Ve'Rah Daa (The Ephemeral: Book 3)

Chapter 22

The indiscernible ball of fire finally set behind the mountain peaks to our west, and the villagers gathered about the fire pits, eating dinner in huddles and spilling laughter into the darkness.

I'd never been part of a community that hunted and foraged together, prepared food together, and served each other—man and woman and all characters in between. But in a settlement like this, all parties pitched in to provide for the clans, even the children.

There was something beautiful about that interdependence, as opposed to Belgate, where a man cared only for his blood relations, resulting in places like the slums. Places where people like Will and Harmon feasted on our excess produce and expired meat, where the motherless and the underprivileged lurked in the shadows.

Our people could learn a lot from Rhea, their sense of equality, their reciprocity, so long as both nations managed to deconstruct their vilifying perceptions. But after seeing how far Grismond and the other soldiers had come, that didn't seem like an impossible feat anymore. Not even for someone as bigoted as Mason.

Tonight, the blond sat with Jeremy and the other members of Laughlin's task force, swapping war stories and comparing battle scars. While I'd worked on decoding Aila's journal with Molly, Mason and the team had spent the afternoon discussing alternative weapons and battle logistics. According to Will, the weed came to life in an environment full of experienced fighters and strategists. For once, Mason's ideas were acknowledged and adopted, his realism respected, and in return, the last of his ingrown prejudice had faded from his eyes. Among Rheans, the thunderclouds had cleared from pale irises, and he now gazed upon the settlers with respect and solidarity.

Although, while he seemed to be enjoying himself among the soldiers he'd once considered gutter rats, he also appeared rather distracted. Every few minutes, he'd throw a hopeful look at the tree line behind him, waiting for a young doctor to return from his voyage.

Tori and the others had pledged to be back before lunch, and the sky was now black behind the dull, murky film encasing our world. Laughlin figured the trio had encountered a washed-out trail or rockslide. He said they'd likely been forced to embark on a detour around the mountain face, but I recognized the false assurance in his eyes. I'd seen it before on Rover's face, back when he insisted Will would find his way home from Godric's domain.

"—of course! I'll come find you later," Valerie promised one of the five unmarried men she'd been flirting with all day. The 20-something stretched his arms out to her, asking her to stay, but she waltzed away from him with a bright, playful laugh.

The archer spotted me sitting alone with Richard and Cinder, and she pranced over to join me, her red cloak billowing behind her like stage curtains closing on a performance.

"Did you mean any of that?" I asked as she sat down on the bench adjacent to mine. "Or are you just getting his hopes up like you did with the other four?"

She grinned, sparing the young refugee another glance. "He's definitely handsome, but as much as I enjoy flirting with strangers, it's rare that one ever catches my attention. They're men, after all." A mischievous, honey yellow filled her eyes as her gaze settled on the flames. "Honestly, when I really, really like someone, my ability to flirt completely disappears. I get as flustered as any other girl. Sometimes I even get mean." The surprise on my face amused her. "Didn't expect that, did ya?"

I shook my head. Valerie had made herself known as a bit of a promiscuous woman among the ranks. A seductress who spoke in blandishments, a real siren who enraptured every recruit—often as a means of securing dessert or evading chores around camp. Based on her confidence and overall success rate, I'd assumed she'd sampled a good number of single men in the armed forces, but now it was clear just how many of them exaggerated their encounters. "You said it's rare when you reciprocate their feelings. Have you ever..." I hesitated, reflecting on my word choice. "Have you ever reached the stage where you felt comfortable enough to...take things to the next level?"