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I should have said thank you, or something else that relayed my gratitude, but my mouth didn’t work. Kiara dipped her chin as if she understood everything I couldn’t say, and at that simple nod, a wall fractured within me. If I didn’t move soon, I risked cracking altogether.
With a final, lingering glance, I released her waist and gently nudged her forward. She followed my lead and stood, though she did so awkwardly.
Suddenly I was cold all over, and not just because I didn’t have a body pressed against mine.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kiara
Raina is often said to have possessed beauty such as the world has never seen. There have been few lucky enough to have been blessed by her presence, but they all claim the same thing—her eyes glowed a brilliant gold, a devastating eruption of light that blinded them and brought them to their knees.
Camille Ashton, Asidian historian,
year 40 of the curse
We spent the following evening out in the open.
Alec, Patrick, Jake.Alec, Patrick, Jake. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Were they safe? Were they angry with me?
Were they alive?
I matched every footfall to the rhythm of their names bouncing around in my head.Alec, Patrick, Jake.
It felt as though we were walking in circles. If I didn’t see another white tree with blue leaves ever again, I would die in peace.
I griped about this for the majority of the morning as my empty stomach grumbled in violent protest.
We passed some black berries a while back, but neither of us wanted to risk getting poisoned by aberry, of all things. Wild men oozing black blood? Sure. A hallucination-producing breeze? I could understand.
But a damn berry? No way was I going down like that.
Jude indulged my hunger-induced whining, occasionally sprinkling in an “uh-huh” or “I see” now and again. I didn’t think he was listening.
When I questioned his navigating abilities, he raised his dark brows in affront, awarding me an icy look that stopped me dead in my tracks. He then proceeded to enlighten me on his expertise in that particular area—how he wassucha skilled hunter and tracker—and this was when I inserted my own “uh-huhs” and “I sees.”
Ever determined to make his point, Jude flipped open his silver compass, pointing to the creased map as he explained we were to go northwest. Apparently, the king believed the keys were located in a valley quaintly named Nightshade’s Cradle.
It was during that first full day when I heard the glorious sounds of a bubbling stream.
“Thank the gods.” Jude exhaled sharply, his relief matching my own.
Our canteens had run out of water last night. Coming across this stream was pure luck.
Relying solely on our hearing, Jude and I padded through the thicket, nearly tumbling face-first into the stream before we realized it was in front of us. My boot splashed into the flowing waters, and I yelped, stumbling back.
“Graceful.” Jude repressed his smirk, but his eyes danced with laughter. Like the two sides of him, his eyes were portals into his soul. On one hand, he could be thoughtful and kind, warm. On the other, he could slay his enemies in seconds, a mask of death adorning his handsome features like he was born to wear it.
“Don’t push me, or I’ll toss you in,” I threatened, but I wasn’t as strong as Jude, because a smile curved my lips.
“Promises, promises,” he taunted, dropping to his knees with a groan. Cupping the water in both palms, he brought it to his lips to drink. He gave a growl of approval.
I wasn’t as refined as my commander. Lacking both dignity and grace, I let out a squeal of joy, collapsed to my knees, and proceeded to dunk my entire face into the stream.
It was divine.
Gods, I even shook my head beneath the chilled water, letting out a bubbling scream. I didn’t care that Jude shot me a peculiar look as I flipped my hair back, my face deliciously soaked and my parched lips painted in crystal droplets. I felt like a new woman.
“What?” I scoffed, unscrewing my canteen before submerging it into the depths. “Don’t tell me you didn’t want to do the very same.”
