Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Rynthea follows after him. “I’ll only end up saving your ass again.”
“Or perhaps I’ll settle the score and save yours.” Kelrean grins. “Then you can stop hanging your little badge of glory over my head.”
Rynthea falls into step next to the prince. Algar and I join them. The guards hesitate as we march past. They blink at each other with apprehension, likely torn between following the prince and ignoring the instructions of their king. Neither outcome seems wise, especially the latter, because that would mean returning to Bernwood and explaining to the king why they left his only heir unguarded.
“They’re following us, aren’t they?” Kelrean settles the upper handle of his ax on his shoulder, giving me a lazy smile as he moves closer to my side.
I look over my shoulder at the disgruntled guards trailing a few steps behind Thane. “Yep.”
Kelrean groans, tossing his head back. “I’m so tired of being treated like a child.”
“They treat you that way because you are a child,” Rynthea chides. “An annoying, spontaneous child in his twentieth year who can’t stop playing with his own penis.”
“Shadows! She’s so mean, isn’t she?” Kelrean winks at me.
I can’t find it in me to smile as wide as him. My mind is still racing with thoughts from Frevella’s hot and dark-ass cave. I glance at Thane again. He’s staring off to his right, gazing at the lower peaks of mountains and forest tops. I slow my pace, feeling the need to check on him, but Rynthea slows her stride as well, taking up my right side as Algar flanks the left.
“What happened in there?” Rynthea asks in a low voice.
“Secrets,” is all I can manage.
She’s quiet for a moment. “Are you okay?”
I meet her eyes. She studies me with her eyebrows drawn together, seeming genuinely concerned.
“I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
“What about him?” Algar cocks his head, gesturing to Thane.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Nothing bothers him, right?” I try to divert the question. I want to ask Algar if he knows about Thane having a brother. It didn’t come up in the conversation we had during the fete. Now isn’t the time, though.
“Suppose you’re right.” Algar swings his gaze to Rynthea. “Do we even know what’s on the other side of this mountain, Ryn?”
As Rynthea fishes out a map from her rucksack, I slow my pace to match Thane’s. When the group is a short distance ahead of us and the guards several steps behind, I look at him.
“Do not start with me,” he grumbles, side-eyeing me.
“I’m not starting anything. Just trying to make sure you’re okay.”
“Would be a whole lot better if your little prince wasn’t tagging along.”
“Thane.” He catches the sharpness in my tone, and his chin lowers. When his eyes latch onto mine, he stares into them for several seconds before finally looking away. I want to reach for his hand and hold it in mine but think better of it.
He sighs. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter,” I counter in a lower voice, hoping no one up ahead will hear. “You lost your brother, Thane. That matters a lot.”
“Just stop.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about him last night?”
“Not right now, Zaira.”
“Yes, right now,” I insist. “This is important information, is it not? Why hide it? It’s good that I know now because it all makes sense—why you want the tome and why you want to increase your power.”
His jaw steels. “Just drop it.”
He speeds up his walk again. I scurry to catch up with him. The mountain is finally sloping downward. We’re getting closer to the other side.
“Did Seferin murder your brother?” I ask, catching up to him.
He’s about to pause but keeps his stride steady as he shakes his head.
“If you don’t talk about it and keep bottling it up, it’ll make you rotten inside, Thane.”
I notice one of his fists clenching. This time, he does stop walking. One of the guards almost bumps into him, but the guard catches himself and scowls at us before continuing his trek.
Up ahead, I notice the others have rounded a slight curve in the mountain. They’re nearing the bridge.
Thane turns around and slowly closes the gap between us.
I back away from him, then feel the heel of my foot come perilously close to the edge of the mountain. My heart pounds when all I see below me are rocky cliffs and lush treetops. There would be no surviving a fall like that.
“Look, I don’t need your pity,” he starts. “Right now, all we need to do is focus on making it to Elphar so we both can get what we want. This thing between us,” he says, gesturing back and forth with his hand, “shouldn’t get any deeper because once it’s all over, you’ll never see me again.”
My foot slips, and I gasp.
He clutches my arm and whirls me around, placing my back against the safer side of the mountain.