Page 48 of Queen of Vengeance

This is good. I’m running towards my future. From here on out, things are going to get better. I can just feel it!

I reached the edge of the village and found Jax and Zane waiting for me.

Zane was the first to notice me, and I raised my hand, waving at them. He waved back, but I was puzzled when Jax barely looked at me.

Maybe he’s just tired. We were up really late last night.

“Are you guys ready to go?” My eyes flitted back and forth between them.

Jax brought himself to his feet and smiled but averted his eyes from me. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“That doesn’t sound like the confident Jax we know and love.” Zane punched his arm and laughed.

Jax responded with only a shrug as he rubbed his arm.

“Maybe he has cold feet. You watch. Once we get to the portal, he’ll feel much better.” I stepped in between the two since Jax looked like he needed a moment. “As for me, I feel like my stomach is full of butterflies.”

Zane turned his full attention to me and gave a dashing and warm smile. “You look good this morning, Lea. You’re practically glowing.”

My face turned red, and I turned away quickly so he couldn’t see. “I went for a run last night. It was—invigorating.”

I peeked over Zane’s shoulder at Jax, who was staring at me from the corner of his eye.

He looked away as soon as our eyes met.

He is definitely acting weird. Did I do something wrong?

I tucked my chin down and dropped my sights to the floor.

“We better get a move on then.” Zane ushered us onward, and I was more than grateful for it.

I didn’t want to stand in that embarrassing moment any longer.

LEA

It was half a day before we finally reached Kronos, the closest traveling outpost to Dask.

Although it wasn’t technically a city, there were so many shops outside the outpost that it might as well have been.

The merchants we passed were trying to sell things from clothing to snake oil.

Zane, Jax, and I just kept our heads down, hoping to reach the outpost portal without being stopped by anyone.

“Hey there, little miss. I have something here that might be of interest to you.” A tall man stepped before me, cutting me off from Zane and Jax.

He held a trinket out in front of my face, twirling it between his fingers.

It hung from a chain and almost looked like a watch, but it had moving mechanisms I’d never seen before.

“No, thank you. Please let me pass.” I ducked my head further down and stepped around him.

“Are you sure? This little trinket can alter the course of your future.” He almost seemed to be laughing at me with his growling voice.

Zane jumped in, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the man. “Come on, it’s just more snake oil.”

Zane was pulling me away, and I got a good, long look at the man with tan skin and a white scar running across his face.

His eyes looked like pure silver, and his teeth were sharp.

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