Page 143 of Echoes of War

“Pleasure doing business with you.” I turned on my heels, fingers grasping the olive-green flaps of the tent.

“Oh, Amaia. One more thing before you go. I’ll be sending a few emissaries to sit on your council, keep an eye on the place. They may have a few requests, some slight suggestions, nothing exorbitant. I expect they’ll be welcomed with open arms?”

I gulped down a slur of insults, head moving from side to side as I bit my tongue. Releasing the flaps of the tent, I plastered asmile on my face, swiveling around to face the man I would mark for death. “With a warm, baked pie.”

“You’ll be hearing from me soon, take care.” He nodded, taking a seat at the table, picking up some sheets of paper, neglecting the wound still seeping with blood. “Send Reina my regards. I am sorry for her loss.”

Malachai appeared behind me, a harsh whisper in my ear. “Tell Riley I said you’re welcome.”

A chill went down my spine on my way out. I would play nice, do what was asked of me. It was the only thing that would allow us a moment of peace to regroup. A lot could change in a year. In fact, my entire life had. The entire structure of what The Compound once was and what we had to offer had been shaken to the core. We were going into a decline at an unsustainable pace and I needed to slow it if there was ever a chance for us in the future.

Elie jumped in her sleep, her hand yanking free from my grasp, startling me. I sat forward in my chair, relief filling an empty void in my heart that belonged to this girl. Between her, Riley slumped next to me, Abel scowling across the aisle, and Alexiares putting up a fight on Reina’s table after refusing to be put to sleep, I was going to have an aneurysm.

It would be of no surprise if they had some secret pact on giving me a heart attack and they’d all done their best work to see it through. Elie had been out cold since the attack yesterday. She’d used a significant amount of her magic, plus her injuries from the explosion. Her body needed a lot of rest.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I hammered, not bothering to keep my voice low for the sleeping patients.

Riley was snoring his ass off anyway. If they could sleep through that, then they could sleep through my lecture. Hisbeloved, Yasmin, glared at me from his bedside, brow arched, daring me to keep up the noise.

Elie groaned, pushing herself up on the bed. I stood up, pulling her forward to fluff up her pillows before tossing her back. She whimpered, grabbing at her neck. “Ow! Aren’t you supposed to be nice to the injured or something?”

“Not how this works,” I said, crossing my arms. “You had me worried sick! Eleanor, I trusted you to listen to me, trusted that you would be safe.”

“Elie,” she corrected.

I rolled my eyes. “You could have died!”

“Yeah, shoulda, coulda, woulda. Surprise, I’m safe. I’m alive. And I’m also a fucking hero.” She smirked, reaching out to grab my hand in excitement. “I’m like you, Amaia, a soldier. Prescott said you have no one left but Riley, but that’s not true. You have me too. Which means I have a responsibility to him the same as you guys. I took care of this place, just like he asked.”

Sorrow inundated my heart. I motioned for her to scoot over, cuddled next to her, bringing her under my wing.

“You’re just a kid, Elie. You aren’t supposed to be a hero.”

Amaia

“Youknow better than to be out here alone.”

I turned to swim on my back, grinning at him, already having sensed his presence fifty feet ago. The waves crashed into my body, submerging me in the icy water long enough for the only thought to consume my mind being how freezing it was. That was the only moment of reprieve I’d had in the last seventy-three hours, five minutes, and twenty-one seconds.

There was much to do to prepare, but little time to do it. It didn’t help that much of my plan consisted of waiting, pretending to return to normal before we made our final move. With still time came anxiousness and I couldn’t afford to be scatterbrained when it came to this.

Those damned eyes that I loved so much trailed my clothes on the shoreline. Alexiares wiggled his thick brows at me, unzipping his pants and tossing them to the side.

“And you’re supposed to be taking it easy,” I teased, reaching out my hand, signaling for him to join me.

It’d been an impulse decision to get in. A swim wasn’t necessarily scheduled into my day. I needed to breathe. Despite my desire to save the place I called home, being out here just felt so … fresh. Or maybe it was freeing that was the right word? No, I suppose it was a mix of those two. In being free came fresh starts, new beginnings. Two things I would never get to have but would secretly wish for.

Sinking into the water, leaving only the top of my head peeking out, I watched him shed his clothes. For someone who’d been on the brink of death three days ago, he looked like a fucking Greek statue, to be honest. He turned his back to me, feigning to be shy while taking off his shirt, but it only made me stare more. I smirked, imagining his broad shoulders and toned back flexing in that manner for a very different reason in a more private setting.

There were no new physical scars lining his skin from his wounds, thanks to the healers. The real scars were in his haunted stare. Alexiares’ gaze rarely left mine when we were within the same vicinity. When they did, mine fell into place in its absence. I knew exactly what he was thinking. If I took my eyes off him again, that could be the last time I’d ever see him. So I watched him, kept my eye on him, because if I didn’t look away, I wouldn’t have to worry about never seeing him again.

He waded over to me, picking me up, offering me a break from treading water. Alexiares gave my ass a squeeze, smirking unashamed.

“This is taking it easy, I can finally relax,” he jested back. “You’re here to take care of me now.”

I unhooked my arm from around his neck, splashing him with water. “Guess chivalry really is dead. You’re supposed to be the scary boyfriend who protectsme.”

“Nah,” he said, kissing me firmly on the lips. “My girl doesn’t need any protection.Bloodreina and the Bloodhound.”

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