Page 17 of Spirit Rites

But he’s already kneeling down. “Which ankle?”

“It’s fine, Kaldar.”

“Which one?”

I can tell he’s not going to let this go, so I finally hold out my right one. “This one.”

“Sit down, and I’ll take a look at it.”

I sit on the ground, and he pulls my boot off. I try not to react, but a wince escapes me. He notices it. “Sorry,” he says softly.

“It’s fine.”

He very gently slides my sock off next. I’ve been afraid to look at it, but when I finally do, it’s not as bad as what I thought it would be. “See, I’m fine.”

He probes the area gently, but it still makes me wince. “Did you get a look at what it was?”

“No. It happened too fast.” He studies it a little longer. “So, am I going to live?”

I mean for it to be lighthearted, but he doesn’t smile. “Can you walk on it?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

He looks up and meets my eyes. “You’ll tell me if it gets worse.” I nod; I’m not a masochist. “We need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get infected or worse.”

“What’s worse than infection?”

He rubs a thumb over the wound, and I can’t help the shiver that runs through me. “Poison.”

“Oh.” Then what he saidreallyhits me. “Oh! You think there could be poison in the bite?”

“I don’t know. But we’ll keep an eye on it.” He places his hand over my wound. “It doesn’t feel warm.” I’m trying to pay attention. I really am, but if he doesn’t stop running a hand over my leg, I’m going to say or do something stupid. He does it again, and I’m officially done.

I jerk my leg away from his touch and blurt out the first thing I can think of. “Fish.” I shoot to my feet. “I need to fish. Eat the fish.” I shake my head. “Skin the fish, so we can cook it. I’m going to work on that.”

“Uh, Kinsley.” I turn back to Kaldar reluctantly. “Do you want your boot?”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks.” I grab my sock and boot and tug them on before I grab the fish I caught and his knife. “Thanks for the long knife, by the way. It worked perfectly.” I hold it out to him, and he takes it from me.

“I can skin those for you,” he offers, gesturing at the fish.

I wave him off with the knife in my hand. “I’ve got it.”

A few minutes later, the two fish I caught are roasting over the fire Kaldar built. By the time it’s ready, I’ve finally gotten over my embarrassment from earlier. We sit on the ground a few feet from each other as we eat. “I didn’t have anything to season the fish with, so it’s plain; but at least it’s food.”

“This is some of the best fish I’ve had. Thanks.” I laugh. “What?” he asks curiously.

“You’re the king of your kingdom. You can have anything you want; I’m sure you’ve had plenty of meals that were a thousand times better than this.”

He takes another bite of the fish. It’s a messy dinner as we only have our fingers for utensils. “I have had a lot of good meals. But sometimes, it’s the simple ones that are the best. There’s something about this one that puts it above the others. Maybe it’s the company.”

I stop chewing, and my gaze flies to his. But he’s not looking at me; he’s staring into the fire. I have no idea what to say to that, and I don’t think I want to. A warm feeling fills me, and I bask in it. After a few minutes of surprisingly comfortable silence, I throw the bones from my fish into the fire. “Are you worried about the fire attracting wild animals?”

He shrugs. “Everything in here is designed to test us. Might as well enjoy good food and a quiet moment while we can.”

Chapter 8

I glance around. If we were anywhere else, it would almost be peaceful. “Are you worried about what happens when night falls?”