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With his hand around my waist, Sunder leads us deeper into the woods. I don’t know how long we walk in silence, but the next time I blink, the sun’s already setting. He finally releases me, setting our bags down beside a tree. I look around at the small clearing in the brush, searching for Bobble.
His orange head peeks out from the tall grass for a quick look around before falling back below.
“Keep up with us, okay Bobble? I’d be lost without you,” I whisper. Since he’s one of the Shards, I assume that he has some kind of ability to survive in this strange landscape.
He’s far better off than I am, anyway.
I blink, realizing that while I have Bobble, I’m missing something else. I turn to Sunder. “We left our clothes there by the fire.”
My voice feels scratchy after not talking or drinking all day. Sunder looks up from his crouching position as he digs through his bag, eyes wide with worry. “It’s ok. We’ll find more.”
“Won’t they know who we are? Won’t they look for us?”
His shoulders shrug. “Maybe. But I’ll keep you safe, Mira. We’ll sleep here tonight. No fires this time.”
He hands me some jerky and a navy blue blanket to lie across my shoulders. I accept both without comment, staring blankly at the dirt.
“We will see more violence before this ends, Mira,” he said more softly as he wraps an arm around me. His head drops low, taking a deep breath.
“I guess I’ll need to get used to it, then.”
My stomach is queasy as the dying sounds of the centaur haunt me.
“Sleep. There are things we need to do to protect ourselves, but we can talk about it tomorrow. I’ll take first watch.”
I curl up with my back pressed against a moss-covered boulder, blanket wrapped around me. I watch Sunder settle into a comfortable yet alert position nearby. His form is lit by the mushrooms all around us, shining with every color of the rainbow.
He peers into the empty, oddly quiet forest. Bobble curls up next to me, but for once he doesn’t fall asleep right away. We’re all on edge.
The hard ground makes my hips and knees ache, but I barely feel it as exhaustion pulls me into a deep sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mira
I know I’m dreaming.
Because this place isn’t real.
Again, I’m in the thick forest of the Dreamshare, the glowing mushrooms light the ground around me and the branches above. Chroma presses at the edge of the small bubble of my awareness. Snow drifts around me as leaves rustle behind. Bobble’s tall, broad figure rushes toward me with snowflakes in his auburn hair. His fair skin is pink from the cold.
“You’re here,” he says as his lips press into my cheek, grabbing me into a cozy bear hug.
I blink at him, frozen as my toes. My attraction to this man puts my core to the torch, but my mind screams at me in response. Bobble’s face swirls in my mind, images from the past as a cat. I can’t help myself, however. His care is so genuine, and it’s so warm that it practically radiates from him.
I know that he’s my cat. I know how completely and totally weird this is.
But as Bobble wraps me in a full hug, all I can think about are hopes for a future with the man.
He pulls back slowly, making sure that I get the most out of his tender embrace. Finally, his face searches mine. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “No. And I’m so happy you’re here,” I whisper.
It’s true. I’m so happy to see him in this form, I could cry.
Bobble’s smile is warm, and he nods. “Come with me.”
His warm hand swallows me as he leads me to his stone cottage. Bright light streams from the windows into the barren night. When he opens the door for me, scents of fresh baked bread waft in the air. The hearth crackles with low flames, filling the room with warmth. The flickering glow casts shadows on the walls, constantly moving as if alive.
