Page 22 of Of Serpents and Ruins
"Stay here and be calm. Don't confirm anything," Kine whispered, his eyes narrowed. He clicked his tongue and urged his parasaur forward. It didn’t even hesitate before it bolted up the hill, dark-clawed forearms tucked against its sides.
"That doesn't sound good," I said.
"Just act natural," Elias responded, scratching his parasaur's shoulder. "All they need to be told is that we're travelers. Kine will find some reason to explain why he is approaching them alone rather than all of us going to talk with them. He's very good at that, but perhaps you should find something to occupy your attention, so it isn't so apparent."
I stroked the charm on my necklace, appreciating the smooth texture of the warm stone and the smooth metal along its back. My nerves prickled. Look casual, basically. Unfortunately, that wasn't one of my strengths.
Noticing some berries similar to black raspberries, I slid down. A wave of fear rushed through me as I realized I wasfalling, but muscle memory brought me into a soft fall position so it didn't hurt. It was a little unnerving to feel instincts taking over like that.
"You two have had to deal with a lot of this?" I ask. It felt odd to think of them like a rescue duo.
Elias shrugged, chuckling a little. "Only when it comes to getting you back. Kine doesn't want me to say anything, but…" His gaze softened as he looked at me. Then he pressed his lips into a tight line and forced a smile. "It's been hard, you being gone, Stella. I swear to you now what I swore to you then—I will not let any harm come to you. I would die to save you."
"I don't want you to die," I said, ducking my head. That sort of declaration made me uncomfortable.
"Thanks." Elias chuckled a little. "But I vowed it long ago. You don't have to like it, but I wanted you to know. Whatever it takes, I will protect you."
Those words struck me hard, but what could I say?
I plucked a handful of the berries and brought them to Buttercup. She tried to scoop them up with her tongue and slimed my hand.
"Oh…oh…" I grimaced.
"Careful. She won't bite your hand on purpose, but she might take it by accident, especially if you offer her grapefruit. And don't ever come between her and a honeydew or watermelon." Elias leaned his forearms against the parasaur's neck.
I wiped my hand clean on my leggings, narrowing my eyes at her. "I didn't think that through." Instincts weren't filling in all the gaps.
My gaze drifted over Elias. He was another point where my instincts and memories offered nothing. I didn't feel anything at all when I looked at him. Nothing good. Nothing bad. He might as well have been a stranger, but the dedication in his voice andthe sincerity with which he spoke to me… Shame flared within me. I didn't deserve that kind of devotion.
Biting the inside of my lip, I stared down at the tufts of fragrant grass. "Do you think my return is what disrupted the magic?"
"Not alone. It was just something that happened at the same time everything else started going insane." His shoulder twitched. The lines in his brow deepened as he continued to watch Kine. "It fits, I suppose."
"So my return has caused a lot of problems?"
"Not in a bad way." His eyes widened as if he realized he’d suggested something other than what he meant. "Just in a way that is noticeable to anyone who knows of you."
"Of me specifically?" My brow lifted. That was rather hard to believe. "Does everyone have such a distinct feel?"
He offered a faint chuckle and shifted on the parasaur's neck. His eyes narrowed as he continued to watch Kine and the strangers. "Well, it’s not so much that you have a distinct feel to everyone. It’s just, well, word leaked out that you were coming back. Then it leaked again that you had vanished. And tonight when you fell through the rest of that passage, everyone who is sensitive to it could feel the pulse of Kropelki." He paused. "You’re Kropelkian, by the way. Not sure if you remember that."
I shook my head.
"Sepeazia is two nations united in one kingdom. Kropelki and Ognisko. Some people could feel the stirrings of Kropelkian magic returning through you."
"How long was I gone?"
"Since we tried to bring you back? You were gone weeks in the Shadow Hall." Elias sighed. "Don’t even ask me how it’s possible. It just is."
"And they came to find me?" I jerked my head toward the people who had appeared on the hill.
"My guess is those are just travelers who happened upon us." His brow furrowed a little more. "I don’t know, though. Seems to be taking Kine longer than usual. We don't want to raise suspicions if we can avoid it, but we can't just keep hanging around here." He sniffed the air and glanced around. "It feels off. Do you feel it? Do you sense anything?"
Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to analyze the layers. Fresh river water. Vanilla cedar cologne. Tart, smashed berries. Green crushed leaves. Animal droppings. Fresh hay. A trace of cherries. And something metallic. Something oddly sweet. Sickeningly sweet. Just a trace.
A sharp sensation gripped me.
A warning.
