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“What reason?”
“Obviously, they’re loyal, so there’s that. But also, it’s possible they don’t have useful powers. Maybe they don’t have any abilities at all. I haven’t seen them display any magic. If that’s the case, Glow wouldn’t affect them. Still, I don’t want to risk it.”
“They’ve seen our machine, though. It’s not a complicated design. They could easily replicate it after we’re gone.”
“They probably will.”
“Then what?”
“Chaos,” Ellister responds without doubt, his eyes intense as he rests his forehead against mine. “And not my problem. Not yours, either. If we’re successful in interfering with the bargain Envy is so intent on preventing, his world will be of his own making.”
“That sounds like it has the potential to turn out pretty shitty.”
“Aptly put, darling, but you will be safe. This I promise.”
Rising up on my tiptoes, I tug on his neck until his lips meet me halfway for a kiss. His tongue is warm when it strokes mine because he’s overheated from standing next to the fire for so long.
A throat clears, interrupting our PDA, and I break way from Ellister’s mouth to see Yorenzo peering at us over another one of his massive books. One of his eyebrows is lifted like he’s a school librarian who caught us making out in the stacks.
We should fuck right here, out in the open.
That’d really get his goat.
We won’t, though. Even if we’re basically being held hostage, I can’t help having a little bit of respect for Yorenzo.
Apparently, he’s somewhat of an expert at foraging. Yesterday, when I mentioned my love for sweet tea, he trotted off to the woods for a good hour. He came back with a bunch of little purple flowers and told me to steep them in hot water. The petals have a flavor close to the black tea I’m used to, and there’s a natural sweetness in the stems. It was such a nice thing for him to do. Although I didn’t have any ice to make the drink cold, sipping it was extremely enjoyable.
With Ellister hindered, he can’t jump around to places to get me my treats, and we’ve had to rely on hunting and gathering for our meals. If it weren’t for Yorenzo’s knowledge about leafy greens and root vegetables and Braham’s skill with a bow, we wouldn’t have had the tasty stew we’ve been eating.
Honestly, Braham and Yorenzo aren’t bad guys. The old me would be too busy being petty to feel sorry for the enemy, but I don’t want anything tragic to happen to them.
They’re just misguided. I realize they’re adults who can assess the risk of their situation and make their own decisions, but even intelligent people can get wrangled into a cult.
That’s what Envy’s group is. They can call it a kingdom or whatever, but when I look at them, I see men who are too scared to be ordinary. They want to feel special, and I guess serving Envy does that for them.
As I limp past Braham and Yorenzo, they not-so-discreetly back away, giving me a wide birth. My lips spread with a wide grin when I imagine speedily waddling toward them and watching them scatter like frightened chickens.
Both men mistake my loony smile for kindness, and they return with friendly sentiments.
“I hope you’re doing well today, Miss Hannah.” Braham bows slightly. “Can I get you anything? A blanket?”
Braham and his blankets. The only thing he brought along on this trip was a drawstring bag full of them. I haven’t seen him use them so I’m pretty sure he brought them for me.
Sigh.
See?
That pulls at my heart a bit, and I politely decline, “I appreciate it, but I’ve got what I need in the house.”
“Let me know if you’d like me to show you an edible weed I discovered along the fence,” Yorenzo offers pleasantly. “Perhaps we could make another tea and sit out on the back patio. It’s great weather for it.”
Yeah, the weather is good, thanks to Rymus. I keep forgetting about the fifth wheel to our party. The spy has been sleeping at the neighboring house—probably the safest decision for him since Ellister is still pissed about being deceived—but he’s been keeping it blessedly cooler than usual.
Every few hours, he trades the guarding shifts with the guys. It’s almost his turn to switch with Braham, and he’s sitting under the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the yard while he waits.
Unlike Braham and Yorenzo, Rymus appears to have zero warm feelings for me, and he acts like he’s too cool to do actual labor.
He’s totally useless on the working front. He won’t chop wood, and he refuses to participate in any hunting or group eating. He probably thinks he’s hot shit because Envy entrusted him with the portal we need to get back to Yelissa’s Peak.
