Ever So Lightly- Book 1

31

 Saria had never been more angry with her father. They should have kept searching, and searching and searching until they found them. Three days had passed since Zephyr and Jasper had been missing from the waterfall. Three days since Kade disappeared as well. Saria had no doubts in her mind that the lying rat had been behind her friends' disappearances. Three days. Every moment of those three days had been filled with thoughts of guilt over letting Jasper go talk to Zephyr alone. She thought she'd been doing the right thing, the nice, pro-true love thing. If only she had gone with him, back to where Zephyr waited, then she'd know what had happened to them.

When Saria had said as much to her father, Frederick Devereaux had pointed out that if that had been the case, she would probably be missing as well. That only enraged her more. She'd stomped away to argue with someone else. So far, only Tib had taken her side. The poor boy was inconsolable.

One person she'd been sure would agree with her, who hadn't agreed with her, was currently riding up beside her. Saria felt a mixture of annoyance and anticipation as she took note of Bennet approaching.

"You don't have to glare at me every time you see me, I've already apologized." Saria's glare deepened. She huffed a breath before turning to face forward once again. Bennet laughed.

"When you're mad, you left eye twitches. Just a bit. It's rather intimidating." Saria pushed Spud into a trot, her annoyance growing. Bennet rushed to catch up.

"I'm sorry," he said in a rush. "Really, I am. I just want you to talk to me. To anybody really, but I'd love it if it was me." He gave her one of his cheeky grins, and stars above, she already knew she couldn't resist. Her lips pulled into a grin of their own, enraging her and soothing her simultaneously.

"I'm just so scared for them. We left them."

Bennet finally looked serious. A sigh escaped from him. This was something they had argued over seven...no, eight times in the last three days.

"I hated leaving them, but we had no idea where they were. Your father had to choose what was best for the majority of the group, and the time spent searching would have been precious time possibly wasted. You know all this, Saria. I don't know what else you want me to say."

Saria waited for the customary flare of her temper. It didn't come this time. Instead, she felt an endless, black pit opening beneath her. She was perched on a ledge, and one more thought of never seeing her friend again would send her careening over the edge. She felt prickling at the corners of her eyes. No! She would not cry in front of Bennet. She was the strong one, the steady one, not the one who cried or succumbed to hopelessness.

She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Bennet reaching out for her. She almost swore she could see tears reflected in his own eyes.

"If anything happens to Jasper because we left, I'll never forgive myself. Zephyr too. But it was a risk we had to take. You can't blame anyone, especially yourself."

Saria sniffled. "I can blame Kade. I'm going to blame him."

"Sure," Bennet said with a small chuckle. "Blame Kade. And if you find him, give him a good punch to the jaw for good measure."

They rode on silently for a good while. The sky was so bright compared to the storm they'd suffered through that first night that Zephyr was missing. The temperature had even risen, melting off some of the snow that had layered upon the ground. The rebel group had headed northeast from Lake Ilia. Their journey took them past every sort of scenery, from empty fields to forests to tiny villages. They were currently skirting the edges of a dense forest, hoping that going around instead of through the tightly packed trees would save them a modicum time.

Bennet let out a small huff of a laugh after a while.

"If there were one person Z would be safest with, it's Jasper. You know that right?"

Saria nodding, and she knew it was the truth.

"He would do anything to keep her safe. It's grossly adorable." This garnered a genuine laugh from Bennet.

"I've never seen him like this. But I think it's a good thing."

Saria thought for a moment before responding. "I do too, I think. Zephyr's just scared right now, the timing is so awful. But I don't doubt that she cares about him. She'll come around." Bennet clapped his hands together at this, startling Spud. The ugly beast snorted in his direction. Bennet only grinned.

"I knew it! Jasper didn't believe me, but the last time we talked," he paused at this. "That morning, I told him to just wait it out, that if he played the right cards then she would be just as smitten with him. I knew it."

"Cards, eh? What do you know about playing the right cards?" Saria knew this was dangerous ground she was treading, but it was taking her away from that abyss, from that ledge, and besides, she wasn't Zephyr. She was always open to a little fun.

"Oh, I know all about the right cards," Bennet said, preening. "For instance, I'm playing one right now." Saria raised an eyebrow in question. "I got you out of that black mood, didn't I? Got you gossiping with me. Much more fun than brooding, and leaves many more openings for flirting."

Saria scoffed at that. "So now you're flirting, are you?"

"That depends. If I say no will you keep talking to me?"

Saria grinned. This was going to be fun.

"That depends. If I don't will you keep trying to talk to me?" Bennet nodded solemnly.

"Always. You're conversation is so lively and sought after these days." Saria punched him lightly in the arm. He feigned a gasp and gave her a wounded look. She only laughed at him. They rode on a bit more in silence.

"Thank you for that." Saria gave him an earnest smile. Bennet countered with a questioning look.

"For what?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever it is you're doing, flirting or playing cards or just being nice, it's helping." He gave her a genuine smile, and Saria found she liked it much better than his usual cheeky grins. "I think if whether you were flirting or not, I probably would have kept talking to you."

Bennet's face lit up even more, and Saria couldn't help but turn away to hide her blush. Cursed fair skin. At least Zephyr's pale complexion had a natural pink glow to help hide her many blushes.

As if to ease her sudden embarrassment, Bennet sparked a new conversation. Saria listened attentively as he told her about life back in Aealia, about his mother and his younger sister, Lyra. About his many adventures with Jasper. They had grown up so different, she and him. Saria hung on his every word, sharing stories of her own, and slowly she backed further and further away from the abyss, until it was a speck in the distance.