The soldiers slammed against the wall, shouting, but none of them had the presence of mind to try to go over the top or shoot from the top. Considering that I wasn't sure whether I could holdthat shield and stop any arrows if they shot at us, I was glad they weren't smart enough to be a threat.
I held the shield until long after we had gotten away, both Legacy and I panting as we slowed to a walk. My muscles shook, both from the physical strain and the use of magic, and my lungs pinched painfully. I gritted my teeth and kept walking, refusing to admit pain first.
Legacy bent over and placed her hands on her knees, panting so hard that I could barely understand what she said next. "Fine. Apparently not letting us get shot full of arrows is good enough."
I swept into a low bow and grinned, my cheeks warming.
While neither of us said anything as we finally started moving again, much slower this time, no doubt we were thinking the same thing. Everywhere we went, someone wanted to kill us, and they were getting closer and closer to succeeding. Even worse was the possibility that they would go around killing anyone who had even seen us.
I didn't want that on my conscience. But for now, we had to make sure that we had gotten away and try to get back to hunting down Tannin and the other advisors.
Until they were dealt with, there would be no peace for us.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Once again, I had passed out, or at least close to it.
With a groan, I shifted. I was just conscious enough to feel it as my head was lifted gently, and something was placed underneath it. I didn't move for another few minutes, but finally I pried my eyes open.
Legacy arched her eyebrows and prodded me with her finger, although it wasn't as rough as it could have been.
Her expression soft, she leaned a bit closer to me. "How are you feeling? You should have said you were so tired before you passed out."
I flushed and leaned slowly up on my elbows in our small camp hidden within a copse of trees, my head spinning. I hadn't intended to pass out at all, let alone in front of her. I hadn't realized that my body would simply give up like that.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled, closing my eyes again.
I didn’t want to feel her judgment, but there was none in her voice when she stroked my hair.
“I’m not angry,” she murmured. “Only concerned.”
I opened my eyes, and this time I sat up fully, searching her face for…I didn’t know what. Who had ever been concerned about me before, let alone a girl who had started out as anenemy? A strange journey for us, to be sure. But not one I regretted at all.
Maybe it was relief that Legacy had shown me the closest thing to affection I'd had in years or some small bit of madness brought on by my exhaustion, but a fierce desire to kiss her suddenly overcame me.
So I did.
Terrible idea, something I realized when her lips remained firm and unyielding under mine, as if she didn't know how to react.
My cheeks flaming, I ripped away from her and turned my head, already trying to scramble together a reason as to why I had done that.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a tendency to do very foolish things,” I blurted, “and then I realize immediately afterwards that was a bad idea, so let's just ignore that ever happened."
My shoulders practically pinched my ears, and I refused to look at Legacy. How could I have been such a fool? She was my enemy. She had knocked me out, stalked me, kidnapped me… And those were only the things I could name right now.
But she had also given me water, cared for my wounds, saved me from torture… What was I supposed to think?
Legacy muttered under her breath behind me, more like she was talking to herself than to me, but I didn't turn. Maybe if I pretended it hadn't happened at all, then Legacy would too.
"You talk too much," Legacy finally said, and my flush deepened.
I didn't turn, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me to face her.
“The last thing I want is to listen to why you think I’m a f—” I started to say, but she cut me off with her lips.
My mind blanked, but I scrambled for a reason to keep kissing her. I didn’t need one. I just wanted to feel this for a little longer.
