“You don’t know a thing about my thoughts.”
“Want to bet?” he says, his voice hard. “Sleep, Condesa. Tomorrow we face the river.”
My stomach clenches. For a moment I’d forgotten about the rushing water, and the Illari watching us, waiting for our next move. I exhale, willing my body to relax, but I can’t get that arrow out of my mind. Quick and deadly, coming from out of nowhere.
CAPÍTULO
Nueve
When I wake, Manuel is gone. I stumble out of the hammock and duck under the netting and broad leaves, frantic, my heart thudding against my ribs. The dappled jungle floor steams under my boots, alive and noisy with the sounds of buzzing locusts and rustling bushes. Our measly campfire has disappeared, swallowed whole during the night. From down the hill comes a steady thwacking noise, and I walk toward the river, careful not to touch anything. My clothes are a mess, the scent truly frightening. I haven’t bathed in maybe a week, not since I first arrived in this place.
Birds trill as I continue, my stomach grumbling. I slept as well as I could have expected, if a little cramped, squished against Manuel’s lean shape. Several times I woke, having to wipe the sweat from my face with my dirty tunic.
The immense tree trunks become sparse as the black river comes into view, long and wide from one end to the other. Manuel kneels in front of a rectangular raft made of bamboo and liana vines, and he cuts at smaller stalks. His hair is wet underneath his hat, for some unaccountable reason. The rest of him is dry, and while I wouldn’t say he’s precisely clean, most of the mud and grime has disappeared from his face and arms.
“Buenos días,” I say.
He doesn’t look up. “If you’re hungry, there’s scrambled eggs in the pan. I found papaya, too.”
No good morning. Not even a glance in my direction. “You’ve been busy.”
He grunts and moves over to a smaller pile of liana vines. The shorter stacks are tied to the bottom of the longer one, and the shape of an oar emerges. He quickly creates another one while I eat the rest of the food, still warm in the pan. I watch him work, his movements brisk, neat, and efficient. Always the same, no matter what he’s doing. Ana used to tell her children, “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” Her mandate governs Manuel to this day. No matter what he does, he does it with excellence. In this jungle, that’s a gift. But for my heart? His duty and honor are devastating.
He stands and pushes the raft toward the river. I bend over to help and together we get our makeshift transportation close to the edge, only a foot away from the lapping water. “We need to pack up,” he says.
As we walk back up the hill, I shoot him a glance. His shoulders are tense, jaw locked tight. He’s still angry I didn’t leave the jungle when I had the chance. “You’re not happy with me.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m happy or not. All that matters is your safety.”
“And yours.”
“No,” he says ruefully. Then he stops, forcing me to stop, but I’m grateful to catch my breath. “Have you been paying attention to where we are?”
“Aren’t you doing that?”
His lips thin. “What if I’m dead?”
“Then chances are, I’ll be dead too.”
“I never want to hear that from you again. If I’m dead, it’s because I was protecting you, and you need to live no matter what.”
“You’d die for me, wouldn’t you?” I hate the idea of how much trouble I’m putting him through, by remaining here with me in this jungle, risking his life.
“Without hesitation.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Me too.”
“I wish you’d been there,” I say softly. “During the fight for the throne, when I’d lost and Ximena betrayed me. Things might have ended differently.”
“Had I known, I would have fought with you.” He straightens and lifts his chin toward the trees. “Do you know where the jungle border is? Just in case you need to walk back out.”
I take a moment to think. “We’ve been going in a straight line, so it’s this way.” I point behind me.
If I weren’t his sovereign, I swear he’d start laughing. The corners of his mouth twitch, but he manages to fight the lurking smile. He ticks my arm several notches to the right. “This way. The jungle will eat you alive, Condesa, if you’re not constantly aware and careful and vigilant. Want to survive out here? You need to pay attention.”
I reach out and grab his arm. He looks down at my fingers and then slowly upward to meet my gaze.
