Red as the Dawn

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

(/Mare/)

I sat at a table in the crowded mess hall, turning the sludgy soup over, trying to come up with some form of script to talk to Cal. He had been running around in constant meetings, since we had returned from Cancorda, and we hadn't spent a lot of time together. I felt terrible for him. He was never given a moment of rest, and Farley had kept him locked up in meetings all day, everyday, and although that was understandable, it was also completely absurd.

After we had returned from the mission, we had learned that when Farley noticed that Cal and I had not made it to the command center, she had blasted her way into it. She had taken the information that she needed from the computers, and after noticing the alarms, she had gone looking for us. Of course, Cal and I had been furious with her, but she had brushed us off and commented that it was for the best that she had taken the initiative.

Across from me, Maggie sagged down in her chair and moved her soup around in the bowl, her expression twisted with disgust, as she peeked at a piece of corn that she fished out. Next to her, Torin was leaning his head in his hand and had nodded off a few minutes ago. Chelsea was the only one not present. She had, as of late, been clinging to Shade's side, and the two of them appeared enthralled with each other, which didn't surprise me in the slightest.

I glanced up at Maggie and sighing, I whispered, "You better eat that. It's good for you."

She made another face and pushed her bowl away spitefully. I ran a tired hand down my face and decided not to argue with her. Maggie had been furious when she found out about the mission and had screamed about how she could have told us about Isaiah, if we had just trusted her enough to bring her on the mission. After that, she had been bitter and resentful, lashing out at Cal and me like we had physically hurt her. She fought tooth and nail when I tried to brush her hair, and when Cal tried to get her to go to bed, she screamed at him and ran away to hide. As much as I understood how upset she was, she was acting like a toddler about the whole thing.

I heard a hush of whispered conversation, and glancing over my shoulder, I saw Cal and Shade making their way toward us. Next to them, Chelsea was sprinting to keep up with their strides, her fingers intertwined with Shade's. The simple intimacy of the action nagged at my heart, and I glanced at Cal hopefully, wondering if now would be a good time to pull him aside and finally talk to him.

He didn't even give me time to rise from my chair before he began talking. His expression was guarded and he informed us quietly, "Pack your gear up, we're going to Delphie."

Maggie crossed her arms and puckering her lips she grumbled, "And I'm guessing I have to stay here?"

Cal glanced down at her sadly, and reaching out he ran his fingers through her knotted curls and replied, "No, you're coming with us, my orders."

She perked up in surprise, and I straightened, my fear starting to prick at the back of my mind again. "Why are we going so suddenly?"

Shade sat down, and propping his boots up on the table, he replied for Cal, "Maven's down there again, and we have confirmation that Elara and Evangeline are there. They've practically handed us the war." He smiled ruefully and squeezed Chelsea's hand warmly. She gave him a smile, and I watched as she ran her fingers through his hair. The action sent a shiver down my spine, and I dug my nails into my palm to dissipate the frustration on my insides. If there was a mission that could end this whole mess, there was no way that Cal would let me distract him with something as trivial as my feelings for him.

A felt a heavy weight on my shoulder, and I glanced to the side to see Cal squeezing my shoulder gently. He gestured with his head for me to get up and follow him, and my stomach flipped in anticipation, as I rose from my chair. This could be my chance, he looked distracted as it was already, maybe he wasn't as into the mission as I thought.