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He leaned up against a tree, remaining even further from me than he’d been the last time we spoke.
“Vevol is dying,” I told him. I didn’t bother softening the blow; it wasn’t something small. The goddess was dying, but she had assured me that she had already ensured that her land would survive. It was just her consciousness that was fading. Which was still a big deal, but not world-ending.
He blinked.
His forehead furrowed.
“The goddess Vevol is dying,” I clarified. “Bringing so many humans here and making them fae went against some sort of godly rule. She’s fading, now. The last of her magic will go into bringing one last group of humans here through Fovea’s brands, and then changing them, to make sure the fae population can start growing again. It’ll happen sometime soon, and then she’ll be gone.”
Teris blinked again, his forehead furrowing further.
All of that was the complete truth, though the wholesometime soonthing was extremely vague when I knew exactly what would trigger it.
“Why has she sent you to the klynna cave, then?” Teris finally asked, after a long moment had passed.
“Tell me where to find it, and I’ll tell you,” I countered.
His eyes narrowed at me.
Mine narrowed back at him. “I gave you answers. You haven’t done a damn thing except stalk me, Teris.”
He scoffed. “You’d get yourself killed out here on your own,Queen Naomi.”
The damn audacity of that man made my fists clench.
“It’s been almost two weeks, and I’m perfectly fine. Fuck off.” I stood up and strode away.
I’d find the damn cave on my own.
A strong hand wrapped around my wrist, and tugged hard. My body spun until my chest collided roughly with Teris’s. He grabbed me by the waist, holding my front flush against his.
My head was tilted back, his turned down, and our eyes were locked. While his orbs were a deep, intense teal color, mine were a piercing blue.
“You’re in the wrong mountain range. I’ll take you to the right one,” he said in a low growl. “Tell me.”
It was time to artfully mix truth and lie to satisfy him. With our bodies pressed together like they were, making my mind spin, it wouldn’t be easy. But I’d manage, because it was the only real option.
“The klynna cave connects to some sort of underground river cavern with a massive tree that Vevol calls her heart. She needs me to get all of the animals who live on the tree to leave, because it will die when she fades. It’s her anchor.”
The first part was true, but the second part was bullshit.
The tree wasn’t going to die.
But Teris wasn’t going to find that out.
He studied me, eyes narrowed.
If he’d known me better, maybe he would’ve picked up on the lie.
And if I hadn’t spent so many years so damn miserable, maybe I would’ve been a worse liar.
Teris finally dipped his head. “Fine. We’ll clear the tree. Then, we go back to the Stronghold and warn Fovea about what will happen with her brands.”
“Why does she need a warning? Because you have feelings for her?” I shot back, without thinking it through. My heart pounded wildly against his chest, and I could feel his beating hard against mine too. “I know you lost the fight with Nev to mate with her.”
His eyes darkened. “I’ve neverlosta fight with Nev. We leave in the morning.”
With that, he released my hip and shifted forms, disappearing back into the forest.
