Page 15 of Revealing Fate

Kal eyed her. “There are more ways to maim someone than with a blade or bow. Sometimes, more discreet methods are required.”

“So, now you’re a herbologist, too, I suppose?” She was pouting, but it was better than being gnawed alive by her own shame. “You probably picked all those deadly herbs with your own two hands.”

“Some, yes,” he replied matter-of-factly. “The kossroot I bought, but two of the bags you emptied were a specific blend that took me weeks to compound.”

Fantastic. He was a weapons wizard and an evil scientist.

“Speaking of herbs,” Kal added, “you’re due for another dose of anti-toxin.”

Five minutes later, Felíne sat huddled next to a fire, warming her frigid body and sipping the gods-awful tea Kal brewed for her. She was still wearing his clothes. They smelled like woodsmoke, honeyed bourbon, and Kal.

“Drink some more,” he instructed from where he sat adjacent to her.

She wrinkled her nose. “It’s terrible.”

“Do you prefer brain damage?”

Felíne gave Kal a side eye. “I know this herb,” she said, indicating her mug. Belohna. A sticky little weed known for its incredibly powerful antidotal properties. “But I’ve never had to take it myself. We treated patients for overdoses with this stuff. No wonder we had to tube feed most of them.”

“You know belohna, but you didn’t recognize the kossroot?”

Felíne shrugged, not having to feign ignorance. “By the time shurii made it to my mender’s clinic, they’d already ingested whatever it was that required treating. Belohna works on just about any poison. I was more focused on making sure they kept breathing.”

Perhaps, if she’d been a little more concerned with the cause instead of fixating on the symptoms, she wouldn’t have unknowingly overdosed herself, a thing she’d certainly consider in the future.

Felíne looked around. The forest was tranquil. The trees directly overhead still held summer’s green leaves, but the rest of the wood had been painted in color. She’d read books about fall and the changing of leaves with the cooler seasons, but seeing it for herself left her awed and breathless. Everywhere she turned, bleached trunks and twisting tree limbs reached toward bursts of crimson, gold, and vibrant orange.

The morning air was crisp. A gentle breeze swept through the underbrush, so different than the arid, scorching heat back home that lingered this time of year—summer refusing to let go. In a few more weeks, the temperature in Asteros would break, ushering in frigid nights and chilly mornings. She’d always looked forward to her birthday for that reason. Felíne wondered where her birthday would be spent this year, if she didn’t figure out how in the Goddess’s name she was going to get home. Her attempt last night hadn’t ended anywhere close to how she’d intended. And now…

“We’re in Stillwater Wood.”

Kal nodded. “Don’t sound so morose about it,” he said. “The forest saved your life. Belohna grows in abundance just inside the tree line.”

No, Kal had saved her life. Again. Felíne was becoming increasingly indebted to him. Something she’d been trying desperately to avoid. And it was making it harder and harder to leave. To lie to him.

That’s not why it’s so hard.

She ignored the quiet voice in the depths of her mind. If she gave it any attention, she’d lose what little hold she had on her ability to distance herself. She was already more emotionally involved than she could afford to be.

Felíne kicked back the remainder of her tea and gagged involuntarily. She shuddered.

“Good girl,” Kal praised. “We should get moving.” He held out a hand to her. Felíne accepted it. Her legs felt weak and shaky as she stood.

Without warning, Kal hooked a hand under her knees and swept her into his arms. A little gasp left her, and her face heated. She was braced against his chest, feeling the strength in his biceps as he cradled her. His breath was soft and warm, smelling faintly of mint. Her own breath probably smelled like sour belohna tea.

Felíne nonchalantly angled her head away.

“Who’s a dragon now?”

Oh, the arrogant…She scowled. There was no getting anything past him.

Kal’s dark eyes lit with mirth, a black sea reflecting the sun’s glow. “Reach into the pocket of my shirt.”

Felíne did as he asked, slipping her fingers beneath his leather vest and pulling out a small bundle of mint leaves. Grateful, she popped one in her mouth and started to chew. Immediately, the foul taste of her tea dissipated. She tucked the remainder back, trying to ignore the feel of his flexed pectoral as he shifted his hold. What would it feel like to touch him, skin to skin? It wasn’t the first time she’d wondered as much.

“Damn me for a fool, but sometimes, I really wish I could read your mind.”

Felíne worried he could, the way his knowing eyes searched her own. “I don’t,” she replied immediately.