Page 82 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

She wanted to protest—to stay—to make certain he was okay after what he’d done. But his darkness carried her from his arms, no matter how hard her mind resisted. Offering up the soft cloud that was her bed in a matter of seconds. Leaving only his leather and metal scent drifting away in a shadow-covered wind.

Heavily closing, her eyes didn’t care to scan her tent.

He wasn’t there. There was nothing else she wanted to see.

An ache spiked in her heart at his sudden absence. Missing him even when she’d only been in his arms mere moments before. And that feeling didn’t leave her. Not even when her eyes had fully closed and drifted her into sleep.

“Thalon, my brother. I love you. Really, I do. But I trust your cooking as much as I trust drinking the swamp waters of Lirazkendra. Put that spoon down before you poison us all,” Aiden’s appalled voice cut through Alora’s canvas.

She squeezed her pillow to her chest, nuzzled her face into the plushness as her stomach growled something fierce, and groaned. Her sore muscles were grateful for it, and that pillow allbut suffocated her in utter bliss. She didn’t care to move, but the thought of a bath and how divine it would be …

No. Allowing her still-heavy eyes to rest sounded more like a Stars Eternal dream. Plus, Garrik’s scent was still on her. She wasn’t ready to wash him away.

Alora tried to roll over, but her muscles protested.

Jade had been utterly ruthless with close combat earlier. No wonder she led a battalion of her own. Nothing and no one compared to her skills. Especially those with daggers. Not even Thalon, a warrior raised from birth, could compare to her with tiny blades. Jade was starsdamned powerful. Given magic, Alora wasn’t foolish enough not to believe she could conquer realms.

Exhaling a chuckle through her nose, Alora shook her head with a feline grin. They may have hated each other at first, but the mere thought of anything happening to Jade?—

“What have you done?”From Aiden’s shriek, Alora bolted up and braced herself on bent elbows, burning her gaze toward the firesite when she heard their sea captain cry out in horror, “Wha … what is this—tar?”

Liquid splashed, and then Jade’s disgust cut in, “No. Tar would probably taste better than this.”

“How any of you are still alive in my absence is a bloody mystery to me.” Then Aiden’s voice trailed away.

The sound of something being chopped on wood followed.

Alora didn’t stifle the quiet chuckle. She could almost smell it, picturing potatoes roasting over the fire, sizzling in butter and herbs. Her favorite.

Though traveling in an army offered fewer decadent meals, she never once missed sitting at Kaine’s table. Never missed the elaborate platters and plates of endless foods that could feed an entire orphaned Telldairan street in Outcastle Alley.

By the time, indeed, potatoes were sizzling, Alora laid back, only to jolt into a seated position at the sound of a startling crunch against her pillow.

She pulled away and twisted around.

If not for the dimly lit lanterns hanging from her ceiling, she wouldn’t have noticed the folded flat piece of parchment. Alora unraveled the page, dangerous hope and anticipation rolling through her. Holding it to the light, she read along the smudges like whoever wrote it had perhaps been jarringly interrupted and dragged their hand through the wet ink, distorting the calligraphy she’d expected to find.

Three words on the sheet of parchment, just three simple words. That’s all it took to send her heart leaping before she coyly grinned and headed for the entrance.

The parchment scratchedagainst her palm, concealed as she tracked his dark figure waiting at the tree line. A patchy fog shrouded the same valley she’d watched him in hours earlier.

‘Come find me,’his note had said.

The ink brushed her palm as she took a step forward onto the downward slope of the hill.

He stepped back. Almost as if to taunt her.

Her every step, he countered, drifting further into the darkness of the forest.

This was new. Garrik had always remained out of sight when she followed him. This time was different. Then again, he had teased her with this kind of game before. Leading her out, only to disappear and play his tricks.

Last time, she had gained the upper hand, even if he had planned it. Somehow, she wondered if he did this to perfect her tracking skills. She had acquired impeccable accuracy. But with him, the master of illusions and wielder of darkness, he would always retain the advantage.

Even so. At least he was okay. He wouldn’t be playing this game if he wasn’t.

She took another step forward with a feline grin. Ready for the chase.

And, again, he countered, swallowed entirely by the darkness of the trees.

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