Page 61 of King of the Unsightly

He sounded young and charismatic. It was unsettling the more I contemplated it.

I knew nothing about Gren.Not really.

We trekked through another dimly lit corridor to reach a dreary room with velvet furnishing and an antique cherrywood table.

Kaschel leaned against it in all black, every muscle barely concealed by his flimsy fabric choice. His alabaster hair was pulled back in his usual low ponytail with one side tucked behind his ears. It made his fae features even more prominent.

Levisus stood next to him wearing similar attire, and it matched his darker complexion, but his presence couldn’t compare to Kaschel’s.

If Levisus wasn’t such a filthy flirt, I might even admit he was gorgeous. He didn’t seem like the type to ever drop his mask though. And from one person who resorted to sarcastic comments to avoid their issues, I could tell a mile away—he kept his true self hidden. In that regard, Levisus was an open book compared to Kaschel.

With Kaschel, I had no clue what went through his mind, and I loathed not being able to read someone.

Kaschel didn’t glance in my direction once as we stood at opposite ends of the table. And I wondered if he decided to deliberately ignore my presence again.

“We don’t know how long it will take, so here are your supplies,” Ryas said in an intense voice as she threw a backpack at Gren, and my attention went back to her.

Gren managed to catch it with one arm.

I hadn’t noticed I still held his other hand with a death grip until I pinched my nails together.

I dropped Gren’s hand and glanced up at him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize—”

“It’s okay. Squeeze as hard as you like. It doesn’t hurt.”

My face scrunched in confusion. Why would I do that?

Had Gren always been this nice, or was it because of the ritual?

I took one deep breath as Kaschel’s shadows balled together, and they both stepped through it without a word.

My hands trembled as Ryas shooed us in without letting me subdue my unease and followed from behind.

The dry, chilly air wailed like tormented souls as it lashed at my exposed skin, nipping at my fingertips and nose. My teeth chattered and my body shivered uncontrollably as the harsh wind whipped at my eyes, forcing them to narrow.

A heavy jacket would have been nice right about now.

Kaschel and the rest of them proceeded toward the dead pine trees all bunched together while I gaped at the mountain covered in volcanic rocks and overgrowth.

I turned to face Gren and staggered back from the sharp drop beside him. Only a few feet away from falling to our deaths.How lovely.

My head whipped back to Kaschel, who trudged on ahead, not giving anyone else the time of day.He really only cared about himself.

His gruff voice cut through the air. “The old hag had some powerful friends, so be vigilant of your surroundings.”

Thrice a Crowd

If climbing this mountain was a race, I was in last place crawling like someone had ripped both my legs off as a cruel joke and beat me with them.

Maybe I was a tad dramatic as I propelled my legs forward despite my muscles screaming in protest. I wanted to blame my lack of endurance on the blood loss from yesterday, but I knew the truth.

Each time I stole a peek at Gren hoping he didn’t see how out of breath I was, his face possessed no warmth, and I wasn’t sure if the rapid gooseflesh rising on my neck came from the chill in the air or his lack of emotion. Both seemed plausible.

I tapped Gren’s shoulder.

He snapped his head in my direction and dropped his chin down to meet my gaze.

Since the others were a reasonable distance away, now was the best time to question him.

---