Page 56 of A Hunt Bound in Blood
I opened my mouth to push harder against this meagre existence she anticipated, then swallowed my words. It wouldn’t benefit her to shatter her plans if this was what she wanted, but I couldn’t help but wish more for her.
“What about you?” she asked, returning her gaze to mine. “Is it worth facing what’s coming to get Evaniel’s help?”
“The chance to clear my name? To resume my position?” I rolled my neck until it popped. “I’m less fussed about those rewards than I am about the possibility of finally giving my brothers and sister what they deserve. They stole everything from me, made my entire country turn their backs on me, including my own father, and they didn’t lose a thing for their trouble.” I realized I’d balled my hands into fists and forced them to relax. “I’ve been happy enough to keep going as I am and give them a chance to make a mistake that will bite them in the ass, but if the time has come to do the biting myself? You’d better believe I’ll take it.”
Glory pressed her lips into a flat line, and only at the sight of her amusement did I hear what I’d said. I scowled. There would be no literal biting of asses. Not theirs, anyway. “You know what I mean.”
Her hidden smile turned sympathetic. “I do. Believe me, if I could find out who took my father from me, I wouldn’t be satisfied with hiding in a closet.” She finished her last bite of cheese, then brushed off her hands and shifted so she sat more comfortably on her bedroll. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, princeling. And that all this proves worthwhile.”
“You too, Buttons.” I looked her over, once again experiencing a surge of unfamiliar emotion at the sight of her and, for some reason, feeling a little less frustrated by it. “Somehow I think it will be.”
Glory
XXV
The storm raged on, but Cammon and I remained safe in our tent.
Our too-small tent.
In all the weeks we’d been travelling, I hadn’t noticed before just how tiny a space it was, but with the demon prince’s hulking shape taking up half of it, I barely had room to stretch without touching him.
The scent of him, all musk and spices, danced across my palate, and my skin tingled with his heat. The enchanted blanket would be unnecessary with him sleeping beside me.
Though the thought of him beside me pushed all thought of sleep from my mind, and it was with great effort that I focused on our conversation as we planned our route through the mountains. We didn’t have many options—there weren’t too many human-accessible paths through dragon territory—so we opted to follow the same road Cammon had taken on his last ill-fated trek through the peaks.
“At least I’ll know where the pitfalls are so we can avoid them,” he pointed out, and since I didn’t have any better suggestions, I didn’t argue with him.
By the time we called it a night, I wasn’t feeling better about this next stage of our journey. After everything else we’d been through, I doubted Tersey would give us a break. From a giant, gaping, spike-filled hole to a fire-breathing cave, we’d already faced our deaths a few times over. We had to be prepared for the possibility that next time death would win.
And if that was the case, so be it. Based on our conversation last night, Cammon was as willing as I was to take whatever risks were necessary to see this through. The prizes we both stood to gain were worth it, no matter the cost. The only way for either of us to achieve what we wanted was to pull up our pants, make our way up the mountain, and avoid any dragons.
A crack of thunder made me shriek, and I laughed at myself once my heart rate settled. Lightning forked across the sky, creating patterns on the ceiling.
“You’re not afraid of storms, are you?” Cammon asked through a sly smile.
I raised my chin in contempt. “Of course not. That one just startled me.”
His grin grew wider, and he reached for the lantern. With a pinch of his fingers, he extinguished the flame, dousing us in darkness.
“May as well get comfortable, then,” he said. “I’ve always thought the best way to enjoy a storm is to watch it.”
His voice sounded too close, too intimate in the enclosed space. Goosebumps rose over my arms, and my nipples hardened. I gave them a stern talking to but followed his suggestion. With our bags tucked against one side of the tent and our blankets overlapping, my elbow brushed against his as we lay down.
Another rumble of thunder, and a few seconds later, lightning flashed brightly enough that I made out the shape of Cammon’s bent knee.
I hadn’t thought it possible for the rain to fall any harder, but the sheets of water weighed down the roof, and the tent shook with the force of the wind.
“Are we sure the tent will hold?” I asked, eyeing the rod near my head warily.
“Oh yeah. There’s enough weight in here to keep it steady.”
I rolled my head to face him. “What are you implying?”
More lightning illuminated a flash of white teeth. “I know better than to answer that one, Buttons.”
“Because you think whatever you say, I’ll take it the wrong way?”
“Because if I say anything complimentary, it’ll avalanche until I stick my foot in my mouth and call you beautiful.”