Soul Bound

Chapter 52

Eva woke up with a luxurious stretch. The sun peeked through the curtains and reached her eyes; after living in the Desert Lands for the past few months, to be woken up by the Aborian sun was like waking up to a gentle kiss. It was a wonderful change to get up at her own pace.

She moved slowly, sleepily, changing into the new clothes: freshly cleaned and unaugmented Dragon Knight armour. She had no idea how the boys found armour that fit her so quickly--she had expected to wear her tattered, sun-beaten, redesigned armour--and would have to thank them when she found them. She and Anna had to make changes to their armour so they could withstand the heat in the Desert Lands, changes that were irreversible. That armour would not have fared well in an Aborian Autumn.

Even in a well-insulated castle and a healthy fire in the room, she still felt the chill in the air. She glanced at Grayson's cloak on the bed. After seeing the clothes she'd packed, he had given her his cloak. Somewhere between accepting the thick, warm garment and smelling leather and steel, she had fallen asleep.

She snagged it from the bed then followed the servant to an informal dining room, which she never would have found without guidance. It was a small room, in an opposite tower, far away from any place Eva had visited in the castle thus far.

Grayson, Jacob, and Leo were surprisingly having a civil breakfast, sitting around a round mahogany table. The surface was so shiny, she could see her reflection on it.

Leo was the first to notice her arrival. "The hero of Aboria has arrived!" He rose and came to her side, not at all bashful when he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Eva flushed heavily and stepped away. "I'm not a hero."

"Nonsense. Of course you are. You captured Prince Darius and disbanded his fort. His army has scattered to the wind. We've set out a group of soldiers to find and capture them to be tried for treason or as prisoners of war." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "This is all because of you, Eva."

"And Grayson." Gods, she wouldn't have been able to do it without him. She didn't know what she was thinking when she thought she could do it by herself.

Leo dismissed him with a curt wave of his hand. "That's not what the history books will say. Your name will be told for generations, as the woman who single handedly ended the war with King Sylus."

She peered at the others hopefully. "So it's over?"

Grayson sighed heavily. "Not quiet. Leo, as usual, is getting ahead of himself." He stood and pulled out the empty seat beside him. She took the seat gratefully and loaded her plate from the assortment of food lain on the table. After eating lizards and grasshoppers for months, it all looked so delicious, she didn't know where to start. "We are waiting to hear back from Sylus."

Rolling his eyes, Leo returned to his chair. "If he wants to see Darius again, he'll accept the terms of surrender."

Grayson sunk into his chair with a short grunt. "We'll see."

Leo tossed him a sneer before smiling brightly at Eva. "Don't listen to him. He's a pessimist. You've done well, Eva, and I want to celebrate."

Eva plopped a grape in her mouth and blinked at him. She swallowed. "Celebrate?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, sitting at the edge of his chair. "Every hero deserves a party for saving the kingdom! It's going to be massive, everyone's invited, even Dragon Knights. It'll take some time to plan--not to worry, I'll take care of it all. Just show up when I ask for you."

Eva tucked her hair behind her ears, embarrassed. "You don't have to throw me a party, Leo. That seems a little over the top."

"Not at all. You'll love it. Trust me."