The Eden Series: The Complete Collection (107 page)

“My butt is not going to appreciate this,” Logan said, throwing his pack over the rear of his horse. “They’re going to push us twice as hard as they did when we came down here.”

“Why does he constantly complain?” Stefan asked, looking at Aiden.

“Because he’s Logan,” Aiden replied. “If there’s nothing to complain about, he’s not happy.”

“You’re going to be complaining soon if you don’t shut it,” Logan shot back.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do?” Aiden taunted, truly smiling for the first time that morning.

“Seriously, I’d like to see this,” Moose added, walking up with two horses trailing behind him. Wolf and Elisa appeared just then as well.

“Where were you this morning?” Wolf asked his brother.

“
I
was at breakfast bright and early like most soldiers. Where were
you
this morning?” Moose said, giving Elisa a knowing wink. Aiden watched Elisa’s eyes narrow menacingly.

“You’re a brave, brave man,” replied Wolf, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

Moose chuckled happily. “Actually I ate quickly then came out for a ride. Unlike
your
lazy, old horse, who has bitten me twice in the arse this morning might I add,
my
horse needs to be exercised.” Wolf walked over to grab Grumpy’s reins, giving him an affectionate pat on the neck.

“Where did you ride in here? Nysa doesn’t have open fields the last time I checked,” Logan asked.

“I had to take him around a track. He’s not impressed,” Moose replied. His eyes landed on Stefan. “Who’s this?”

“Stefan,” he introduced, holding out his hand.

Moose looked down at it then back up at him. Aiden felt bad for the northerner as he continued to hold his hand out until Moose eventually took it. A sense of relief washed over Aiden. He didn’t want his friends to be part of the ones who didn’t accept the new soldiers. He understood why it was hard, but he hoped they could see past it and focus on the bigger problem – Aziz.

“A northerner, huh? We’re going to have to loosen you up,” Moose said to a confused Stefan. Logan chuckled, which was a bit worrisome. Aiden hoped his friends didn’t corrupt the poor guy. The Northern Army were definitely a more serious group of people than those from the Capital. Knowing Logan and Moose, a lot of alcohol would be taken into consideration when “loosening” him up.

Aiden smiled as he turned back to finish readying Ty, his horse, for their ride home. Or not home, he corrected. It was funny how he considered the Capital his home, when really he was about as far away from home as he could be. Things were too different here to truly be home, including him.

“Ah there you all are,” a voice called out. Aiden looked over Ty’s back to see Markus walking up to join them. “Are you all ready to head out?”

“Well I wanted to have a visit with sweet Maghon once more, but there doesn’t seem to be enough time,” Logan answered, his face a mask of sincerity. “Or is there?” he looked at Aiden and winked. Aiden had to bite back his laugh, especially when he saw the confused look on Stefan’s face.

“You get used to him,” Wolf said to the northerner.

Markus gave him an exasperated look before continuing. “I just wanted to wish you safe travel before you depart.”

“Are you not coming with us?” Elisa asked. Markus turned his focus to her, and Aiden could see a mix of emotions on the man’s face that made him instantly more alert. He had no issues with Markus, but if he tried to take Elisa away from Wolf again, he would have.

“We will join you in a few days. I need to see to a few things here before we depart. I won’t be too far behind,” he said, keeping his focus solely on her. There was an awkward silence before Markus cleared his throat and wished them all good luck once more. Before he walked away, he strode over to Elisa, and carefully took her hand in his. Giving it a quick kiss, he smiled and said, “Be safe.” With that he was gone.

The group of them watched the leader of the Sun People walk back inside the palace; Aiden, Logan, Moose, and especially Wolf shootings daggers at his back.

“The leader of Nysa seems taken with your woman,” Stefan said, turning to look at Wolf. Then his gaze travelled to Elisa and back again. “She is yours, is she not?”

“Yes,” Wolf said, his voice dripping with possessiveness as he pulled her back against his chest.

“It is very awkward then,” Stefan commented, turning to look at the doors where Markus had entered.

Moose chuckled. “I like him!”

CHAPTER SIX

Jameson watched as the men from each army tried their best to ignore each other. Fires were lit, and tents were set-up in a clear division. The King’s army was on one side, the northern army on the other. How were they supposed to fight against a common enemy if the men couldn’t even get along with each other? He prayed that as their journey continued, tensions would cease.

A slim set of arms reached around his stomach as the body attached to them molded to his back. He had left said body sated and asleep in their tent only a short time ago.

“I thought you were resting,” he said, covering her hands with one of his.

“I was, but when I woke up you were gone so I came to find you,” Diana replied. “What are you thinking about that has you looking so worried?”

He chuckled tiredly. “Where do I start? I think there are about a million things worrying me right now.”

Diana sighed, and moved to stand in front of him. “I realize you are King, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry all this weight on your shoulders alone. What can I do to help?”

Jameson looked over her head at the camp. “Can you cast a spell to make everyone get along?” he asked hopefully.

Diana laughed, glancing over her shoulder. “That I cannot do, but I wouldn’t be worrying about the men. It will come in time. When you reach the east you will see them begin to come together. Fighting to save Eden will bring peace to your two armies.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” she said with a sly smile. He instantly smiled in return. It had only been a few days since Diana and he had reconciled after over a decade. Truthfully he didn’t actually think it would happen. Prayed for it, yes, but never actually believed. Every minute he got to spend with her was a blessing; one that he hoped to indulge in for the rest of his life.

Letting his fingers run through the golden silk of her hair, he decided despite everything that was happening politically in Eden, this was the happiest he had ever been personally. He had his woman and his family back. Things were almost perfect. Almost. All he needed to do was rid Eden of the plague that was Aziz.

At least they were on their way home to the Capital. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy Nysa in the south, but he missed his home. He couldn’t wait to move Diana into his rooms and out of her tiny cottage in the forest. Looking down into her concerned face, it dawned on him that he hadn’t actually discussed this plan. Now he worried what she would say. What if she didn’t want to move into the palace? What if she had no intention of making things permanent?

“You look like you’re going to be sick.” She laughed. “Whatever you’re thinking, it can’t be nearly that bad.”

“What are you going to do when we return?” he said. Her laughter quickly died.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her face suddenly growing pale.

“Will you move into the palace with me?”

She searched his face carefully. “Do you want me to?”

He balked. “Of course I do. Why else would I be asking?” She let out what seemed like a relieved sigh, and he realized she was worried he was asking because he didn’t want her with him. He quickly pulled her against him, kissing a line along her jaw. When he pulled back, her eyes were closed, and a small smile played on her lips. “I don’t want you far from my side – ever.”

“Good, because I don’t plan on it,” she said. “I will move my things in after a couple of days.”

His spine stiffened. “Why? I want you moved in immediately, just as soon as we return.”

She sighed, but with a smile still on her face. “I want the same, but I just thought you might want some time to break things to Melaine.”

The name of his, now former, lover left a cold feeling inside him. He had forgotten all about her. Gods, what did that say about him? She had been someone he had cared for, for years. Three days with Diana and it was like he had erased her from his mind. Suddenly he felt like the biggest arse alive. His face must have tipped Diana off as to what he was thinking, because she shook her head in disappointment at him.

“Have you even thought of what you will say to her? This will be a big blow.”

“Honestly, it’s hard to think of another woman when I’m with you,” he admitted.

A pleased look washed over her face. “Well I’m not complaining about that, but I still think you should start coming up with how to break the news to her. I can’t just move my things in and shove hers out. It wouldn’t be nice.”

“Will you let what others say affect us?” he asked. It was an extremely hard question for him, since she had ended things previously for exactly this reason. The Capital’s witch is not to marry. For whatever reason, that had always been the way. Diana was forced to choose between her magic and him when she was first going through the rights. When she made her decision it had broken his heart. Jameson didn’t think he could handle that again.

“I’m done living my life as others see fit,” she said, reaching up to caress his face. “I’m not leaving again, Jameson. I promise.”

“Good,” he said gruffly. He knew what people would say. It wasn’t what they would perceive as normal for the High King to be romantically linked to the Capital’s witch. He didn’t care. He was High King now, and he would make his own decisions, despite what others might think.

Riding in silence was nice, unless your thoughts were moving a mile a minute and all you wanted was a distraction. Making their way back toward the Capital was certainly less stressful than when they had been heading in the opposite direction. What was harder this time for Aiden was the loss of a very important person. The longer they rode in silence, the heavier her absence weighed on him. The spot in front of him was too empty. There was too much room atop Ty.

No one was talking to the animals, or running off into the forest, only to return hours later like nothing had happened. No one was like Lily. It hurt. There was no other way for Aiden to describe what her being gone felt like. An empty place in his chest had developed the second she was carried away, and the longer it took to get her back, the bigger it got. All he wanted to do was gallop away from the army that felt like they were holding him back. He knew better. There was nothing he could do at this point and it was so utterly frustrating.

Even when he tried to think of something, anything, besides Lily, his thoughts would just drift to other disconcerting things. Like his uncanny ability to move faster than he could even register. This was an occurrence that had happened more than once, and one that he was carefully avoiding thinking about until now. Or about the freak wind storm that happened while his thoughts were of pure rage. These were the things he’d rather escape. But when riding in complete silence, nothing to do but be alone with your own thoughts, it was pretty difficult to ignore.

What was going on with him? When he had arrived in the West, his return to Eden after his first visit, he knew that things were different. It wasn’t just being in a different part of Eden, or that he had felt right away the powers that brought him back to the other world weren’t right. No, it was more than both those things.
He
had felt different. It was something he couldn’t even wrap his mind around, and so he had ignored it. The Shaman had seemed to know something, and even Lily looked at him as though there was something she wasn’t saying, but neither ever said a thing.

He found, the longer he seemed to be in Eden, the more he – changed, as odd as it sounded. It was like his body itself was different. His abilities were greater than they were before. His senses were heightened, especially when he had adrenaline pumping through his veins during a battle. He could see better, hear better, move faster. These things
were not
normal. The incident in the office was just the icing on the cake. There was no way he could ignore the facts right in front of him. Maybe he was wrong and he didn’t cause sudden winds to come whipping through the room. He highly doubted it though. Somehow he had felt connected to it, and as soon as he forced himself to calm down so had the wind.

Who could he go to now? Lily might have known what was going on. He doubted she would be surprised if he told her all the things that had been happening to him. Quite a few times he had caught her giving him assessing looks. She’d been reluctant to say anything for some reason. To be fair, so had he. Too many things were taking place to not sit down and really figure the situation out.

His eyes slowly sought out the tiny person riding up in the front line. Diana rode beside Jameson. The two of them looked so relaxed and content, it made Aiden actually feel happy, in spite of everything else. Seeing Diana with the man she loved was comforting to him. He had a strange protective feeling toward her. Diana had been the one to bring Aiden through the realms the first time. She had been the first person to tell him he was a prophesized warrior, meant to save them. Surely, if there was something strange going on with Aiden she’d know. He was just a normal boy from Canada. What did he know of magic? A witch would be able to explain the odd things happening to him.