“I know my words mean nothing to you now.” He shook his head. “I know I fucked all of this up. I’d resigned myself to a different fate. No matter how sure I’d been of my path, nothing prepared me for finding you. I’ll show you, prove that I can do better. And hope I can earn back a semblance of your trust by the time we break this curse.”
He finished with a surety that I couldn’t ignore. It sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach even as it churned with anxiety. I didn’t know which outcome to hope for. To finishour task and be done with him as fast as possible? That’s what I’d told myself in Linia. But did I want him gone?
The way his palm curled around my cheek made me want to lean into him, made me want to believe his offered words.
“I’m here for you, Chaos. I follow you. As long as you’ll have me.” Again, he spoke words of reassurance I didn’t even know how to ask for. I opened my mouth, unsure how to respond. His gaze was patient, and his thumb swiped across my cheek again.
The rain grew dense, like a curtain of water that couldn’t be parted. Hart must have realized his lazy swipes did nothing to fight the onslaught. Lightning flashed, and something cracked in the distance. A tree?
Then something salty coated my tongue. It wasn’t quite fear. In that moment, his intense focus morphed into concern.
Hart repeated Eris’s warning as he tilted his head into the downpour. “She’s bound to notice.”
Themis.
“She’ll get more creative,” I added.
A brief glance down the mountain illuminated our next challenge. Rain churned to mud, and the crack we’d heard sent the first tree tumbling down the mountainside, toward our safe harbor in these woods.
“We have to get to the Storm.” He grabbed hold of my hand, steady and warm as he urged us into a sprint down the trail.
20
For this to work, you’ll confront truths I'm sure you’d rather stay buried.
— ALARIC SARE’S PAPERS FOR EMBERLINE ARKOVA
My feet did everything to slip from beneath me as we ran down the switchbacks. Was it my imagination, or did the rain grow heavier with our every step? Another sharp crack sounded behind us.
“Come on, Ember,” Hart urged.
The crush of leaves against leaves and the thud of a tree trunk against another signaled how quickly nature surrendered to the downpour.
My parents. So many others who sought refuge from Rodric’s magic. Alysa and Reid. What could they do against a naturaldisaster?
Panic washed through me like the rain against my skin. Hart must have tasted my fear.
“We’ll move them to higher ground.” His answer was so sure. So solid. The same as the hand that wrapped around mine, nearly dragging me forward to our destination.
“Charon could help,” I replied numbly. He’d flown back to the valley. We still thought he would be too conspicuous this close to the city.
Hart squeezed my hand and pressed forward. “We made the right decision. He would draw more attention than he would help. He can only carry, what, two at a time? And if he were so close to the city, for multiple trips, Rodric’s guards would surely take note.”
I nodded as we ran. This wasn’t new information, but Hart understood that I needed reassurance as we plunged into the unknown.
How did he always know?
Another question I probably didn’t want to answer. Another reminder of everything I’d shared.
We started sprinting. I pushed away the fear of my feelings, of what our conversation meant. Of unanswered questions about these trials and what would happen when we challenged Rodric.
The large boulders that marked the entrance to the camp were finally in view. People spilled around them, not at all inconspicuous like our usual approach. Many slipped and slid as I would without Hart’s steady hold. Residents strove to keep their footing even as they carried rolled-up tents, trunks, and other necessities toward us. They were packing up. A trail of people headed to higher ground.
Hart found Reid almost immediately. Rain drenched the shorter man, soaking through his clothing. He tore down a tenthimself while he called out instructions on how to repeat the action to someone nearby.
“Hart.” The relief was evident in his voice. “We could use your help.”
“No shit,” Hart whispered.
