"Ze?" I get up, sleepy confusion still clinging to my lashes.

"You're awake?" He looks at me and nods, getting to his feet to stretch.

I gape at him.

"Did I... Did I sleep on your lap the whole night?" I clear my throat.

He nods.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Did you get any sleep?" I burst out, ashamed of myself.

"No. I kept watch," he answers tersely.

"Are you tired? Do you want to take a quick nap while I keep watch? Damn it, you should have woken me up sooner to change places."

He stops, slowly turning toward me.

"Change places?" he asks in a low voice. "Would you allow me to use you as a pillow?"

I'm taken aback by his question, and for a moment, I consider saying no. But it's my fault he didn't get any sleep. It's also imperative that he is rested since I'm relying on his strength in case there's any danger as we continue our journey.

"All right," I eventually answer.

"I suppose a few minutes would not hurt," he mumbles, coming to my side. He plops himself on the floor and places his head on my lap. Everything happens so quickly that I can only stare at him as he makes himself comfortable in my lap, closing his eyes and releasing a deep breath.

I hold myself still even as he relaxes.

Damn it, why did I agree to this? It somehow feels too intimate, not only him sleeping on my lap, but also me sleeping on his.

He doesn't sleep long. In fact, he's up in a matter of minutes, dusting his clothes and looking entirely unbothered.

"Okay, so what's next now? Where are we going?" I ask as I get to my feet.

He scans the ground for a twig, which he uses to draw in the sand the map he memorized.

"We're here. We need to go north and then farther west to reach the forest," he explains. "You will need to be more vigilant as we get closer to the forest. We won't be the only ones searching for that plant."

"Do you think the others already got there?" I ask as I nibble my lip.

"Yesterday at the convocation, I studied some of the competition," he says as he uses his foot to wipe the map. "There are people who I am sure will not make it. But there are also plenty of dangerous species in the competition—even some that have powers to rival those of a god."

My eyes widen.

"What does that mean for us?"

"We will need to be more careful. I am not at my full potential in this realm," he adds as he clears his throat. "Otherwise, of course, I could take each and every one of them," he amends. He straightens his back, his hand going to the hilt of his sword as he caresses the dark handle.