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“Morning, is Thessa in there?” Sila’s voice sounded from outside, startling them both to their feet.
“Hi, Sila!”
Sila popped her head in. “I tried your tent first, I should’ve known.”
Thessa’s cheeks flushed.
“I wanted to make sure you had something clean to wear.”She set a pile of clothing down on the floor. “I’ll leave these here.”
“Thank you, for everything.” Thessa meant it. To be taken care of, so kindly, was something she’d never forget.
Sila nodded. “No trouble at all. I’ll see you both at The Burn.” And as quickly as Sila had come, she left.
Thessa eyed Soren and asked, “The Burn?”
“That’s just what we call it. Burning everything before we leave symbolizes our resilience to rebuild. It’s a bit celebratory.”
“Got it. Should we pack?”
“No. I’ll arrange to have our tents sorted.”
Thessa reached for the bundle Sila had left her. It was a cream tunic and riding leathers, which wasn’t Sila’s typical fun and flirty attire, but Thessa knew why. Today marked the precipice of change. Her blood usually thrummed at times like this, but today it didn’t. She’d slept well.
After dressing, she tucked the book under her arm and asked, “What else do we need?”
“Nothing. The carriages will be stocked.”
When they arrived at the burn site the cooks were passing around oats that had soaked overnight. They were surprisingly pleasant when topped with honey. Hades would love it, that was for certain.
Soren helped chuck a few stumps into the massive pile of wood furnishings. Children ran around the emptied campsite in circles, while hundreds gathered around the pile, strapped in burlap sacks.
Sila passed copies of Eiliana’s Illusion Spell through the crowd, and Jussal gave a quick speech reviewing their two-day route. Afterwards, Francis and a few other Elementals torched the pile.
The flames were mighty, and hot. Thessa shoved thegrimoire and oats into Soren’s chest, and said, “Find somewhere to put these.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“We want the spell to work, don’t we?”
His eyes softened.
Last night Thessa had told Soren she was not a fighter. She believed her purpose was to work toward a possible agreement. He’d not argued with her, only issued a small warning that they were long past agreements, and followed it up with a kiss for encouragement.
Thessa paced toward the flames, standing beside Francis.
When it all was well and burned, she held out her arms, nodding to the Elementals to step back.
Jussal was salivating as he called out, “Everyone, give her space.”
Whispers rippled through the shifting crowd.
What is she doing?
That’s the one the general keeps.
The fire-snuffer.
Do you think it’s true?