Chapter Fourteen
ItwaslateinthemorningwhenFlorianwoke.Hehadsleptmuchlaterthanhemeantto,andaheadachethrobbedathistemplesfromallthewinethathe'dhadatthefeast.Herolledoutofbedwithagroan,headingrightforthebathroomdespitethelatehour.Theywouldbesettingouttoday,butnotuntiltheafternoon.Hewouldprobablymissbreakfast,butmostofhisthingswerealreadypacked,sohewouldstillhavetimetogetready.
After a long, hot shower, his head had cleared up, but a familiar tight nervousness in the pit of his stomach began to grow. For all the training and learning that had filled nearly every day that he’d spent in the Veil, Florian still felt entirely unsure of what to expect once they left the safety of the Winter Court. Burning heat, endless light, deformed monsters—all this he could imagine, but how different would the reality actually be?
He had no appetite, but this was his last chance for a good meal until they returned, so once he was dressed, he went down to the dining hall anyway. Some of the breakfast foods were still out, and part of the lunch spread had started to arrive on the long table, so he got a little of both and sat down to eat. No one else was in the dining hall, and even the nearby kitchen sounded oddly quiet, making him feel more unsettled. He tried to eat, but mostly moved the food around on his plate instead.
The sound of footsteps came from the far entrance, and Florian looked up just as Tatiana appeared in the doorway, looking surprised to see him.
“Oh, Florian,” she said, pausing before continuing to walk into the dining hall. “Late morning, huh?”
“Yeah, I think I maybe had one too many glasses of wine last night,” he said with a rueful chuckle.
Her gaze lingered on him for a long moment, and he had the distinct sensation that she was looking right through his words.
“Nervous about heading out?” she finally said, her expression softening. He flushed—was it that obvious?
“A bit, yeah,” he stammered, and to his surprise she stepped over and placed her hands on his shoulders—not quite a hug, but more physical affection than he could recall ever having received from her.
“That's understandable,” she said lightly, patting his shoulders in a soothing motion. “I don't think it will be as bad as you're fearing, though. It's dangerous, of course, but Jerah has traveled through the Blight many times and always came home safely. Fae magic will give you the best protection against the Blight. We're rather lucky in that regard. Shifters can't really get through it on their own.”
Her words were somewhat comforting, though he could still feel that tight, uncomfortable ball of anxiety in his stomach.
“Anyway, I'll be there to see you off when you leave in the afternoon,” Tatiana continued with a soft smile that seemed to indicate that she understood his silence. “But let me know if you need any help packing first.”
“I will,” Florian said, nodding. Her hands left his shoulders as she stepped away, then headed through the door to the kitchen—he smirked as she reached out to snag a sweet roll as she walked by.
Eventually, he decided that he wasn't going to get any more food down, so he went to finish up the last of his packing. A few sets of clothes, and what seemed like pretty ordinary camping gear, had all already been set aside and packed into a backpack for him, so he gathered up the last of the things he wanted to bring: a few toiletries and the sunscreen he’d brought from home, though he suspected it probably wouldn't be especially effective, all things considered.
And finally, he picked up the sword that he would be carrying—his mother’s sword. He picked it up still in its scabbard; it was heavier than their practice swords, but lighter than he expected, and his gaze lingered on it for a long time.
“Keep me safe, mom,” he whispered, feeling silly even as he said it, but it felt right. Carefully, he hooked it to his belt.
When it was just about time to go, he opened his door to find Kade sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall.
“Oh,” he said, startled, as Kade's head snapped up to look at him. “What are you doing?”
“Wanted to catch you before you got too far,” he replied, barely above a murmur, as he got to his feet. He was dressed in the same loose, light cotton clothes Florian wore: the traveling outfits that had been prepared for them. On Florian they looked too big, but on Kade the off-white hooded shirt and tan pants looked comfortably loose.
“Why didn't you just—?” Florian started to ask, but was cut off as Kade roughly pulled him close and kissed him hard. He froze, surprised at the sudden aggression, but soon melted into Kade's arms, kissing him back with just as much fervor. Kade pushed him up against the wall and a soft moan escaped him—the timing of this seemed terrible, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away.
But just as quickly as it had happened, Kade released him, breaking the kiss and turning away with an expression Florian couldn't read.
“What...?” he stammered, looking up at him in bewilderment.
“That's all,” Kade said, taking a slow step away. “I'll see you out at the back gate.”
And with no further explanation, he turned and walked away. Florian watched him go in silent shock. He had no idea what that had been about, but after a moment he roused himself to action and grabbed the rest of his belongings, locking the door to his room behind him as he headed out toward the courtyard in a daze.
When he arrived outside in the courtyard, Kade was there with his pack strapped to his back, leaning a little over Jerah's shoulder, who was holding a map out in front of them, tracing out a path and speaking in a hushed voice.
“Ah, Florian,” Jerah said, noticing his arrival and gesturing for him to join them. “Just finalizing the plan with Kade. It should take three or four days to get there if we travel quickly. Kade will lead, I'll stay in the center, and you'll follow. I've shown you the map, right?”
“Yes,” Florian agreed, but obediently he looked it over anyway, following Jerah's finger along the trail marked on the paper map.
“Remember the shroud I taught you?”
“Yes,” he said again, nodding.
