Page 57 of Tears of Gold

He doesn’t look at me. “Get to the point.”

“We both know Ava doesn’t hate you unless you hurt her.” I flash him a quizzical look, even though I know the answer.

He shakes his head. “I would never!”

“I know, I know. I would’ve bit all the way through if I thought that. But put yourself in her shoes; when she tried to remember things before, she’s gotten all emotional and had, like, headaches and stuff. Give her some time.”

His lips purse, but he stays silent for a long time. Then he glances sideways at me. “Dude, can you like shift or something? You’re butt naked.”

“Why, you want a ride?”

“You really need to stop that.”

“Do I?” I turn away to hide my grin. Shading my eyes, I wave both arms toward Vanrey. It seems he disregarded his five-minute warning. He zaps straight to us, and thankfully he doesn’t seem annoyed at all, although I think calm might be the elemental’s middle name.

“We’re good here. I think we’re just going to walk back.” I dig an elbow into the rogue. “Unless you want a lift, Harps?”

He shakes his head with an exaggerated shudder and I laugh.

Vanrey’s chiseled face remains an emotionless mask. “Fine, but first—” He leans in and snatches the homemade knotted charm off Harper’s bracelet.

“Hey, give it back! Come on! Even Erritt knows I have a stealth charm!”

Vanrey’s eyebrows rise a fraction. “Does he know you can modify it to mask his tracker?”

Harper shrugs his good shoulder, a tiny smirk curving his lips, which wrinkles his short brown beard.

The stern royal aide shakes his head. “I’ll give this back when he removes your bracelet. Try to run again, and I’ll break your legs.” He disappears from view.

“Wow. Do you think he means it?” Harper asks, walking down the hill.

I nod with a wince. “He sure does. Elemental Elites are no joke, and if Erritt asked him to slit our throats, we’d be dead before we saw the blade.”

His steps slow. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Nah. Erritt wouldn’t do that.”

Harper clucks his tongue. “Not that, stupid! Some royal nursemaid watching the prince’s every move. A guy neither of us could take on. What if he . . . ” Harper trails off, watching the ribbons of clouds streaking the horizon.

“He’s sealed to Erritt with serious dark blood magic, so he can’t attack the prince unless he wants to die a painful death.” Dribbling blood tickles my nostril, and I dab at the cut in my nose as we walk. “I don’t know how far that extends to our secrets, but I think they’ve come to an understanding. Erritt’s been pretty open about our friendship. I can’t say I like it, but Vanrey does look after him.”

But Harper raises an interesting question, and it’s one I’ve been considering ever since Vanrey became Erritt’s aide, no long before that, from when I learned the history of dragon kind; if it came down to it, could I go toe to toe with an Elite?

Certainly not the way I am right now.

Harper stuffs his hands in his pockets and scowls. “How exactly is letting him get qi lashed looking after him?”

I sigh, gazing out across the tranquil green hillside. “I don’t think you understand royal politics. Erritt’s not allowed to lay a hand on the crown prince, even in self-defense. There’s more to it, but that’s Erritt’s story to tell.” I drag my nails through my hair, which sweats under the hot sun. “Besides, he’d ordered Vanrey to go find you guys.”

“Oh.”

The beaten-down path is cool and firm beneath my bare feet, but a moment later, I wince as I step on a sharp rock. Harper’s right—it’s kind of dumb to be walking around without clothes. Pausing, I summon the spare set I keep just for this reason.

“Geez, couldn’t you have done that twenty minutes ago?” he grumbles.

I wink at him as I slowly slide into the short tunic and loose trousers.

Harper shakes his head, a partial smile lifting one corner of his mouth as he waits with his hands in his pockets, absorbed in thought while I slip on socks and boots.