Page 21

Chapter

Fourteen

ARA

My body twitches as little sparks run over my skin and sear their way to my core.

The coldness inside me rises with a vengeance, drinking down the lightning running through my body.

And damn, it hurts . My already sore muscles are so tense that they are about to crumble to dust. A point of unbearable heat at the base of my neck sends power down a burning path straight to the beast inside me waiting to be fed.

I would scream if I could, but the muscles in my jaw aren’t budging, clamping my mouth shut. I groan.

I want it to stop.

Everything hurts, only … the coolness inside me is unaffected. I dive for it, huddle into it, tug it up around me to give me some relief, and …

It works.

I keep tugging and pulling, and as it covers more of me, the pain becomes … bearable and concentrating easier, which makes the beast more compliant.

I slowly regain control of my muscles, but they are still cramped and rigid, and the adrenaline coursing through my body makes it hard to relax.

The bluish light stops, plunging the world around me into darkness, and I collapse to the ground. All that is left are orange spots dotting my vision, blinding me to my surroundings. I concentrate on breathing.

Gods, I’m happy I’m still breathing.

Shuffling and voices penetrate the buzzing in my head.

“She’s breathing.”

“Is she burned?”

“Was that lightning?”

“What the fuck is going on?”

“Are we under attack?” The voices sound far away, too soft to recognize.

“Gray, can you hear me?” Calix says right next to my ear. “I don’t know where I can touch you.” I try to sit up. The weight of a hand settles on my shoulder, only to be snatched away again when I grimace. “Don’t. Just breathe for a minute.” He sounds worried. “Where does it hurt?”

“What happened?” Joel demands with underlying panic in his voice. Great, just what I need right after Kyronos wanted to talk to me about it.

As if I summoned him with that thought, I feel Kyronos coming up next to me.

Wait, what?

I have no idea why I sense his magic without touching him, but that is unmistakably the warm presence I felt when he healed me.

Great.

I groan.

As if I need to be even more aware of his presence.

“Make room. Give me some space to work here,” Kyronos barks. “Have them search the surroundings and double the guards, Cassius.” His voice sounds clipped and angry.

Steps are leaving, and the murmurs become muted as everyone hastens to comply.

Calloused hands frame my face. “Where does it hurt, Summer?” His clipped and harsh words are a stark contrast to his gentle touch.

“I’m fine,” I croak out.

“Are we back to that again?” Now he sounds exasperated on top of angry. “Are you going to make me check?”

I blush at the thought of him undressing me. Thank god it’s dark enough that he can’t see it. I hope my warm cheeks don’t give me away.

The spots in front of my eyes slowly start to fade, and I can make out the dark shape of his head above me.

“You wouldn’t be able to see a thing,” I mutter while Kyronos helps me out of my pack and to sit up. My voice still sounds pathetic, and the thought of him using his hands to search for injuries makes breathing difficult.

What is wrong with me?

I survived a lightning attack, successfully used my curse to protect myself, and all I’m thinking about are his hands on my body?

I clear my throat.

“I’m fine, I promise. Maybe you could just help me up?”

He takes a deep breath before releasing it in a frustrated huff.

“Alright. If you insist.” His grasp is firm and steady, his palm rough and calloused. The world around me makes a slow turn when I rise, and I steady myself against Kyronos's arm before I face-plant into his chest.

Once I’m sure I’m steady, I take a few steps, clenching my teeth to keep from wincing. My muscles are not happy, not happy at all.

I use the movement to put some distance between us. That I still sense his magic freaks me out, but the sensation lessens a bit with distance.

“See, I’m fine.” My voice is hoarse but steady.

“But how?” He sounds incredulous. The shock of seeing me walk away after being grilled by lightning seems to have overpowered the anger I sensed before. Shit, that’s the part I haven’t thought through.

How much has he seen? How long have I been exposed to the magic? Where is the attacker?

My gaze flies to the darkness around us. Now that my eyes have adjusted, the moonlight is enough to make out shapes. Is one of them moving? Tate seems to guess where my sudden distress is coming from.

“He’s dead,” he reassures me.

“Are you sure?” It’s a stupid question. I doubt he would say it otherwise. The white of his teeth flashes in the dark when he grins. My stomach flips, and I regret that I can’t see his face more clearly.

“You want to check for yourself?” He’s probably mocking me. But I take the chance it provides to get out of answering questions I can’t.

“Yes, please.” He chokes back a laugh.

“Sure, doubt my abilities to kill a man, why don’t you?” He snorts. “Let’s go. I need to search him anyway.” He sounds like he’s humoring me, which seems out of character.

He probably thinks the lightning addled my brain.

Kyronos walks slowly, staying next to me. I’m sure he expects me to fall over, but I don’t, even if it’s mainly pride holding me upright. Gods, I’m tired.

My muscles hurt, but it gets better with movement. By the time we stop again, it’s more like a severe case of sore muscles—not unlike what I’m used to after heavy drills the day before.

Jared Venti stands next to a motionless figure on the ground, guarding it.

There is no movement, at least as far as I can see. Kyronos squats down, lays out something next to the body, and starts rummaging through the pockets of the person's long coat.

I lower myself next to him, much less gracefully.

Light hair and a short beard frame a very pale face that sticks out against the darkness surrounding it.

“Have you seen him before?” Venti asks.

“No,” Kyronos and I answer simultaneously.

“You think he’s connected to the attack?” Venti goes on, and I have a feeling he would say more if I weren’t around.

“What else? Coincidence?” Kyronos snorts. “Not likely.”

“If they—”

“Let’s not waste time on theories.” Kyronos cuts him off.

My eyes fly from him to Venti and back. What is going on? And why did someone try to kill him?

“Dead enough for you?” Kyronos snaps at me, and I nod numbly.

How did he die?

My eyes fly to the body, searching for injuries.

He’s dressed in black, and the light is low, but what if there aren’t any?

The curse had been eager to suck in his magic and had protected me.

What if I killed him—the curse killed him—without me even noticing?

I managed to control it while Kyronos healed me, but …

shit, if I killed him, they’ll know what I am.

I need to know, but I’m afraid to ask.

Kyronos gathers up all he found and gets up, striding away.

“Keep up, Summer, unless you aren’t fine after all.”

I rise, sucking in a breath when my body protests.

“You need help?” Venti asks.

“No, I’m fine,” I grumble and follow Tate, only to realize he waited for me a few steps away. Ass.

Venti, Kyronos, and I make our way over to the low fire someone started in the middle of the hastily thrown-up camp.

Now or never.

“How … how did he—” I stammer.

“Die?” Kyronos completes the sentence I don’t seem able to. He stops and turns to me.

I nod.

“I killed him.”

Sure, doubt my abilities to kill a man, why don’t you? His earlier words come back to me.

I freaked out for no reason at all. I release the breath I have been holding and catch Kyronos still watching me.

“Good,” I answer, breaking the connection by walking past him and over to the fire.

Two runners tend to the flames, but apart from them, only Joel and the other squadron leader are present.

Where is everyone?

“Update,” Kyronos barks, and all persons present snap to attention.

“We are still searching the perimeter, Centurion. Guards were doubled as ordered, and the rest have set up the tents for the night,” Joel reports.

“Check on the guards and the search,” Kyronos orders, and Joel sends me a worried glance before he and the other rider hurry away.

Kyronos and Venti squat down next to the fire, and my centurion opens a bundle, laying out its contents and looking through them.

The things he found on the attacker.

No one is paying me any attention, and I’m curious.

I get closer, peering over Kyronos's shoulder.

My gaze catches on a small two-pointed crystal.

I gasp, and Kyronos's head whips around, leaving only a few fingers of space between us since I’m still leaning over his shoulder. I swallow and ease back.

“Sorry, I’m … ah … is one of the birds around?” I whisper even though I know this crystal only transmits location, not sound.

“Why?” Kyronos and Venti ask simultaneously.

“This crystal is called a Tracer.” I crouch down between them and run a finger over the smooth surface. “They are from the Ice Coast, I think.” I look up, my gaze jumping from Kyronos to Venti and back. “They come in pairs, and one is used to track the location of the other.”

Venti curses up a storm while Kyronos goes completely still.

“How do you know this?” Kyronos's voice is laced with suspicion. It’s true, Tracers aren’t common knowledge.

“My father told me. He once met two mercenary brothers from the Ice Coast. They used them to find each other during battles.” What I can’t say without giving away too much is that they had been spies sent to infiltrate my father’s forces and harvest information.

Kyronos gets up abruptly. “Let’s go then. This will be a long night after all.”