Page 114 of Echoes of War

“Who said I’m being a gentleman?” He teased, “Maybe I enjoy the view from behind you.”

His hand pressed me toward the edge, slapping my ass hard before he pushed me inside. I yelled a flurry of curse-words as we went, his dark laughter filling the space behind me.

We went through the earth slide at an unnatural speed. I had no doubt Riley had worked with a Tinkerer on this, though it amazed me at the speed in which it had been completed. There was no world in which Riley existed that he would leave me out here, shit out of luck, even if I commanded it.

The narrow tunnel of earth and stone was slick with moisture and adorned with gem-resembling mineral deposits, defying the laws of physics. It twisted and turned, its walls lined with an eerie, almost otherworldly light. The ground beneath our feet hummed with the resonance of earth magic.

And then, as abruptly as it had begun, our journey through the center of the earth came to a halt. We emerged in The Gardens in a corner of produce near our little lake that wasn’t yet ready for harvest. A deliberate action to avoid detection, no doubt.

My feet barely touched the ground before I sprinted through The Gardens, dashing to wherever my family may be. I didn’t know where I was headed, but knew in my heart that the connection between our souls would lead me to them. Harley and Suckerpunch hounded at my heels, their huffs and doggy grins pushing me further, faster.

“Slow down!” Alexiares yelled out cheerfully, though he was more than capable of keeping up.

I heard other footsteps behind us and I smiled, knowing the girls were coming with us. Heads turned as we raced through The Compound, onlookers doing a double-take, checking if they were seeing shit or it were truly me. I slowed near Prescott’s quarters but Elie found her way next to me, guiding my hand to keep going.

An odd look wavered on her face. “Not here,” she said.

My lips pursed, brow furrowed, but I chalked it up to her being out of breath. I’d never worked with her on cardio in the times she trained with me. I hadn’t expected her to hold pace but she was fast.

There were two possibilities at that moment, Riley and Alexiares’ house or my rooms. All bets said Riley had holed himself up at my place, desperate for any excuse to be close to me during the day that he could get. It would be easier that way, anyway.

The soldiers would have better access to him, and he’d be able to oversee any training and war efforts. It was nearing the end of the day, the sun setting beyond the high walls in the distance. No chance he’d be anywhere else but pushing paperwork. With no one outside the walls except the already deployed troops, scouts, and patrol, there was no need for his presence elsewhere.

Skidding to a halt at a door I’d thought I’d never see again, I pressed my hand against the knob, pausing to steady myself. Excitement filled me as I pushed the door open. Riley had his head down at my desk, shuffling paperwork between stacks as Reina paced before him, fingers running through her hair. Movement caught my eye to the left of me as Alexiares rammed into my back. Moe sat up from her lounging position, pen wiggling in between her fingers and a notebook on her lap.

Riley’s head shot up toward the door in shock and his face lit up. He pushed to his feet, hopping over the desk, sending the paperwork flying. I pounced on him, jumping into his open arms and wrapping my body around him, tears streaming down my face.My brother.My family. They were all safe. Losing myself to tears, I let it all out. Slobbering, messy as a fucking baby, into his chest.

Inhaling, I sniffed in his earthy scent, the sensation known to drive him mad with irritation. He set me down, pulling me in by my ear, then rubbed his knuckles against my head. Alexiares grumbled in the doorway. Reina strode over to him, not releasing him from her own tight grip.

The others entered the room, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the one who’d left the widest gap in my heart. It had been painful to leave him behind. I loved my sisters. We’d been through a lot together, but even before all the bullshit, we’d spent enough time apart for the pain to be tolerable for the last few weeks. It wasn’t the same with Riley. He never left my side for long before this, and his absence had taken a toll on my sanity.

A carefree chuckle pushed the curls against my ear, tickling them. They stuck to my skin under the wetness from his tears. He pushed me an arm’s length away, hand cupping my face and searching my eyes, communicating everything yet nothing at all. My brother had missed me too, that much was clear. Riley’s hands ran down my body, turning me in a circle, prodding at me for injuries.

“I’m fine,” I giggled, pulling myself away. “Stop being a weirdo, Ril.”

He put his hands up innocently, still staring at me as if he couldn’t believe I was real. Moe strolled up to my side, her usual smug grin in place, but she pulled me into an embrace.

“I see Elie’s little escapade paid off,” she said, humor in her tone.

Elie gasped. “You knew?”

“She always knows,” Reina and I said at the same time.

“Jinx.” Reina laughed, dragging Moe and me back together for one of her famous group hugs.

I let them smother me with love, Reina’s happiness pushed gently across the room. We exchanged excited chatter, the promise of catching up over a meal exciting the three of us. Reina’s fingers toyed with my curls as she tsked in her usual judgment of cleaning habits, like I could help it. She muttered something about needing to run me a bath, going on about having laid out the perfect cozy, relaxation outfit out on my bed pending my return. I rolled my eyes, savoring her soothing way of taking care of us.

The conversation between us died down. Elie and Emma took Moe’s place on opposite ends of the couch in silence as they observed the surrounding scene. Alexiares and Riley leaned against the desk, lost in their bro talk, playfully punching at each other.

I’d never be able to get him to admit it, but Alexiares had missed Riley. He had been his first and only friend since Tiago. It’d taken some warming up to before he’d slowly accepted the companionship Riley offered.

I watched him, studying the way his mouth curved up in a resistant smile at whatever Riley was saying. His posture had loosened up slightly, color flowing back into his face as if being back here had healed something within him.

“No fucking way,” Riley said, catching me in my stare, gawking between us.

I tilted my head. “What?”

“Prescott was right,” he chuckled, “I can’t believe it.”

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