Page 101 of Elemental Becoming

AMARA

Lyra and I walk arm in arm down the cobblestone path.

The herbs have done their job—she looks far better than she did this morning.

I steal another glance at my best friend. Instead of looking wrecked from drinking half the night, she looks refreshed, bright-eyed, fully herself again.

More than that, any sign that she died only days ago is gone. It feels impossible now, like one of my darkest fears visited me in the night only to vanish with the morning mist.

We’ve spent the last hour wandering through Volcaris—drifting from shop to shop down narrow, winding streets, pausing at crowded market stands along the way, laughing at entertainers performing for coin.

We only have another hour before we need to return to the castle for the ball. Elira insisted she would need at least three hours to prepare me for the evening.

Thankfully, Lyra will be getting ready with me.

“Let’s go this way,” Lyra insists, already pulling me into the crowd. “I heard about this shop that sells the softest scarves. I want to send one back to Mother for the Winter Solstice.”

“Amara—” Rian’s voice cuts through the noise somewhere behind us. “I know I said I’d give you space, but I still need to keep my eyes on you or Thane will have my ass.”

Right.

My escort.

I sigh internally and look back at the six men trailing us about fifteen feet behind. Rian leads them, his ocean-blue eyes sweeping the street for threats while the others move through the crowd with quiet, practiced precision.

“Well then hurry up, Rian!” Lyra calls over her shoulder.

An arm loops through my free one, slowing us down.

A blonde mop of windswept hair appears beside me.

“You know, Ms. Thalor,” Kieran says gravely, “you’re ruining my chances of moving up in rank by running off like this.”

Only the glint in his blue-silver eyes tells me he’s teasing.

“Oh, am I?” I counter.

“The Warlord assigned me to protect a gorgeous woman with raven-black hair,” he says gravely. “A tragedy, really. I seem to have lost her.”

“Oh really? A gorgeous woman with black hair?”

“I think she went that way,” Lyra cuts in, pointing dramatically down an alley.

I shoot her a look and elbow her in the ribs. She grunts but keeps her arm hooked through mine.

Kieran doesn’t let go either.

“Why are you even here, Kieran?” I ask. “You could be doing a hundred other things besides babysitting me.”

“Oh, but babysitting you is fun.” He flashes a wide grin. “I get to tell the other soldiers I spent the afternoon with the savior of the realm.”

He waggles his eyebrows. “I’ll never have to buy my own drinks again.”

“Sounds like a solid arrangement,” Lyra quips. “And since I’m the best friend of the savior, I expect a share of those drinks.”

“Um, excuse me,” I cut in. “The savior is standing right here.”

Kieran glances briefly over his shoulder before lowering his voice. “Seriously though, how are you doing? I know this is a lot. Sorry we have to follow you everywhere.”