My arm crept carefully around her waist, pulling her tight to my side. Sharing my warmth until she stopped shivering, and a quiet hum of contentment slipped from her lips.
Dead.I was dead.
I needed sleep too. My muscles ached. Each of my fingers was raw and cramped from clinging to the rough branches. My nerves were frayed, still unraveling from watching Marin lose her grip.
Our hunt was only going to get worse.
The climb had been merciless, and more waited in the morning. But more of this wasn’t waiting for me, so Istayed awake, listening to the wind, and not my internal voice telling me something had changed. Not because of the kiss. That had been reckless and driven by the complete and utter mayhem that had boiled my blood.
She’d chained me.
Left me.
If it hadn’t been for a stroke of luck, I’d still be shackled to a rail. And luck had no place when it came to keeping Marin safe. Luck was the enemy. Certainty was my companion.
But somethinghadchanged.
My head dropped against the branch, followed by a weary sigh. I just didn’t know if that something was in my favor, or if she planned to leave me again. Marin never saw failure as the final round. She fought harder. Evaded quicker.
What if next time, I didn’t get lucky?
Marin mumbled something in her sleep, and I braced her back as I gently lowered her head into my lap. She curled into herself, her breath evening out again. And only then did I let myself drift off, too.
***
The morning came too fast.
Marin stirred, stretching like a sleepy cat, her body soft and pliant, every movement unguarded. Her hair had fallen loose from its cord, spilling around her shoulders in tangled waves. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, her nose wrinkled like she was trying not to wake.
Then her eyes fluttered open and met mine.
She froze.
The pink on her cheeks flared to crimson, and her mouth opened without sound. She looked ready to bolt but had nowhere to run.
Perks of the vine, I guess.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, rolling off me with a wince. “I told you this space was too small for both of us. You should've moved me.”
I shrugged, my fingers flexing from the cold and the ache to drag her back into my lap.
“You were keeping me warm. And the conversation you had with yourself in your sleep was worth its weight in gold.”
She gasped. “I donottalk in my sleep!” Her nose twitched, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “What did I say?”
“That you find me incredibly charming. Handsome. Strong and capable. There was a lot of hero worshiping.”
Marin’s gaze narrowed. “Now I know you’re lying. The only thing I’ve ever worshiped in regards to you was your absence.”
I bit down on a smile. “Brutal, Mare.”
She flattened her lips and yanked her pack in front of her.Wards up.As if a bundle of clothes, some food rations, and the rest of her gear were enough to keep me at bay.
“I guess I won’t mention the moaning, then.”
Her pack landed in my face. I laughed.
She scrambled out of the nook, her face still flaming, and stood with fists clenched on the branch, facing the void. For a moment, she just breathed. I gave her that. Then I grabbed my pack and followed.
