“We’ll figure it out,” I whisper.
Our eyes lock, and a moment passes. Then he takes a deep breath, turns onto his stomach and wraps both of his arms under the pillow. The sheet is only pulled over his bottom half. His muscled back and shoulders are glowing in the dim fire light.
I flip over again, closing my eyes. Somehow, I believe him. His presence, though frustrating, still comforts me in a way I can’t explain.
“I’ll look after you tomorrow, Elysande,” he says softly, sleepily. “Nothing bad is ever going to happen to you if I can help it.”
I smile to myself, then drift off into sleep shortly after.
In the middle of the night, I wake to the feeling of an unnaturally warm arm wrapped around me, and a body pressed against my back. A smoky, comforting scent surrounds me, and I drift back into sleep again.
Chapter 37
“Thank you for everything,” I tell the small, timid innkeeper. I let my gaze linger to make sure she knows that I’m thanking her for more than just the lodging and food.
“You’re welcome,” she chirps in a high-pitched voice.
“That’s great you ended up selling out last night, does that happen often?”
She tilts her head, confused. “We didn’t…”
I match her look of confusion, then glance at Meela and Raef eating breakfast across the room.
Those fuckers.
I turn back to the innkeeper with a smile. “Nevermind.”
When I return to the table, I decide not to say anything. For now. But I watch Meela and Raef with interest, wondering if they had any plans to hook up at all. Meela is never touchy to begin with, but they don’t seem like two people who just had an intimate night together. It’s hard to say.
I meet Daegan’s eyes and smile softly. Somehow, it’s not awkward this morning. If anything, I’m grateful for the night we spent together. It calmed me in a weird way.
I woke up in his arms this morning, and I knew by his breathing he was still asleep. I stayed there for a while, enjoying the warmth. I know I will never be his, but it was nice to enjoy the comfort of someone else’s presence for a little while. I wondered how long it took him to fall asleep, because he’s said before that he doesn’t sleep much. But based on the deep, relaxed state I found him in, it seemed like he slept just fine.
And this morning, it seems like there are fewer shadows under his eyes. Or maybe that’s my imagination.
I can’t eat much due to my nerves slowly creeping back in again, so I sit back and wait for everyone else to finish.
“Eat more,” Daegan orders me quietly.
I look across the table at him, lifting an eyebrow.
“Please,” he adds with a little bit of sarcasm.
I shovel another bite into my mouth, then look at him mockingly for approval.
“More.”
I roll my eyes and cross my arms. I know he’s right. We all need our energy for the day. But I can’t stomach it right now.
He shoves a few slices of bread in his pocket. “For later,” he mumbles.
After breakfast, we head to the stables and load up our supplies and weapons. I have four daggers on me. Two in holsters on each of my thighs, and two on my belt. I had to forego the dress today, opting for black pants, boots, and a black tunic instead. And a handy black belt. Meela is dressed similarly.
Rhydra’s weapon of choice is a staff. Raef and Daegan carry swords on their backs, among other weapons, and Gaethri has a silver mallet.
We’re as prepared as we can be. It’s time to go find a relic.
The journey to the cave entrance isn’t far. We ride through the ashwood trees as rain lightly pours down on us, creating a pleasant smell in the air from the wet foliage. We pass a few landmarks that the innkeeper described to us until we finally emerge from the trees into a large clearing that leads right to the entrance into the mountain. It’s not incredibly big, maybe the width of two or three bodies standing side-by-side, and dark vines crawl along the side of the mountain, coming from inside the cave entrance on all sides.
