I— what we went through to find you? To save you? And
you’re just going to go back out there? Are you freakin’ kidding me!?”
Lila
sent out a pulse of calm toward him, and Ramsey twitched.
“Don’t
you dare try to calm me down,” he practically shouted at her. “You’re not
leaving. You leave and I will follow you and drag you back if I have to!”
It
was Lila’s turn to sit up. “You have absolutely no right to order me around.
You’ve wanted me away from you for the last sixty years. Well, guess what? I’m
granting your wish!”
“That’s not what I want!”
“Sucks,
doesn’t it? When someone doesn’t take your wants into consideration?” She
flopped back down in the sleeping bag with her back to him. “I’m going to sleep
now.”
Ramsey
didn’t move a muscle, but Lila could feel him glaring at her.
Lila
jerked her shoulders. “Don’t make me force a feeling of sleepiness on you. I’ll
do it.”
“Fine.
But we’re not done taking about this,” he finally said.
“You
might not be done. But I was over it a year ago,” she shot back.
“We’ll
talk more about this tomorrow when you’re more rational.”
“I’ll
give you rational,” Lila muttered. She pushed all of her swirling emotions at
him at once. But instead of a pulse of emotion, a pulse of power left her body.
A moment later a crack sounded, then an ominous creaking, followed by a
thunderous crash.
“What
the hell?” Ramsey bolted out of the tent. “Jeez, Lila. You felled a tree. Big
one,” he called from outside.
“ Whoa ,”
Lila breathed, as Ramsey poked his head back in the tent, his eyes wide. It had
been a lower power version of what she’d done when Maddox’s forces had attacked
the castle last year.
Then
she glanced up at Ramsey, and her anger from a moment ago washed back over her.
“I was trying to hit you.” She flopped back down and closed her eyes.
After
a few seconds of silence, he climbed into the sleeping bag with her and wrapped
his arm around her again. Neither of them said anything.
Chapter
17
“Hey.”
Ramsey gently nudged Lila awake.
“What
time is it?” She groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Early,
about six a.m. I just finished talking to Griffin; he’s letting Charlotte know
where we are. She’ll be here in a bit, so I’ve got to break down camp.”
“All
right. I’m coming.” With a groan Lila dragged herself out of the sleeping bag.
Ramsey
shook his head. “Still not a morning person, huh?”
“Svatura
may not need much sleep, but that doesn’t mean I have to be all chirpy-chirpy
when I wake up, you know,” Lila grumbled.
“You’re
so far from chirpy-chirpy, I don’t think you ever have to worry about becoming
a morning person.
“Huh.
You’re funny today.”
Ramsey
ignored her and started breaking down the tent. By the time Charlotte popped in,
they were ready to go. She gave Lila a hug that almost cracked her ribs.
“We’ve
missed you so much, sweetie.”
Lila
blinked back tears. “Me too. Thanks for helping get me outta there.”
“Your
parents can’t wait to see you, though I should warn you it’s pretty nuts after
the fight.” She took their hands, and in the blink of an eye, they were
standing in the Great Hall.
Chaos
reigned. People swarmed around them, banged up and bloody. Lila and Ramsey
looked at Charlotte with raised eyebrows.
Charlotte
shrugged. “We rescued a lot of people from those cells. And there was quite a
bit of fighting to get them out. Took me most of the night to get us all out of
there one way or another. We’re still sorting through all of it.”
“Where’s
my family?” Lila asked.
“Over
here,” Griffin called. “Welcome back, we’ve been waiting for you.” He gave Lila
a brief hug and then took her by the elbow. “We didn’t want to distract Hugh,
so your parents don’t know Charlotte went to get you yet.”
Lila
caught sight of her dad through the crowd. He was kneeling on the floor
you’re just going to go back out there? Are you freakin’ kidding me!?”
Lila
sent out a pulse of calm toward him, and Ramsey twitched.
“Don’t
you dare try to calm me down,” he practically shouted at her. “You’re not
leaving. You leave and I will follow you and drag you back if I have to!”
It
was Lila’s turn to sit up. “You have absolutely no right to order me around.
You’ve wanted me away from you for the last sixty years. Well, guess what? I’m
granting your wish!”
“That’s not what I want!”
“Sucks,
doesn’t it? When someone doesn’t take your wants into consideration?” She
flopped back down in the sleeping bag with her back to him. “I’m going to sleep
now.”
Ramsey
didn’t move a muscle, but Lila could feel him glaring at her.
Lila
jerked her shoulders. “Don’t make me force a feeling of sleepiness on you. I’ll
do it.”
“Fine.
But we’re not done taking about this,” he finally said.
“You
might not be done. But I was over it a year ago,” she shot back.
“We’ll
talk more about this tomorrow when you’re more rational.”
“I’ll
give you rational,” Lila muttered. She pushed all of her swirling emotions at
him at once. But instead of a pulse of emotion, a pulse of power left her body.
A moment later a crack sounded, then an ominous creaking, followed by a
thunderous crash.
“What
the hell?” Ramsey bolted out of the tent. “Jeez, Lila. You felled a tree. Big
one,” he called from outside.
“ Whoa ,”
Lila breathed, as Ramsey poked his head back in the tent, his eyes wide. It had
been a lower power version of what she’d done when Maddox’s forces had attacked
the castle last year.
Then
she glanced up at Ramsey, and her anger from a moment ago washed back over her.
“I was trying to hit you.” She flopped back down and closed her eyes.
After
a few seconds of silence, he climbed into the sleeping bag with her and wrapped
his arm around her again. Neither of them said anything.
Chapter
17
“Hey.”
Ramsey gently nudged Lila awake.
“What
time is it?” She groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Early,
about six a.m. I just finished talking to Griffin; he’s letting Charlotte know
where we are. She’ll be here in a bit, so I’ve got to break down camp.”
“All
right. I’m coming.” With a groan Lila dragged herself out of the sleeping bag.
Ramsey
shook his head. “Still not a morning person, huh?”
“Svatura
may not need much sleep, but that doesn’t mean I have to be all chirpy-chirpy
when I wake up, you know,” Lila grumbled.
“You’re
so far from chirpy-chirpy, I don’t think you ever have to worry about becoming
a morning person.
“Huh.
You’re funny today.”
Ramsey
ignored her and started breaking down the tent. By the time Charlotte popped in,
they were ready to go. She gave Lila a hug that almost cracked her ribs.
“We’ve
missed you so much, sweetie.”
Lila
blinked back tears. “Me too. Thanks for helping get me outta there.”
“Your
parents can’t wait to see you, though I should warn you it’s pretty nuts after
the fight.” She took their hands, and in the blink of an eye, they were
standing in the Great Hall.
Chaos
reigned. People swarmed around them, banged up and bloody. Lila and Ramsey
looked at Charlotte with raised eyebrows.
Charlotte
shrugged. “We rescued a lot of people from those cells. And there was quite a
bit of fighting to get them out. Took me most of the night to get us all out of
there one way or another. We’re still sorting through all of it.”
“Where’s
my family?” Lila asked.
“Over
here,” Griffin called. “Welcome back, we’ve been waiting for you.” He gave Lila
a brief hug and then took her by the elbow. “We didn’t want to distract Hugh,
so your parents don’t know Charlotte went to get you yet.”
Lila
caught sight of her dad through the crowd. He was kneeling on the floor
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