Page 41 of Peril

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Jalissa gnawedon a piece of hard bread and a wedge of cheese. A meager meal, but at this point she was grateful they had food.

Across their small camp, Edmund curled on a blanket, sleeping fitfully thanks to the elven medicine easing his pain. Tomorrow, if not tonight, she would need to hold his hand for the deep connection of the heart bond and not let go until they reached an elven healer.

She glanced at Sarya, who was hunched over a map, reading it by the glow of the small elven light she cupped in her hand. “How far are we from the border?”

Sarya gave a small shrug, then folded up the map. “I think we will cross the border early tomorrow afternoon. If my estimates are correct.”

They probably were. Sarya was well trained in both her guard duties and the basics of scouting and forest navigation.

Sarya slipped the map into her pack, then met Jalissa’s gaze. “You should rest, amirah. I will keep watch.”

“All night?” Jalissa glanced between Sarya and Edmund. “You need your rest as well.”

“I will set up a magical alert around our camp. It will not act as a shield, but it will wake me if someone or something comes close.” As she spoke, Sarya’s green magic played around her fingers before she pressed her hand to a nearby tree. “It will allow me to get some rest.”

“Do you want my help to put it in place?” Jalissa drew on her own magic.

Sarya shook her head. “No, save your strength. I think you will need it.”

Jalissa nodded, then lay down on her bedroll next to Edmund. She could feel the ache in his stomach, but it was not yet intense since she was not touching his skin. He was shivering, and she snuggled closer to him to try to keep him warm. While the nights had been warm in the lower elevations, here in the mountains the night breeze blew in crisp and cold.

If only they dared light a fire. But on a clear night like this, a fire would be seen for miles, drawing both the king’s men and well-meaning searchers from the resort straight to them.

Jalissa took Edmund’s hand and sucked in a breath at the pain that flowed into her.

But she did not let go. And she was not about to let go, no matter how long their journey took and how far they had to travel.

ChapterTen

Jalissa wrapped her arms around Edmund’s waist as he swayed and lurched, not strong enough to keep himself upright in the saddle.

At least he was alert enough to grip the saddle and mostly hold himself on the horse. She would not have been strong enough to hold him if he were fully unconscious.

She tucked one hand inside his shirt, resting her fingers against the skin of his stomach to make sure they stayed in contact for the elishina.

They had given Edmund the last of the elven healing medicine a couple of hours ago, and now it was up to Jalissa to keep him alive.

Her body ached, her internal organs burned, and her muscles trembled. If she already felt this bad, how much worse would it get once the last of the elven healing magic wore off?

Sarya held up her hand, then quickly swung off her pony and led it and the gray mare into a thicker section of brush. She hurried to Jalissa and Edmund, grabbing their horse’s reins. “Hurry. Stay quiet.”

Jalissa gripped Edmund as twigs slapped their faces and clawed at their clothes.

As soon as they were off the semblance of cleared trail they had been following, Sarya pressed her hand to a nearby tree. The brush around them thickened further, completely obscuring them.

Jalissa held her breath, gripping Edmund tighter.

Moments passed, then the faint thudding of horse hooves on the loam echoed through the quiet forest. Clinking accompanied the thuds.

Jalissa peered out of a small gap between the leaves. A patrol of soldiers in leather vests, slim swords at their sides, and muskets in sheaths alongside their saddles, rode along the trail.

No wonder it had been clear. It was a patrol path for the Mongavarian army.

Would they notice the churned leaves left behind on the trail? How observant were these soldiers?

The leader reached the churned leaves and did not pause, leading his band of ten men onward. Perhaps he assumed the path had been disturbed by animals. Or maybe he was simply going through the motions and did not care to pay too close attention.

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