Aaden jumped at the sound of her voice. He quickly stepped to the side to make more room for her, but his jaw clenched tight. “You shouldn’t have left without me. It’s not safe for anyone to travel alone.”
Wendy wiped away a few tears as she took the toasted bun from her best friend. A short nod was the only acknowledgement she could offer. Instead, she focused on tearing away a piece of the bread. Cyrus moaned and turned away when she tried to push the piece between his lips. After some gentle but persistent prodding, he finally allowed the bread inside his mouth.
A sigh of relief escaped Talise’s lips at the sight. She glanced to her side and addressed Aaden’s earlier statement. “I only went one city over, and I didn’t have time to wait for you to finish building that fire.”
His eyebrows pinched together.
“Besides.” Talise tossed a bit of hair over one shoulder. “I got back safely, didn’t I?”
When Aaden’s eyebrows moved even closer together, it turned his scar bright white.
Before he could scold her, Talise addressed her best friend. “Where’s Tempest? I know Rio and Fyra are still helping to gather more firewood for everyone, but I thought Tempest was in here with you.”
At those words, Willow looked up from her parchment wearing a grin. “My father got mad at her for rearranging everything in our house.” The grin on Willow’s face made it clear that she didn’t share her father’s frustration. In fact, she seemed to find the whole thing rather amusing.
Even the pain on Wendy’s face had softened. Her lips turned upward as she gave a gentle dab to her brother’s forehead. “Tempest can’t hold still when she gets anxious. She’s out making a soup for Cyrus, and she promised to purify the water at least three times. A nice woman who lives by the well told us Cyrus’s sickness will improve if we can get him to eat.”
Throughout the conversation, Talise’s eyes had wandered back over to Aaden. The crease between his eyebrows had deepened again but not with a scold. Instead, fear controlled his features. He stared at the mat, apparently unable to stop worrying for Cyrus.
His concern only made Talise’s insides flip. Her fingers found the hem of her tunic as she turned toward the doorway. “I’ll go check on her.”
By the time she left the house, Aaden had appeared at her side. He didn’t say a word, but she still clearly understood that she wouldn’t be allowed to sneak away again. Fortunately for both of them, she had no intention of trying any time soon.
They moved in the direction of their camp, but the meandering steps wouldn’t get them there quickly. The time seemed much better spent contemplating the state they were in. Even after gaining the trust of citizens in the Storm, they still weren’t safe. Even with food and blankets and money, which they only had thanks to Aaden, one of their group still might not survive the winter.
And people from the Storm? How much better were they from before Talise and her friends had arrived? They had vegetables now and fires to keep them warm. But it only took one air storm, and many of their lives were at stake.
But even worse was having Cyrus’s life in danger. They had sacrificed so much to save him, and now he might die anyway.
When Talise glanced to her side, Aaden’s face had twisted as he tried to keep his chin from trembling.
Talise bit her bottom lip as she reached for her tunic hem once again. “You wish you could have done more to help him while he was in Kessoku’s dungeon, don’t you?”
Aaden let out a long sigh as he rubbed one hand across his forehead. “Cyrus always acts like I’m the one who helped him.” He frowned through a swallow. “Maybe I did, but he helped me too. He kept me sane while I hid among enemies. He was my friend. I’ve never had many of those.”
Talise’s heart squeezed in her chest. Another moment and tears would have filled her eyes. Instead, a distraction held her emotions at bay.
“That sounds like me.” A gruff voice came from behind them.
Turning, Talise saw Willow’s father, Ash, standing with a pack slung over one shoulder. He scratched the back of his leg with his other foot. “My parents died when I was young. I’m a fourth generation Storm citizen. We usually live longer, but it’s never a surprise when people die here. With no parents, my siblings and I were separated and given to different families in our city. My neighbors cared for my physical needs after that, but I was as lonely as a person can be. I embraced it. I pushed people away and pretended I didn’t care about them. Even my brother and sister.”
The man pulled the pack off his shoulder as a twinkle appeared in his eye. “But then a lovely girl came along and ignored my brash exterior. She treated me like someone important. No matter how I resisted, it was all over from the moment I laid eyes on her.”
A faint smile twitched at Talise’s mouth. An involuntary glance turned her eyes toward Aaden.
He was staring at her. Intensely.
With a sharp swallow, he jerked his head away.
Ash reached into his pack. “I knew she would die early, all first generation Storm citizens do. But I have Willow now and…” His hand emerged from the pack holding a sparkly green pendant on a silver chain. “I guess all we can do is appreciate the time we do have.”
Though his words were probably meant to inspire, it didn’t change how grief weighed down his features. He didn’t quite seem to believe that any of it had been worth it considering how much pain he had to bear.
Coughs erupted from the home nearest to them. A gurgling sound accompanied the hacking coughs followed by the distinct gasping for breath. The noises came to an abrupt halt a moment later. The silence that followed sent dread and sorrow into the stillness around them.
For almost a full minute, none of them moved.
At last, a woman with tear-stained cheeks emerged from the house. “Could you—” She hiccupped as she swiped away a tear. “Could you help us carry a body? My brother wants to move his wife near the fire. Just in case.”
The last few words came out as a whisper, but they could all hear the hidden message inside. It was already too late. The woman’s breathing had probably already stopped.
Still, Talise moved toward the house without question. Her heart thundered when she saw the woman who had just died. The woman had been strong. She would have made a good soldier. And now she was gone.
Working with Aaden, Talise moved the body closer to the fire inside the home. Her skin still gave off warmth, but she had no life left inside.
The tightness in Talise’s chest only grew as the woman’s husband wrapped her up in several blankets. It would be awhile before he accepted his loss.
A lump formed in Talise’s throat, tightening through the soreness. It only grew the longer they stayed in the home. Willow’s father stayed to offer comfort, but Talise had to leave.
When she stepped onto the path outside, she welcomed the icy sting that hit her lungs. Her breath frosted as she let out heavy pants. She had almost forgotten how much pain frequented the Storm.
Aaden came to her side, but his stride lacked the determination so characteristic of him.
She slowly turned toward him. “I cannot ask these people to fight for me. Not now.”
He didn’t seem to agree, but he also didn’t argue.
Her hand slid down her cheek as she tried to suck in a full breath. Everything still seemed too shallow. “I have to wait at least until this sickness passes through. We have more important things to worry about right now.”