Page 43 of The Unseen Hour (The Unseen Hour Duology #1)

V ines twisted over me, thorns digging into my arms, my leg, my side.

“Orion!” I kept screaming, trying to break free.

I heard him yelling for all he was worth on the other side of the hedge; then, for a moment he got quiet.

“I’ve got an idea!” he called before going silent again.

I stilled, trying not to do anything that would bring forth a response from the plants and further injure my limbs.

He’ll come back, he’ll come back, I repeated to myself.

Vines slid over my neck, and even with all the adrenaline coursing through me, my vision began to go black.

I could still hear Orion yelling, but I didn’t think he’d make it through in time.

“Let her go! Let. Her. Go!” he yelled.

There was a flash of light, and the vines began to retreat. Fire. Eating the leaves and stems and thorns.

A hand closed around mine, and Orion hauled me to my feet.

“We have to run, Starlight, can you run?”

I tried to nod as the vines around my neck slid away, but it was too much of an effort. I could barely breathe. Smoke, and whatever the vines had done to hurt my throat, made it impossible.

“It’s all right. I’ve got you.”

Orion scooped me into his arms and ran, directly through a wall of flames and disintegrating hedges.

“The. Fire.” I managed in a hoarse rasp as we got farther away.

“If it saved you, I would burn the entire Ether down without regret,” he responded.

As he spoke, it began to rain.

Orion stopped at one point to bend down and scoop up my lost knife but then continued on carrying me.

He’d had no sleep, but he didn’t set me down for what felt like hours. When he did, he examined the areas where the vines had dug in. His touch was gentle, but the slightest pressure was agonizing on my throat where the vine had twisted around it.

“Can you speak?” he asked.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Swelling must have started since we’d run from the hedges. It was ludicrous, since I’d been breathing the entire time, but I grasped at my throat, feeling like I was short of air.

“It’s all right, Starlight. We’ll fix this.”

Orion lowered my hands and got the healing water for me. After it took effect I was able to manage walking at his side, but I was so shaken that it was a while before I felt safe to speak again.

“This was Charon. Even if he doesn’t know about you specifically, he’s the one who created these hellish traps. I’ll kill him for this, I swear it.”

My muscles tensed at Orion’s declaration. How could he possibly take down a god, unless it was with Death’s help? Another part of me, though, understood. Orion was right about his emotions becoming more prevalent, and he had a right to them.

He said nothing further, and we moved in companionable silence until we got back to a part of the forest Orion recognized.

I was certain we’d see Death on the journey back, but she never made an appearance.

“She warned Odos about alerting Charon to their presence. I’d guess that she’s being very careful about her trips down here.” Orion said.

I was inclined to agree. And I hoped that the fact she wasn’t back was a good sign. At any rate, we hadn’t seen Odos, Charon, or any other gods since the beach. I chose to believe that meant Death’s plans, or her interference, were working.

It took several more days to get back to the cottage without the water to carry us. The last couple of days we began seeing the tree hoppers again.

“Thank you, friends. I’ll have something special for you when we make it back,” I promised them.

“In the hundred years I’ve been here, I never thought I’d be so thrilled to see this place,” Orion said when we made it to the cottage. It was still cleverly concealed between the trees, but I’d memorized the area of the forest around his home and recognized it more easily now.

When we made our way inside Orion stared at the two cots. He ran one hand over the back of his neck.

“I was thinking, we should push them together. I want you to fall asleep in my arms. I’ll be able to protect you better if you stay close.”

For a brief moment I considered flirting and asking if that was the only reason, but then I felt the phantom pressure of vines squeezing my limbs. Smoke that didn’t exist filled my lungs.

“I think that would be best.”

I woke to the feel of Orion’s arms warming me, tucked close against his chest.

“You’ve ruined me for sleeping any other way ever again,” he whispered before kissing my shoulder.

He’d been right. It was much better sleeping together. I curled into him, longing to stay like that. After a few moments though, I threw back the blankets.

We just had one more item to find, and then Death would be able to help us end things once and for all.

Ry and I made our way outside to resupply our packs.

“We’ll just keep going as though nothing happened with Odos,” he said as he stuffed some purple almost-potatoes into his satchel.

I nodded along, shoving a bite of pear into my mouth and chewing furiously.

“Yes, as much as I don’t like it. We have to keep going. We’ve gotten this far, and searching for the items has been a distraction from my father.”

From my failure.

“I’m sure Death is being diligent in her search.”

And Odos had pulled her away from her efforts.

I squeezed a fruit I was packing too tightly, and it burst.

Without a word, Orion took it from my hands and wiped my fingers clean with a bit of cloth.

“We’ll find out where he is. As long as we’re alive, it’s not too late.”

I laughed.

“What?” he asked.

“I was picturing Death’s face if we had been killed in the canyon, or the beach, and appeared in her realm instead. I don’t think she would have been happy.”

Orion grinned.

“I expect not. And I’m sure she’ll be able to help your father, Starlight. She has all her Reapers. If she can’t figure it out on her own, she’ll find a way.”

I was drawn to the deity. I wanted to be like her, although I would certainly never be a goddess, and I did want to retain a little more warmth than even the most benevolent god we’d met.

We ate ravenously as we finished our preparations.

I heard a familiar cawing sound, followed by a handful of tree hoppers fluttering down.

“Wait right here!” I ran back into the cottage.

When I returned, I had a handful of silver buttons, pulled from Temple’s riding jacket .

They were lovely, but the birds would get far more enjoyment out of them. They had a love of shiny things.

One tree hopper jumped over, tilting its head to the side to give one of the buttons a closer look.

He clacked his beak happily, picked it up and flew to a low branch to examine it further.

The other birds followed suit, and soon we were surrounded by glints of silver reflecting the purple and orange lights in the sky.

“Without you all, we would have been lost,” I told the birds, wishing I knew a better way to express my gratitude.

“Do you still think we should ask Death about bringing them back?” Orion asked.

“Absolutely.”

He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him and kissing me. I sighed into the softness of his lips, the reassuring solidness of his chest. The beating of his heart that reminded me we’d made it this far.

“Before we leave, there was something I needed to discuss with you.”

“Yes?” I stayed pressed against him, warm and safe.

“As much as we laughed at it earlier, the idea of losing you terrifies me. Not just because I’ve been alone so long.

What I mean is, I’m not just desperate for any company.

I’m grateful for you , Starlight. As fierce and fearless as you are though, anything could happen.

I’m not fool enough to think I can prevent everything, but I would like to address one issue that could keep us apart in Emrys. ”

“And what is that?”

“Will you marry me?”