Heart of Ash (The Dark Arcane Series: Book 1)

Chapter Forty

The next morning, Yeona's army hadn't yet arrived.

"Someone find me Wres," she shouted across the camp, her skirts whirling at her feet.

Though they hadn't known her long, they knew her well enough to avoid her when she was on the warpath.

Kade found his group gathered on the border of the Tegye San. It was odd to see them sitting down, and not on their horses after riding for so long. He nodded at Darius as he joined them. He didn't know what he wanted the nod to mean but he hoped it looked friendly. He sat down too, leaning his gloved hand back on the thin layer of snow.

"Has King Yeona said if we're allowed to touch it?" Sariem asked, looking at the waving branches of the Tegye San.

Conan snorted. "Who cares? She's not in charge of us."

It was more surprising to hear Conan admit they even had a leader than dismiss Yeona's leadership.

"Well, she is the highest ranking amongst us, so technically—"

"—no one gives a shit about technicalities, prince," Conan sneered, but it lacked heat.

"I think we're probably allowed," Nala mused. "The king is quite good at telling us what not to do and she didn't tell us not to touch it."

"She didn't tell us not to piss on it either," Kade mimicked her thoughtful tone. "Perhaps we should go and do that."

Conan barked and rubbed his knuckles on Kade's shoulder in appreciation. He glanced at Darius and saw him grinning, which had him cracking a smile.

Nala whacked all three of them with half an outraged face, but her lips quirked up. "Oh, get out of here, the all of you. Me and Sariem will go, you stay here and pray for forgiveness for suggesting to desecrate a sacred monument."

Kade rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Ashyn would have appreciated the joke."

He started at himself. Since when did he think about what Ashyn would have liked?

"She would have pissed on the tree right alongside you idiots," Nala grumbled.

"Come along, people, let's go while Lea's busy." Sariem hooked her arm around Darius's, and she helped pull him up.

He laughed, ruffling the top of her head. "Alright, let's get this over with."

The sight stunned Kade for a moment, but he then wondered why it did; of course Darius had won over the group with nothing but a smile. Who else?

They walked over to the Tegye San. The perimeter set up around the tree was held by four of Yeona's guards, who glared at them from behind the veils covering their faces, but made no move to stop them.

Even so, Sariem still looked guilty as she crossed the boundary. Darius barely looked at them as he flounced past.

They were stood about an arms length away from the drooping branches that hid most of the trunk like a curtain.

Kade craned his neck to look at the tops of the yellow tree. The movements of the clouds made it look like the tree was falling down. He quickly averted his gaze down.