Shadowseeker

chapter twenty-nine

A few days later, Aelia was getting ready to help the Shadowseekers launch another attack on the town hall. 

"It didn't take them long to start scheduling more events," Aelia remarked casually, sitting on her bed and tugging a pair of boots onto her feet. They had been borrowed from Amaris, who was luckily a similar size to her. "You'd think that they'd call them off for a while, or at least change the way that they are held."

"Mhm," Draven murmured, pulling a black leather glove over his hand and flexing his fingers. He was sat on the other bed, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced sideways at her. "They do like to pretend that nothing is going wrong around them. Even if it means clinging on to tradition, which is clearly putting them in danger."

Aelia bit her tongue, not wanting to speak openly against the Sunkeepers, even after what they had done to her. After all, she was still one of them. She stood up, shuffling her feet as she got used to the unfamiliar feel of her shoes.

"It's going to be strange," Aelia admitted quietly, moving over to the mirror and staring at her reflection. "Being on the other side, for once."

"It won't be too different to the other day, my dear," Draven said, rising silently to his feet. "You must remember that their aim is to eliminate our kind."

"They're not all bad," Aelia sighed, brushing curly strands of hair out of her face. "We're just taught that Seekers are dangerous."

"Exactly. Which means that the Keepers are driven by fear, and fear can make us go to extreme lengths," Draven pointed out. "You only changed your mind because you discovered that you were one of us."

"I guess," Aelia said quietly, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice. "I'm just nervous that I'll make a mistake. Especially since Raz is relying on me to control the light that we're attacked with."

Draven's reflection appeared behind Aelia's, looming over her as he stood behind her. She sighed again, leaning back to rest against him. He rested his chin on her head. He draped his arms over her shoulders, his gaze sliding to meet hers in the mirror.

"Nerves are inevitable," Draven murmured, his chin bobbing up and down as he spoke. He hesitated before he continued. "I always get nervous before a raid. I worry that I will not be strong enough, not good enough to come out alive."

"You do?" Aelia said softly. She reached up, lacing her fingers between his and running her thumb across the back of his hand. "But you're always so - so intimidating."

"You find me intimidating?" Draven flashed her a sly smile, raising his eyebrows. "It's a mere act, my dear. If I don't look confident, they will find the cracks in my armour and use my weaknesses against me."

"I understand," Aelia nodded, returning his smile. "I had to do the same with Eli."

Draven's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a sharp voice outside the door.

"We're waiting for both of you," Raz called. "Hurry up, or we'll miss our opportunity."

Draven rolled his eyes, his irritation at the mention of Eli only amplified by Raz's interruption. Aelia chuckled quietly, standing on her tiptoes to lightly kiss Draven's cheek. She broke away from him, retrieving her own gloves from her pockets and tugging them onto her hands.

They emerged into the communal area, attracting the attention of the rest of the group. 

"Finally," Selene muttered, though her lips quirked upwards in a smirk. "We thought you two would never join us."

Amaris shot a sly wink at Aelia, and she caught Thorne wiggling his eyebrows in her direction. Her cheeks heated up, and she fixed her gaze on the floor, her jaw set.