I hold his gaze for another moment.
“Fine.”
“Okay.” He motions for me to turn and continue forward.
As we continue walking, the path never splits. That’s good. I’m starting to think this is a dead end. We haven’t seen a single creature or any sign of life besides the vines. If they’re even living.
I hear Daegan halt behind me.
“What—”
I look in the direction he’s looking, and I let out a yelp.
Two skeletons lie against the wall. I take several steps back and look away as Daegan crouches down in front of them.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I can’t…”
“It’s okay,” he says rather gently. “Just give me a moment.”
I glance at his crouched frame, trying my hardest not to make eye contact with death, and then look away again.
“Let’s go,” he tells me as I hear him stand and step away. I walk past the scene on the far side of the tunnel, then scurry away a little faster.
He looks over at me with… concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I’m kind of… soft sometimes.”
“I know.”
He looks at me like it’s not an insult, but simply a fact he’s familiar with already.
“Did you find anything.”
He shakes his head. “Nothing left. They were burned.”
A brief wave of nausea passes through me, but I shake it off. I can do this. Unfortunately, I fear I will eventually become desensitized to these things with this path I’ve chosen.
One day. Maybe.
He flashes me a sympathetic look, then walks on, allowing me to walk ahead of him again.
He doesn’t wait long to talk. I think he’s trying to distract me.
“Do you really think your father is simply going to let us walk right back into the castle after this?”
I twist my lips in thought. If I’m honest with myself… “No.”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t go back at all.”
The idea that he’ll be saying goodbye soon twists a dagger into my chest. Forget whatever is up ahead. I can handle that. “I have to.”
“Why won’t you come with us?”
I won’t tell him. Not when he’s been so adamant that nothing can happen between us. “Many reasons,” I answer, barely above a whisper. It’s not really a lie. I’m still not convinced that searching outside of Ellyar is the best plan.
He pauses for a long moment.
“What about the few dragon shifters who are still waiting for you back at the castle?” I ask him.
