Ve'Rah Daa (The Ephemeral: Book 3)

Chapter 18

Reese's cabin was one of the largest homes in the settlement of Freemont, and its four rooms housed six Rhean refugees along with herself. The interior's log paneling made me feel like I was inside a growing, living spruce tree, and the abode smelled like baked bread, wool blankets, and the sharp scent of a conifer forest. It made me want to roll myself up in the fur rug and never leave.

Jackson said Reese was considered the matriarch of the mountain town. With no family of her own, she took it upon herself to care for the community—including the children left behind by fallen soldiers and possessed civilians. Every time a new orphan popped up in Freemont, the foster mom was the first to offer her lodgings, and I wondered how long it would take before she added Will, Torian, and me to her collection.

Will, who'd changed into a pair of men's shorts, sat up in bed as Reese and Torian tended to his wounds. Bruises had already formed on his pale skin, and a raster of inflamed cuts and scrapes marred his body. The damage he'd taken in such a short window appalled me, and I feared the crippling pain tomorrow morning would bring.

Beckett sat on a cushioned chair in the corner of the bedroom, recovering from the redressing process, while the rest of us stood around the mattress, awkwardly tinkering with our weapons and overheating in our winter apparel.

I desperately wanted to shoo them all away so I could talk to Will alone, but I could tell he needed some sleep—and maybe some of Tori's special herbal tea.

Our chat would have to wait.

Torian finished cleaning the gash on Will's neck and grinned at me. "Now you guys are a matching set."

Reese looked me over, her eyes lingering on the faint scars spanning my jugular vein. "Except for the white hair, maybe. Were you born that way, dear?"

I shot her a weary smile. "Not even close."

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Will cleared his throat before I led us down a rabbit hole of magic, murder, and poor decisions. "While Beckett and I are stuck—" he caught himself. "While we're taking some time to heal, I need the rest of you to convince my people you're not raging lunatics. They hate Ellsians, so try to make a good impression."

Mason looked at me and mouthed, Lost cause.

I would have flicked his bullet wound if I hadn't agreed with him.

"Um, you may be king around here, Liam, but you still can't boss me around," Valerie complained, folding her arms over her chest. "Kindly rephrase."

Reese lifted her brow at the girl's informality, but Will just frowned. "Fine. Please mingle and humanize your country's citizens. And don't do anything...rash."

"It's like you don't even know me," I teased, and he gave me a pained look as I looped my arm through Mason's. "Rest up, Your Highness. You did your part. Now it's our turn."