Page 125 of A Kingdom of Shadows

Our heads turn to Arlayna, still resting on her horse. Her lip twitches, staring down at Tibith. "He's quite amusing."

Tibith titters, climbing out of the satchel and onto Arlayna's lap. "And I think you are very pretty, Miss Arlayna!"

I'm reluctant about having him still travel with us. I can sense Darius feels the same way. It's hard not to worry after what happened with that other Tibithian.

"We should make camp here," Aeron says, staring skyward at the sunset casting reds and gold hues through the trees. "Any further, and we will be heading into darker territories."

Another guard named Tregar agrees and begins to disperse. As Arlayna gets down, she and Aeron stare at each other for a few pensive seconds before she walks the other way, taking Tibith with her.

* * *

I'm sitting inside one of the tents whittling a knife out of wood I had found earlier. I would have shaped it into something else, but my creativity for carving had lost its spark, thinking of my brothers, the king, and the last task.

I run my fingers through my hair, removing the tangled plait. It's become dark as a few guards' patrol outside. A puffing breeze blows up. It chills my neck through the opening of my tent behind me, before the sound of rain splatters against the grass.

A crunching of leaves is closing in, and I freeze, turning with my knife. It's hard to see, but I can recognize the scent of rosewood anywhere.

"Even after everything we've been through, you will never stop pointing a dagger in my direction."

I can envision the grin on Darius's face as he says that.

Dropping the knife, I hiss, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be guarding the princess?"

His chuckle is dark and sensuous, not at all helpful. "Last I recall, Goldie, I am not one of the kings' guards."

I roll my eyes, knowing he can't see me. "No, you're not." I sigh, and for a minute, we are silent. "Do you—do you think we should be more worried about Dusan?"

He doesn't answer, but I can only remind myself of what Arlayna had said earlier.

"Everyone knows there's something between us." And we've not hidden it at all, I want to add. "What if Dusan uses that against us?"

"Are you saying that because of what happened in his study?"

"I am saying it because we've become too comfortable. Dusan already saw how you reacted when Thallan mentioned locking me up. What if he let us go unpunished because he figured how vulnerable we are with each other?"

Like a match being lit, Darius's hand produces a flame, lighting up half the tent and our faces. He aims it toward the open hearth, kindling it so that we see better. He's kneeling before me, but his gaze is thoughtful, concerned, maybe unsettled by that anxious idea. "Then we will act like we despise one another." The look on my face must be expressive because the side of Darius's lip lifts as he takes it in. He says, "We played the part quite well before, didn't we?"

I scoff. "They would not believe us after—" I stop myself from revealing the moment Thallan told me I was in love with Darius and what everyone else has witnessed.

"They don't need to," Darius says. "But it would be fun to play around, wouldn't it?"

I make a frustrated sound and cover my eyes. "Be serious, Darius, we cannot rely on the Isle of Elements to help us, and we can't trust anyone else but each other."

"You trust Aias."

"That is because he grew up without a family!"

"And is that all it takes for you to trust, Goldie?"

A groan rips from my throat, and I rise, turning away from him. A few seconds afterward, his hands come up to my shoulders, and I exhale, resting my back against his front. He then slowly twists me around until we are face to face.

"Look, whatever you want to do, Nara, I'll do it," he says in a soft lover's voice, like he finally understands how much this affects me. "If you want me to back away from you, I will."

I puff out an exhausted breath and shake my head. "I don't want you to back away... I want you by my side."

A speck of glimmering hope shines in his eyes.

"I told you that once this is over, we would leave. We would claim your throne and get my brothers," I say. "But that doesn't stop me from worrying something awful could happen."

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