CHAPTER 10

Snuggled next to Kerrick, I allowed my worries and fears to disappear. All that mattered was he’d survived the Death Lily toxin. We’d overcome his limitations. And if not, then I’d live with him in the forest. Better than living without him.

I stretched and pushed up on my right elbow. We’d both fallen into an exhausted sleep soon after our reunion. The sun hung low in the sky, which meant we’d slept through the afternoon.

My body still tingled pleasantly. I would have enjoyed the view of his muscular chest, but he blended in with the ground. So did I. As long as I touched him, my skin matched the forest’s colors.

My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since...I’d no idea. And Kerrick’s recovery had taken a toll on him. His hip bones stuck out.

Kerrick mumbled when I untangled my legs and broke skin contact to search for my clothes. They hadn’t gone far. Our lovemaking had been slow and intense, unlike our last reunion, which had been fast and passionate. I dressed and had to sweep my hands over the ground to find him again.

He snagged my wrist and yanked me close. “Don’t go.”

“Estrid’s waiting and I’ll bring food if there’s any left. Loren’s making his road stew.”

He grumbled, but released my arm and once again turning invisible.

I hesitated. “You won’t—”

“I’ll stay right here unless an enemy patrol comes through,” Kerrick said. “Then I’ll lead them away from the cave and double back.”

His words were sincere, yet the knot in my chest refused to loosen. “We should leave after full dark. It’ll be safer. We need to catch up to my team and deliver Estrid to Ryne. Do you have any idea where he is?”

“No, but I can find him with my tree mojo.”

I smiled over Quain’s term for Kerrick’s magic. As I strode away, my worries and fears returned, including the new one—that Kerrick wouldn’t be there when I returned. Especially since I could only feel his magic when he used it to look normal. I paused and turned around.

Kerrick appeared. He shooed me away. “I’m already missing you.”

The monkeys, Eva, and Flea slept, but Estrid stared at the fire. Loren’s stew pot rested on a few glowing embers and my mouth watered. Estrid watched me as I filled a bowl with the steaming goodness.

I sat next to the High Priestess. “Did they fill you in?” I asked her between bites, pitching my voice low so I didn’t wake the others.

She turned her gaze to me. “Yes, except they wouldn’t tell me why Prince Ryne would risk so much to rescue me. Will you?”

“I think you should hear it from him.”