Page 49 of Crimson Kingdom
For a moment, I almost felt...free, which made me realize it was a feeling that had been missing since the day Davin and I were trapped in those tunnels.
Maybe even before that, when I had felt trapped by the chains of grief. I had sure as hell felt that way since.
But this feeling, right now, was everything.
A peal of laughter escaped me as I closed the distance between Avani and me, leaving everyone else in the dust behind us.
Of course, she won, which she likely would have done even if she hadn’t taken off first. We dismounted, leading our horses to the water.
The sun lit up the crystal-colored lake and the southern beach where we stood, while a gentle breeze blew through the tall grasses and fields of heather surrounding it.
I hadn’t been back to the loch since before the tunnels, before Socair. Even before that. Avani stepped up beside me. Her eyes were closed as she faced the sun, allowing its warmth to sink into her.
As excited as she had been on the ride here, a haunted look had crept back into her expression. The last time we were here was before Mac died.
I reached out to grab her hand, and she gripped mine in return.
We stood there like that for several breaths, savoring the sweet and woodsy smell of the heather around us until the others caught up to us.
Now that we were away from the prying eyes of the court, I removed the light cloak I had thrown over my pale blue summer dress. I wasn’t ashamed of my scars, so much as I didn’t want to further incite the people by showing them evidence of my mistreatment.
“You’re going to burn,” Avani warned, turning to join the rest of our group.
“I’ll put it back on later,” I said with an eye roll. “I just want to feel the sun on my skin...I missed it, while I was there.”
She shot me a troubled look, probably at the reminder that when I accepted Theo’s proposal, I would be gone soon after. Back to Socair.
Away from all of this, and away from her.
Pushing the thoughts out of my head, I followed her back to the group.
My cousins had laid out a large blanket and covered it with baskets of cheeses, fruits, bread, cured meats, and a few bottles of wine along with sparkling cider for Gwyn. Evander was helping Davin pour drinks while Gwyn had tasked Theo with setting stones on the corners of the blanket.
Avani settled herself under the shadiest part of the tree, since her freckled skin burned even more easily than mine did. I looked at Theo, who was placing his last rock on the blanket corner.
“Is it sunny like this in Socair, during the Summer?” I asked.
He turned to answer, but the smile died on his lips when he caught sight of me. I tracked his gaze to the angry red lash mark that curled over my shoulder, ending at the edge of my collarbone.
“Rowan--”
“It’s fine,” I said dismissively, pulling my hair around to cover it. “I told you, they’re healed now.”
But he looked no less troubled. An awkward silence fell until Evander cleared his throat.
“It doesn’t get quite this warm, but yes, the sun shines in the summer, through early autumn.” He quirked his lips. “Though I’m surprised you didn’t know that already, what with your--what was it you said--interest in the weather?”
Every member of my family suddenly found themselves fixated on the grass around us.
“I just know what the clouds indicate.” I shrugged, forcing myself to maintain eye contact.
Theo snapped out of the mood that had overtaken him, smiling in spite of himself. “And here I had nearly forgotten about your weather-toe.”
Davin coughed on his drink, and Gallagher squeezed his eyes shut at the terrible lie. Everyone in my family knew how important it was to keep that secret, and it was possible that I had not yet found the opportunity to tell them about the ridiculous things I had to say to cover for it.
“Weather-toe?” Evander’s steely gaze lit up with something like amusement.
Clearing my throat, I nodded. There really was no choice now but to forge ahead, considering Theo was observing me closely.