Page 48 of Blood and Fate

He stayed there for the rest of the evening, listening to the men joking and letting loose a bit around him. Allowing them this time to relax before the morning.

Kais had been listening to Bram tell yet another story when Teague tapped him lightly on his arm. He looked up, and Teague inclined his head toward where Satori had been seated. She was still there, but instead of sitting, she was curled into a ball on the ground, her head resting on the crook of her arm. As he watched, she pulled her knees closer to her chest and a shiver shook her.

He stood and moved to where she lay. Dirt scraped, and leaves crunched as he reseated himself on the ground beside her, his back pressed against a thin tree. She shivered again, and he reached down, carefully cradling her head and lifting it onto his lap.

Her hair was softer than he had imagined, and he had well-imagined. He had wondered what running his fingers through the golden waves would feel like. He ran a palm over her head and placed his other hand on her shoulder. Immediately, beneath his fingers, the tension dissipated from her body. Her tense limbs relaxed, and instead of curling in on herself, she stretched slightly once and relaxed into a more comfortable position.

Wonder filled him as he watched her sleep. Her eyes moved behind her lids as though she were observing something, but it wasn’t distress there, simply a dream.

Kais spoke just above a whisper, “Oh, Princess, you may hate me in the morning for this, but I won’t regret it.”

Her comfort transferred to him, and he allowed his head to fall back against the tree, basking in the warmth.

He felt Teague’s gaze on him and turned his head to meet the other man’s eyes. Teague offered him a soft smile, and Kais returned his attention to the woman asleep on his lap.

He ran a hand lightly over her hair again, and the contrast between his darkly tanned skin and her light, cream skin struck him. What would his palm on her face look like? Or their fingers woven together? Or their legs side by side, his hand splayed over her stomach? Kais blinked, shaking the images away. Kezia had said she would be his, but she’d also said the future could change. And if he put his trust in the idea of having her, would he also have to believe the part where he would die? Another question struck him: what if both were true? What if she would be his, and what if he would also die? Would his death be worth having her in his arms of her own free will? To have her tell him that she loved him? He could almost convince himself that if he could only have that moment with her first, he might not mind dying.

He closed his eyes again and was asleep in moments, visions of Satori wrapped in his arms playing in his mind.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SATORI

The scent of coffee filled the space around her, and she opened her eyes to find a steaming tin mug sitting beside her. On the ground. She’d fallen asleep on the ground, and someone had thrown her cloak over her. She let out a small groan, afraid to move. What kind of soreness would she be dealing with throughout the day, thanks to how she’d slept? Pushing herself to a sitting position, she stretched her stiff muscles as she rewrapped the cloak around her shoulders.

She picked up the coffee cup, savoring the warmth that bled into her palms as she sipped the hot liquid. The men were already up, packing the bits from the night before and securing things for the trip across the river.

The river. She focused her attention on the sound of the water. The rushing sound was still there, and apprehension shot through her. If it was that loud on this side of the trees, what did it sound like—what did it look like—on the river’s edge? She watched the men working and suddenly wondered if they would all be there at the end of the day. Would she be there at the end of the day?

Warmth spread through her, dulling the chill of the morning.

“Good morning, Princess.”

Turning toward Kais, she found his face pinched, concern lining his features. Of course. Was it concern for her, or was it concern for his men?

“Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

She looked down at the ground beneath her, strewn with leaves and rocks. “Actually, I slept very well.” She met his eyes again. “Surprising.”

“Very,” he responded quietly.

Something sat behind his gaze, behind the word, but she couldn’t place it.

She cleared her throat. “When do we leave?”

He swallowed thickly before he answered her. “Soon. As soon as everyone is ready.”

Her heart stuttered.

Kais crouched in front of her, catching her eyes with his own. “Teague will cross first to ensure the rope is attached and sturdy.”

Teague? Wasn’t he Kais’ right hand? Why would he go first?

Almost as though Kais knew her thoughts, he went on, “He volunteers. Every time. And every time I argue with him about it, and I lose.” He swallowed again, and his gaze grew distant. “It scares me to death, and I know it makes me some kind of monster, but I would choose anyone to go over him.”

It felt like a secret, like he was confiding something to her that no one else knew. Maybe not even Teague. She knew there was a different relationship between the two men. Knew from the way that Teague sometimes called him by his name when the others weren’t around or when they were enjoying downtime. But she could feel Kais’ emotion when he spoke those words. Teague was different to him; he was special. Without thinking, she reached out and touched him. Something jolted through her from where her fingertips met his arm. His eyes shot to the place where they touched and then to her face. When their gazes met, it seemed to break the spell, and she withdrew her arm.

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