But what I’m really asking is, what did your kiss mean? What does any of this push and pull between us mean?
A tic appears in his jaw, like he’s biting his words, deciding which ones to swallow down. “Everyone deserves a choice. I’m offering you one.”
“I can’t leave the one person who has ever protected me.”
He makes a growled sound and runs a hand through his thick black hair, pulling it at the roots, revealing his frustration. “Look, we do what we have to in order to survive. I’m not judging you for it.”
I let out a humorless laugh. The air is lightening even more, a dread dawn ready to crest. “That’s all you’ve done since I met you. You’ve judged me for every decision I’ve made to hide myself, to survive. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“Fine,” he says, dropping his hand. “But you don’t have to hide, not anymore.”
My expression goes cold. I force my legs to lock to disguise my trembling knees. “I told you. I’m always going to choose him.”
I see the pale outline of his throat bob, like he’s taking in what I’m saying, getting a taste of the bitterness. His eyes, though, they’re drenched in it, and so is his voice when it hardens in a reply.
“So be it.”
Chapter 33
AUREN
King Ravinger arrives with a flock of timberwings.
I’ve never seen the flying beasts before. Their numbers are small, their breed barely kept from extinction a century ago. They used to live wild in Orea in droves, but now, only the wealthiest own them. Kings, for instance.
Just a couple of hours after dawn, six of the giant birds appear in the sky. Although, bird is used lightly.
They have tree-bark-colored feathers on the tops of thei
r wings, and snow white on the underside to match the rest of their bodies. It allows them to blend into the clouds when in flight, their wings spanning a good twenty feet.
Unlike birds though, they have no beak. Instead, there’s a wide muzzle with razor sharp teeth, perfect for scooping up prey and carrying them into the air, never even having to land to get a meal.
That reason alone makes me not want to get too close.
Instead, I watch from a distance as the six timberwings and riders drop down into the heart of Fourth army’s camp and disappear from my view.
I wander around for a bit, but the camp feels eerie. Most of the soldiers have gone to greet their king and await orders, but it feels like a ghost town. It’s too quiet, too still, like the breath before the scream. I wonder if the city of Ranhold feels the same, with Fourth’s army looming on their border.
I can’t stand how tense it is. I can’t stand to watch the soldiers sharpen their blades or put on their black plated armor instead of just leathers.
When I become too anxious to walk around, I sit by one of the campfires and watch the flames, listening to the crackle of the logs.
“This her?”
I startle, not having heard the trio that just walked up behind me. Standing to turn, I find two unfamiliar soldiers stopping to face me, and Lu coming up beside them.
Lu is dressed in full armor too, a chainmail mesh visible at her neck. “Yeah, this is her,” she tells them, her face grim.
Frowning, I look between them. “What’s going on?”
“The king wants you guarded for protection,” one of the soldiers says.
My lips press together. I’m smack in the middle of their army’s camp. No one can get to me here, not even Midas.
“You mean your king wants me watched,” I say, and the look on Lu’s face confirms it for me.
“Fine. I’m just sitting here, so make yourselves comfortable,” I offer, pointing to the empty stools off to the side.