Page 11 of Echoes of War

My chair dragged against the red and blue patterned carpet as I scooted away from the desk. Chugging the last of the liquor, I sighed, wiping my mouth before placing the glass down with a clank.

The brass knob of the door rested against my palm. Sloan’s voice, cold and gravely, stopped me in place, “You’ll get your soldiers. Give me a few days.”

Alexiares

My fist tapped lightly against the dirty-ass door of one of the rundown apartments Sloan had stuffed us in. I’d never get tired of those toned brown legs. Biting my lip until it fucking hurt, I willed some self-control into my mind as I traced up toward the oversized sweater hanging down to her thighs. She rolled her eyes, curls bobbing in her bun as she scoffed, walking away toward her room.

Closing the door behind me, I locked it, letting out a small chuckle as I followed her inside. A fire sparked in the makeshift pit she’d put together to warm the room, the smoke trickling out the cracked window. She’d somehow found a way to make the place inviting,cozy even.

Amaia stumbled over her feet, an empty clear bottle kicked under the bed. I cleared my throat, forcing her to meet my glare. She wasn’t fooling anyone, let alone me.

“Back already? Must have gone great.” She humored as she slid onto the right side of the bed.

I kicked my shoes off, scooting in on the other side. “Reina didn’t tell you?”

How we had gotten to this point fucking beat me. After our time on the road, it was all too easy to fall into the routine. The first few nights had been two tired people debriefing on the day. Even if Moe and Reina were talking to her, they didn’t have the military or combat expertise she needed to lean on. Wasn’t long before I realized she’d been drinking again, and I didn’t want her to plunge into her misery alone. If she fell apart now, then we were all fucked.

But then, the conversations about preparing for war and the stunning idiocracy of the people here had turned deeper.Goodconversations. She was fucking brilliant; I felt like the dumbest person alive conversing with her. And I was no dummy. There wasn’t a single topic I could bring up that Amaia wouldn’t have some knowledge of. Not to mention an opinion.

The sky would grow lighter until our eyelids gave up, falling asleep curled into the couch. Then one night, she’d led me into the room instead of toward the tattered sofa.Fuck if I would ask questions about the invitation.

“She told me to go ask the dog, and since Harley isn’t here,” she said, her brown eyes dancing as she teased. “I’m assuming she means you.”

“Ouch, I thought she was joking.” I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me at least a bit. I’d come to care about Reina. She was a good person and I didn’t know many of those.

“Oh, she is, don’t take it personal. It’s more so because you’re here … with me. I don’t think she believes I deserve any comfort right now, not after what I did.”

“Hey,” I reached over, cupping her chin, forcing her to face me, “you did what you thought you had to. What you thought was right; they’ll understand soon enough.”

Her eyes were so damn sad. I saw every emotion yet nothing behind them at the same time. “It’s more than that. I think now … I think they fear me a bit. Not what I’m capable of physically but?—”

“Fear they may never know who you actually are.”

The same argument could be made toward Reina and Tomoe. It was unfair what they held against her. They all had kept vital secrets that could have resulted in a different outcome. Personally, I believed Tomoe should be able to get that. There was no use bringing it up regardless. Dwelling on the past would get them nowhere.

“Fear lasts much longer than love, Alexiares,” she whispered.

“Fear keeps people alive, Amaia, you of all people understand that. Sometimes it’s better if love and fear go hand in hand. You can’t have fear without knowing love. To have fear, you must have something you love. Something that can be taken.”

She shifted in the bed, eyes darting down. “What happened out there?”

I explained how we’d found Abel and the information he’d been able to offer. Amaia winced when I brought up the fact that he was barely past the age of puberty. Around the age my brother Evander would have been, had he survived.

It appeared that our mission had become even more complicated. We had our work cut out for us, and now we were going to be stretched thin. Thebrujasstill needed to be collected, Tomoe hadn’t yet finished her research for the right spell. Everything Sloan had her hands on was a mess.

Now, not only would we have to make the journey back to Monterey, we’d also need to convince settlements to join a war they ignorantly believed wasn’t at their doorstep. We’d been operating under the impression that our way back home would be faster, easier now that we’d be able to take direct routes. If each of the settlements were on our side, the treaty wouldn’t be at risk as we passed through. Evidently, that was not the case.

As long as there weresomesettlements that would let us pass through without protest, then it would take us less than the three months it took to get here. In the meantime, heeding Abel’s advice may be the best course of action. His vision had shown Reina and Tomoe acting as emissaries, trying to gain allies. If they didn’t join our side, they would fall. Abel had seen it. If they fell, we were fucked. Covert Province would force them to fight on their side. Another variable that could go wrong in an already fragile plan.

“Makes sense,” she said, oddly calm. “Reina used to do some of our emissary visits at the baby stages of The Compound. You’ve seen her—powers or not, she’s a schmoozer.”

“Schmoozer,” I snorted, “you and your words.”

“Jealous of my extensive vocabulary now, are you?”

I tossed my head up, releasing a sarcastic laugh with a mocking gesture. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night.”

“Seems to me likeIhelp you sleep at night.”

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