“Princess?”
Aiva sat up, surprised by the sound of a familiar voice through the rain. The wagon sank slightly under the weight of someone climbing inside, Gadiel’s face appearing over the crates to gaze into the darkness where Aiva sat. “Gadiel,” she breathed. “What brings you here?” It was convenient. She’d been meaning to seek him out herself, but the storm had made it difficult.
“I wanted to check on your shoulder before I turned in for the night,” he stated calmly, stepping around the crates to crouch a short distance away, water dripping from the matted hair which hung against his face. “That and I am a bit appalled that the Captain allowed you to sit here by yourself with the storm raging as it is.”
“I assure you, it was not the Captain’s desire to leave me here alone. I insisted upon it,” Aiva sighed.
Gadiel looked puzzled, head cocked to one side, inquisitive. “You did not want to stay with your husband?”
“That union is only temporary,” she said calmly. It was better that Gadiel know the truth. If she didn’t tell him, he might get the wrong impression and believe Callum to be somehow neglectful. “The Captain and I agreed that upon returning to Tanispa, we are going to have the marriage annulled.”
Gadiel cleared his throat, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. “You may not want to let that become common knowledge amongst the men. They might start to consider you fair game.”
“Do you consider me fair game?” Aiva asked, amused by the notion. Gadiel simply chuckled, his green eyes sparkling at her through the darkness.
“Of course not,” he smiled. “You are far out of my league. That aside, you remain, currently, the wife of my dear friend and superior officer. And though it is none of my business, I am curious what would cause the two of you to come to such a decision. The Captain has always spoken very highly of you. It seems strange that he would not be pleased with the union.”
“The decision was mine. He merely conceded to it,” she sighed. “I have my reasons. In the end, it will be better for both of us.”
Gadiel wiped the droplets of rain from his face. He continued to look at her with a ponderous expression. Speculative. “You and Kaemin are good friends, I presume?”
Surprised by the question, Aiva nodded with uncertainty. “He and I have known one another for a long time. Lord Kaemin is recently engaged to the Captain’s sister. Why do you ask?”
“He approached me with an interesting question a few nights ago. It has had me thinking. Hearing the news of your relationship with the Captain, I feel obligated to ask you a very forward question.”
“By all means.”
Scooting closer, Gadiel looked Aiva over carefully. She flinched somewhat at his approach, relaxing only when he came to a stop about a foot away. “What is your relationship with the man, Dacian Ellis? I am to believe that he told you something.”
“He did. But that is hardly your concern.”
“Oh, but it might be,” Gadiel nodded. “Information from him is not always the most trustworthy. I hope that which he provided you was not responsible for your requested separation from the Captain.”
Aiva hugged her knees tighter to her body. She hated being put on the spot. On trial for something she had no desire to discuss with a man she hardly knew. “I assure you it was not the only reason. Even if it was proven false, I cannot say my mind would change. And why do you so eagerly inquire? Do you think you can prove Lord Dacian a liar?” She hoped her curiosity wasn’t too obvious. Aloofness gave her a feeling of control over the situation. Nonchalant at the possibility of hearing what contradiction Gadiel might provide. But she wanted to know. It was all she could do not to grab him and shake the answers out of him.
“That depends on what he told you,” Gadiel mused. “Maybe not a liar, but he’s very skilled at misleading. Especially if he felt he might stand to gain from it. The information I believe he passed to you was of a sensitive nature. We were all sworn to silence. It is unfortunate Dacian has proven untrustworthy.”
“If you swore not to speak, then what are you doing now?” It bothered her that even Gadiel could not give her comfort with a direct denial of Dacian’s claims. If it was something harmless, why would those involved have vowed secrecy?
“Because if this information is already known, I should at least set the record straight.” Gadiel’s expression hardened somewhat, almost ominous in the flash of lightning which illuminated the wagon. “Can you tell me what Dacian relayed?”
Aiva stared down at the floor, rubbing her temples in frustration, nervous to speak. In her mind this had been so much easier. He’d caught her off guard by approaching her in this fashion. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, lacking cohesion, making sentences almost impossible to piece together to speak the questions she wanted to ask. Heaving a sigh, she let the words flow from her lips, doing her best not to think on them. “He told me how Callum was romantically involved with the pirate, Ireni. That he shared a bed with her. That they were found in each other’s arms. He even suggested Callum knew of her allegiance and offered vital information regarding the military.”
Gadiel was quiet for a moment. Taking in what Aiva was saying. The sound of his laughter was the first indication that he’d heard any of it, his head shaking in amusement. “My gods,” he chuckled, gazing at Aiva sympathetically. “I think I may be able to help. If you will grant me permission to explain?”
“Please do,” Aiva frowned, leaning forward, intrigued to hear what Gadiel had to say.
“The Captain was found with Ireni, yes. But Dacian seems to have neglected a few details. A very important one being that – we knew he would be with her that night. It was our idea to have him go to her.” Gadiel laughed quietly to himself, taking a moment to pause before continuing. “What their relationship was prior to this, I cannot offer assistance on. Only he could answer that for you. As for the night in question, we had received intelligence that Ireni was a spy. We were all shocked, including the Captain. It was necessary to take her into custody, but Ireni is an incredible fighter and we suspected her to have allies on the ship that would come to her aid if she learned anything of our suspicions. It was no secret that Ireni was obsessed with Captain Zerne. To be honest, it regrettably was my idea to have him act as bait. To draw her out and away from the others who might assist her.”
Aiva’s mouth hung open in awe of what she was hearing. “You intentionally had the Captain seduce her? That does not sound like an approved military tactic.”
“No… Which is why it was not to be spoken of outside our circle,” Gadiel nodded. “The Captain protested but in the end he had very little choice. We knew she would come to him if he called. He played his part for the sake of our people. Distracted her. When we crept from our hiding places to apprehend her, she had no chance at escape.”
“So this is why she hates Callum? Because he tricked her and had her imprisoned?”
“Essentially. Though we didn’t anticipate her getting free of confinement in Siscal. If we had known, this all might have been avoided. I suppose we underestimated her skill and value to her allies in Luquarr.”
“But you spoke as if there may have been more to his relationship with Ireni. Can you elaborate on that? Even a little?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Gadiel clasped his hands together on his lap. “Whatever may have been between them, it had ended by the time our plan was devised. All I can say is that the Captain never discussed his personal life. Nor did we expect him to. He was our commander. There was always required to be a separation due to status.”
She let her head fall back against the heavy fabric of the canopy, feeling the rain soak through to dampen her hair. It wasn’t enough. She needed to know more. While it explained what the men witnessed, it did nothing to ease her mind about the intimacy shared between Callum and Ireni. “I appreciate your honesty, Gadiel,” she replied softly. “This certainly does change things. I simply am not sure it changes enough.”
“It was the least I
could do. Though I should not linger much longer. Propriety, and all that,” he chortled. “Will you permit me to examine your shoulder?”
“Oh, of course,” Aiva replied, distracted by her thoughts. Gadiel knelt beside her, though she couldn’t focus on anything he did to her arm. His explanation hadn’t eased her mind as much as she’d hoped. She couldn’t rid herself of the image of Callum, lips pressed against those of an Esai, locked in a passionate embrace. One believable enough that Ireni herself would fall for it. Allowing him to take her to the ground. His strong arms pinning her there. Aiva blushed to envision it. There had to be more. Some deeper emotion which had Ireni convinced it was real. She didn’t appear vacuous enough to fall for something like that.
Another thud at the front of the wagon drew Aiva from her thoughts, aware of Gadiel’s tensed form at her side, hand on his sword in readiness to fight. He relaxed to see their visitor to be none other than Callum, drenched head-to-toe from the rain. A loud clap of thunder rumbled overhead, preventing Aiva from hearing his greeting.
“I thought I should check on the Princess before I retired for the night,” Gadiel explained, beckoning Callum to come closer. He had no reason to be concerned at being found with Aiva. His intentions had been pure, though Aiva doubted Callum would be pleased to know what they had been discussing prior to his arrival. “I can come back later if you would prefer privacy, however.”
“No, that will not be necessary,” Callum shook his head, coming to sit at Aiva’s side, opposite Gadiel. “Diqun seems to have worked himself into quite a stir tonight. The storm is getting worse.”
Aiva glanced at him, curious. It seemed strange to hear Callum speak of Diqun. He had never been a religious man while growing up. Military life had changed him in more ways than she had realized.
“And yet still not quite as frightening as when Irisus is raging on the seas,” Gadiel grinned.
Irisus. Aiva recalled the name from her lessons. The Goddess of the Sea. It made sense for men of a naval unit to be familiar with her. They would be required to appease Irisus in order to avoid being thrashed about in the endless expanse of waves. Much of Myatheira remained unexplored beyond the mainland. It was unnerving to think what fate would befall an unlucky ship in Irisus’s waters.
An unexpected discomfort in her shoulder caused Aiva to twitch slightly, almost elbowing Callum in the stomach. “Ouch,” she breathed. Callum held her steady, glancing at Gadiel with concern where he maintained his hold on Aiva’s arm.
“Is there something wrong with it?” Callum asked hesitantly.
“It will be sore for a few days, I’m sure. But if this were lasting damage, movement would pain her more than this.” Settling back on his heels, Gadiel smiled at Aiva. “She took that injury better than any woman I’ve seen. Or man, for that matter.”
“If I had not been so foolish, I would not have had to endure it at all,” Aiva frowned. It was true. She knew it was her fault. If she hadn’t been so overzealous in getting to Shaelyn. Callum had tried to stop her. This was why he was captain and she was just along for the ride. Soldiering had tactics. It required patience. Her excitement in seeing Shaelyn had left her unfocused and reckless, and it had nearly killed her and Callum both.
“Aiva is a special woman, that is certain,” Callum agreed. “Whether that is good or bad, I have not figured out yet.”
“Special, yes. I haven’t seen her wield a sword yet but I must say, I’m very curious.” Gadiel leaned back against the crates, yawning loudly. “Would you prefer I remain here for the night to keep watch?”
Callum was thoughtful at the question. Shifting his eyes down to Aiva, he listened to the rush of the wind outside, settling himself into the corner a few inches from where Aiva sat. “That will not be necessary,” he nodded, his appreciation for the offer evident in his lightened tone. “You look far too fatigued for guard duty. I will watch over the Princess for now.”
“Are you certain?” Gadiel wiped at his eyes, fighting back another yawn. “I can stay for a short while so you can rest.”
“I think you need sleep more than I do at the moment,” Callum chuckled. “Go find your bed and enjoy a moment of peace. When I tire, I will wake you to take over my post.”
Aiva glanced between the two men, nervous at the thought of being alone with Callum. This was exactly what they were supposed to avoid. They couldn’t be left alone together. It would raise far too many questions in the minds of the other men. “Are you certain, Callum? Don’t you think it wise for Gadiel to remain here?”
Pondering her request, Callum fell silent, lost in thought. Gadiel watched him, eyes heavy. He looked exhausted. Miserable. Aiva felt terrible keeping him there due to her own discomfort, but she didn’t want to risk the consequences in allowing him to leave. After a moment, Callum nodded in agreement, motioning Gadiel to stay. “I suppose you are right,” he exhaled. “Make yourself comfortable here. I will wake you when I leave.”
Obediently, Gadiel laid down on his back, knees bent to take up less space in the cramped quarters. It was nothing more than a small hollow amidst the crates, the three of them packed in with no more than a few inches between. Aiva was grateful for the company. With Gadiel there, it eased the tension she was used to feeling when alone with Callum. She didn’t require conversation. Only the knowledge that someone else was there. Close by. She disliked the sensation of being alone in the middle of nowhere with the storm increasing violently outside. Hail pelted the fabric of the canopy, flashes of crackling light following the monstrous roars of thunder.
She sat in the quiet of the wagon, listening to the sounds of the weather, unable to close her eyes. Never before had she been beyond the safety of a palace during a storm such as this. Her family was always well sheltered, spending the duration lost in conversation. Comfortably concealed from the violent thrashing of the wind. It was unsettling to be so vulnerable.
After a while she could hear the steady breathing of Gadiel’s sleeping form at her feet. She hesitated to look over at Callum. He hadn’t moved since the conversation stopped, but she could feel him there. Awake. Rolling her head to the side, she let her gaze fall upon him casually. His eyes were cast downward, deep in his own thoughts, hands clasped uncomfortably in his lap.
“I never had a chance to thank you.”
He looked up at the sound of Aiva’s voice, surprised to hear her speak. “For?”
Aiva smiled nervously. She’d thought it was obvious. It felt awkward to have to explain. “You saved my life today.”
“Oh,” he responded quietly, a half-hearted smile on his lips. “It is my duty to keep you safe. Think nothing of it.”
Careful not to bump Gadiel, she used her uninjured arm to slide closer to Callum. Her heart was racing. Pressed in at his side, she reached out for his left hand, gently turning it over to look at his palm, drawing in a sharp breath. The skin was torn. Peeled. Reddened from the friction of the rope. It looked awful. Painful. His entire body tensed at her approach, though he made no move to look away. Staring at her, as if afraid of what she intended to do.
“It must hurt,” she whispered.
Callum shook his head, forcing a soft laugh. “Not at all.”
“You lie.” Lightly Aiva brought her left hand over his, the tips of her fingers brushing the surface of the burn. She could hear his sharp intake of breath at her touch. Pain stifled by pride. She wanted to help. To do something in repayment for what he’d done for her.
During Aiva’s time with Faustine, her mother had insisted she be trained in the use of healing energy; how to aid the natural process along with the difficult art of transferring negative energies from one person to another. It was a skill the Queen considered of great importance for her daughters to know and understand. Outside of her lessons, Aiva had never attempted to utilize the energy in such a way. It somehow felt useful at this moment. A means of easing the severity of Callum’s wound. Although the method wasn’t commonly used, she was capable of taking some of it
upon herself. Much the same as the physicians could transfer an illness from their patients; an injury could be treated the same way. She simply had less experience than a trained shaman. She wasn’t entirely sure it would even work.
Gently she rested her hand on Callum’s wrist just above the wound. She focused her thoughts, directing the energy inward from her hand, as if attempting to pull his palm to her own by sheer force of will. Her hand brushed against his skin, a dim blue glow surrounding her fingertips. It was difficult to see the progress in the darkness, her work illuminated by nothing more than the light of her own projected energy. A burning sensation quickly coursed over her palm, causing her to flinch, nearly breaking the link between her and Callum. Concerned by the unusual feeling, she eased the flow of energy, not wanting to risk doing more harm than good with her work.
Taking a deep breath, she removed her hand. She didn’t have to look to know it had worked. The abrasions on Callum’s skin had lessened but remained visible. Unpleasant, but less severe. Her own hand ached. She was afraid to look, unsure of what had sparked the discomfort during the process. It seemed best not to think about it right now.
Callum stared at his palm, mouth opened to speak, no words forming. It took several moments of stunned silence before he managed to regain control of his vocal cords. “Aiva, what did you do?”
“I was the reason for your pain. It seemed only right that I try to lessen it.”
“You should not have – ”
“Do you not appreciate it?” Aiva’s brow rose inquisitively. She could sense his gratitude, mixed with something she couldn’t identify. Her own feelings were a chaotic mess inside her head. After hearing Gadiel’s version of the events in Siscal, she wanted to let go of her anger, yet it continued to nag at the back of her mind. There were questions left unanswered. It was too soon to forgive him. “When we return to Tanispa, you will be a hero. And a free man. The ladies would not like it if your skin is rough and unsightly.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 23