“I suggest you reconsider,” he rasps. “Because in all reality, I don’t know you, and you don’t truly know me. It’s better to keep whatever this is on the surface. No point in taking it deeper.”
All his words go through one ear and out of the other. I can feel the heat of his mouth, his breath dancing across my slick skin. I remember the carriage, his hands all over me, the taste of ale and mint on his tongue…
I want him to kiss me. I want itbadly.
But he doesn’t give me the satisfaction. He releases me instead and steps away. I can’t stand how much my body aches at the loss of his touch.
“Let’s keep going. When we cross that bridge, we’ll be in Gadonia before we know it.” He fixes his mouth like he’s about to say something else, but just as quickly, his shoulders tense, and his eyes spark gold.
“Thane?” I call, concerned by his sudden change of mood.
Swiftly, he grabs my wrist and yanks me to the side as something silver and sharp flies through the air. The sight of the four-sided blade penetrating the mountainrightnext to my head makes my stomach coil. The lettersTSGare engraved in the center. I don’t know what they stand for, but I know whoever has thrown it is a real threat.
The air seems to grow stiffer with humidity as Thane turns his head a fraction to glare over his shoulder. That’s when I realize we’re not alone.
Coming up the mountain is Maliek and a cluster of assassins. Maliek narrows his blazing ice-blue gaze on us, weapons in hand, ready to attack. With the sound of a growl building in his throat, Thane lifts his mask and draws one of his swords. He stands in front of me to block me from Maliek’s view. “Get to the bridge with the others,” he commands, shifting to a defensive stance. His long fingers curl around the hilt of his sword as he grimaces at Maliek.
Before he can say anything else, Maliek lifts a hand in the air and points two fingers at us.
And with his silent command, the assassins rush in our direction.
Chapter 31
I should’ve chosen better shoes for this hike. Idefinitelywould have if I’d known a dozen assassins would be chasing us.Again.
My rucksack, full of food, water, my satchel, and a bag of candies, slams into my back as I book it. With lungs that feel like they’re about to burst, I run down the sloping side of the mountain; however, it’s much steeper than I anticipated.
“Shit, shit, shit!”I leap over a large rock, but another comes into view, and the tip of my boot catches on it before I can jump again. I careen forward, sliding downward on my palms. I can feel the skin on my hands rip open as the gravel and dust cloud around me, invading my mouth and nostrils. I cough as I look back to see four assassins a short distance away.
I push up on scraped, stinging hands and stumble forward. “Rynthea! Algar!” I scream. They’re ahead, nearing the bridge. They turn, along with Kelrean and the guards, and their eyes widen when they realize I’m being chased.
Something flies past me—another four-sided blade—and aims straight for Kelrean’s head. He catches it between his fingers with a bored scowl before it can hit him. Chucking it aside, he swoops his ax in the air, unleashes a lion’s roar, and sprints forward. Rynthea follows suit with her scythesword, and the guards storm after their prince. They all zoom past me to take on the assassins.
“Where the shadows did they come from?!” Algar shouts when I approach him.
“I don’t know!”
We hurry toward the bridge with Zephra flying behind us, but as we near it, I throw my hands out and come to an abrupt stop.
No one told us the bridge would be an ancient, unstable rope suspension bridge, or that there are rapids beneath it roaring so hard and swift, they’ll surely drown us in seconds if we fall.
“Oh Orvena,” I breathe.
“We have to cross,” Algar insists.
“It’s missing so many slats!” I yell over the thundering water.
“Then be light on your feet! Let’s go!”
“Why don’t you just teleport us over?!” I ask.
Algar’s eyes widen before he gives me a sheepish smile. “Oh, yeah. Spot on.”
I feel the energy coursing through him when he takes my hand, ready to send us across the bridge to safety. But that energy instantly seeps away, and his hand falls out of mine when he cries out in pain.
“Algar?” I call as he falls to his knees.
He drops to the ground, curling into the fetal position, still screaming like someone is stabbing him.
