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They all followed after Manny, their silence an uneasy agreement.
Elyse’s feet began to ache. Truthfully, her whole body still ached from her fall in De Vesalis, but she’d put on a brave face for the group, insisting that she was fine. If anyone noticed her exhaustion, they said nothing. They all seemed fatigued themselves, anyway.
After another hour of walking, she knew they were getting close. “It’s just a bit—”
“Elyse,” Killian growled, interrupting her. “If you say ‘It’s just a bit farther’ one more time, I’ll…”
Elyse turned to see Killian staring at her. His eyes were narrowed, but a hint of a smile touched his full lips.
“You’ll what?” she asked with a smirk. “Need I remind you, the blood pact prevents you from harming me.”
Killian’s nostrils flared, but then his eyes grew devious. “Ah, but need I remind you—the blood pact also forces you to answer all questions truthfully.”
Elyse’s body went rigid, but she kept walking.
Killian’s voice was light as he continued. “There are so many things I’ve always wanted to know. Where to begin?” he sang, mischief ringing clear. “Hmm… I could ask you why you hate your surname so much.”
Elyse turned and glared at him. “You made your point,” she spat as she marched ahead.
She knew he was merely teasing her, but he’d broached a sensitive subject. Talking about her surname would lead to more questions, and that was not a door she wanted to open.
Zubir’s house was, in truth, only a bit farther. It wasn’t long before the tall, wooden fence surrounding his property began to peek through the line of trees.
“Thank the gods,” Manny huffed as they approached the gate.
“Aren’t you a soldier?” Jaime asked incredulously. Elyse couldn’t help but laugh.
Manny tucked a loose strand of his blond hair behind his ear. “Just because I’m a soldier doesn’t mean I love traipsing through a hot, humid forest for hours after climbing a million stairs,” he grumbled.
“Elyse,” Sera said softly. Her gaze was fixed on the spikes lining the top of the fence. “Is Zubir… friendly?”
“The friendliest,” Elyse replied. “But odd. Definitely odd.”
Everyone nodded as Elyse approached the wooden gate and knocked.
It was a long moment before the gate creaked open—just a hair. A tan face with pale eyes peered through the crack in the gate.
“Who goes there?” came a man’s voice.
“Zubir, it’s me,” Elyse answered, stepping closer and waving. “I brought a few friends. We need your help.”
“Elyse!” Zubir hollered as he flung the gate open. Jaime had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit.
Zubir took Elyse’s hand, but his eyes roved nervously over the others.
“It’s okay,” she assured him. “We’re sort of… on a mission.”
Zubir nodded excitedly, though his eyes remained skeptical. “Well, come in then. Come in,” he said, waving for them to step through the gate. He took off toward the house, babbling animatedly about something or another.
Manny, Sera, and Jaime followed him. As Elyse was about to walk through the gate, she felt a tug at her elbow.
“Hey,” Killian said, pulling her aside. His body towered over her as he stood so close. His muscles rippled through his sweat-soaked tunic, and Elyse had to suppress the memory of those muscles pressed against her. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I was only joking about the surname thing. I didn’t realize it would upset you like that.”
Elyse gazed up at him, at the tight line of his lips. She wasn’t sure what to say.
“I know that we have other things on our plate right now,” he continued, “but whenever you’re ready to talk… I’m ready to listen.” His voice was quiet and compassionate, yet firm.
Elyse’s toes curled in her boots as she took in the raw expression in his golden eyes, yet her brows furrowed slightly. What was he saying? That he wanted to hear her side of the story? Or was he referring to what had happened with Ymaritis? Heat blazed in her cheeks as she realized he might have been talking about their tryst in Privya’s kitchen.
