Bonds of Light and Fire

20. Dancing Thoughts

Snow crunched underfoot as Aeron and Luciana made their way through the streets of Orynth. The thin warmth of the afternoon was giving way to cooler evening air. Luciana was sure they'd be leaving soon. She hoped so anyway. She was exhausted and her head still ached.

When Luciana woke that morning, she'd been caught off guard by how awful she felt, even though she didn't think she'd drank that much. Vaughan explained that she was probably just more sensitive to her hangover, since it had been her first time drinking.

Luciana had decided that if she ever drank again, it would be in very small amounts so she didn't experience another hangover. She'd lain in bed for hours, refusing to even attempt to get up. Vaughan finally took pity on her and brought in a glass of water and a bland breakfast of toast and oatmeal. She'd managed to eat the food and keep it down, which helped her feel a little better.

She was still struggling to get out of bed when Aeron arrived to take her to Orynth. Vaughan had lingered in the doorway, a faint smile on his lips as he watched Aeron lug her off the bed and over to her closet. To Luciana's surprise, Aeron wasn't unhappy when she told him that Vaughan let her try a drink. He'd merely smiled, patted Vaughan on the shoulder, and congratulated him on his success.

He'd congratulated Luciana on hers as well, when they were safely out of sight of the cabin. She told her brother about her cussing match with the male and she'd managed to make him laugh. Luciana didn't think she'd ever heard anything quite like Vaughan's real laugh. It was warm and bright and beautiful. It was nothing like the small laughs she'd heard him give every now and then. And the way it lit up his features... She thought she'd seen more of the real Vaughan during those few minutes than she ever had before.

An elbow dug into her ribs and Luciana winced. "You're blushing," Aeron snickered. "What are you thinking about?"

Luciana hastily looked away, trying to hide the heat in her cheeks. "Nothing important."

"Sure. Were you thinking of a certain male? Tall, dark, and quiet? Face like an angel of death?"

"No," Luciana retorted. Her blush deepened.

"Mmhm." Aeron wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. His expression became more serious after a moment. "Is he all right? Just a few days ago, he was silent and brooding, like a storm waiting to erupt. Now, he seems more like himself, but almost...happier."

"I hope he's all right. For a while, he wasn't," Luciana sighed. "We managed to open up to each other a little bit about what was bothering us and I think it helped him."

"That's good."

"Truthfully, I was worried that he might relapse after everything going on with the threat to Eyllwe, and Kron and Malik," Luciana admitted.

"If it's bothering him, he's good at hiding it." Aeron's voice had fallen flat at the mention of the two troublemaking males. "I can't wait until Aedion hears back from the Queen. I'm sure she'll want those bastards gone as much as we do, after what they've been up to."

"I hope so."

Aeron relaxed and a smile crossed his lips. He pointed to a building up ahead. "Let's go to that dance hall. We can get some supper and maybe a few drinks, if you feel up to it."

"Supper sounds wonderful, but I might skip on the drinks," Luciana laughed.

Aeron shook his head, still grinning, and led the way into the hall. Luciana gazed about the structure with delight. The hall was actually a longhouse and was far bigger than she'd realized.