Page 37 of Unbetrothed

Laude tittered with glee. “Miss, I never supposed you’d care for such things.”

“I don’t. It was a passing thought.” Now, why did I say that? Curiosity flooded over my frustration. I climbed up the back of the wagon.

She hopped up and opened a trunk. “Then, I’ll keep it to myself.”

“Don’t be silly. You know you want to share.” I set Zichri’s garments on a trunk. As I was about to rip off my damp undergarments, I noticed the men in clear view, staring up at the rocks and vines we were about to climb.

Laude followed my gaze and shouted, “Don’t you dare peek or else we’ll—we’ll …” She turned toward me, “What will we do to them?”

“I’ll use my gift on you, Zichri of Himzo,” I yelled with as much threat as a screeching kitten.

Zichri turned toward us, laughing with all his men. “That doesn’t encourage us to help you.”

“You will be gentlemen or …” I couldn’t think of a sly comeback, but I knew I had to say something. “I will send my brother after you, and he will levitate you to the moons.”

“You’re lucky I find you irresistible and that we are men of our word. We will not look. Just get to changing already.” Zichri turned his face to the falls again.

Though they said they were men of their word, Laude and I changed fast before the temptation to peek overtook them.

CHAPTER 19

WATER GUSHED OUT THEtop of the cliff and splattered into the river beside us. A slick, brown wall of rock stood guard over the dangers in the jungles beyond, giving me just one more chance to reconsider my choices. I looked down, trying to adjust to the way Zichri’s pants sagged over my legs. And no amount of rolling up my sleeves could make the borrowed tunic sit correctly. I pressed my shoulders back, determined to appear confident for Laude and the Himzos behind me despite the nerves clawing at my stomach. Were we insane for going into the valley?

Before I could scare myself further, I led the group. We ascended the rocky side of the waterfalls with ease, taking our time to place our hands and feet in each crevice. Milo and Blas made it to the top first.

Smack!

“Blas,” Milo yelled. “What in all—”

Smack!

“My word,” Milo said with a hint of shock in his voice.

“What is that?” Blas asked. “Jaime, come here. You’ve got to see this.”

Upon reaching the crest, I perched on the edge, catching my breath. Between us and the next waterfall lay a teal pool the size of the palace grounds. Above the next fall, another taller waterfall cut through slabs of the mountain like a staircase made of rock and water. We hadn’t been able to see any of this from below because of all the tree branches.

The men huddled near the falls, and Laude crawled up a second later. The steady roar of the water shooting off the cliff calmed my nerves. A gentle breeze kissed my heated cheeks. Zichri stepped beside me and eclipsed the sun, offering a helping hand.

“Should I be worried?” I slipped my hand in his and pulled myself to my feet.

“No,” Zichri said. “Blas found a strange bug.” He combed his fingers through his hair while staring straight down the fourteen-foot cliff.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“Why had we been so hesitant to come?” Zichri teased.

“My uncle, for one, and the horror stories about bodies washing downriver can give a lady quite the scare.”

“Oh, but you don’t look like the fretful type.” His smile lit up every other part of his face and melted my heart like butter on warm toast.

“I’m not.” My chin cocked up.

“What happened to your uncle?” Zichri asked.

“I remember him from when I was a child. Tall, thin, looked like my papá, but he had a scraggly beard. He was plagued by nightmares and thought he needed to come here.” The skin on my bicep burned under my sleeve, and I gripped it, hoping to stop the metallic lines from spreading further up my arm. “I don’t know what happened to my uncle, but Papá was mad when he left.” I glanced at the waterfalls we’d still need to climb. “Let’s keep going.”

Milo patted Zichri’s shoulder. “I suggest we swim to save on time.”

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