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My defenses rose. “I didn’t volunteer to be there.”

“I’m not growling at you, I’m growling at them.” He tossed a hand toward the forest, out in front of us. “Who are they? Where are they? Let me end their stars-fucking lives.”

My defenses didn’t vanish, though I did relax slightly. “Most of them are dead already.”

He shot me a questioning look.

“When we escaped, we… I… they’re mostly dead,” I said hastily, wanting to talk my way out of the discussion as quickly as possible.

“I’m going to need more information than that,” the king warned.

I flashed him a glare. “You’re not getting it.”

“Diora,” he warned.

“Namir,” I mimicked his tone.

He huffed. “You’re so damned stubborn.”

“I suppose we have that in common, then.” My fists clenched at my sides, and I forced myself to keep breathing evenly, to prevent my monster from forcing her way out. She couldn’t hurt Namir, but that didn’t mean I wanted her to take control.

“At least tell me if it’s anyone I know; anyone close to me,” the king prodded.

“How would I know whether or not you’ve met them?” I tossed back. “I was chained, remember?”

“You can use the shadows to show me your memories of their magic, to give me an impression of who they are.”

I scowled. “I’m not using the shadows for a damned thing,King. End of discussion.”

Namir grumbled, but we kept walking.

That night was even moreawkward than the first. We didn’t really talk, and both of us were stiff as we shared body heat without really cuddling. We got up before the morning came around, both of us restless and a bit grumpy.

As we continued to walk, I grew snappy, and he grew quiet. He didn’t seem offended by my snappiness, though he probably should’ve been. And he never tried to force me to go back to the castle—though he probably should’ve.

We wandered the forest for nearly a week before I finally admitted to myself that I didn’t like sleeping under the stars, or on moss. My feelings for the king I slept with were mixed, and guarded, but I didn’t hate sleeping at his side as much as I hated the dampness of the moss beneath me or the uneven harness of the rocks around us.

The small tent that the king had set up for me was calling me.

And as he remarked on multiple occasions, I could always leave again if I wanted to. So, I finally told him I wanted to go back to the tents, and he led the way. They were close—less than two hours away—and I was suspicious that he might’ve been leading me in a circle somehow.

But, I was glad that we’d made it back to the tents, so I said nothing.

After washingmyself and my undergarments in the creek, I pulled the wet clothing back on long enough to walk back to the tents.

When I got there, I found the small tent’s flaps hanging open—and I found Namir passed out in the bed.

Damn him.

With a sigh, I padded over to the large tent. Really, the whole thing was ridiculous.

But when I slipped out of my underclothing and tucked myself into the blankets, my eyes closed at the soft luxury of the fabric. I fought back a groan at the feel of it on my skin.

And it only took a few moments before I was snoring away, dead to the world.

Chapter8

When I woke up,it took a few moments to reorient myself to the world around me. I was in the large tent, but it was darker than it had been when I fell asleep—I hadn’t closed the flaps to the tent, but they were definitely closed now.