Callum looked almost uncomfortable at first to accept Thade’s embrace. Seeing him there with her father, Aiva stepped forward, arms extended to wrap around them both, overcome with joy to have her family back, safely aboard the ship and on the move away from Luquarr. Despite the celebratory mood of the others, there was a distance which remained in Callum’s eyes. He lacked the joy at the victory shared among everyone else on the ship. “What is wrong?” she asked him quietly. He looked at her, solemn, discontent at some thought which continued to trouble his mind.
Straightening his shoulders, Callum clasped his hands tightly in front of him. He opened his mouth, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue, a long pause leaving them in silence before he finally forced himself to speak. “This is only the beginning of the battle,” he stated, somewhat detached. “Ireni will not accept defeat. By now she is likely already preparing a ship to take chase. Knowing her, the worst is yet to come. We should make sure the ship is prepared for an attack. Her men will not stop until our ship is at the bottom of the sea.”
“We expected as much,” Thade nodded in agreement. “For now we are focused on getting the ship moving quickly to cover ground before they can prepare their vessel. My concern is that one may already be docked and ready. They were somehow privy to our plan, which leads me to believe they would have arranged a means to take chase if we were successful.”
“What makes you think they were aware of our plans?” Edric questioned, coming to stand beside the three of them. Thade frowned, a slow shake of his head revealing his frustration despite his otherwise calm exterior.
“Osahar was not willing to negotiate,” he sighed. “He repeatedly accused us of intending to betray him and forced us into combat rather than business.”
“Do you think Osahar will accompany them into battle?” Aiva asked. After what they had done to his men, it only made sense that Osahar would seek revenge personally.
Thade’s eyes grew distant at the question, a faint smile slowly taking shape. He seemed amused by something, though Aiva couldn’t be sure what. “No, I do not think he will come with them,” he chuckled, lowering his gaze to Aiva once again. “The General had the final word in our conversation. It ended with Osahar at the end of his blade. Our concern now lies in the woman who will take control in his stead.”
Ireni. So she had her wish after all. Osahar was dead. There would no longer be anything standing between her and the jealous revenge she’d sought since first taking Shaelyn away. She had no one to answer to for her actions. It would make her more of a threat to them. To Aiva. She had been Ireni’s true target from the beginning. “We’ll have to be careful,” she replied quietly. It was a frightening thought to consider. How could she possibly explain that concern to Callum without causing more worry than he already endured? If he believed her to be in any direct danger, he would be less inclined to allow her to continue fighting. She would be confined to the barracks below with her sister.
“Let us try not to think on it for now,” Thade stated calmly, giving Aiva one last glance before making his way toward the Captain’s cabin. “I need to check on Shaelyn. Gadiel is on lookout for possible attacks. Edric, you should have the General examine that eye of yours. It looks awful.”
At mention of the injury Aiva took notice of Edric’s face for the first time since their arrival on the ship. A large bump had started to form where Odell struck him, the skin already turning various shades of blue and purple. Aiva couldn’t remember having seen him injured in such a way. Her brother was always the perfect image of health. What would the ladies at court think if they saw him? She giggled to herself, sliding across the floor to where Callum stood. “Yes, it does look bad,” she agreed, unable to repress her laughter. Edric rolled his eyes, the tips of his fingers brushing over the area of his face with a painful wince.
“You should have seen the way you looked when you arrived in Targas,” he waved dismissively. “I’m going to find Cadell. You two should worry about your own injuries. And dry yourselves off. At the rate you are dripping water onto the ship, you will cause us to sink before the pirates even think to reach us.”
Aiva watched him move toward the helm, guilt creeping over her to think of the pain her brother suffered. His injury was caused by his attempts to help her. Why did everyone always get hurt while trying to save her? She was beginning to feel cursed. Callum had fallen prey numerous times. A part of her still blamed herself for Kaemin’s death, knowing that he met his demise while trying to save her from Ireni. He was successful, but to a far greater cost than she was willing to accept. And now she was dragging her brother into it. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up being the death of every man aboard their ship.
She and Callum stood silently at each other’s side, hands clasped, staring in the direction that Edric and her father had gone. After a long moment Callum let his gaze settle on her, motioning with his head toward the stairs leading into the barracks. “Edric is probably right,” he nodded. “I should take a look at the sutures on your stomach to make sure they aren’t torn.”
“If you insist,” she shrugged. The area of the sutures pained her significantly. It hurt to stand up straight, though she didn’t dare make her discomfort known for the sake of those around her. They doted on her too much. If she let anyone know she suffered, they would revert to treating her like a child again.
The thought of being alone with Callum was tempting enough to prevent her from arguing his decision. She followed him across the deck to the stairs and down into the lower barracks. Once in the privacy of a room Callum closed the door, coming to stand by her, a look of concern evident on his handsome features. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?” he asked, clearly worried. His hands ran along the back of her head where Odell’s hand had struck, searching for any hidden injuries. “You may have a concussion. We should keep a close watch on you for a while. Just in case.”
“I really don’t think that’s necessary,” she argued. Her head felt fine. It was the pain in her stomach that had increased in the short amount of time it took for them to reach the room from the main deck. If Callum was going to insist on examining anything, she preferred it was the laceration there. The salt from the seawater did nothing to help its condition.
Her fingers went to work at the buttons which fastened her doublet in place, struggling with the stiff fabric, the design of the garment foreign to her. She wasn’t familiar with men’s clothing, despite the length of time she’d spent wearing it in the desert. She wasn’t convinced it would ever be something she was comfortable with. Thankfully, she wouldn’t have need to wear it again once they reached Tanispa. Seeing the difficulty she was having Callum came to her aid, chuckling quietly to himself while helping to undo the buttons. “I’m not sure I will ever get used to seeing you dressed like this,” he grinned through the uncertainty still visible in his eyes. “I have almost forgotten what you look like in the finer gowns of court. At the same time, I am concerned about how troublesome those garments will be to remove from you.”
“Is that all you can think of?” she laughed at the thought.
“No. I only referred to the fact that… oh, why do I bother?” he chortled. “It may not have been what I intended to say, but I cannot argue the truth in the statement. I am guilty, I suppose.”
She enjoyed seeing him smile. The expression changed everything about his face, softening the lines which were already visible on his youthful skin, revealing him for the young man he still was, despite the age and experience he exuded when in front of the others. He was not old enough to bear such a hardened appearance.
His smile faded somewhat as the last of the buttons were pulled away, blood having soaked through the thin white fabric of the shirt she wore underneath. The strain returned to his features, quickly lifting the material from where it was tucked into her belt to reveal the red and aggravated skin of the wound across her abdomen. Several sutures appeared to have been pulled loose while others were torn completely fre
e. It explained the discomfort she felt. Ireni’s fist had done more harm than she realized. “We need to remove the damaged sutures and apply them again,” he frowned. “This is exactly why we were hesitant to let you fight.”
“I don’t believe that,” Aiva shook her head. She knew better than to think her injuries were the only reason her family had been against her participation in the battle. “You may have been more concerned about my physical condition. The rest of my family, however, simply doubted my ability to handle myself. My father cares deeply about my safety and his heart is in the right place, but I’m under no delusion that the argument was solely because of this little cut.”
“I wouldn’t call it little, Aiva. Do you realize that you will always bear a scar from this injury?”
“I’m not concerned about scars. This entire journey has been about much more than a few imperfections on my skin.”
His fingers traced over the swollen area of her stomach, his eyes focused on it, saddened by the sight. She tried not to giggle at the light sensation of his touch. Even through the pain it somehow tickled. It took all her willpower not to burst into a fit of laughter while Callum looked so somber. Unable to take it any longer, she flinched away from him, inhaling a deep breath to try and contain the laugh which threatened to come. He looked at her, confused at first, before finally realizing what caused her strange behavior.
“I’m sorry,” he chuckled, releasing his hold on her shirt to let the fabric drape over her once again. “I wasn’t even thinking…”
“On the contrary, you looked to be thinking rather deeply on something.” Aiva tilted her head to one side, looking him over carefully, curious what was going through his head. He always had a way of making her wonder. His thoughts were impossible to decipher. Stepping forward she rested her hand on his arm, hoping to make him feel more comfortable. He had been on edge since being reunited with their families. Just once she wanted him to look upon her the way he had during their time away. To see the joy in his eyes that had been there the night on the trade ship when he rushed to fetch Captain Bingham to perform the ridiculous spectacle of a marriage ceremony.
He shook his head, eyes downcast to stare at her hand where it touched the damp sleeve of his doublet. “Yes, I was thinking deeply on something, but I know there is no point in speaking it out loud.”
“No?” she peered at him, curious what he meant. “I prefer you tell me what troubles you rather than keeping it inside.”
“It will change nothing for me to waste the breath.”
“Nothing you say is a waste of breath, Callum. Just tell me. I’ll be more upset at your silence than I will be about anything you say.”
Defeated, he gave in to her insistent prying, reaching out to take her in his arms, drawing her into him as if afraid she might break if he applied too much pressure. He held her there, planting a gentle kiss on the side of her neck before speaking. “Aiva… is there anything I could say or do which would convince you not to fight if the pirates come for us?”
She inhaled, forcing down the initial anger that crept over her to hear him ask the question. It wasn’t his fault. She made him speak what was on his mind. But why would he request such a thing? After everything they’d been through! It was insulting. Yet at the same time, she understood. Whenever they prepared to go into battle, she wanted to ask the same of him. To beg Callum not to fight. Her worst fear wasn’t the pirates or anything they might do to her. It was what they might do to him. She didn’t want to lose him. Not when they had come so far. They were so close to being home. She just had to keep them both alive until they reached the docks in Siscal.
The tension in her muscles made her discontent more obvious than she wanted. Callum’s embrace tightened. In her mind she wanted to be mad at him but her heart wouldn’t let her. He loved her. It was reassuring to know that he cared enough to consider her safety above all else. “Is there anything I could say which would convince you not to fight as well?”
“You know I have no choice, Aiva,” he sighed miserably. “I swore an oath when I joined the military. It’s required of me to fight; however, you are not held to the same promise.”
“But why now, Callum? You were the one who supported the idea of me fighting beside you. Why do you change your mind? What is different about this fight?”
“The difference is that Ireni will come directly for you. I would be a fool to think otherwise.” Callum shifted his weight, watching Aiva carefully. “You know it the same as I do. Shaelyn was never her intended target. And with Osahar out of the way, her goal will be your destruction.”
“You overlook the fact that she seeks revenge on you.”
“I don’t overlook anything, Aiva. You and I will be her focus. She won’t stop until we’re dead. But you’ll be first. I know the way she thinks. She takes pleasure in the thought of making me watch you die. Our fathers have no idea what kind of trouble we’re in. They don’t know her like we do.”
“Do you think she and her men have a chance at defeating us?”
“On the water? Yes,” Callum’s frown deepened. “They are pirates. They spend most of their life on the sea. We, on the other hand, are limited. It isn’t like when our parents fought the Ven’shal and were on solid ground with access to the elements that empower the energy within us. While we could attempt to manipulate the water, it would run the risk of sinking our own ship if we tried to utilize it as a weapon aboard our own vessel. We have swords and bows. Equal ground to them. No advantage beyond our military training, but they’re not helpless. You’ve seen them fight. They are strong and incredibly skilled. Ireni could give my father quite a run if they went toe-to-toe… and he is without doubt our strongest soldier.”
“Have you expressed to him your concerns?”
“My father? What good would that do us? He’ll think I lack faith in our men. As the Captain, I cannot give that impression. The best I can do is advise him that she knows her way around a blade. You know how he teaches. Once you start to doubt, you have already lost.”
Aiva let out a long contemplative breath. “These are all reasons why it’s imperative I fight alongside you,” she replied quietly. “Everyone on board who knows how to wield a blade should be a ready soldier for an attack. We need all the men we can get if we want to defeat them. Which means the only person on this ship who should be hiding is Shaelyn.”
“I just don’t want to lose you, Aiva.”
“You’re not going to lose me. We’ve been over this before.” Aiva brought her hand to Callum’s face, resting her palm gently against his cheek. “When we were in Tunir, I promised you that I wasn’t going anywhere. The same that you promised you would not leave me again. We are both bound to our word. Nothing is going to happen to us. You’re going to have to trust me on this. So why waste our time discussing it when we could simply enjoy the time we have?”
With a painful grimace Callum nodded, his fingers weaving through Aiva’s hair, gazing at her in admiration. “You are an incredible woman. I’m not sure how I ever managed to earn your heart.”
“It was a long and tedious process, I’m sure,” she smiled. The expression on his face softened, his muscles relaxed to feel her in his arms. Seeing the opportunity, she leaned forward, her lips meeting his. She had wanted to kiss him for days. It had been pure torture being so close yet unable to show affection out of respect for their families. She almost missed their days in Tunir and Vailetta. When they didn’t have to worry about who saw them and what they would think of their actions. Welcome back to the life of a princess…
Callum returned the passion of her embrace, clinging to her desperately, his lingering fear evident in the way he held her against him. Lost in the moment, neither of them heard the footsteps approach outside the door, caught off guard by the click of someone entering, Cadell’s voice ringing through the room, his words sounding before he entered.
“Son, I need to discuss a few – ” Clearing his throat Cadell quickly turned his back to
them, making no attempt to leave the room, only providing them with enough privacy to separate to a respectable distance. Aiva’s cheeks flushed with warmth, embarrassed by the interruption. “My apologies,” he coughed awkwardly. “I am not used to… having to knock before entering my son’s room.”
“Yes, well… it would be a good habit to acquire,” Callum straightened his doublet uncomfortably, the wet fabric sticking to his skin. “I was just checking Aiva’s sutures. They took quite a beating today.”
“Right,” Cadell gave a short laugh. “Is it alright if I turn around?”
“We are both decent, much like we were when you entered. Do not worry about it,” Aiva tried to come across dismissive, finding her tone wavering slightly. Of all the people who could have walked through that door… the only worse possibility she could think of was her father. He wouldn’t have been so lighthearted about seeing them in each other’s arms. At least not while they were in the privacy of a room where a bed was readily available. Married or not, he wasn’t quite adapted to the idea.
Nodding his head Cadell slowly twisted his body back around. “You see, boy… this is why wives are not typically allowed to accompany their husbands when they are on leave for military duty. It creates a lack of focus.”
“I agree it creates a lack of focus, though not in the sense you imply,” Callum argued calmly, a hint of red still visible on his high cheekbones. “When in the field it is distracting to be constantly afraid of them getting injured – ”
“If your distraction is only when in the field, then you would not be concerned about whether or not your old man knocks before entering your room. Though the blood on her shirt does have me a little curious.”
“I told you I was checking her sutures. They need to be replaced or she is at risk of further infection.”
All sign of humor left Cadell’s face to hear the condition of Aiva’s injury. The initial discomfort of his arrival forgotten, he moved to stand in front of her, fingers grabbing onto the bottom of her shirt, looking at her inquisitively. “Do you mind if I take a look?”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 82
