felt…cold. Detached. Weightless and stuck in a state of decay. She didn’t want to feel this way, but she didn’t know how to pull herself out of it.
A knock tapped against her door. “Evelina?”
She held back a groan at the warm voice.
“Gloriana said you haven’t been able to sleep.” Daimon cleared his throat and added, “I warmed a kettle of broth for you.”
“I’m good here, thank you,” she said before he could ask if something was wrong. She didn’t need him to come in and see her like this. It’d been years since she had him to talk to about these things, about her worries and pain.
“I would love to believe you,” Daimon said from outside. His voice was serious, softer than how it was around the others. “But I can hear your self-deprecation from out here.”
“You cannot,” she mumbled.
He sighed. “You need to eat to replenish your strength.”
As if she didn’t know that.
“Aren’t you supposed to be patrolling camp or something?” she called, still sprawled out across the damp bedroll.
