I still haven’t felt much different since Kezra initiated her bond. Not that I’ve had much time to focus on that. When I get time alone with her again, I’m going to ask more questions.
“We should head for shore soon,” Rhydra tells Raef, who’s sitting beside her, paddling.
He nods.
“How far south do you think we got?”
Raef shrugs. “We’ll find out.”
“What the… what is that?” I ask Raef, dumbfounded, as he pulls something from his pocket and begins to fasten them to his ears.
He smirks. “I’m an elf now, baby.”
I have no words.
“It’s a lot harder to travel these lands as a dragon shifter nowadays, Sand. The world is changing. These give us a little bit of security.”
“They look so real,” I say in awe. “There’s no way Daegan—” I begin to say before stopping myself.
“Oh, he doesn’t have a choice. I have to make his ass do it every single time, though.”
“As if you could make me do anything,” Daegan responds.
“I could, and I have.”
I’m so relieved to find Raef with his same cheerful, joking demeanor. Though I will admit, even his light seems to have dulled just a little, and I’m terrified we’re not even through the worst of this.
Chapter 53
As soon as we hit land, we push the boat up the beach and leave it by some rocks, just in case we end up back here again and find ourselves in need of a boat.
We’re in fairy territory, Rhydra informs us as she navigates her map. Kezra confirms the assessment.
We immediately begin to trek through a deep, dense jungle full of brown trees with dark green leaves. Several creatures, including a few snakes, are seen on the way. Nothing incredibly threatening, though.
It takes half the morning before we end up on the other side, and even longer before we reach an inn. This one is off a road that’s not often traveled.
“Is this going to be safe?” I ask, not bothering to mask my skepticism.
“Hopefully. We have no other choice. A bigger, busier town is easier to blend into, but we won’t make one by nightfall,” Raef responds.
We get to the shabby, quiet inn, and Rhydra goes to hide somewhere nearby as we make our way inside. Apparently, they’ve been spotting the king’s soldiers all over the continent. So today we’re just four young elves traveling, looking for a couple of rooms.
The ruse works. The innkeeper gives us an extra-long glance or two, but they’re probably just not used to many travelers here in general.
As we pay for four separate rooms, something Daegan said to me a long time ago resurfaces in my memory. That I would never be sleeping without him again if he had any say. The memory makes me overcome with sadness. Things ended up so, so different.
Before the tears begin to well in my eyes, I snatch a key and turn away, heading to one of the rooms for a bath. No one stops me.
~
A short while after I’ve bathed and I’m feeling refreshed, a knock sounds on my door, causing my heart to leap in my chest.
It’s not him.
Raef offers me a plate of food, and I open the door wider, inviting him in. He steps inside.
“We figured it’s best to lay low, so I brought you some food.”
