“Hell shadows,” Corson answered. “Unlikeyour shadows, they can move of their own free will, but they areunable to touch you.”
I edged away from the hole, determined tostay upright and strong, but my knees gave out on my third step.Kobal swept me up and into his arms before I could hit the groundand firmly braced me against his chest. Draping my arms around hisneck, I pressed against him as tremors racked my body.
His breath warmed my ear. “Easy, MahKush-la. I have you.”
As Kobal turned to walk away, I caught theconcerned looks Corson and Bale exchanged with each other. Erin,Vargas, and Hawk were pale, but hope shimmered in their eyes forthe first time in weeks. My gaze slid to the pit. I wanted to feelhopeful too, but I felt like I’d just completed a triathlon.
It will be better tomorrow.I toldmyself this, but I wasn’t convinced.
CHAPTER 8
River
“What do you mean not today?” Idemanded.
Kobal glanced at me from under the fringe ofhis thick, black lashes. He rose from the stream and started towardme. Despite my irritation with him, I couldn’t help but greedilyfollow the beads of water sliding over his body as I fought theimpulse to lick every single one of those drops from his bronzedskin.
“I know you’re impatient to try again, andso am I, but you have to admit you’re not up for it again today,”he said.
I stood on the bank, yet he was still myheight as he stopped before me. He’d insisted on me bathing beforehim so he could keep watch, but I believed it was so he wouldn’t betempted to take me. He’d been treating me like glass sinceyesterday.
I planted my hands on my hips as I took adeep, calming breath. “I feel fine,” I insisted. “Sleep, food, andfeeling the life all around me have already strengthened meagain.”
To prove my point, I turned my hand over toreveal the slice across my palm. It wasn’t completely healed, butthe mark had stopped bleeding yesterday, and only a faded pinkscratch remained. My rate of healing had been improving since I’dstarted using my ability to draw life from the Earth more and thedeepening of my bond with Kobal, but this was the quickest I’d everseen it happen.
“You’re healing much faster,” hemurmured.
“I know. It’s like I’m Hawk, minus thecanagh demon blood that helped to heal him.” His brow furrowed asif he were troubled by something. “What’s wrong?”
Water sloshed around his feet as he walkedthe rest of the way out of the stream to the shore. He took thetowel I held out to him. “Nothing is wrong,” he replied. “Thecontinued increase in the rate of your healing probably explainshow some of your ancient ancestors lived such lengthy lives. Theirconnection with the Earth must have fueled their lifespans.”
“So that means I’ll make it to at least ahundred and fifty.”
“One can hope,” he said with a smile and ranthe towel over his hair.
“You wouldn’t want a wrinkled oldwoman.”
“I want you any way I can have you, River.There will never be a time I don’t.”
My breath sucked in. I bit my bottom lip ashe lowered the towel and his gaze raked over me. I couldn’t thinkabout growing older while he remained youthful and powerful, but Ididn’t doubt his words, not for a second.
“So, I’m pretty much healed,” I said as away to get off the depressing topic of my eventual demise. “Whichmeans I’m good to give it another try today. Maybe I could even trygoing down the road and into the pit to see what happens.”
He tossed the towel over his shoulder. “Andareyoustrong enough to do it again today? I see theshadows under your eyes. I feel the weariness in your bones. Don’tforget I am the one who holds you at night. I am the one who isbonded and connected to you.”
“I could never forget that, but Ifeelstrong, and I made some progress yesterday. We won’tknow what kind of progress it was if we don’t continue.”
“You did make progress.” He rested his handson my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “But I think it would bebetter if you were back to full strength before going near Hellagain or trying to enter it.”
I held my protests back. I was impatient toget back to the gateway and see if there was something more I coulddo. However, I had to admit I still didn’t feel 100 percent.Exhausting myself wouldn’t do any of us any good, but the idea ofdoing nothing all day was intolerable.
“What will we do today then?” I asked.
“We’ll do some hunting. If we’re going tostay, we need to find more food to replenish the dwindlingsupplies.”
“We’re staying longer then?” I asked, unableto keep the hope from my voice. I hated this place, but I didn’twant to admit defeat.
His fingers dug briefly into my shouldersbefore he eased his grip. “No matter how badly I’d prefer you notbe here, we cannot turn away from this new development,” he gratedin a hoarse voice. “We will stay until we can see if you’ll makeany further progress. Your blood affected the shadows, but thatdoesn’t mean it will close the gateway.”
