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Ifthe fire was solely the result of her curse, causing a ruckus and so much pain would help sate it for a little bit, which meant she should enjoy the peace while she had it, not sit up in fear.
But she seemed to calm a little when we stopped at a way station to fuel up and shower. It was a pretty run-down place, meant for long-stretch travelers who needed a place to rest before they kept right on driving or riding, but it served all of us well enough. We were able to wash up, sending far too much soot into the drain, then changed into the spare uniforms packed in the supply transport at the end of our little convoy. Granted, when we loaded back into our vehicles, they still smelt faintly of ash, smoke, and melted rubble, but it was still far better than the first part of the day.
That hot water worked for Ayla. She started to rest a bit once we resumed our journey. I could tell she wasn’t full-on sleeping, but she let herself lean against me with her eyes closed, her breathing relatively steady. She still had the metal hatch covering her window open, no doubt so she could see the view when she wanted to. I quite enjoyed the rapturous way she’d watched the landscape go by on our first day’s ride, so I was down for anything that gave her a bit of comfort.
It was always an interesting view. The closer we grew to Merrik, the more the terrain changed. It shifted from large pastures and small patches of forest to farmland, then fine city and beautiful mountain ranges just in the distance. Those mountains were a bitch to get through, even with the modern tunnels that’d been drilled into so many of them, but their natural protection helped keep the center of our nation safe.
They weren’t just physically imposing, but also filled with hundreds of different types of crystals, naturally imbued with blessings and powers from the ley lines running through our lands. They couldn’t neutralize everything that came our way, but they did have an uncanny way of giving any enemies passing by incredibly bad luck.
Not unlike Ayla’s curse, actually.
It was an interesting thought, but then I didn’t know enough about the laws of magic to figure out its implications. Instead, I tucked it into the back of my mind and watched the landscape go by.
It made me feel a bit nostalgic, especially with the sea barely visible in the distance. When I was young, before I’d been old enough to understand the dark underbelly of my home, I remembered thinking Merrik was so beautiful. I dreamed of living in our spacious castle as king, a respected alpha lauded not only for his military prowess, but his magnanimous treatment of his people.
Funny how things changed. What once was a beautiful paradise for me was now little more than an overly wrought prison, or perhaps even an executioner’s block. I hated how my family, for generations, had turned the capital into a mockery of what it was supposed to be.
I must have been broadcasting nostalgia-tinted melancholy because Ayla lifted her head a bit.
“You all right?”
It was a simple question, but I appreciated it. “Just thinking about home.”
I said it nonchalantly, my thoughts far away, so I didn’t realize Mad Dog had stirred until he was speaking.
“Wait, you’re from Merrik? I didn’t know.”
Shit. Espionage really wasn’t my strong suit. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to end up walking right up to my father and letting things slip with my first sentence to him.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Huh. No offense, Captain, but I never would’ve guessed. Everyone I’ve ever met from Merrik was overly pampered and completely detached from the world. You don’t come off that way at all.”
“I’d like to think I’ve grown a lot,” I said carefully. “I used to be pretty similar.”
“Really?” I didn’t miss Mad Dog’s surprise. “What changed?”
“Seeing the war, actually—how much it was hurting people.”
I looked at Oren, whose eyes shone with understanding. After all, he’d been there for that moment, the one that’d haunt me forever and changed the course of my life.
“That’s real admirable, sir. For what it’s worth, I like the man you’ve grown into.”
“Thanks, Mad Dog.”
He gave a resolute nod as Ayla took my hand once more, giving it three small squeezes. Although we weren’t quite to that level yet, it felt like a silent way to say a trio of simple words.
I love you.
I swore I could’ve floated right out of our transport if I wasn’t tethered to gravity. I knew Ayla and I were irrevocably attracted to each other, drawn to each other, but feeling tenderness flow through our bond while she squeezed my hand confirmed she cared about me beyond our matehood.
It wasn’t “I love you” yet, but we had time to get there. Time would fly by once we broke her curse.
The conversation tapering off, once again, and I settled down to let myself daydream of a world where my home wasn’t poison, and the love of my life could finally be herself without evil magic haunting every step.
They were somereallynice daydreams.
The rest of our journey turned out to be somewhat uneventful, which was a welcomed change. No more fires, no surprise attacks, just the lingering tension right after a disaster.
