“What?”I feel my mouth fall open.
“Forget it. I was kidding.” He chuckles, though I can tell it’s forced. “Never thought anything would scare that man. Turns out he met his match in a simple hug.”
I don’t regret the embrace. I love my tattoo. Andras transformed the dreaded Gray Mind mark into a symbol of the hopefulness I’m trying so hard to feel about this journey.
About my future.
About Kaelen.
Even about Artemisen herself.
Yes, if anybody looks closely, they’ll be able to see the brand beneath the ink. The scar tissue is distinctive. I’ll just be sure not to let anyone get that close to me.
Kaelen puts his arms around me and kisses tears from my cheeks. “Are you really okay?”
“I’m more than okay. This tattoo is such a small thing, in terms of size, but huge in terms of symbolism.” I hold it up to the moonlight. “Gray Mind ispartof me, notallof me. I’m never again going toallow anyone to define me with this label. I’m notaGray Mind. I’m a person whohasGray Mind. WhobattlesGray Mind. A person who hasdefeatedGray Mind, over and over, day by day, hour by hour, every single time it sinks its fangs into my brain.”
“You’re beautiful, Soli. All of you.”
Yes. I am.
Now I just have to remember to believe it.
“We’ve delayed long enough,” I announce to the group gathered around the fire. “Let’s get back on the road. There may be more of them around.”
Here’s another thing I didn’t know about tattoos: They itch.
After we ride through the dark night for a few hours, not at a fast pace but certainly a steady one, Kaelen rides over to check on me. “Are you okay? Not much pain?”
“It just itches.” I hold up my arm, concealed beneath a fresh linen wrapping. “And your bracelet looks even better on my right wrist.”
“Yourbracelet.” He leans over to kiss me, but I hastily turn my head, so his lips graze my cheek.
“Not in front of everyone!” I can’t help feeling shy despite his earlier displays of affection in front of our group. I need time to come to terms with the idea of open affection between us.
The prince and the nobody, an inner voice chants whenever he’s near me.
I need time to get past that, too.
Strange how hard it is to break out of a cage whose only bars are in your mind.
Kaelen grins at me. “Never hurts to try. Maybe tonight, I can catch you alone and—”
I cut him off. “Are you sure you’re okay? No injuries from the fight? I hated hiding in the wagon when you were in danger.”
His deep purple eyes brighten. “You worried about me?”
“Iworried about everyone!”
“You worried about me.” His smug smile lights up the starless night sky.
We round a bend in the road to see Andras and Serge ant Neville dragging a log out of the road, and Chitai immediately rips two daggers out of their sheaths and stands in her stirrups, gazing about.
“What?” I follow her gaze, feeling every muscle in my body tense as yet another flood of adrenaline rushes through me. “What is it?”
“It’s a common trap. Travelers have to stop and move the tree, becoming vulnerable to attack,” Kaelen says, putting a hand on his sword hilt.
“Not a trap,” Bern calls out.
