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Jaime looked like he might argue, his eyes narrowing as his lips parted, but Elyse spoke before he could.
“Okay,” she uttered, nodding her head. “That could be a good idea.”
He held out his hand and waited for Elyse to take it. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“I know,” she answered calmly as she took his hand. There was no bitterness in her features, no distrust or hostility. Killian let out a sigh of relief—though he silently vowed to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
Together, they ventured out the door, leaving Jaime to follow behind.
Chapter 57
- Elyse -
Cliffguard was a placid town, its only fierceness in the wind that tore through the streets. The buildings were all the bland color of tree trunks—a murky mixture between gray and brown—and the denizens were just as lackluster.
Elyse couldn’t leave the damn place fast enough.
She pulled her jacket tighter as she, Jaime, and Killian all huddled around the map. A few passersby gave them inquiring looks, no doubt curious about the mysterious strangers in tattered clothes. It was unlikely the town had visitors very often, especially ones with large bows slung over their shoulders, as Killian had. He’d spotted the massive weapon at the Bastards’ hideout and immediately pilfered it. Elyse had witnessed firsthand his proficiency with the bow and arrow; it had been a smart move to take it.
They’d also snatched a few other items that might come in handy: magic-suppressing shackles, potions for speed and accuracy, and a generous vial of poison that prevented injuries from being healed magically. Killian had also quickly rummaged through the kitchen to find bread and water, and forced Elyse to take a moment to eat something. She had absolutely no appetite, and initially she resisted, but Killian insisted—in his stern lieutenant’s voice—that she had to keep her strength up.
Admittedly, she did feel better after eating. Her body still ached, but her mind felt clearer as she focused on the map before her. Her eyes narrowed in on the neat, gothic letters that notated CLIFFGUARD, and the shimmering gold dot just northwest.
“That way,” Jaime said, nodding toward the mountains that spanned the western landscape. They appeared endless, a formidable expanse of evergreen trees and craggy peaks.
Elyse brushed a strand of hair from her face and looked to the east. Somewhere out there, her friends were together—counting on her. Counting on them.
She inhaled, nodding her head, gathering her momentum. “Okay,” she breathed. “Let’s go.”
A narrow dirt path led them into the forest, away from the small town bustle. Elyse normally savored the feel of packed dirt beneath her boots, the soft cadence of marching feet, but she found no joy in it now. Not when worries pillaged her mind and anxieties swarmed her chest.
The path wove around trees, a scenic sort of labyrinth with no clear agenda or destination. It wasn’t long before they abandoned it, instead taking a more direct route, cutting through the forest.
It was endless.
Thousands of trees, millions of rocks, all while climbing a subtle yet taxing slope. But at least she had Killian.
His presence brought her a sense of calm. Not completely—no, there was nothing that would wholly soothe the panic that ravaged her. But with Killian by her side, she felt as if they were journeying toward possible victory instead of certain death.
Jaime marched ahead of them, as if unable to bear seeing her and Killian together. He kept a steady pace, one that Elyse’s short legs and aching muscles struggled to maintain. She rotated her shoulders every few minutes, trying and failing to alleviate the stiffness from being chained for hours. Distantly, she wondered how Sera was doing.
Most of her thoughts, though, were on what lay ahead. She was torn between checking the map religiously to monitor their progress, and continuing on, trudging ahead without interruption.
One thing was for certain, though. Ymaritis was here.
She knew it, somehow. Or rather, her magic did. It thrummed through her veins, snarling yet anxious, like a scared dog that bared its teeth at a stranger. Elyse didn’t understand how her magic could sense something dark lurking among the wildflowers and vibrant trees. It wasn’t something she cared to think about at that moment.
Her magic stirred more as the miles and hours passed, coupling dangerously with her anxiety. Killian and Jaime might not have been able to sense Ymaritis’s presence as she could, but they could see the sun hovering lower in the sky. The trio increased their pace, an unspoken understanding between them, until they were practically jogging up hill after hill.
Tension grew as the sun descended. The eastern sky was now a deep violet, while the western horizon brewed with the pink-and-orange gradient of dusk. The cicadas hummed their song, a fervent anticipation of nightfall. A buzzing manifestation of Elyse’s dread.
She could hardly keep herself from shaking. Even Killian, who had kept his expression neutral, his posture confident, now seemed to sway with worry.
“I’m going to climb one of these trees,” he declared, tugging Elyse’s wrist. “Maybe I can see something.”
She nodded, her stomach clenching as she noted the way his throat bobbed. His chest rose and fell along with his shallow breaths, and sweat coated his brow. He stalked toward the nearest tree and heaved himself onto the lowest branch.
“We should leave him,” came a low snarl in Elyse’s ear.
