Page 83 of Born of Blood and Ash

His gaze returned to mine, and he lifted a brow.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I’m really flattered.Thank you. And you can show me how beautiful you find them later.”

The tips of his fangs appeared. “Oh, I very much plan to doso.” His head dipped, and his lips glided over my cheek. “You had an appetizerearlier, but I haven’t had dessert yet.”

Muscles low in my stomach tightened, and it took a lot forme to ignore that, but I had to. “Ash.”

“Liessa?”

“We don’t have to wait for it to rain or for the snow tofall and then melt,” I told him. “I can restore the rivers and lakes in theShadowlands.”

That got his attention.

He was no longer checking out my breasts. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Or at least I thought so. “I can do it.” Resolvefilled me, and Ash either saw it in my stare or sensed it, because the line ofhis shoulders became rigid. “I can do it now.”

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Ash and I rode through the Rise gates,leaving the guards there in stunned speculation. We both wore cloaks concealingour identities, but there was no way they hadn’t recognized the massive,sable-coated warhorse. No others were as large or handsome as Odin.

And the glimpse of my bare calf as Odin’s pace picked up,causing the cloaks to flutter around our legs, was likely also a dead giveaway.

Ash and I were fully dressed—at least, mostly—yet neither ofus was in what one would consider appropriate attire beneath our cloaks. Hewore pants. I wore my translucent nightgown. I’d been that eager totest out the feeling telling me I could do something. I didn’t know if Ashbelieved me or was simply humoring me, but he hadn’t even insisted we take afew moments to think things over.

Glancing back, I could still see the guards standing at thetowers by the gate as if frozen. “I think they knew it was us.”

“There’s a good chance they did.”

“Do you think they’ll alert anyone?” I asked, petting Odin’smane as the eather hummed beneath my skin, almost asif ramping up and preparing itself. “I really hope not. In case I’m wrong.”

“They won’t.”

An echo of awareness shuttled through me as I looked up tothe star-strewn sky and spotted a draken in thedistance. It didn’t feel like Nektas.

“It’s Ehthawn, isn’t it?” I asked.

“It is.” There was a pause. “He is still too far out for youto see which draken it is. You sensed who it was.”

“I did. Or at least I think I did. It feels like anecho or imprint of who they are.” I squinted, seeing another draken in the distance. “Is that what you feel?”

“I guess I would describe it as an echo that is felt insteadof heard,” he said.

My heart clenched as I lowered my gaze to the unlit torcheslining the road. “How is Ehthawn doing?” I wanted tosmack myself the moment I stopped speaking. “That’s a foolish question. He’sobviously not doing well, having lost his sister.”

“It’s not a foolish question, liessa.”Ash’s arm tightened around my waist. “He mourns, but he’s not alone. Ehthawn still has family—his cousin and those not byblood.”

I nodded, my chest heavy as the last of the torches appearedon the small hill ahead. I didn’t think Orphine hadconsidered me a friend, but I believed we’d been on the road to becoming that.And her quick, sharp-tongued responses amused me. “I…I’m going to miss Orphine.”

“As will I.” Ash shifted behind me. Farther out, anotherwinged creature became visible in the sky. “Croleeflies with him.”

I’d briefly seen Ehthawn and Orphine’s cousin when we were in the Bonelands.Crolee had also been on this very road when Ash firstbrought me into the Shadowlands. I’d thought he and the other draken were hills, but I’d known very little about the draken then.

As we crested the hill, I forced a deep, even breath andfocused on the land. At night, the skeletons of the bare, twisted trees beyondthe dried-up river channels on either side of the road couldn’t look creepier,even with their budding leaves. I scanned the ground as Odin slowed. Myimproved vision allowed me to see the wide swaths of grass among the washed-outRot. Not a lot, but still striking to see in a land that had once onlybeen shades of gray.

“I think here will be fine,” I decided.

Ash guided Odin off to our right onto what I thought wasonce the banks of the river. We came to a stop, and Ash swung himself off Odinwith enviable grace. I turned to where he now stood, his hood down. Silently,he lifted his hands to my hips. Grasping his arms, my stomach was a jumble ofnerves as he helped me down.

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