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Maybe I wasn’t cut out for any of this. Maybe I should have stayedin Rimor.

Elias shuffled beneath me, and furrowed his brow as his golden eyes bore into mine. “You, Aurelia of Rimor, are the bravest person I have ever met. Don’t you dare, for even a second, think otherwise.”

I bit the inside of my lip, ready to cry again.

“Just because your body is reacting to trauma does not mean that you are not brave. You are a warrior. I saw it in you the night we met. Ifeltit.”

I reached a shaky hand up and wiped my own tear this time. “I’m only brave when I have to be,” I mumbled.

Elias grabbed my hand gently and kissed my fingers, his lips creating small shockwaves through my hand that went up my arm. I leaned my head against him, absorbing his warmth and feeling safe in his arms. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was going to be okay and maybe I was still brave, even if it took time to heal, mentally.

He held me for a moment more. “Let’s get you dressed and get out of here,” he said softly, and I agreed. We walked over to my clothes and he turned away, the gentleman that he was, so I could get dressed. When I was finished, I stepped over to him and placed my hand on his back until he spun to face me. I had to push up on my toes in order to kiss him, and I felt his lips turn up into a smile.

I pulled away and looked into his beautiful, honey eyes. “Shall we continue our journey?” I asked.

“After you, brave one,” he said with a smile.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Elias led me north towards the Shadow Peak Mountains. Traveling through the mountains would be dangerous, but it was the fastest way to Zolmara without having to get too close to Sprath. The climb would not be an easy one. There would be many cliffs to scale, as well as the possibility of running into bears and other wild beasts that Elias said frequented those mountains.

“Sprath is starting to look a little less scary,” I joked as we walked through the forest.

But Elias only stiffened. “As dangerous as they are, nothing in those mountains will come close to the wrath of the Sprathian King.”

“Why?” I asked. My father hated King Volund. My uncle despised him. And now Elias appeared to have the same feelings. “How could you possibly know that?”

“I’ve been to Sprath. Seen what their king is capable of. Seen him whip a man in the middle of the streets just for daring to speak tohim. You may see your father as ruthless, but at least he treats his people fairly. Volund has no such conviction. His people are nothing but the dirt beneath his feet.”

I paused, the forest floor no longer crunching under my boots. “I…I knew he was sly and untrustworthy. But I didn’t know those are the things he did to his own people,” I admitted.

Elias stopped walking as well, turning to face me. He closed the gap so we were only inches apart. “I imagine your father wanted to protect you from that.Iwant to protect you from that,” he said, brushing the back of his fingers across my cheek.

“Fair enough,” I said, trying not to tremble at the pleasure his touch brought. “You once told me you were in Sprath before you came to Rimor, right?”

Elias’s hand fell. “Yes, that’s right.”

“But you’re not Sprathian?”

“No.”

“Then what were you doing there?”

He let out a breath. “I travel all of the Four Kingdoms for work.”

“And what kind of work do you do?”

“I find people.”

My brow rose. “Like a bounty hunter?”

“Something like that.”

That explained his vast knowledge of the geography of the Four Kingdoms.

“But you decided to help me instead of finishing your bounty?”

He grinned. “Like I told you before, you paid better.”