Page 24 of Restored

Ledger douses the fire with a bucket of water, sending a plume of smoke into the air. “No more fire, I don’t want anyone being able to track us.”

I tug at the vine around my ankle uselessly.

Everyone gets up to set up camp as I pick at the fish. They nestle the tents in a group of trees that is somewhat hidden and far enough away from the body of water I hope the Maladras will be deterred from paying us another visit.

The sun begins to set, and I chew thoughtfully as everything around me blazes. It all feels so serene as a hush falls upon the woods, upon my thoughts themselves.

The pastels dance upon my milky skin, and I soak them in, enjoying the lasts of the sun’s warmth. I surrenderto the moment, giving myself permission to accept the events of the past day. I watch the calm surface of the water and close my eyes letting the roar of the falls quiet my mind.

It feels nice to be away from the confines of the castle. I remember a time when I longed for the freedom to see what lies beyond the borders of Bellehaven. I wonder if the longing had ever really stopped or if I had suffocated any thoughts beyond healing and mastering my powers.

When I open my eyes again, Ledger is standing a few feet away, studying me. He’s holding some flowers in his hands that he is absently braiding together. “What are you thinking about?” His eyes skim my face, looking for a hint.

I debate ignoring him but decide against it. “When I was little, I would sit on my windowsill and imagine myself in places like this. Swimming in waters like that.” I nod over to the spring. “Lounging under an open sky without a care in the world.” I pick a pink lily growing out of the ground next to me and twirl the stem between my fingers.

“I used to resent the power that simmers in my veins, resist it, pray for the Gods to take it back. I knew that with it, I would never truly be free. Whether that meant answering to a King or the Gods, or to someone like you.” I give him a withering look.

“What about now? Would you rather be powerless?” He tilts his head as he asks the question.

“Some days. Though now it’s such a part of me I’m not sure who I’d be without it. Maybe I’d be a baker, or a seamstress or possibly a blacksmith.” Ledger huffs a laugh.

“Is something funny?”

“A blacksmith, huh?” He eyes my scrawny arms with a raised brow. “Do you think you’d be able to pick up a hammer?”

“Yes, a blacksmith.” My palm skims my bicep self-consciously. “I can always get stronger; you however, are stuck with your big muscles and small brain. What wouldyoube if you weren’t an entitled little prince?” I hurtle the question back at him.

“First, blondie, there is nothinglittleabout me.” His eyes meet mine with an unwavering confidence that forces me to drop my eyes. “And secondly, I’ve never had the time or privilege of daydreaming.” His face gives away nothing, just a mask of cold indifference.

“Right, of course, how silly of me.” I roll my eyes, looking away from him. “Well, since you won’t take mehome,I’d like to rest.” Darkness spreads, smothering all the warm hues until only black remains.

“Home?You mean where the King exploits you and his people for your powers and then locks you safely back away each night?” He spits the words as if they disgust him.

Anger radiates somewhere inside of me but I push it away. “Home isn’t always a place. Bellehaven isn’t my home. Maddox is myhome,my mother is myhome, the people ofBellehaven are myhome.” His face shifts at my words and he looks almost shocked by my response. “I wouldn’t expectyouto understand.”

The lily drops from my fingers as I stand to brush myself off. I’d still not fully recovered from the events of yesterday. My power pulses weakly inside of me, and my injuries nag. I long for blissful, deep, reviving sleep.

Ledger stills as he looks at me; I can’t make out his face in the dark. I go to walk away when I’m yanked back by my bound ankle. A frustrated noise claws up my throat.

Ledger turns, hanging the braided circle of flowers from a tree branch before recalling his vines. They recede back into the ground, freeing me. He turns, walking away without acknowledging me.

I stumble and trip after him, my eyes straining in the blackness. He slows as we near the camp. “After you.” He motions inside one of the dimly lit tents.

“What do you mean?” The side of his face glows in the lantern light.

“I mean you may go in first.”

“First? Meaning you are following me in?” I look at him, bewildered.

“That is exactly what I mean, you can’t truly believe I would leave you alone after you tried to steal my horse earlier? Not to mention your little run-in with the Maladra. Seems to me like you need supervising.” I eye the daggersheathed at his hip, and his large hand wraps around it. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Give me the dagger, and I’ll have all the protection I need.”

“Not a chance. Something tells me you can’t be trusted with a dagger. Now get inside the tent, you’ve tested my patience enough today.”

“I haven’t even begun testing your patience.” I grumble ducking into the tent.

It’s small, with a cot and some furs on the ground, a wash basin, and a dim lantern. It smells earthy and musty. Looking around, I stand awkwardly as Ledger enters. He pays no mind to me as he discards his shirt and starts washing his hands in the basin.

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