Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
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As the sun began to rise and daylight filtered through the light curtains, Aila stirred. She registered the warmth wrapped around her body and leaned into it, feeling so comfortable that she could've stayed there all day.
As her pillow moved, it was as if cold water had washed over her, snapping her out of her reverie. Memories came back of where she was, who she was with and why they were there in the first place. Though it should've been Castor beside her, it wasn't the scent of the ocean that hung in the air, but rather a cinnamon spice that she didn't want to admit reminded her of home.
She cracked her eyes open and her jaw dropped at the sight of Kaiden lying beneath her, his chest currently being used as her pillow. His arm was wrapped around her back, pulling her closer, whilst hers was resting on his torso. He was breathing deeply and there was a serenity on his face that made him look so much more youthful and carefree, unburdened by the problems of being the heir to a warring country; it made Aila wonder how she appeared physically and if sleep were a reprieve for her too.
Castor, with brilliant timing as always, chose that moment to enter the room. His gaze flicked between Aila and Kaiden on the bed, intrigue entering his expression.
"No no no no no no no," Aila protested, pushing off Kaiden and shuffling away. Kaiden groaned and rolled over. She held her hands up. "This isn't what it looks like."
"Uh huh," Castor raised an eyebrow. "And what does it look like?"
Aila sighed in defeat.
"It's morning," she changed the topic. "Why didn't you wake us?"
"I'm not tired," he shrugged. "You both seemed to need the rest. I just came to wake you up. We should leave before the sun gets too high in order to stick to our route plan."
"Yes," Aila agreed. She gave a sidelong glance at the man she'd woken up on top of, feeling awkward about how to proceed. "Can you wake Kaiden up? I need to use the bathroom."
Her friend wore a knowing smile. "Sure."
Aila rolled her eyes and walked away.
Fifteen minutes later they had checked out of the inn, retrieved Kallias from the stables and had set off.
If Kaiden knew anything about the sleeping positions, he didn't show it. He also questioned Cas about why he didn't wake them up, to which he received the same answer Aila did. She decided to keep an eye on her friend and be aware of his needs. If he walked miles every day with a heavy bag on his back and ran on no sleep, his health would not fare well.
"Tell me what you know about the chalice of flames," Aila leveled a wary look at Perador's heir. It was the first time any of them had spoken in hours, the first time she had addressed him since last night; she wanted to make it clear that whatever had happened, she was going to stay on task and they were merely temporary allies.
