Looking back on his mood of just an hour ago, he couldn’t believe how ridiculous he had been. He hadn’t known Leelo long, but she’d already put her own safety on the line for him multiple times. She wasn’t someone who would just abandon him for no good reason (and no, he told himself, a lackluster kiss was not a good reason). He had needed food and water. Cleaning his clothing and himself had washed away any lingering worry. All he wanted now was to kiss her and forget about the last three miserable days. If she wanted to kiss him, that was.

With his heart somewhere in his throat, Jaren hurried the rest of the way and ducked into the cottage.

It was empty.

Jaren’s heart plummeted to his stomach. Not only was Leelo not here, but he must have missed her by mere minutes. Was it possible she’d gone to the pools to look for him on a different trail? He set his food on the table and backed out of the cottage, fully prepared to return to the pools if it meant seeing her.

But when he turned around, there was a different girl staring at him. She cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed with clear suspicion, and asked, “Who the hell are you?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Leelo’s heart ached for her little brother with every beat. She worried about her mother whether she was gone for one hour or five. But not being able to go to Jaren, knowing that he was waiting for her, was driving Leelo mad.

It wasn’t her fault. After the festival, with Sage so clearly miserable and their mothers in a silent battle no one would explain, she’d had no chance to escape. She spent her entire day off doing Sage’s chores in addition to her own, watching in misery as the sun sank lower and lower behind the treetops, dragging her hope down with it.

All day, her stomach had been roiling, either with butterflies at the memory of kissing Jaren or with dread at what awaited her cousin. Sage had been so upset she hadn’t even gotten out of bed that day, though she managed to get up for her Watcher duty the day after.