Page 34 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

33

FINNLEAH

I flinched, attempting to move the General’s heavy arm off from my shoulders. He was still peacefully asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him. Not until I considered what I had done.

I slithered as carefully and silently as I could, holding in my breath until I crawled out from the little shelter, he’d hastily built last night.

The morning sunrays immediately blasted me with heat, and I already missed the cool shade of our make-shift-cover. The intense humidity in the jungle was unbearable yesterday, but now? After the storm, it felt as if my lungs breathed hot boiling water, not air. The few loose strands of hair from my messy braid instantly stuck to my sweaty neck and face. I pulled on the tie holding my hair, untangling the tight knots with my fingers.

At least it was easier to untangle my hair than the thoughts and emotions that consumed me.

It was a simple cuddle. Nothing special about that. Just two people who were cold, and exhausted…It made sense in the moment, I tried telling myself, as if that would somehow negate the growing craving within me to feel his warmth against my body, to hear his thundering heart again. It was just a low point for me. He knew that. He gave me a hug. That’s a normal thing for people to do. In fact, he might have done the gesture out of pity. And I didn’t need anyone’s pity.

How dare he pity me? I attempted to summon the blistering anger within me, anger that would tramp down that growing seedling of long forgotten feelings. But the anger didn’t rise, too distracted by the memory of the General’s muscled body against mine, his large hands against my side, my back, my legs.

“Crap,” I mumbled, as I clumsily dropped, the small, round tie now all wet from the shallow puddle by my boots. “Seriously?” I hissed at myself as the bandages on my hand also got soaking wet as I attempted to pick it up. I quickly abandoned the idea of doing two braids, settling for a simple, single braid. My hair would soon turn moldy anyway, never fully drying in this heat, so might as well not waste time making it look pretty, I thought to myself, grimacing just a bit as my fingers stung while re-braiding my hair slowly.

A simple touch. A nice gesture. Nothing more, I told myself once again as my mind drifted back to the oddly thrilling memories of last night. Yet, why can’t I stop thinking about it? It was as if his touch hypnotized me, my traitorous heart still mimicking his heartbeat.

Because it was caring, and gentle, and somehow, so damn comforting. And my mind couldn’t fit the puzzle together, because he wasn’t any of those things.

No, the General was brutal, cocky, absolutely arrogant, and lacking any sort of empathy or remorse for his ruthless actions .

He was the great Destroyer General. Soon the Emperor of all Esnox.

Lord of Death.

And I was a run-away slave. Daughter of the Dead, with a promise I have yet to uphold.

And nothing was ever going to change that.

“Good morning, Finnleah.” My breath caught in my lungs at his raspy, morning voice. I turned only briefly, glancing over his figure with as much casualness as I could summon.

“Good morning, General,” I replied nonchalantly, returning my eyes back to the large map spread out on my lap. The juicy, green apple loudly crunched as I took another bite, the only dry offering of our skim breakfast I had dug out from our bags just a few moments prior.

“Sleep well?” the General inquired, taking a sip of water out of his metal flask.

“Good, given the circumstances.” I kept my eyes on the map, but my peripheral vision nervously tracked his every movement.

The General opened his mouth, only to close it a second later. The uncomfortable hesitation loitered in the air. And before he could say anything I’d regret hearing, I blurted out, “So, I was thinking…” I nervously twisted the map and the compass once more.

“What were you thinking about?” he asked, taking a few bites of food.

You.

I choked that thought lightning fast, before it could reach my mouth. I coughed, clearing my throat, ignoring his smoky scent filling my lungs, now that he stood only a step away from me.

“Tuluma, my elf maid, spoke of a creature that knew all truths,” I started, though already regretting the words coming out of my mouth. The idea was much more sound in my head, but now, hearing it out loud, it sounded completely insane. The General gestured with his hand to speak as he chewed his food. I rubbed my crinkled nose, cringing, but continued.

“She told me of an immortal creature that could answer any question you’d ask him. And considering we are in dire need of answers, I was contemplating finding it. In the stories, she always talked about crossing four rivers, past the black lake…” My eyes lowered to the map.

“A creature that can give you all the answers?” the General repeated my words, a subtle smirk appearing on his face.

“Yes, I am well aware it sounds crazy. It is a legend, and I’m not even sure if Tuluma just made it up to scare me into telling her the truth all the time. But we are already here and if we fly past the river crossing...” I pointed to the map, where four rivers came together. “Towards that lake. I bet it would be Dead Water Lake, from Tuluma’s stories. And if Nymphs stay away from Dead Water Lake because demons guard it, the—”

“Okay,” he interrupted me.

“ Okay? ” I suspiciously raised my eyebrows at him.

“Yes, let’s do it,” he agreed without questioning.

What? His eyes asked.

You’re being dumb. My eyes silently shot back.

“You didn’t even ask what the catch was!” I protested.

“I assumed it was spending another day in these gods-forgotten muggy jungles, getting eaten by swarms of bugs, getting lost in Elfland, captured by Elves, haunted by potential demons, or wasting our time chasing legends?”

“Yes, that too...” I drawled. “But there is also another minor detail—” I returned my eyes back to the map, to the large lake and the rivers. “The creature is called a Pozurachdushi, which in Elvish means a Soul Eater, because he devours your soul in return for an answer.”

“Sounds like a charmer. Can’t wait to meet him.” The General smirked, taking a loud bite of an apple.