Maiela raised a brow. “Something you forgot to tell me, brother?”
The Fortune Elf opened his mouth as though to reply, but before he could, Ryllae spoke.
“We’re fated mates,” she said, her voice quiet. “Daegal and I.”
“Mates,” Kysha echoed.
Ryllae nodded, twisting her hands in front of her as her wide blue eyes glanced between Kysha and Maiela. “The three of us don’t know each other all that well yet, but I was hoping that with time—”
“We don’t need any,” Kysha broke in.
“Welcome to the family.” Maiela grinned.
Countless hugs and congratulations went through the group. That happiness bubbled up inside of me, and I felt… joy. Despite the darkness, this was cause for celebration. Even my dragon agree.
The Chosen Six, reunited once more.
Eventually, we broke apart. The sun had set, giving its place to the moon, but the sky was clear. Stars shone, and though the air was cool, it wasn’t as inhospitable as it should have been at this time of year. It did not take much for everyone to agree that spending a night under the stars was preferable to sleeping inside the mountain yet again.
“Besides, then we can get a start early in the morning,” Aileana reasoned.
No one argued. I was fairly certain we all would have nightmares about those spider-like creatures for the rest of our lives.
Soon, we had scouted out the perfect spot in the trees for our camp. Extending my senses, I listened to the forest. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Foxes, squirrels, and other small animals went about their business, but for the most part, it was quiet.
With a wave of her hand and the help of her earth magic, Aileana formed three tent-like structures out of vines and moss. Each one stood a good distance from the others, the tents somehow simultaneously blending into the forest and standing apart. In the meantime, I dragged logs into a circle, forming a pit before starting a fire using dried kindling from my pack.
As we waited for our companions to return with dinner and firewood—Maiela and Kysha had assured us that this time, they would find some fuel—a peaceful quiet enveloped Aileana and me. The companionable silence was a warm respite from our recent adventures.
The fire crackled, the orange flames making quick work of the kindling. I added a larger log, settling in and watching it burn as Aileana finished with the shelters. When she was done, she slipped on the log beside me, resting her head against my shoulder and releasing a contented sigh.
“It’s so nice to be alone, Xander,” she murmured. A sense of longing laced her words, echoing the feelings lodged deep in my soul. “I’ve missed you.”
I kissed her deeply. “Same.”
She sighed, snuggling in closer. The fire hissed and popped, and we sat in silence for a few minutes before Aileana spoke again.
“In my tower, I was alone all the time.”
A pang went through me. I hated that my mate had spent years on her own, without anyone else. I would kill the king again if he wasn’t already dead for what he had done to my mate. Every time I touched the scars on her back, fresh rage filled me.
I wondered what was bringing up these thoughts. Aileana so rarely talked about her time in the tower, and I didn’t often ask question. She didn’t seem to like talking about it, which was understandable. We all had our own ways of dealing with our trauma. Some of us left it in the past; others learned how to fight back; and others still spoke about it until the pain was gone.
Eventually I said, “I imagine that was difficult.”
“Terribly so,” she whispered. “Even when Matthias trained me, it wasn’t enough. I was always lonely.”
A pang ran through me at her admission. I hated that she’d had to deal with this.
No one deserved to live alone, especially not someone as vibrant, fierce, and spunky as Aileana.
“Are you lonely now?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. Now I just want to be alone with you.” She shifted, kissing me softly. “I could never be lonely with you, Xander.”
“I feel the same way.” Cupping Aileana’s chin, I drew her mouth back to mine. Her lips parted, and my tongue danced with hers. She moaned as we kissed, the small animals of the forests our only witnesses. A fire blazed within me, one that belonged solely to my mate. I thought about picking her up right then and bringing her into the tent to have my way with her, but before I could decide, a branch cracked in the distance.
Aileana broke apart just as Kysha and Maiela returned with logs in hand, this time. The others were quick to follow, and soon, the six of us sat around the fire dining on roasted rabbit.