Page 86 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

Cadence snorted beside them.

Kora leaned into Blake, her hands clutching at her torn clothes, holding the frayed edges together. He let her weight press against him, and his hand went to the small of her back to steady her.

“My captain needs to recover from this,” he spoke sternly. “Callan’s actions aren’t your fault, nor responsibility.” Rarefragility radiated from him, and a small kernel of pride flashed from her.

Theron nodded deeply, and that was enough to send her over the edge. To receive any form of a bow from a member of the royal court was of the greatest respect. Kora bobbed her head in return. Good gods.

“Will the king punish you for banishing Callan?” she asked in a near-whisper.

Theron peered at Callan’s fading footsteps in the sand. “Do not worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”

His gaze followed the smattering of blood on her body before dropping to the ground in shame. Blake guided her to his own tent, fishing out a spare shirt and trousers from his pack, whilst Theron mumbled about taking the next watch rotation to ensure Callan didn’t return.

“We shouldn’t be sharing a tent,” she hesitated as Blake handed her his clothes.

He shrugged in response. “I’ll sleep outside if you want me to.”

“I . . . thought it was you. I thought you’d finally decided to . . .” she couldn’t finish the words.

Pain, followed by anger, flashed across his face before softening into pity, and her gut roiled. She didn’t want pity. She’d been defiled, but beneath that violation, was hurt. She was upset it hadn’t been Blake, and a slither of disbelief joined her torrent of emotions.

Her belief in their relationship cracked.

But she nodded anyway. She needed to know that he was near, that she wasn’t alone. Before she ducked into the tent, Blake gently gripped her hand. The skin-on-skin contact overwhelmed her, and she recoiled at the touch, backing towards Cadence who followed her every movement like a second shadow.

“I’m sorry I . . . I wasn’t there sooner. I should’ve been there like you wanted. Are you okay?”

Like she wanted?What did that mean? Didhenot want her anymore?

His face creased with worry, but Kora shook her head, avoiding his expression as she turned away. After a quick rinse, desperately scrubbing her skin raw to wash away Callan’s blood, she curled up on Blake’s sleeper mattress and covered her curled body with a blanket.

A clop of hooves kicked against sand, followed by the familiarthudof Cadence taking up her residing spot outside. Such an intelligent creature, and more attuned to Kora’s feelings than her supposed partner.

Her body was violated.

She tightened up, closing in until her knees touched her chest. Closing her body off to the world. Her heart ached, and she wasn’t sure why. Her mind was numb . . . hushed. Silent tears threatened to spill, and she cried into the folds of the blanket as footsteps approached.

“What happened?” Aryn’s voice drifted over. Without seeing him, she would’ve thought he was thrice his age just from his voice.

“Callan attacked the captain . . . the situation has been diffused.” Blake’s voice had a sharp edge. She didn’t appreciate the tone directed at Aryn.

Situation.

Was that all it was to him? Just a situation?

“Why weren’t we alerted?” Aryn snapped back. Heavy footsteps followed.

“Aye,” Samuel conferred. “Who was on watch?”

“I was.” Blake’s blunt words somehow pierced her numb being. “I was far out, a couple dunes over. I came running as soon as I heard the screams. Where were you two?”

“I was tracking Ivar,” Aryn replied quickly.

“I’m a heavy sleeper,” Samuel mumbled. “Takes a storm to wake me.”

“Tracking Ivar?” Blake’s interrogative tone surfaced, and Kora’s tears slowed as she frowned, her ears straining to catch their voices.

“I don’t trust him,” Aryn continued. “He snuck out . . . so I followed him.”