Page 72 of A Kingdom so Crimson

His jaw fluttered as he glanced back out the window. "One moment, you were yelling at me; the next, I was in my room with Saasha stitching me up." He turned to look at me, a tight smile on his lips. "Believe me, I've been through much worse."

"Did I do that to you?"

He only stared at me, slightly shaking his head but not answering.

A hard lump formed in my throat as I tried to force down the gnawing fear from their tales about the Spellcasters and bounty hunters.

We rode in silence as awkward tension filled the air, drowning out all the noise from earlier.

He cleared his throat, "Did you always enjoy pastries?" he asked rather abruptly.

I couldn't suppress my laughter quickly enough at the unexpected question. "Well, as you know, Jesri was never keen on letting me indulge in anything delicious. So I had Calum sneak me sweets, then Aoife joined in too, knowing Jesri had enough and wouldn't notice they were missing."

He smiled fondly, "My mother and I used to walk to her favorite pastry shop every Saturday before she fell ill, and I think that's why I fell even harder for you at the Spring Harvest Celebration because of your love for pastries."

"Oh?" I teased, feeling the blush creeping back up my cheeks and flutter into my heart. "And here I thought you were too drunk on the wine?"

He grinned, "Or perhaps too drunk on the notion that I was finally with you?"

My heart pattered, and the churn in my stomach turned into butterflies, blushing my cheeks.

He looked up at me with a chuckle, "You hide your emotions very well," he mused, crossing his foot over his knee.

I couldn't help but suppress a grin. "Well, if you didn't say such things, perhaps I wouldn't have to."

We shared a chuckle, the tension between us melted away with each passing moment. His gaze turned tender as he looked back at me, putting his leg back down and leaning forward.

"I mean it; I am yours now and forever, Eliah," he declared, his hand finding mine on my knee, sending a shiver of warmth through me at his touch.

He moved closer, intertwining our legs. "You'll never wrong me, Eliah," he whispered, his voice a soothing balm to my racing heart.

24

The Creaic Gap was more daunting than I had imagined. Its jagged gray cliffs jutted into the air like towering pillars, merging into the carved-out mountains still capped with snow. The fading light seemed to cling to the fog swirling in the air as the clouds loomed overhead, refusing to break formation around the Gap. The chill in the air intensified, coursing through me with a shiver. I exhaled slowly, stretching my legs one last time before we set off to find the inn that Levon had said was hidden within the mountain itself. The entire landscape felt stifling as if the atmosphere was thick with the same dread enveloping me.

The bright oranges and pinks of the sunset finally succumbed to the elements, giving way to an inky sky. To the right of us was a sea of farming fields that stretched on for miles, broken up by scattered large trees that blew in the breeze. To our left was the towering mountain carved out to form a jagged wall.

I took a deep breath, the cooling night air sharp in my lungs, and felt grateful for the long sleeves I had opted for.

"We shouldn't be out this late. Let's get moving," Kaizen grumbled, walking past me and climbing into the driver's seat.

Levon helped me back into the carriage, and we rode along the tall wall, passing a few inn outposts gleaming with lanterns as the sun faded further, turning the sky a deep indigo. Only the light of our lantern guided us now, casting an eerie glow that illuminated the fog swirling around us before we finally came to a stop.

"I need to go let them know we're here to open the carriage entrance. I'll be right back," Levon said, stepping out of the carriage and vanishing into the darkness. The carriage remained still, and knowing that Kaizen was still with me brought a sense of calm. I watched the line of lanterns flicker on the wall through the window, casting shadows against the large wooden door Levon walked through.

The carriage swayed, and the door slammed open, startling a curse out of me as Kaizen gripped the sword at his hip.

"Move. Now," he hissed, extinguishing the lanterns. Fear gripped my heart, compelling me to stay close to him. He clutched my arm, guiding me until we were between the carriage and the horses, who also stood frozen, their ears twitching, listening to whatever Kaizen had sensed.

"What is it?" I whispered urgently. He clasped my mouth with his calloused hand, his face inches from mine as his vibrant amber eyes scanned the surroundings.

I slowed my breathing and strained to hear what he had detected—a series of eerie clicking noises that slithered and swayed against the chirping of crickets, which stopped intermittently. My heart pounded in my ears as I searched his wide eyes for answers.

We stood frozen as the clicking grew louder, the rustling moving closer until a sharp click sounded to our right, only mere feet away. Kaizen let go of my mouth and shoved a dagger into my hands.

"When I say run—"

Laughter erupted from the mountainside as a cascade of lights broke through the darkness, blinding us, indicating the inn opened the carriage opening. The clicking instantly stopped, vanishing along with the shadows.

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