26. TWENTY SIX

twenty-six

NIGHT WHISTLING

I fetch Marge’s staff and hand it to her. We walk out together and meet the rest of the squad gathered near the outlook tower. The memory of the two men executed pricks an uneasiness in my chest. I stare at the base of the tower, terrified if I gaze up at the top I won’t be able to stop replaying the vision of the men dropping to their demise. Whispers shuffle around us until Cole clears his throat at the top platform. Everyone falls silent.

“Blackfell has been breached, and there seems to be a stalemate between the rebels and the town. We need to get there quickly, before the rebels make a move. I’m assembling two groups in the event this is a trap. Groups will be split from the center of camp: north and south. Carlisle will lead the northern half that’ll stay here to guard the camp. Southern half comes with me, and we will head to Blackfell to reclaim the town. Grab your weapons, and prepare yourselves for a fight. We will leave at sundown and surprise them in the cover of darkness.”

Which means I’ll stay here, as part of the northern group.

And Cole will go to Blackfell.

My heart sinks into the pits of my stomach at the thought of being separated from him. Marge pats my shoulder and leaves the throng. The squad’s nervous anticipation bubbles around me as people scurry off into opposite directions. Cole walks toward me, the people splitting off and breaking to let him through. As if he’s a rock and the crowd is a river forced around his wake.

He rests a hand on my shoulder and whispers, “I don’t want to be separated from you, but I have to ask you to stay here.”

I shake my head profusely. “No. I’m going with you.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“It would be just as dangerous here as it would be with you, if it really is a trap.”

He grunts. “Yes, but here you have Da—” he catches himself before he says Daeja’s name.

“Then she can come with us,” I plead. “Please. Don’t do this.”

“If she’s seen, we’re all dead.”

I grab his arm and tug him toward my room. The door shuts out the noise behind us and silence falls between us.

A muscle flickers in his jaw. “Believe me, this is just as hard on me as it is you. But it’s in your best interest.”

“Cole.” I dare a touch of my fingers on his chest. “We’re supposed to stay together, remember? You asked me to stay. With you .”

He sighs, gaze lowered and avoiding.

I try again, pulling his chin to look me in the eye. “I promised.”

His voice drops to a whisper, “You did...”

A war rages within his eyes, his eyebrows knit together. He blows out a breath. “Sometimes I wonder if you know how much power you have over me. And it’s instances like this where I realize, you do know…bring whatever medicinal supplies you can. Marge can stay here, and you can take her place with us. You’re to stay back from the battle in the outskirts of Blackfell. And if there’s the slightest threat, I want you to run. You don’t look back. You don’t stop to think of me. You run. If something happens to me, I want you to take her to the Dragon Lands.”

“I—” my voice catches at the thought of going without him. Of leaving him and living in a world without him. No. I start to shake my head.

“Kat, promise me,” he urges, gripping my hand in his.

“I’ll fly,” I reassure.

“Huh?”

“I won’t run, I’ll fly. Daeja and I have been practicing.”

He blinks. “Practicing...flying?”

“Well. We’ve only done it a few times. But I can do it.”

A knock sounds at the door, and Carlisle calls from the other side. “Captain, a word?”

“One moment, Carlisle!” Cole shouts as he unclasps the necklace around his neck and places it in my palm. The metal of his mother’s ring is cold against my hot skin.

My breath hitches as he closes my fingers over the ring. He leans his forehead into mine, his hand still holding my fingers closed over his family heirloom.

“I love you,” he promises in a hushed whisper. With his other hand, he draws me into his soft lips. But he pulls away—far too quickly—and ends with a kiss on my forehead.

He slips out of my door and disappears off into the night.

I clasp Cole’s necklace around my neck, strap my dagger into my thigh sheath, and sheathe my sword. Sucking in a deep breath, I ignore the buzzing in my veins and head toward the healer’s quadrant.

“Daeja? We’re going to Blackfell. There’s been a breach by rebels. I’ll travel there with the rest of the squad and meet you on the outskirts of town near the forest.”

“I’ll head there now—”

“No. Wait until the sun sets. And stay behind us so you aren’t seen.”

I swing open the door to the healer’s quadrant and find Marge collecting bottles. She turns to me, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re staying here, and I’m taking your place at Blackfell,” I explain.

“Says who?”

“The captain.”

She blinks at me slowly, then tilts her head to a fully stuffed bag. “There’s bandages, splints, needles, and thread in there. A few vials for pain. Use them sparingly.”

I can’t imagine her having to make the trek there and how vulnerable she’d be near a battle. It gives me a sliver of relief that I’m going in her place. But my hands tremble under the heavy responsibility. I’ve never had to stitch a wound, nor apply a tourniquet on my own. As I turn for the door with the bag on my back, I lock eyes with Marge.

“Thank you for saving me, all those weeks ago,” she murmurs.

“No…problem. Are you saying this because you think I’m going to die?”

She pats my shoulder. “You’ll be just fine.”

It does nothing to quell my uneasiness. But I leave the room before I think about it too much. I head to the center of camp where a group of people thickens as more join. My shoulder brushes Archie’s as I come to stand next to him. He flashes a nervous smile, his hand busy twirling a dagger.

“What’s taking Darian so damn long? Someone fetch him,” Carlisle calls.

Archie raises his hand to volunteer, and I smack it down.

But Carlisle sees the motion. “Archie?”

“No, I’ll get him,” I interject. I speed toward Darian’s room, not leaving a moment for Archie to argue. I slam a fist into Darian’s door. When he doesn’t answer, I push the door open and enter hesitantly.

Darian’s shirtless, pulling his pants up his thighs and tightening them at the waist. When he turns fully toward me, I get an unobstructed view of his chiseled olive-toned chest. A deep V lines his hips and lower abdomen. Where Cole is thick and powerful muscle, Darian is smoothly carved elegance. The muscles in his arms flex and work as he slowly buttons up his pants.

My breath catches, and I shield my eyes with the back of my hand.

He snickers. “Have you never seen a man before?”

I fumble for a shirt draped over the back of a chair, throwing it at him blindly. He cackles at my unmistakable nervousness.

“Can you hurry up? You’re the only one missing from the group,” I grumble.

“They can wait. They have to wait for me.”

“You are such a pompous piece of—”

“I know.”

I whip a glare at him, thankful his torso is now covered by the shirt I threw him. He has yet to button up the front of it, though. The dark fabric dips low between his chest and abdomen.

I avert my eyes again, my gaze sweeping around his room. A cluttered mess of sheaths, belts, and clothes lay in a heap on the floor near his bedpost. Tangled sheets and blankets wrestle on his bed. A black coat drapes over the chair pulled out from his desk, waiting for someone to trip over it. Piles of papers are scattered around his desk. One piece of parchment snags my attention.

Drawn on a large curling paper, pinned down by books at the corners, is the unmistakable outline of Dragon’s Back Ridge.

A map.

Beyond the northern part of Dragon’s Back Ridge is a hint of the Dragon Lands, covered by other papers. I’m kicking myself for not noticing it the first time I came in here.

“We’re going to be…late,” I warn, though partly distracted by the map on his desk.

Darian stalks toward me, grabbing two swords leaning against his desk. “We? Aren’t you supposed to be staying here? You know, northern part of camp and all.”

“In that instance, shouldn’t you also be staying?”

He shrugs. “They need me.”

“And they also need me,” I counter.

He snorts as he sheathes his swords, the slither of metal splitting the air between us. “Big Red really will do anything to keep his eyes on little sister, huh? If he knew better, he would have you stay here.”

“It was my decision,” I hiss, my fists clenching with his implied insult at Cole.

He points at the door and tucks a flask into his side. “Let’s see what you’ve got then.”

The sun set maybe an hour ago, and an eerie stillness hangs around the town of Blackfell. Last time I was here, it was raining. Luckily, only a few clouds scatter across the night sky. The moonlight ebbs in and out of the thin puffs of black.

Our squad is huddled and crouched near the outskirts of Blackfell as orders are whispered among us. The night chill seeps into my skin as the wind picks up, and I try to clench my hands still. But they tremble as I shiver, and my teeth clatter in response.

A weighted warmth cloaks my shoulders. I glance to my right as Darian retreats from draping his jacket over me.

“Your chattering is annoying as fuck, and I’m trying to focus,” he grouses.

“Or are you just trying to piss Cole off?” I counter.

He snickers and turns his attention back to Cole who’s commanding plans and orders with the rest of the group. Holy gods, Cole will lose his godsdamned mind if he sees Darian’s jacket on me.

I rip the jacket off as I whisper, “You are always on your worst behavior.”

“For someone who hates my behavior, you have yet to tell me to stop.”

“Maybe it’s because I know you won’t.” I offer the jacket back to him.

He muffles a laugh, his eyes still fixed on Cole. “Well would you look at that. Look who knows now. Maybe I am starting to rub off on you.”

“I wouldn’t say rubbing off on me. You just push my buttons,” I grumble, shaking his jacket to get his attention.

“I’d rather undo them.”

I swat the jacket at Darian, and he ducks with a smirk.

Cole pauses announcing the plans to the group, glaring at Darian with a whistle. “Something you need to say?”

Darian shakes his head nonchalantly, a sly grin still on his lips.

Slinking away from Darian, I leave his jacket on the ground and shiver again as the wind whips at my skin. I slide in next to Archie, who is also forcing himself not to tremble.

“Are you okay?” I mutter, leaning my shoulder into his.

His wide eyes meet mine with a gulp. “Whistling at night is bad.”

My mind cuts to the time we spent in my room drinking, speaking of our greatest fears. Owls, Aunt Becky, and whistling at night. And Cole just whistled to get Darian’s attention.

I steady a hand on Archie’s arm. “We’re going to be okay.”

He nods, even though his wide eyes still stare at Blackfell in the distance. “How do you do it?”

“How do I do what?”

“How are you not scared?”

“I am…I just...pretend I’m not? Feign confidence? Sometimes it’ll force you to be brave.”

He pulls in a shaky inhale. The rest of his body is rigid for a long while before his gaze narrows in determination.

With Cole’s silent command, Archie jumps to his feet, pointing his sword at Blackfell with a hearty shout, “Let’s fucking get ‘em!”

He charges toward Blackfell, arms pumping and feet skimming the ground. I catch the bewildered gaze of Melaina for a moment before she launches to her feet and runs toward Blackfell too, Gavin and Nolan right behind her. The rest of the squad roars to life and follows Archie, who isn’t quite fast enough to keep the lead on them for long.

Cole’s mother’s necklace is hot against my skin as I watch his flame-red hair disappear into the distance with the rest of the squad. What little is left of my heart slams fearfully in my chest.

Each second ticking by where Cole isn’t in my direct line of vision, challenges his command for me to stay here on the outskirts. What if they needed me? What if I could help them?

Well…if Cole is pissed at me for not following his orders, I’ll take it.

Because if he’s pissed at me—it means he’s still alive.