“Ryder approached me about the idea a month ago and we’ve been planning it ever since. I’m actually surprised he’s not here to see it,” she says, looking around for him.
I know it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ryder would make something like this a priority, but it does. I know who he is. I know his character and yet, the fact that he came to Amaya, wanting to create something special for his people during a time of war still blows me away.
“About time you got her here!” Emeric chimes when he runs up from behind us.
“Yeah, well you know what it’s like when you come between Reign and her bed,” she quips, giving him a shove with her free arm.
“I do. Which is exactly why we sent you to retrieve her,” he teases before taking off to join the other shapeshifters flying above.
Akari, Elias, and Damien are already seated around one of the fires. Elias has chosen to remain in his chair but the othertwo are sprawled out on large, thick blankets on the ground. Akari twirls a glass of wine in one hand while she tosses grapes into Damien’s mouth with the other. When one bounces off of his forehead, their laughter radiates across the field of fires.
Whatever problems the two of them had before seem to be long gone and I find myself wondering how she was able to get over his betrayal so easily. Maybe with all of the time they’ve spent together she’s been able to get past it all. Maybe time is what it will take. But even now I have trouble separating the two versions of him I had grown to know. It’s part of the reason I’ve kept my distance since coming back. Both versions of him hurt to be around.
“Come, sit!” Akari motions to the blanket and pillows next to her and immediately hands Amaya a glass of red wine.
“No thanks,” I say with the wave of my hand when she offers me one. If I have anything to drink now, I’m afraid I won’t be able to wake up in the morning.
“Oo, look!” Elias points.
We turn around to see a muscular, male fae shooting what looks to be metal darts out of his palms. A water witch a few yards from him is firing off a round of icicles into the air as he continues splitting them in half, one-by-one with his silver darts.
“That’s Caesar,” Damien tells us. “He’s one of the council members but he used to lead one of the military units back in Dreodorian before he got banished.”
I turn around again to get a better look at the man and realize I do recognize him. I’ve only sat in on a few council meetings and still haven’t learned everyone’s names, but I recognize his salt and pepper hair along with the scar that runs into his left eyebrow.
“That takes so much precision to be able to do,” Elias admires, watching in awe.
As the night passes, we sit and talk underneath the stars, occasionally getting distracted by different magical demonstrations and musicians showing off around us. It feels familiar and I’ve missed it. I’ve missed feeling connected to people. I’ve missed feeling present andalive.
Earlier, when I was flying for the first time, it clicked for me. Amaya was right. This matters. Living matters. Yes, there is a war coming and we can’t ignore that, but that doesn’t mean we should forget to live in the meantime. If I really am immortal, then I have forever to live, but they don’t. My time with them is limited and I would be a fool to take it for granted.
“Thank you,” I whisper, resting my head on Amaya’s shoulder.
“For what?”
“For bringing me here.” I lift my head up to look at her. “For reminding me to live.”
Her smile widens, and she wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s you and me, kid.”
“You and me.”
Emeric plops himself down in between us, abruptly interrupting our moment. He grabs one of the pillows and uses it to lay his head over Amaya’s outstretched legs.
“You know what we need? Those meltpuffs you were telling us about. I’m officially putting in a request for those next Skycap.”
Amaya laughs, and it makes Emeric’s head shake in her lap. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”
“Alright, everyone.” Akari claps her hands together, drawing our attention. “I say we go around the circle, and each give our peak and pit of the week.”
“Our what?” Elias asks, moving his chair a little closer.
“You know…” she waves her wine glass in the air. “The best part of your week and the worst part.”
“Oo, I’ll go first!” Amaya offers with her hand raised. “Let’s see…” She leans her head back to think. “Okay, my peak is for sure this! It’s everything I wanted it to be and more! And for my pit…” She looks down at Emeric. “You disarming me with a double-ended sword.”
Emeric shoots up with a giant grin plastered on his face. “Hey, that was gonna be my peak!”
Amaya shakes her head and shoves her hand in his face, pushing his head back into the pillow covering her lap. “Alright, so what’s your pit then?”
