Wicked Path (The Daath Chronicles Book 2) (27 page)

“What’s the plan?” When I had told Cael about Lucino and his shapeshifting ability, he was shocked—almost didn’t believe it. The Order had suspected Lucy of using magic, but they had no clue about her shapeshifting brother.

“The general wants to meet with you tomorrow. You’ve fought against one of them. You understand their skills better than any of our men.”

I nodded, not wanting to admit I didn’t actually remember the fight.

A hand touched my leg. Raven had moved to sit beside me. “I’m coming.”

Cael shook his head. “Women aren’t allowed in the training tree.”

“Why? You have no female fighters?”

“If it were up to me, I would have you train a few of our men, but unless you’re a priestess, you can’t go in.”

Raven’s hand tensed against my leg.

“You wouldn’t want to show off and make the men feel bad,” I said.

She frowned. “I don’t understand why a woman can’t fight alongside her friends.”

“I trust you more than anyone to have my back.”

“That’s because you’re terrible at watching your own.”

I bumped her shoulder, and she smiled.

“You can come with me,” Ginna said. “The women have a few places of their own the men aren’t allowed in.”

Cael raised an eyebrow. “What places are those?”

She shrugged, and Cael playfully nudged her. The gesture turned her pale skin red.

“Walk with me.” Raven grabbed my hand.

I stood with her. “Excuse us.”

Raven’s hand gripped mine and she swung our arms back and forth. “Can you believe this place?”

“How are you doing? All of this must be a bit overwhelming.”

“I would never expect anyone to live in a tree.”

“I meant, outside of Daath.”

“Oh.” Her hand held mine a little tighter. “There’s a lot to learn, but it’s not so different from home.”

Her gaze wandered around at the timber shacks. Twine and wildflowers decorated each home differently. Some houses had more yellow, some had more blue, but each had its own personality—a clay pot with yellow shrubbery, a twined bench, a dangling circle of colored balls. This tree had more than just people; calmness filled the air.

“I still don’t understand why I’ve never heard about this place,” I grumbled.

Raven shrugged. “Maybe The Order kept it a secret.”

Whether The Order kept the hideout a secret was irrelevant. All the stories about Stormwood mentioned giant trees, but there was a big difference between a large tree and a mass of trees that people lived in.

Our path led us to an area set up for offerings with a white stone statue of The Creator: head of a lion, body of a man, and massive arched wings.

“What is that?” Raven walked closer and ran her hand across the carved image.

I realized she never talked about The Creator or any god. “It’s a statue of The Creator. People leave offerings around it and pray for blessings.”

She tilted her head. “Why? Who’s The Creator?”

“God. Do you pray to someone else?”

She bit her lip and crossed her arms. Her eyes inspected every token placed on the floor— small candles, purple and cerulean flower petals, and fruit. “Sometimes I pray for safety and courage to all the gods: the gods of water, earth, and fire. There are no temples in Daath. Lucino forbids worship of any kind. He said the only god is the one who protects the land, and that’s him.”

Sometimes I forgot how little Raven understood about the outside world. I wrapped a hand around her waist. “One day, I’ll have to tell you the story my mother told me.” I kissed the top of her hand. “Come on,” I said, and ushered her away from the altar to a more secluded place.

Raven leaned into me as we walked, laughter from people still eating their dinner drifting by us. I held her closer, inhaling her honey-scented hair and feeling her against my side.

We stood behind a shack. The structure blocked us from sight.

She crept her fingers under my shirt, playing with the fabric. I turned her so that we faced one another. I hadn’t kissed her in a long time—at least not really kissed her. Her chocolate eyes pulled me in, warm and endless. I pressed my lips to hers, sliding my hands to her hips to pull her against me.

She kissed me back, and each time our lips brushed across one another, she would kiss harder. Excitement raced through me as my body responded to her hands tugging at the ends of my hair, her fingertips sweeping my neck and making me crazy.

My hands slid farther down her sides. It was always a battle kissing her. I wanted more; more than was proper.

She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around me tighter. My lips left her mouth and found her neck.

“Avikar…”

I broke away to kiss her lips and look in her eyes.

She placed her hand on my cheek, smiling at me, her cheeks flushed. “I love you,” she said.

In three words, I knew what she hinted at. Heat filled her breath and it made me want to find a place to be alone with her.

“I love you, too.” I kissed her lightly on the lips, looking around us.

We were near a rope ladder that travelled up the tree to a high walkway. “Want to check this place out?” I nodded toward the ladder.

She smiled and started climbing.

The ladder took us to an empty walkway that spiraled around the width of the tree, almost to the top. There weren’t any shacks or people up here, just the walkway. When I glanced down, my head dizzied. How much higher did this tree reach? Gargantuan wasn’t a big enough word to describe this place.

“Here.” Raven tugged me to an oval door in the wall. “Where do you think it goes?”

“Let’s find out.” I stepped in front of her, pushing it open.

Raven gasped, and I couldn’t stop grinning.

We walked outside onto a branch the width of a road. Big egg-shaped leaves, gold and orange from the changing weather, hung in bunches around us. A woodpecker with a bright red head pecked at the tree right above the door.

“This is unbelievable.” Raven squeezed my hand.

Anytime I had climbed trees in the past, I’d look down and sweat at the distance, but here, I couldn’t see the ground. The branches were too wide, and the leaves concealed everything, including us.

Realizing how alone we were, for the first time since leaving Daath, I grabbed Raven and rubbed the heavy cotton of her dress.

“We’re alone,” she said, sliding her arms around my neck.

“Very alone,” I replied right before my lips connected with hers.

Alone.

Finally.

Raven’s lips had to be the softest lips that ever existed. When they slipped to any part of my face or neck, I wanted to take that dress and throw it off of the tree. I picked her up, hugging her waist, and pressed her against the bark. Her breath caught and I grinned.

While the dress was pretty to look at, it covered everything a little too well. The only patch of skin showing was her neck. My hands slid from her back to her front, slowly moving up her stomach.

She’d either punch me or let me go further.

It was worth a punch.

My hand was inches from her chest. Her heartbeat pulsed through the fabric. It took all my self-control not to go faster.

An owl hooted nearby.

Raven broke away from the kiss, patting my chest. “Avikar, look.”

What could be more important than this?

I turned to see what distracted her. A white owl sat on a wooden post. One I didn’t realize was there until now.

For all the times I’d spent in the forest, I’d never encountered an owl. Sure, I’d hear them hooting around at night, but never saw one this close. The owl had gray feathers sticking up like ears, and big black eyes.

“It’s just an owl.” I brushed my lips across her neck in an attempt to get her mind refocused.

“It’s staring at us.”

“I don’t mind an audience.”

She pushed me aside. “I wonder what it’s doing here.”

I banged my head against the tree. “It probably lives here.”

Stupid bird.

“Don’t be an idiot,” she said.

Since the bird ruined any chance of me getting closer with Raven, I sat on the branch, leaning against the tree.

“Hey, there.” Raven held out her hands, walking in slow steps toward the owl.

The owl blinked its big eyes.

“There’s something on its leg.” She titled her head and pointed.

I stood and followed the direction of her finger. “It’s a note.”

Raven reached for the owl’s leg and the owl hopped away from her.

“What are you two doing here?”

Jonas stood behind us, closing the door.

“I needed some air,” I quickly said.

It was hard to tell if he was frowning with that big mustache blocking his mouth. “I see you met Croxley.” He held out his arm and the owl landed on top of it.

“He’s yours?” I asked.

Jonas nodded. “He’s our messenger, gives us news from outside the wood. Now, go on, git. You two shouldn’t be up here.”

Raven grabbed my hand and we walked back to the door. Jonas took the note off Croxley’s leg, and I didn’t miss the lines of his forehead crease as he read it.

y conversation with Jeslyn had long passed, and we spoke very little to one another—a few words at night or at meals, but nothing more. She moved around the ship with ease, her stomach finally having adjusted to the rocking motion. The men had grown used to her and even showed respect; she had found her place among the crew. The captain called out a command and she snapped into action. I admired her tenacious nature.

“Make yourself useful.” The ship’s second in command handed me a bucket.

“You must be joking.”

“You rather be cleaning out the pots?”

“No, this will do.” I grabbed the mop from him and began washing the deck.

I was grateful Lucy wasn’t here to witness me washing the floor like a commoner. She would have had a good laugh at my expense. Even Romulus would chortle.

Keeping busy, I blended into the background, observing and listening to the sailors around me.

Again, I was rewarded with useless dribble.
Does no one have anything of importance to discuss in this world
? The only interesting character aboard the vessel was a merchant named Tavo. We’d spoken briefly during the late hours. Young but wise for his age, the boy had spark. While I believed little that came out of his mouth, he was interesting enough company.