8. Jace

Chapter eight

Jace

I watched Lia closely as she leaned back on her elbows and stretched across Nox’s saddle to take in the late afternoon sun as we journeyed back home.

She was acting as if everything was fine, wearing her mask of bravery that I’d come to recognize all too well with her. However, down the bond, I sensed nothing but dread.

“Lia, that was badass,” Gage interrupted the silence that we sat in.

She smirked, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “It didn’t exactly go according to plan, but I’d say we made a statement.”

“You killed the ‘heir’ to the throne. I’d say that’s more than a statement. In fact, I will take that as us winning the war,” Zaela said with a victorious laugh.

Lia blinked, and her eyes roamed around the clouds as we passed them in the sky. “It’s not over yet.”

My heart fluttered painfully, which I assumed mimicked her own, as I felt her concern hanging over me like a looming shadow.

Zaela and Gage began bickering about who had the most kills once we had our feet on the ground back at the war camp. I crept up closer to Lia, pushing aside the burning pain in my arm as my body worked to heal the gash with the wyvern’s blood. She sat at the very nape of Nox’s neck as if it brought her comfort to sit in her former seat.

“You’re upset,” I whispered. “That’s okay, you know.”

She turned to face me. “I’m not upset that he’s dead or the nature of how he was killed. In fact, that part is quite poetic…” She let out a sad, breathy chuckle. “When I first met Nox, I told Kai that I hoped the wyvern would eat him.” She pursed her lips to hide a tiny smirk I could sense forming.

An involuntary snort left me at her words. Only my Lia would come up with such a threat.

She blew out a breath. “Kai deserved to die. He deserved the death he was dealt, and I stand by that. My concern isn’t for me or for that of the kingdom but for Avery and Finnian.”

My brows furrowed in thought. I hadn’t even considered the prince and princess that we were about to come home to. The past two days had been such a whirlwind that, combined, they felt as if they were a year.

Only four days ago, we found the citizens who fled Isla, led by Avery and Finnian, and then last night was when we fell under attack by Kellan’s army.

I looked back at my mate and realized that exhaustion had overtaken her features. The vibrancy of her eyes had dulled significantly, and her shoulders sagged as she forced her body to sit upright. Even as she joked about her threat all those months ago, her gaze was distant. When was the last time either of us slept? I honestly couldn’t remember .

“You can just tell them you believe he succumbed to the flames,” I suggested.

She met my gaze and shook her head gently. “I’m tired of lies and secrets.” My jaw ticked nervously in response, hoping that it wasn’t directed at me lying to her the night prior.

Her eyes turned distant again. “My entire life, I have been those very two things. If I’m to be a worthy queen, then I need to be honest and fair. They deserve to know the truth, and if they’re upset with me for the outcome of the events, then so be it. I will learn to live with it.”

I took her chin between my fingers, lifting her stare to mine. “Just that alone makes you the most worthy queen the realm has ever seen.”

The corner of her lips tilted upward, and we turned to face the setting sun as it disappeared below the horizon, watching the sky transform into a melting pot of warm, fiery hues.

The four of us arrived back at the townhouse, groaning as we shook out of our soot and gore-covered armor and dumped it onto the floor at the foot of the staircase.

“They’re back!” Avery shrieked from the kitchen as she came barreling through and went to throw her arms around Lia. Once she noticed her attire, she slowly lowered her arms and gaped. “Oh gods, what happened?!” she whispered as her eyes roamed over all of us frantically .

Lia reached out and grabbed Avery’s hand, pulling her into a hug at the princess’ dismay. “Well, I’d say we won this round,” Lia said cheerfully as she held her sister's squirming body tightly to her own.

Avery pulled away from her as Veli stalked into the room and took in the sight of us. “You all look awful,” the witch greeted.

“How’s Landon?” Lia rushed out. “I should’ve checked on him earlier. I feel terrible.”

Veli sighed. “He’ll live. He’s lucky, though.”

“Thank the gods,” Lia breathed. “Is Finn with him?”

She answered with a nod, but then her violet eyes narrowed in on the gash in my arm that was working to slowly heal itself. “You’re injured.”

She lifted a talon, and a second later, the burning ache in my arm began to fade. We all watched in awe as the wyvern’s blood extracted itself from my wound, levitating in the air before falling to the floor. A sizzle echoed through the room as a burn mark appeared on the wooden floorboards.

“Curious thing, wyvern’s blood,” Veli said as her eyes remained on the mark, her head tilting to the side as she examined it.

“Don’t even get me started,” Lia hissed, her stare fixed on the gash in my arm.

Sensing her anger growing, I swiftly switched the subject back to what we were previously discussing. “Lia, why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll check on Landon.” Her gaze snapped up then, eyeing me warily. “I want to thank him for the sacrifice he made. ”

My mate lifted her hands and rubbed aggressively at her eyes as a yawn escaped her. “Okay, fine. I’ll see them tomorrow. I’m going to take the longest bath known to fae kind and sleep for, hopefully, a year.”

Moving a step closer to her, I pressed a kiss to her forehead as I rubbed away traces of ash across her cheek.

She smiled up at me. “You know I’d ask you to join me, but I’m afraid of what’s about to wash off of me.” She chuckled.

“Couldn’t possibly be worse than when you arrived here all those weeks ago,” I teased, and she scoffed as she playfully swatted at me and then ran up the stairs.

Zaela groaned. “Don’t take forever in there, Lia! There’s only one tub,” she mumbled the last few words as she stalked toward the kitchen in the back.

I turned to the sorceress. “Thank you for that, Veli. It’ll just be better if we all talk about it tomorrow. She hasn’t slept in days.”

“Aye, but neither have any of you,” she said before following Zae.

I glanced toward Avery, who was standing there pretending not to be sneaking peeks at Gage while he moved to sit on the settee.

I blew out a breath and turned to move upstairs. I was halfway up the flight when I heard Zae yell from the kitchen, “Get off the settee, Gage! You’re filthy.”

I shook my head, chuckling as I continued my ascent.

My hand lifted and knocked softly twice on the bedroom door.

“Come in,” Finnian called .

I slowly creaked the door open, and my eyes fell on Landon as he worked to sit up, wincing at the lingering pain.

“Oh, thank the gods, it's you. If Avery checked on us one more time, I was going to lose my mind,” Finnian huffed.

I smirked. “Your sisters mean well.”

“Well, one of them does,” he joked, but then his eyes softened. “Actually, you’re right. I shouldn’t make such comments. Not right now.”

I closed the door behind me and took a few steps closer to them. “How are you doing, Landon?”

He laughed softly. “Well, I’ve been better, but I’m alive. Lia came back with you, right? I would like to talk to her, but mainly thank her. I know I was out of it most of the way, but I was conscious enough to know she carried me on her back .”

Gods, how had that only been a day ago?

“She’s getting some rest, which is much needed for all of us, but I wanted to come in here to say thank you and to apologize,” I answered.

His brows flew up his forehead. “You want to apologize? Why?”

“I never should’ve asked you to leave last night. I wasn’t aware of your skill set in battle, yet I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you out there holding your own. Also, for involving you in my lie to her. I never should’ve done that or felt the need to in the first place, but I also shouldn’t have involved you or anyone else, for that matter.”

He blinked at me. “It’s okay.” His words were barely a whisper .

I let out a chuckle. “Actually, it’s not. I came here to let you know that I’m aware of that, and I truly am sorry for it.” I crossed my arms and nodded to the door behind me with my chin. “She was very worried about you, but she’ll be pleased to see you’re already well enough to talk.”

His gaze narrowed on me, meeting my own with a bit of fire in his eyes. “I told you to make me useful. I meant that.”

I smiled. “You’re a good soldier, Landon.”

I turned to walk out the door when I heard Finnian step toward me as he said, “Avery told us that you came back here before leaving once more. What happened where you all went today? Did you attack them?”

I halted in the doorway and barely threw him a look over my shoulder. “Your sister will need to be the one to tell you all of that.”

I quietly moved down the hall once I clicked their door shut behind me and peeked through the crack of the one that led to the bathing chamber down the hall.

Lia was lying in the bath, surrounded by the bubbles that she loved so much, as her arms were stretched out and draped over the edge of the tub.

I pushed the door open with my boot and watched a smile form as she lifted her head to me.

“Hi,” she greeted, voice raspy yet filled with mirth. She sucked in the swell of her bottom lip and held it between her teeth as she stared at me.

“Are you okay?” I asked gently.

Her smile dropped, and her lips pressed into a tight line. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, but I know lying to you will do neither of us any good. Stupid mating bond,” she huffed jokingly. “I just want to focus on today’s victory.”

“Of course, my Lia.”

Her smile returned at the use of my name for her. “Not sure if you noticed, but I’m no longer covered in the carnage of battle,” she taunted as she motioned to her body hidden beneath the water.

“Oh, I noticed,” I answered as I quickly kicked the door shut and moved toward the tub. “Please allow me to be of use to you. A distraction, if you will.” I winked.

Her giggles echoed and bounced off the walls of the bathing chamber as I jumped into the tub with her, not even bothering to remove my clothes, and then claimed her mouth with mine.