AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leaning in, I captured his mouth again and kissed him for all I was worth as he headed back into the tent where the rest of our men awaited us.
26
Florin
Dawn on the training yard was my favorite time of day. A cool breeze ruffled the ends of my hair. Braz braided it for me, winding it into three tight sections—one between my horns and one to either side—and tying off the ends with leather cords.
The others were here as well, all but Theon. He was in such a deep sleep when we’d all risen that we’d left him be. If we hadn’t been able to see the tent from the training yard, one of us would have stayed behind with him, but as it was, the four of us were the first ones up and out.
Nica hadn’t said much this morning. Or last night, either, really. After he’d carried Theon back into the tent, they’d spent the evening wrapped up in each other. It was the first time Nica’s purr had filled the air as we settled down to sleep since our return.
I chose two short swords from the rack. They were training swords—wooden and solid—and they felt entirely different from the daggers I’d come to favor. But they were good to work with on the training field, and despite the magic I now wielded as a weapon, I still needed to remain practiced in hand-to-hand combat.
Nica stopped beside me, sending me a dark glance before he reached for a broad sword.
My temper flared. He’d been shooting daggers at me for days. “Good morning, Nica.”
He moved his gaze my way again, barely, before he grunted and turned away.
“Not even good enough for your words, tiger?” I said to his back. His shoulders rose, and I could imagine the feline under his skin bristling.
With a forceful breath, he spun to face me. “After what you did? Why would you think I’d want to spare words on you?”
I’d seen the pain Nica was in. Understood it even. But I couldn’t bite my tongue any longer about the way we’d been living since our return.
“Why is that, Nica? Because I was in a position to give Theon what he needed?” I squared my shoulders, swords held tightly in my hands. I was aware of Braz and Wey moving around us. They weren’t going far, but they were giving us space, and for that, I was grateful.
“Leave well enough alone, fae.”
My nostrils flared. “No. We need to talk about this. Clear the air. Find a way to be a… family again.”
Fury etched into every part of Nica’s face, and his eyes flashed tiger-green. “You took him away, Florin!”
He rushed me, but I was ready. Calling on my magic, I cloaked myself, disappearing from sight and sliding to the side and out of the way of the downward swing Nica had meant for my head. That move would easily work on any opponent, but Nica wasn’t just any opponent. He was a champion of Pelas.
He spun, swinging his sword with his eyes closed, following me with battle-honed instincts and his tiger sense of smell. I brought both my swords up to block. The shock of the hit reverberated up my arms and into my shoulders, making my teeth rattle.
“I had to!” I shouted in his face, dropping my magic so I was visible once more. Nica pushed my swords off his and took a step back, rage still dancing in his eyes. “You didn’t see him, Nica. He was… broken. Horrified at how he’d hurt you. Terrified he was going to do it again. The magic was burning him up.”
“And what, you couldn’t wait until I’d woken up? Did you even try to stop him?” He sneered, pacing back and forth in front of me like the predator he was.
I scoffed. “You think I wanted this? All I had was my instincts and a vision from my mother to guide me.” My voice was rising. I regripped my swords, trying to keep my hands from shaking. “You think I wanted to risk Theon with so little to go on?” I slammed the flat of one of the swords against my chest. “My Theon?”
A muscle in Nica’s jaw ticked. I could tell he wanted to refute that statement. He wouldn’t, though. He couldn’t question mine and Theon’s relationship without shaking the bedrock of how we all fit together.
I took a deep breath. Then another. “He had to learn to control his magic, Nica. Had to. Before it burned him alive, along with everyone he loves. I’m sorry for your hurt, I truly am, but I fully believe that in my place, you would have done the same.”
“I never would’ve taken him away from you, from Wey or Braz. I would have waited. I would’ve talked to everyonetogether, like the family we were supposed to be.”
“You meanare.The family we are.”
Wey came over to stand with Nica, pressing his hand to his lower back, their shoulders touching. Nica took a breath and stared at me for a long moment, some of the anger leaking from his eyes.
I took a small step toward him. “He didn’t want to leave you. He didn’t want me or Braz to go with him, either. In his mind, at that moment, he was a danger to all of us, and I knew in my heart he was going to flee with or without me. It was better if I helped him, if I told him I knew where to go. When he saw you in the healer’s tent so badly injured...” I shook my head. “And then Braz caught up with us. But Theon faded on the way to Safire. All the joy and life leaked out of him like a sieve. Braz and I”—I looked toward Braz, and he moved to stand beside me, resting one big hand on my shoulder—“there were moments we didn’t know if he’d make the journey.”
Nica swallowed hard and rested the tip of his sword on the ground. “You should’ve convinced him to wait until I was awake, or at the very least, you should’ve talked to Wey and Braz. This wasn’t a decision for only you to make. This didn’t affect only you and Theon.”
I tilted my head. “Maybe, you’re right. But I didn’t, and I can’t change that. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s back now. Alive and whole and able to control his magic. We can argue about the choices we made forever, but it won’t change them. It’s done.”
