Page 135 of Bound By Darkness

Iyanna nodded. “It refused to hold otherwise. I didn’t expect anyone to figure out our location, let alone ever attack.”

“What purpose does a ward serve if it can be broken so easily?” I asked.

“I wove my casting into the spell which left me blind,” Iyanna snapped.

“What do you mean you wove your casting?” Thalia asked.

Iyanna rubbed her temples. “To create the ward, it required a tax. Half of my seer abilities are in that ward and my eyesight.”

“You did that much for these people?” Thalia asked.

I cleared my throat. “Touching story, but let’s not get off-track here. We now have to deal with the fact the ward surrounding us is unstable.”

“It will hold,” Iyanna interrupted. “We will go with Naexi’s plan.”

“I ask you to reconsider. I think?—”

Iyanna raised a hand silencing me. “You will spend your time fortifying the camp. If I hear notice of what we discussed, my threats stand.”

Thalia glared at Iyanna. “Threats? How dare you?—”

“You’re dismissed,” she said with a quick motion of her hand. “Moria. Naexi. See to it the rest of the camp begins preparation.”

“Sure,” Naexi stated.

“Okay,” Moria answered, her eyes lingering on Thalia.

“And you two,” Iyanna said as she pointed between me and Thalia, “out.”

“Come on,” Thalia said as she tugged me outside, pulling me between two vacant tents.

Winter air chilled my face as I stared down at her, her brows crinkling.

“Iyanna threatened you?” she hissed.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? You expect me tobelieve she said that for no reason?”

A hand rose through my hair. “I’m not asking you to,” I said. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Droplets of water stained my skin, rain beginning to pelt against the ground.

“I get it, but if it involves me I should know.”

I shook my head, lies flowing from my lips as I spoke, “It didn’t involve you, I promise.”

“Iyanna can’t control you too. I’ll talk to her,” she yelled above the roaring of the rain.

This woman—she’d do anything for me, and it made the ache in my chest hurt worse for the lies I spewed at her.

Thalia took a step forward, my hand reaching out to stop her as I blocked her path. “Leave it be for today. We’ll discuss it tomorrow, okay?”

Her brows were still furrowed, but a bit of lightness returned to her face as she said, “Okay, but we are going first thing tomorrow.”

A smile lit my face as I reached down, kissing her temple. “Sure.”

Grabbing my arm, she pointed toward the direction of our tent. “Let’s go before either of us get a cold,” she said as she sniffled.

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