Page 30 of Eluvonia
Kaida turns toward me, a half-smile playing at the corners of his lips before he motions for me to follow.
And yet… I don’t feel threatened.
I fall into step behind him, grateful for the silence and his near-soundless movement through the underbrush.
If anything, hunting beside him feelsshockinglynormal, like we’ve done this a hundred times before. We move in sync, our steps near silent, our breaths measured. There’s no tension, no expectation of betrayal hanging between us, just the quietunderstanding of two hunters working toward the same goal.
A foolish, fleeting thought drifts through my mind as we make our way through the forest, one I should not be entertaining.If he weren’t a Dragon and I weren’t Fae, what would it be like?Could we have been something else? Allies, maybe even…No.I shove the thought away, swallowing hard against the ridiculous warmth curling in my chest.
At the end of the day, he is a Dragon. I am Fae. We are enemies. He would kill me the moment he got the chance, and I should be willing—eager—to do the same.
A shiver ripples up my spine. My steps falter, and I instinctively reach out, catching his arm. “Wait,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “Stay still.”
Kaida’s brows lift, his eyes narrowing slightly in question, but he doesn’t move. The faint sound of grunting ahead makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. His gaze flicks to my bow, and he tilts his chin toward it. “Your shot,” he murmurs, his tone flat, but there’s a challenge in his eyes.
Swallowing, I nod and draw an arrow. My fingers tighten around the string as I line up the shot, my breathing steady and deliberate. Time seems to slow as I release the arrow, watching it arc through the air and bury itself in the boar’s side. It squeals, thrashing before crashing to the ground with a satisfying thud.
I let out a shaky breath, my shoulders sagging with relief.
“Good shot,” Kaida says, his voice almost… begrudgingly approving. He tilts his head slightly, lips twitching again in something that might resemble a smile—though I’m sure he’d deny it if asked.
“Thanks,” I mutter, keeping my head down to avoid his gaze. I’m not sure why it makes my cheeks heat.
Without another word, he moves to the boar, his hands working with mechanical precision. There’s something unnervingly practiced about the way he handles the animal, like he’s done this a hundred times before. The blade gleams briefly before he sheathes it and slings the boar over his shoulder like it’s a sack of feathers. I watch him, still unsettled by how normal this feels. By how easily I fell into step with him.
By the quiet, treacherous thought that whispers,Maybe in another life…
Back at camp, we rejoin the other guards, who return empty-handed. Kaida drops the boar off with the cooks and turns to me, his gaze lingering for a moment, unreadable. Then, in one smooth motion, he takes my bow and quiver from me and strides over to a guard, with a sharp flick of his wrist he tosses it to the guard.
“She gets this back when she leaves the tent,” he orders, his tone cold but with an undercurrent of—is that amusement? Maybe it’s just my imagination.
I blink, taken aback. “What—”
“Peace offering,” he cuts me off, his fingers closing around my wrist “Now, come on.”
He tugs me into his tent, despite my protests, I end up in his bed, lying as far from him as possible, the space between us feeling like a battlefield. No ropes this time. I can feel his eyes on me, even when I don’t look.
He chuckles softly under his breath, clearly amused by my discomfort. “You know, I’m not going to bite,” he says, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Unless you really want me to.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” I snap back, my voice edged with irritation. “I’m not the one that needs to sleep with one eyeopen.”
Kaida smirks in response.
“Keep it up and I’ll put the ropes back on,” I huff and turn over, determined to ignore him. Exhaustion pulls me under, but my sleep is restless. The nightmares come—flashes of fire, screams echoing like a broken record.
Chapter 11
KAIDA
Iwake to a gentle shake, the world still half-draped in the haze of sleep. Declan’s voice is low, almost urgent.
“Kai, something’s up.”
I grunt, the words barely breaking through the fog in my mind. I push myself up, rubbing at my eyes as if that could clear the lingering sense of fatigue. I don’t need more trouble tonight, but it’s always there, lurking, waiting.
I glance at the corner of my tent. The Fae—damn her—still curled up in a ball. She’s a small thing, but that doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that she’s taken residence in my bed, but I can’t fucking trust her anywhere else. I let out a sharp exhale, my fingers twitching, almost instinctively, reaching out to command the shadows that already slither across the floor like restless serpents.
I get up, moving slowly, careful not to wake her. She might not be the biggest threat right now, but that doesn’t make her any less irritating. With a quick glance over my shoulder, Ifollow Declan out of the tent, the cool night air hitting me, biting at my exposed skin.
