The Key of F: a young adult fantasy romance (Freedom Fight Trilogy Book 1)

by Jennifer Haskin

  “I think I can do it,” Fale fumed.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” Lisle said.

  “I have muscle. Speaking of which…” She poked him in the chest. “Where did these muscles come from, Lisle, huh? Have you been chopping wood?” He turned pink. “Lookin’ good.” She winked at him and strolled to the fallen tree.

  Fale found the limb where Keron had left off and swung with all her might. The axe bit deep and she had to put her foot on the log to yank it out, wiggling back and forth. She slid her hand up to the axe head and swung again, pulling back as it made contact at a forty-five-degree angle. Then pulled up on the handle to do it over again. And again. Fale was concentrating so hard on what she was doing, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Dinner’s ready.”

  “Thanks, Lisle. I guess I’m done anyway. We won’t use more than twelve logs tonight and we don’t have room to take them with us,” she said.

  “Probably not.”

  “Are they eating?” she asked softly, hearing Izzy talking and laughing.

  “Yep.”

  “I’m going clean up instead. I’m all sweaty and sore from riding all day, using my powers, and chopping wood.”

  “Fale, you need to eat, too,” Lisle said.

  “Oh, I will, I’m starving. I just want to clean up first.” She motioned to herself.

  “Fine, but if I hear screaming, I’m coming after you.” His smile in the dark was illuminating.

  “Thanks Lisle.”

  “I’ll wait for you,” he said. “To eat, I mean.”

  “I know.” She smiled.

  Fale found her duffel bag by the unsaddled horses, who were nickering to one another, and dug through it to find a pair of loose pants and a stretchy top to sleep in. She found soap and a washcloth, partly by firelight and partly by moonlight. She was far enough away not to have to see Keron enjoying Izzy’s witty repartee, but close enough to hear his chuckle, and imagine his dimple.

  “Enough,” she whispered to herself as she walked to the river. “I am stronger than this. Takanori don’t wallow, we master.”

  The water was icy on her skin. Fale could barely stand to wash her hands, let alone her face and body, but as she wiped off each part of her with the washcloth, she started to feel normal again. She decided to leave her hair for tomorrow and even dipped her swollen feet in the rushing water, knowing she could warm them by the fire. Fale dressed in her clean clothes and listened to the silence of the night; Izzy and Keron must be done eating.

  When she got back to the camp, Lisle sat at the fire, gazing into its depths, yellow flames reflected in his eyes.

  “You look tired, Lisle,” she said quietly.

  “Keron said we leave at dawn again,” he yawned. “They’ve gone to bed.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the tent behind him.

  Fale had said she wanted to stay with Lisle, but she had expected a fight. One that hadn’t come. Maybe she’d been wrong in assuming she knew what he was going to say earlier.

  Were they sleeping separately in there?

  She mentally shook herself. “What’s for dinner?”

  They ate a meat dish Fale was not familiar with in curry spices, and the few fresh vegetables the mages had sent with them. Lisle said, “Let’s clean up quick and get to bed. Tomorrow night I say we trick them into letting us cook and eat first, then we’ll go to bed and they’ll have to stay up late doing dishes.”

  Fale laughed, “Is that what happened, they tricked us?” she whispered.

  “Absolutely. It was a ploy to get more sleep,” he said.

  She smothered a laugh. “You’re outlandish.”

  “Me? You’re considering much more nefarious deeds taking place in there, my friend,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her as he dunked dishes in the pot of soapy water and wiped them off.

  Keron lay inside his sleeping bag, his left arm behind his head and his cheek on his bicep. He ached everywhere from the long day of travel. He had no idea riding a horse used so many muscle groups. He didn’t know how Izzy was standing. Maybe that explained some of her behavior tonight. He couldn’t show weakness though, not as the protector. Some guard he’d been tonight, though. Fale had saved him…and he’d almost kissed her.

  She’d slapped him last time and told him the next kiss better mean forever. He hadn’t forgotten. But freaking Lisle interrupted them. That guy had uncanny timing. Keron could hear her outside laughing and whispering to him. What could possibly be that funny? Soon they went to bed. Keron waited until he heard their tent zipper and heard them quietly talking in the night.

  He couldn’t understand what was being said, but the tone of Fale’s voice was loving and full of mischief. He heard her yawn and laugh at something Lisle said. Keron could imagine them in the same sleeping bags, opened up and zipped to each other. He wanted to tear the tents down and claim his wife, his girl, his love. Tomorrow. He’d tell her how he felt tomorrow…

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