RALLY

19

Luka saw two tiny dots emerge in the distance, so minute they couldn't have been dragons. He breathed a plume of smoke into the air, signaling his location on the ground.

The fae neared where he sat in front of his family's estate, and once he was sure they had seen him, he shed his scales.

Taren barreled toward him and landed with the grace of an avalanche, Aria stumbling in closely behind them. "Evelyn almost died!" Taren said between heavy gasps, doubled over.

" What? " All of his senses immediately went on high alert. If Evelyn was hurt…

"Taren!" Aria shouted from a few steps behind, running up to join them. "You can't greet people like that!" Luka searched her face frantically, desperate for an explanation. "Evelyn is fine," she said. "She's shaken up, but she's fine."

"What the fuck happened?" he yelled, loud enough that he was beginning to draw attention. His scales started to peek through his skin. He should have been there, he should have stayed with them… He should have just carted them one by one, even if it had taken all day and drained him. If he had to go back to the mountains and find her himself, he would —

"She's okay, Luka," Aria placed a gentle hand on his arm, trying to calm him out of his panic-induced shift. "A ledge gave out beneath her when she was leading the group down the mountain. I was able to grab her before she hit the rocks below. She's okay."

Her voice was even, reassuring. The flames in his eyes fizzled out.

"How." he demanded. "How did you—"

"I took a risk and dove for her. The air was just thick enough to catch my wings," she gave him a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Not a scratch on her. Well, maybe a couple of small ones. But nothing major."

"You should have fucking seen it!" Taren cheered. "My gods, it was incredible! Aria just went for it, not even thinking! I've never seen—"

"It's not a big deal," Aria said, cutting them off with a look of warning that made Taren sulk from the quiet reprimand. "I'm just glad she's okay. We flew straight here once I realized we could."

"You're sure she's okay? I can go back right now—"

"We watched from the skies as much as we could. They made it past the hard part. They're not far behind us now," Aria explained. "You can breathe. They'll be here soon."

Luka's face was flush with awe. What Aria had just described… She'd literally saved Evelyn's life and was acting as though it was just another day. A fae woman—no, the heir to the fae throne —had willingly saved the life of a shifter. Not just any shifter. His second. How was he supposed to repay something like that?

He looked at her sternly, assessing her windblown hair and reddened cheeks that made her look more like a doll than the warrior she was proving herself to be. She could have just as easily let Evelyn fall to her death. And yet, her instincts drove her to protect. It was a quality worthy of praise. One he looked for in members of his own squad.

"Thank you," he said, relief coating his words, "for saving her."

She returned his firm look. "Of course. I only ask for the same, should it ever come to that."

So, that's all this was. A business transaction. Figures, he thought. But the truth remained—Aria's gut reaction was to save a woman she barely even knew.

"You have my word."

***

"So, this is your home?" Aria asked, pivoting the conversation away from herself as soon as Luka offered to show them to their rooms. Even as they made their way toward the entrance, Luka continued to glance back toward the mountains. Keeping an eye out for Evelyn, no doubt.

It still hadn't really donned on her that she'd just saved someone's life. Evelyn's life. The woman who seemed to hate her. Or, at the very least, wanted nothing to do with her or her kind. And she hadn't thought twice about it. She would have done the same for anyone. And if she was in Evelyn's shoes, she would have been embarrassed by the entire thing. Best to downplay it as much as possible and just let the shifter get back to normal and pretend it never happened. Even if she probably wouldn't have given Aria the same courtesy.

"By name, yes, but I haven't lived here since I was a teenager," Luka said, his eyes far away.

The walls of the Fulgara estate were composed of dark stone bricks, likely pulled right from the Mere Mountains. It resembled a castle, but on a much smaller scale than Aria's. Though the estate's personnel were probably informed of their presence, she let her hair cover the points of her ears and gestured for Taren to let out the bun on top of their head as Luka guided them through the halls. She'd have to interact with them eventually, but she couldn't stand another sideways glare like she had at the Academy. Better to just blend in, even though everyone could probably smell the fae blood in her.

She tried to stay engaged as they walked, but it was hard for her to focus. She missed her own bed, her bath. Her balcony and view of the sea. They rounded a corner and were met by a dead end, four doors lining the walls. "I hope you don't mind, but you two will have to share a room for the evening. Our guest space is limited right now, with the rest of the Council staying here and… Well, it's not often we have multiple guests that make it here together," he faded off, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "There are two beds," he added awkwardly. "Or, if you'd each rather be on your own, I'm sure Evelyn and Finn wouldn't mind sharing—"

"I could share with Finn," Taren muttered, which made Luka's mouth separate in bewilderment. "Kidding! I'm kidding…" Taren's eyes met Aria's, their mouth pressed into a thin line as they stifled a giggle.

Aria rolled her eyes. "We're happy to share, that's no problem." He showed them to the first room on the left, their packs already waiting for them.

"I'll leave you two to rest," Luka hovered at the door. "We'll be joining the Council for dinner, and we'll fill them in on our plan. There's a guard stationed at the end of the hall in case you need anything until then."

"Still don't trust us, huh?" Aria's brow arched .

"This is more for your safety than for ours," he retorted. "Believe it or not, Princess, some of us shifters are not entirely happy to host any fae—especially a Zephyr—in our home."

Great , she thought. She should have left it alone. His tone may have been playful, but it made her glad she'd covered her ears on the way to their room. "We're used to it at this point," Aria replied. "We'll mind ourselves in our room until dinner, in that case." He just gave her a brief nod and closed the door behind him.

"Damn," Taren said with a grimace. "I guess the hatred runs deep here."

Aria sighed. She would have to explain everything to Taren sooner rather than later. "Sure does."

***

Taren was snoring gently on one of the beds in their shared room when voices echoed down the hall, roughly an hour after Luka had left them on their own.

Recognizing the trill of Evelyn's laugh—a surprising and wonderful sound after the day they'd had—she jumped out of her chair, where she'd been going over some of her notes, and padded to the door.

She tore it open to find the group of shifters walking down the hall, having made it back from the mountain pass relatively unscathed. Her appearance stopped whatever conversation they'd been having. Finn rushed up to her, wrapping her in his lean arms. He squeezed her tightly before holding her at arm's length. "Thank you for doing what the rest of us couldn't." His icy blue eyes seemed to cut into her soul, tears threatening to escape from the corners. "You're one of us now, as far as I'm concerned. "

It was the most she'd heard him talk, the most emotion he'd shown, since being introduced.

"Always so serious, Finn," Evelyn rolled her eyes, refusing to meet Aria's gaze. The panther sauntered off into one of the vacant rooms, shutting the door behind her.

Finn disregarded Evelyn's exit and clutched Aria's shoulder. "My sister is not one to humble herself. But she is grateful for you, whether she says so out loud or not."

"Thanks, Finn," Aria returned his slight smile with a faint blush. It was sweet hearing Finn refer to Evelyn that way, like they were truly part of a pack. "Is she… okay?"

"She's fine," he said. "We're all a little shaken, but fine."

"Good. That's good."

"What about me?" Taren chimed in from where they leaned against the doorway, apparently woken by the discussion. "Do I get to be one of you?"

" You didn't do shit," Finn laughed and made his way into his own room.

Taren pouted. "Is he serious? I can't tell if he's serious…" They searched between Aria, Kam, and Leah's faces frantically. "Tell me he's not serious."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kam signed teasingly, as the two wolves entered their own room, leaving Aria and Taren alone in the hallway.

"Gods, when you fall for someone, you fall fast," Aria patted Taren's arm as she passed back into their room. "Come on, we need to get ready."

The two fae alternated washing up in the compact bathing room and changed into some of the nicer clothes they had brought with them from Allar. For Taren, a dark brown pant and tunic set with gold metal accents along the chest .

Aria decided now was as good a time as any to pull out the gown she'd carried all this way. It wasn't anything fancy—the forest green fabric had short sleeves and brushed the floor when she walked, making the small, embroidered flowers along the bottom rustle around her feet. It was modest, but made her green eyes shine when she wore it, giving her the confidence she would need to face the Council without the support of her parents at her back.

By the time she'd finished braiding her short hair in a crown around the top of her head, Luka did a round of knocking on everyone's doors to draw them to the hall. Like Aria and Taren, the shifters wore finer clothing than she'd seen them in previously. Aria's eyes were immediately drawn to Evelyn who emerged from her room in a body-hugging, floor-length black gown. It was simple, but incredibly elegant, and showed off every curve. Aria reddened when Evelyn caught her staring and quickly looked away.

Luka led them all to the great room that rested on the opposite side of the ground floor. As they wound through the halls, Aria admired the artwork and tapestries that covered every wall, and as they entered the room where the Legion Council waited, she found those walls to be no different—family portraits hanging in every space, interspersed with scenic paintings. All three members of the Legion Council rose from their chairs to greet the group entering the room.

"Princess Zephyr, welcome," General Shara Glacius gave a slight nod of her head and gestured for the group to take their seats, resuming her own at the far head of the table. She was flanked by Generals Brune and Falden.

"Just Aria is fine," she replied with a bow. "This is my second, Taren," she explained as Taren offered their own bow .

Luka pulled out the chair at the other head of the table closest to where they stood, inviting Aria to sit. She looked at him as if he was crazy, but he gestured again for her to take it.

She sat carefully and he pushed her in before taking his own seat to her left, Taren to her right. The rest of the group filled in the remaining empty spots along the length of the table. Aria steeled herself, bringing her eyes to Shara's. "Thank you for allowing us to meet with you."

"It seems our fates are intertwined," General Glacius stared her down. Around them, the estate staff began piling the table with food, interrupting the broken start to their conversation.

When they were dismissed, General Falden looked at Aria, her wild auburn curls tamed into a low bun at the nape of her neck, her eyes piercing into Aria's. "Where are your parents, girl?"

Aria winced at the patronizing tone in Acasia's voice, once again having to defend herself against her deceivingly young looks. "Just as Luka became your ambassador, I am Allar's," she replied. "And I think you'll find me to be a perfectly capable leader in their stead as they deal with… another problem," she hesitated. "Which is part of what I wanted to discuss with you all today."

"Ah yes, your grandmother, I presume?" General Glacius wasted no time getting to the point. Knowing what Aria did now, about how Shara's husband had died… She was surprised Shara hadn't immediately gutted her entire family, especially given the chance each year at the Sanctum. The leader likely wanted Aria out of her sights as soon as possible.

Aria desperately wanted to look at Taren for reassurance, but maintained her composure, re-focusing her thoughts on the task at hand. She needed to be the picture of poise with these shifters, or they'd eat her alive. Maybe literally .

"Yes, my grandmother," she said firmly. "Vera is planning something big, perhaps because of the missing border, or perhaps regardless of that. Either way, we've tried to compromise with her, but she is unyielding." All three Council members looked at her with narrowing eyes. "But I come here to reassure you," she continued confidently. "Vera and the Unifiers carry none of the Zephyr allegiance. They act in defiance of the crown, and you have our full support and whatever protection you need against her. We'll be protecting the border both ways."

" Really? " General Brune mused, one hand running the length of his beard, unconvinced. "Interesting."

"Really," Aria stated firmly. "If they should make any sort of advancement, we will protect your people as we would our own."

"I can attest to their loyalty," Luka said from beside her, his deep voice booming with authority. "Just hours ago, Aria saved the life of one of our own," his eyes danced to Evelyn sitting next to him, her gaze directed at the table.

The Council eyed her suspiciously, intrigued. "Luka—" Aria tried to interrupt him without success.

"It's true," he said. "Evelyn almost met an untimely death on their journey through the pass, and only sits here today because of Aria's selflessness."

"Captain Fulgara speaks the truth," Finn interjected. The panther turned to face the generals. "None of us would have made it to her in time to catch her from her fall. But Aria did."

Moisture gathered in Aria's eyes. She hadn't expected the shifters to come to her defense in this way. It was more support than she'd felt from anyone but Taren in years. And yet, Evelyn remained silent, twirling the stem of an empty wine glass through her fingers .

"Well, it seems our gratitude is in order, then," General Falden said, her demeanor seeming to lighten at the claims.

"Your act of bravery is unexpected," Shara said, "but appreciated." Her chin rose as she assessed Aria from across the table. "Perhaps you are not as much like your parents as anticipated."

"I am, indeed, my own person," Aria replied. "But I assure you my parents agree with me. We won't allow Vera to wreak havoc on either of our realms any longer."

"And what is your plan for dealing with her, then?" General Brune's question echoed in the hall. All eyes were on Aria. She swallowed a knot that built in her throat.

"We're still assessing the best course of action—" Aria started but was interrupted by General Glacius.

"So, you don't have a plan, then?"

"Well—"

"What of your spy network, mother?" Luka interrupted the back and forth. "Could they infiltrate Vera's castle?"

Shara stared at her son blankly. Aria got the feeling she didn't particularly want it announced that she had spies in Allarian land. "My spies ," she said sharply, "had to be pulled back home for their own safety."

"Send them again," he countered flatly.

"I think you'd best remember your place at this table, Luka," her voice was stern. Both a mother's and a general's. "We've already received word of two different small groups of Unifiers that attempted to cross into our borders. They were stopped, of course, but I'm not willing to risk more of my people than necessary."

Luka and Aria glanced at each other. That was the first they'd heard of any disturbances since the disappearance of the wall. Her jaw clenched. She was glad to hear they hadn't turned into anything serious, but it served as a stark reminder of the determination of Vera's followers.

"General Glacius, if I may…" General Falden raised her voice. "Despite his brashness," she glared, "I believe your son may be right. If we can get any information from within Vera's estate, we may have a better chance at understanding what we're up against with the Unifiers."

"Risking the lives of a few to spare the lives of many is a common part of war," he reminded them, his tone somber. "I don't want to lose a single person if we don't have to, but we need more information about their movement. And soon, if Vera's threat is to be believed." Aria watched the sorrow cross his eyes as he met the glare of his mother, the hardness in her face beginning to fade.

"Fine. I will send them back. But I feel there are more pressing matters on the horizon," she looked to Aria. "What of Mallium's threat? Can I assume that we are aligned on that front as well? Luka informed me your libraries held no information. Our search has also been unfruitful. I am less concerned about some jaded old woman than I am our angry deity."

"That was the other thing we wanted to discuss," Aria started, looking at Luka. "We believe it would be best for the full Council to meet with the Royal Assembly to begin formal conversations about our battle strategy against… whatever it is that Mallium has in store for us. There is only so much we can do going back and forth. We'll need all of the great minds in one room. Together." Aria hoped a bit of flattery would help her case. "Now that you understand we are truly on the same side, I hope you will consider it."

The three generals looked amongst each other, contemplating Aria's request.

"And where would this take place?" General Falden asked .

"The king and queen have agreed to meet wherever you are most comfortable," Aria explained, her heart pounding in her chest.

"At the Sanctum," General Glacius said, her face turned away from the table, distant. "Neutral ground. I made an exception allowing you both here."

Aria followed the general's gaze to a large portrait of who she assumed to be Molden hanging on the wall, the man's warm eyes and golden brown skin nearly identical to Luka's. The way Shara looked at him nearly sent Aria to her knees to beg for forgiveness. "I understand," Aria replied.

Shara finally broke her longing stare to look at Luka. "You and your squad will travel ahead of us. See if you can pry any more information out of the seers. Bribe them if you have to. If you're lucky, maybe you can speak with Selene. I'll send my spies back to Erdane first thing in the morning," she sighed and looked at Aria. "Use one of my messengers to tell your Royal Assembly to meet us at the Solstice Sanctum on the full moon in three days' time. I am hopeful my spies can report back by then, and we can discuss both issues at once."

"Thank you, General Glacius," Aria's lips pressed into a thin smile. "We'll leave first thing in the morning for the Sanctum."

The words hurt her to say. She was so tired of running—sprinting, really—for any morsel of information that might help them in their preparations. But she had succeeded in getting them to agree to a meeting with the Royal Assembly, and that was enough of a win for one day. She'd tackle tomorrow's problems tomorrow.

"Let's eat, shall we?" The General smiled for the first time all evening, the amusement still not quite showing in her eyes. "I hope it hasn't grown cold from our dull conversation." Her light attempt at humor struck with the shifters, but Aria still felt butterflies banging against her stomach. The food had indeed lost its heat, but she picked at it anyway, knowing she needed to keep herself nourished for the days ahead.

The light table conversations floated around her, in one ear and out the other. She was still shaken by Luka jumping to her defense. Perhaps it was owed to her, after what she'd done today. But she would have done the same for any one of the shifters at the table, just as she would for any fae in the Royal Guard, or any civilian in Allar. It was just part of who she was. But, she supposed, she would have felt the same surprise had one of the shifters put their own lives on the line to save herself or Taren.

Aria's pulse finally normalized as she sipped from her goblet of wine. Her eyes wandered lazily around the table, appreciating the laughs she heard from even the normally-rigid Council members. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, but it seemed everyone was put at ease by her assurances and their agreement to meet at the Sanctum in the coming days.

It wasn't much, but it was a tiny step in the right direction of pulling the two rivalrous realms toward the same goals. Her anxiety seemed to fall away at the small relief of their agreement. Aria's eyes landed on Luka beside her, who had already polished off the food on his plate.

"Quite the appetite for someone who spent the day lounging at home," she leaned toward him to tease him quietly. He choked out a laugh as he took his final bite.

"Having to defend you against my mother is plenty of work, trust me," he spared a glance in the general's direction. Their eyes met in understanding.

"That wasn't necessary," she said, "but… it was appreciated." It was as close as she would come to thanking him .

"Anything to be in the good graces of the princess of Allar," he said, unable to keep a straight face. His eyes brightened a bit as they shared an earnest smile.

Their charade was interrupted by a disgusted snort from Evelyn, who had apparently overheard their entire conversation. Aria tried to catch her eye, but Evelyn still wouldn't look at her, which was really starting to irritate her.

The evening carried on until the wine ran dry. Eventually, everyone made their way toward the guest quarters, Luka accompanying them out of courtesy even though his room was near his mother's on another floor.

Aria saw him stop at Evelyn's door, the two sharing hushed whispers. Gods , she wished she had shifter hearing just to know what he was saying. Was he comforting her? Scolding her for being cold to Aria? Something completely unrelated?

Not anymore , Luka had said to her by the fire the night before. He and Evelyn were no longer romantically involved, but they had been, once. The wine sat heavy in Aria's system, bringing her insecurity to the surface. She closed the door, shutting them out of her view before she did something she regretted, unsure why she was even upset. He had every right to speak to his second without Aria being involved. Why did she care so much?

"What's wrong?" Taren asked from behind her, startling her out of her emotional stupor.

"Nothing," she replied shortly, and turned her back to Taren, motioning for them to unbutton the back of her dress. "I just wish Evelyn would look me in the eye. I don't understand."

What she'd really wanted to say is, I think I'm jealous of Luka and Evelyn's intimacy and I'm confused and I don't know who I'm actually envious of and I think I just need to sleep with someone to get it out of my system .

"Everyone handles trauma in their own way," Taren said gently. "She's probably still shaken up. I wouldn't think too much about it."

Aria shimmied out of her gown, not even thinking twice about being naked in front of Taren. They'd seen every part of each other by now, anyway. She padded into the bathing room and began washing her face while Taren sat outside the door.

"Luka told me last night he and Evelyn used to be together."

"Ah, so that's what's bothering you," Taren chuckled. "All of these other problems on our doorstep and here you are worried about the love life of two shifters?"

Aria peeked out the doorway at Taren defensively, "I'm not bothered by that. Just thought it was interesting."

" Not bothered , she says, very much bothered," Taren tossed Aria's nightgown at her. "Someone has a crush on a shifter , of all people," they teased.

"I do not have a crush—" Aria was going to finish her thought but realized she wasn't sure if she wanted to say on him , or on her . The realization confounded her, and Taren raised both brows at Aria's sudden stop. "Besides, you're one to talk," Aria added defensively.

"Finn barely gives me the time of day. I'm not sure how good a chance I stand with that blonde bundle of complicated emotions," they rolled their eyes dramatically.

"Well, now you know how I feel," Aria said before quickly realizing her mistake of admission.

" Evelyn is the one you're drooling over? And here I was thinking you and Luka had made so much progress," they clicked their tongue. "Spoiled for choice, my dear friend."

"Gods, I don't like either of them. They're both miserable company. Luka is full of himself and Evelyn is…"

"Evelyn is what? "

Aria pulled on her nightgown and promptly walked back into the room, flopping on the bed face down. "I don't know… Terrifying?" Her voice was muffled by the fabric around her. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

" Wrong with you? My gods, have you seen them? Who wouldn't be enamored by them both? People act like we weren't all born of the same deity. I mean… We have the ears and wings of bats, for Mallium's sake, we might as well be part shifter. They're not actual fucking animals, Aria. They're people, just like you and me," Taren laughed and rubbed soft circles on Aria's back. "Let yourself live a little."

Aria sighed. Taren had a point, but… "I've got way too much to worry about right now," she said, peeling herself up from the lush quilt spread across the bed. "Maybe if we make it past the equinox, I'll entertain the idea."

"Suit yourself," Taren said with a smirk as they gathered their hair into a bun. "I'm still going for it."

"I would expect nothing less," Aria smiled, reveling in the beauty of their friendship. Thank the gods Taren had come with her, if nothing else, to banter with her about stupid romantic gossip.

Honestly, it was the only thing taking her mind off the doom that otherwise consumed her.