From my seaton an old tree stump, curled in on myself against the cold, I glare at Alexus Thibault, wondering if looks can kill.
Tame me?Tame me?
Who does this man think he is?
Though I felt relief when I first saw him earlier this evening, that doesn’t mean I want to spend another night with him. I didn’t really think that part through when we left Borier Hill, that I would have to enduresleepingnear him.
“You’re certain the fire is all right?” he says from where he sits crouched, knees spread wide as he adds twigs and sticks to the fire he built in a small clearing.
I offer a simple nod. There’s no other way for us to stay warm tonight. It’s far too cold. I’ll just have to work a little harder to keep my mind from torturing me.
“Can we talk about something?” he asks.
Feeling awkward, I shrug but then sign, “Sure.”
“Perhaps I reacted a bit harshly earlier.”
Guilt I don’t want to feel swells. He wasn’t being harsh. He was being honest. My hatred once again led me to trouble, the very thing I promised my mother wouldn’t happen. If danger finds Nephele…If it takes her from me because I chose to be a stubborn arse…
I won’t survive it.
“It’s just that over the course of my life,” Alexus continues, “I’ve spent countless days and nights in this wood. Even without being enchanted, Frostwater is no place for anyone who hasn’t traveled its groundmanytimes. I only wanted to keep you safe, and you were being impossible. Your sister would never forgive me if I let something happen to you.”
A flush rushes up my chest and neck. I like to think I could’ve kept myself safe, but sometimes, whether I care to admit it or not, experience trumps daring.
This is one of those times.
“Also,” he goes on, “there’s a very good chance we might be forced to spend several nights together out here, so you should get used to me. I don’t bite.” A flicker of humor flashes across his eyes. “Not hard, anyway.”
“Hilarious,”I sign, doing my best to keep my face expressionless, though a part of me is thankful that he seems to be trying to break the tension in the air.
A smile tugs one side of his mouth. “I’m only saying, there are a lot of dangerous things in this wood besides me. Wolves, boars, venomous snakes. Ghosts, wraiths, spirits. You never know what might come crawling out of the dark.”
He tosses a small pebble at my feet, the movement so quick I almost miss it. But Idon’tmiss it, and yet I still jump half out of my skin. The thought of being surrounded by wolves, or boars, or waking up covered in snakes terrifies me. That’s true. But at least theother creatures he mentioned don’t exist. Not anymore, that is. Ghosts and wraiths and spirits are just fodder for scary stories.
“You are a child,”I sign.
“I thought I was a trickster teacher. A liar.”
“You are those as well. And more.”
Again, he smiles, and it’s beyond irritating how devastating it is, even with a busted lip. His lone dimple makes an appearance, too, making matters even worse. It’s hard to cling to violent hatred and continue utterly despising someone who lights up the world when they smile.
Damn him to the Nether Reaches.
Though I’m glad the tension between us has lessened, and though I’m struggling to stop looking at him, I don’t find his joking about the wood funny at all. The leaves and limbs in a nearby tree keep rustling like something’s climbing or walking up there, making me restless.
I was raised in a vale. I’m used to all sorts of creatures wandering into the village, climbing on the thatch, scurrying into the cottage. But the wood has forever been contained. Impassable. A mystery world I never thought I’d enter. It still feels just as forbidden and dangerous as it did before my world came crashing down. Possibly more so.
Gods. The best thing I can do is go to sleep.
There are no pine needle or grass beds tonight, but I lie down and turn on my side anyway, my back to Alexus. The moment I close my eyes, his deep voice drifts over the fire.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you that I’m sorry for the loss of your village. And your mother.”
The moment he speaks those words, I see her smiling at me, so real. I sit up, heart pounding against my ribcage as I hug my knees to my chest. After a few minutes, I finally face him.
The truth is that I don’t want to talk about what happened in the vale, especially with the Collector, but he seems so sincere, and I really haven’t had time to process the enormity of the disaster. The loss feels so great I don’t think it’s truly hit me yet, like reality will arrive in cresting waves.
