The Crimson Dawn

Chapter 17

Stella helped Aydin into his chambers, her arm supporting him as he staggered from the toll of the spell. His usual sharpness and grace were gone, replaced by a weariness that made her heart ache. He was barely standing by the time they reached his bed.

“You need to rest,” she said softly, guiding him to sit on the edge of the mattress.

Aydin tried to wave her off, though his hand was trembling. “I’m fine. Just—”

“You’re not fine.” Stella knelt in front of him, her hands already unbuttoning his coat. Aydin tensed, his pride flaring despite his weakness.

“I can do it myself,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.

She gave him a sharp look. “You can barely keep your eyes open, let alone take off your clothes. Let me help.”

Aydin opened his mouth to argue but quickly realized he didn’t have the strength. His hands dropped limply to his sides, and he allowed her to continue. Stella worked efficiently, slipping off his coat and unbuttoning his shirt. When she pulled it off, she froze for a moment, her breath catching.

Underneath the layers of fabric was a body far stronger than she had imagined. His muscles, though lean, were defined with a strength born of both physical training and magic. She had known Aydin was no stranger to combat, but seeing the evidence so clearly made her pause.

Stella shook her head, pushing her thoughts aside. She draped his discarded clothes over a chair and helped him lie back, pulling the blanket up over him. The moment his head hit the pillow, Aydin’s eyelids fluttered shut, and he sighed deeply.

“Stella…” he mumbled, his voice faint and half-asleep.

She leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “What is it?”

Aydin stirred slightly, his face softening as he murmured, “You’re beautiful.”

Stella’s breath hitched, her cheeks flushing a deep red. She watched as his breathing evened out, light snores escaping his lips. He was fast asleep now, completely oblivious to the effect his words had on her.

A small, shy smile crept across her face. “You’re not too bad yourself,” she whispered, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Stella lingered for a moment, her hand brushing through his hair one last time before she turned off the lantern. As she moved toward the door, she glanced back at him, her eyes tracing his relaxed features. Even in sleep, he was handsome—too handsome, she thought with a faint smirk.

With a quiet sigh, she stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

The hallway was dimly lit, the remnants of the earlier battle still lingering in the air. Stella made her way to the others, finding Barrett, Raphael, and Ari in the sitting room. Barrett was nursing a glass of something strong, his knuckles bruised and raw. Ari sat cross-legged on the floor, her hands glowing faintly as she healed a cut on Raphael’s arm.

“How is he?” Raphael asked, his tone gentle.

“Asleep,” Stella replied, settling into a chair with a tired groan. “He used too much energy. He’ll need a few days to recover, but he’ll be fine.”

Barrett grunted, raising his glass. “Figures the scrawny mage would push himself too far. Gotta admit, though, that spell was something else.”

“It was reckless,” Ari said sharply, though her expression softened. “But it saved us.”

Stella nodded, her gaze distant as she thought of Aydin’s exhausted face. “Yeah. It did.”

Just then, the door burst open, and Gedeon stormed in, dragging Derick by the arm. “You’re lucky I didn’t leave you in the gutter where I found you,” Gedeon snapped, his voice seething with anger.

Derick staggered, laughing drunkenly. “Relax, kid. I was just blowing off some steam.”

“You’re a liability!” Gedeon shot back, his face red with fury. “We needed you tonight, and you were nowhere to be found!”

Derick smirked, shaking Gedeon off. “You handled it, didn’t you?”

Gedeon’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but before he could respond, Stella stepped between them.

“That’s enough,” she said firmly. “We don’t have time for this. The hooded figure—the prophecy—they’re what matters right now.”

Barrett stood, his towering presence silencing any further argument. “She’s right. We can’t afford to turn on each other. Not now.”

Derick rolled his eyes, but he said nothing more, retreating to a corner of the room. Gedeon clenched his fists but followed Stella’s lead, sitting down with a huff.

As the group fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of the night’s events settled over them. The storm the hooded figure had promised was coming—and they needed to be ready.

The exhaustion from the previous night’s events weighed heavily on everyone as they trailed to their rooms for sleep. Gedeon, however, stopped Stella in the hallway.

“How’s Aydin doing?” he asked, his tone uncharacteristically soft.

Stella crossed her arms. “He needs rest. He pushed himself too far, but he’ll recover.”

Gedeon nodded, his expression serious. “Good. He’s stronger than he looks.”

She raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more on his mind. “This isn’t just about Aydin, is it?”

He hesitated, glancing down the hallway before continuing. “It’s about Derick. I found him last night trying to fight a group of mercenaries—drunk off his ass, of course. Something’s not right with him.”

Stella huffed, narrowing her eyes. “Stop beating around the bush, Gedeon. I know you don’t care that much. Just get to the point.”

Gedeon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. I want you to talk to him.”

Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “Me? Why me?”

He avoided her gaze, looking anywhere but at her. “Because he likes you. Maybe he’ll actually open up to you and tell you what he’s up to.”

Stella scoffed, crossing her arms tighter. “So, let me get this straight—you want me to seduce him to get information, instead of you acting like a decent human being and talking to him yourself? Go f**k yourself, Gedeon.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and stomped into her room, slamming the door behind her. Gedeon sighed, running a hand through his hair before heading to his own chambers, muttering under his breath about stubborn women.

Aydin groaned as he stirred in bed, every muscle in his body aching. His head throbbed, and his limbs felt like lead. The spell had been far beyond his skill level, but he didn’t regret using it. He had to protect his friends. Slowly, he sat up, gritting his teeth against the soreness, and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He took his time dressing, wincing as he pulled on his shirt and vest, and shuffled toward the door. Leaning heavily against the wall, he made his way down the hall and to the stairs.

The descent was excruciating, but determination kept him moving. When he finally reached the bottom, he straightened his clothes, ran a hand through his disheveled hair, and made his way to the dining room.

As he entered, Barrett and Raphael looked up, grinning.

“He lives!” Barrett cheered, raising his mug.

Raphael joined in, clapping his hands. “I thought we’d lost you for good!”

Aydin rolled his eyes but managed a small smile. Before he could say anything, Stella appeared by his side, her arms crossed in disapproval.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” she scolded, guiding him to a chair despite his protests. Aydin couldn’t help smile at the how her nose wrinkled.

“I’m fine,” he insisted, though his trembling hands betrayed him. “There’s too much work to be done. Have we heard anything about last night’s attack?”

Gedeon, who was already seated at the table, held up a letter. “This came in this morning. We’re being summoned to the capital of Maroa, Solvanyr. The lords and the king want to discuss an urgent matter. It might have something to do with the Fey Realm portal and potential chaos brewing in Katros.”

Aydin shrugged, though the movement made him wince. “Possible. But I doubt the Katrosian clans are organized enough to figure something like that out. No offense, Barrett.”

Barrett laughed heartily, waving him off. “None taken.”

Gedeon continued, “The gathering is two days away. We’ll need to prepare and leave by morning if we want to make it on time.”

As the conversation went on, Stella returned with a plate of food and placed it in front of Aydin. It was simple—eggs, meat, toasted potatoes, and bread—but it smelled heavenly.

“Thank you,” Aydin said with a grateful smile, reaching for his fork. But his hand shook so badly that the food fell off before he could bring it to his mouth. Frustrated, he groaned, dropping the fork.

Without a word, Stella pulled a chair next to him and picked up the fork. “Let me help,” she said softly, scooping a bite of food and holding it out for him.

Aydin flushed with embarrassment. “This is humiliating.”

Raphael spoke up, his voice steady. “Don’t feel embarrassed, Aydin. If it weren’t for you, none of us would be here right now. Let her help you.”

Aydin sighed, relenting as Stella fed him. Though his face burned with shame, he managed a small, appreciative smile.

As he finished his meal, the door creaked open, and Derick sauntered in, his disheveled appearance betraying the hangover he was clearly nursing.

“Well, look who’s finally up,” Derick said with a smirk, eyeing Aydin. “What’s the matter, mage? Magic too much for you?”

Gedeon slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Derick. “Watch your mouth. Aydin saved all of us last night. Maybe if you weren’t too busy making a fool of yourself, you would’ve seen that.”

Derick raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I was out of line. My apologies, Aydin.”

The group collectively rolled their eyes, clearly unimpressed by his half-hearted attempt at an apology. Stella shot him a glare, her protective instincts for Aydin flaring up, but she held her tongue.

“Let’s just focus on getting ready for Solvanyr,” Barrett said, breaking the tension. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be anything but boring.”