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Chapter Thirty-Eight

Aleksander

Moonlight hovers overhead as the camp settles for the night. I weave through the maze of tents, restless energy surging through me.

I should be sleeping, or at the very least, planning. Instead, I’m out here patrolling, needing to move, needing to avoid thinking too much.

If I stop, memories will overtake me, and I’ll be damned if I allow them to soften me.

I have plans, and I will not allow anything to take them away from me. Not Zerah. Not Jasce. Not William.

Fuck…

I tighten my fingers into fists and walk faster.

Movement catches my eye—a shadow slipping between the tents. My senses sharpen as my hands instinctively hover near the hilt of my broadsword.

Quietly, I follow the elusive figure as they dart behind a supply wagon. Just as I round the corner, someone barrels into me. We collide with force, momentum sending us both sprawling to the ground. I land hard, another body pressing me into the cold ground.

“Watch where you’re going,” a sharp voice hisses above me.

I blink and stare up into fierce brown eyes. Fiery eyes. Beautiful eyes.

Kythara.

She’s perched atop me, her thighs settled around my hips.

Fuck!

That feels good.

It’s been too long—months since I took a woman to my bed. Not since I promised Asha I would work alongside her.

A smirk tugs at my lips as I grip Kythara’s hips, holding her against me. “Comfortable?”

The Watcher narrows her eyes. “Hardly.”

She tries to push herself up, but her hand slips in the mud, causing her to fall back against me.

I stifle a laugh. “Do you need a hand?”

“I don’t need anything from you,” she snaps.

“Clearly.”

With a grunt, she manages to stand, brushing dirt from her clothes. I rise more gracefully and take a moment to dust off my own attire. The faint scent of her lingers—something floral.

Lilacs?

“What are you doing skulking around at this hour?” she demands.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I thought I saw an intruder,” she says as she glances over her shoulder.

“So did I.”

She crosses her arms and scrapes her gaze over me—from the top of my head to my boots. “Do you think we’re under attack?”

“Possibly.”

“Then, we should alert the guards.”

I shake my head. “And cause unnecessary panic? It’s better to handle it ourselves.”

The wind tugs at her surcoat as she presses her lips into a thin line. “I don’t recall agreeing to anything with you.”

“Consider it a fortunate coincidence. Two people are always better than one.”

She scoffs and rakes her eyes over me again. “In your case, that remains to be seen.”

“You’ve got a sharp tongue,” I say, admiring her—this woman who hides more than she reveals. All I can make out are dark eyes, long black hair, and a short, petite figure. Well, and a ridiculous amount of henna decorating her hands.

“And you’ve got a penchant for getting in my way.”

“Is that so?” I take a step closer. “From where I stood, you were the one doing the barreling.”

“Only because you were lurking about like a thief.”

“Protecting the camp is hardly lurking.”

“Well,” she says, brushing at her armor, as if removing invisible dust, “if you’re done wasting my time, I have a threat to track down.”

I gesture ahead. “By all means.”

She shoots me a withering look and walks away, and I follow a few paces behind.

“Stop trailing me,” she says through her teeth without turning around.

“I’m just ensuring we don’t lose our mysterious intruder.”

“I work better alone,” she says as we weave through narrow pathways, past sleeping horses, and stacks of supplies.

The entire time, I keep my senses sharp, but there’s no sign of movement—just the rustle of canvas in the breeze and the occasional snort from a restless horse.

After several more moments, she stops near the outer edge of the camp. “The person is gone.”

“It seems that way.”

Her long hair whips against her back as she turns to face me. “I told you that I don’t require your presence.”

“Consider me persistent.”

“Consider me uninterested.”

Amusement trickles through me. She really is delightful, but in a sharp, stingy kind of way, like a wasp or a gnat. “Your demeanor suggests otherwise.”

“Is everything a game to you?”

“Not everything .”

“Well, I’m not one of your little distractions. If there’s a threat, I can handle it.”

I shrug. “I never said you couldn’t.”

Her eyes flash as she speaks in a cold voice—the kind that should probably deter me. “Then, why are you still here?”

Because I like a challenge. “I’m enjoying the night air.”

“Find somewhere else to enjoy it.”

“Why are you being so inhospitable?”

She takes a step closer, jabbing my chest with her finger. “Listen, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t have time for it.”

“I’m not playing any games.” Liar. You’re enjoying provoking her. “I’m just concerned for the camp’s safety.”

“I can safeguard my own camp.”

“Impressive confidence.”

“It’s called competence.” She exhales sharply. “Why are you really out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Try harder.”

I laugh. “Your wit is as sharp as your blade.”

“And your charm is as thin as air.”

“Ouch.” I press my hand dramatically to my chest.

“I’m done here.” Moonlight fractures around her as she takes a step away from me, then pauses and speaks over her shoulder. “Stay out of my way. I mean it.”

“I’ll try if you promise to stop barreling into me.”

She glances back, a glint of something in her eyes—probably annoyance. Then, she’s gone, disappearing between the rows of tents.

I turn back to the camp, knowing that whatever shadow we chased has vanished.

Still, at least the evening wasn’t entirely dull.