She poked her head around the corner of the rundown building to her right, checking to make sure the coast was clear for her to slip away.
But before she did, she looked back at me one more time to answer my question.
“Valenia.”
Chapter Seventeen
By the time Matea and I slinked through the opening of the rock face and into the cave we’d set up camp in, night had fallen.
The moment our shadow forms entered the cave, Byn’s head snapped our way, his eyes scanning the darkness. Hecouldn’tsense shadows like some of the others could through theirzirilium, but he could senseme. Rayven, whohe’dbeen speaking to, also looked our way a moment before we materialized.
Byn started walking our wayimmediately, but I noticed Rayven looking over not just me to see if I was unharmed, but Matea too, his eyes lingering on her.
I tucked that small bit of information away.
“Are you alright?” Byn questioned as he approached.Once I confirmed I was, he looked toward Matea.“And you?”
“Me?” Matea asked, a hint of surprise in her tone.
“Yes, you. You are, technically, family, after all.” Byn smiled softly, his dimple popping.
Matea returned his smile with a timid one of her own before nodding. “Yes,I’mwell, too. But you should talk to your wife about making better decisions.”
With that, she walked deeper into the cave, looking back at me only to wink.
I groaned and quickly added, “I couldn’t help it!”
Byn quirked an eyebrow. Then, seeing my helpless expression, shook his head. “Come on,” he sighed. “Let’s make this easier by having you tell everybody at once.”
I hung my head dramatically, following behind my husband as we headed toward the center ofthe spaceand the group slowly gathered around.
For the next half hour, Matea and I sat in the middle of the gathered group and relayed what had happened and what we hadfound—momentby moment. I even pulled out the papers and laid them out beforeeverybody,in the order I assumedthey’dgone.
The only thing I left out was Valenia’s name, and the fact that I had promised to help find her nephew. The portrait of Kai sat in my internal cloak pocket, its weight heavier than the earth I wielded.
Once the group was up to speed on what had taken place, I let Matea answer questions they had as I grabbed Byn’s hand and discretely broke apart from them. Byndidn’tquestion what I was doing—he simply allowed me to guide him.
Moments later, we were outside in a small clearing within the sparse forest around us, only a short walk away from camp.
“I didn’t tell the group everything,” I admitted after dropping his hand and walking a few paces forward, beginning to pace.
“I know,” Byn said, gently tugging me to a stop by my shoulders and facing me to look at him. “Tell me,” heencouraged.
I let out a shaky breath, the weight of what I had promised to a near stranger feeling like a boulder resting on my chest.
“The female I mentioned—we talked more than I let on. Her name is Valenia, and shedidhave her own reasons for obtaining those leads. She believes that when we find the encampment,we’llfind her missing nephew—Kaison.” I paused, my hands beginning toshake. “I promised herI’dfind him. ThatI’dtake care of him for her until she could get to him.”
I watched as Byn’s eyes widened as his mind whirled with what this meant, and the weight hemust’venow understood that I felt.
Gently, he took my shaking hands into his.
“Together, Avi. We do this together.Wewill find Kaison, andwewill keep him safe until we can reunite him with Valenia,” he reassured me.
“You’re… not upset?”
“We are already looking for the camps—what’s one more task?” He smirked, his dimple making an appearance and his calmness helping to ease my anxiety.
“You make it sound so easy,” I stated, standing on my toes to place a kiss on his dimpled cheek.
