The Reigning Star (The Orien Trilogy, Book 3) by Catherine Wilson

Author:Catherine Wilson [Wilson, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: FICTION
Publisher: Catherine Wilson
Published: 2017-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

It’s way past dark by the time we all settle onto our pallets, the worry and stress of the days to come weighing us down like a heavy cloak. Vivi sits beside me, our shoulders rubbing as she reaches out, sliding off her boots. She hasn’t said much all afternoon, and her silence, more than anything, is beginning to wear on my fragile nerves.

“Ian says the trip back to Theron should go much quicker than the time it took to get here.” I bump her arm, aiming for some sort of reaction—anything that lets me know I haven’t lost my sister even as she breathes by my side. “It’s been fun spending time with you in the woods, but I’ll be glad to be rid of this bed.”

She snorts, placing her boots by the pallet. “I bet he did, considering what a talker he’s been today. For a prince of few words, he sure seemed to have a lot of them.”

“Ian?” My eyes dart around the camp, looking for the golden-haired boy mingling throughout the humans and animals alike. Although I can’t say I saw much of him during the day, Vivi’s words surprise me—mainly because he can’t communicate with half of our allies here. “With all the worry and pressure about our plans to take down Knox, he’s probably being extra thorough. There’s no harm in making sure everyone understands the details.”

She cuts me a knowing glance. “I don’t think those were the details he was focused on. You might know more if you and Aras weren’t stuck by each other’s sides for the entire day. We could have tied you together with a rope and I doubt either of you would have noticed.”

I try not to bristle, mainly because her words aren’t far from the truth. “I admit, we were pretty inseparable today, but a lot of that was because I needed to talk to each person from Ashen and he wanted to come.”

“Can’t imagine why.” She laughs, tugging gently on my braid. “Aras is smitten. Then again, so are you. But aren’t you the least bit interested in who Ian was talking to?”

I roll my eyes, refusing to play into her hand. “Who Ian chooses to talk to is none of my business, don’t you agree?”

“Oh, it’s your business, Brave. Unless you’ve found yourself a new best friend.” She motions with her head, and my eyes follow her lead, zoning in on the edge of the camp where the fire’s light barely outshines the shadows. There, Ian sits with his back against a tree. His mouth moves in an endless stream, hidden words flowing into the air with ease. For who would fill the silence if he stopped?

Certainly not Sara.

There my best friend sits, her silver coat bouncing off the low light of the fire and creating a lamp of her own. She stares up into his face, mouth closed but not clenched, watching his every expression and digesting his every word. She hasn’t moved a muscle in the time we’ve spent watching them, and something tells me she probably hasn’t all day.

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