Page 41

After scrubbing away the travel dust, we agreed to meet back at our hut while I hunted down some food.

An hour later, I climbed the stone steps again, my legs leaden with exhaustion.

But a warm meal and a soft bed waited. The vine and the frigid wind were behind us for now, and tonight, that was all that mattered.

Sliding the key into the lock, I nudged the door open, and for a moment, all I could do was look. Marin sat cross-legged on the worn wooden floor, studying the map. Her hair spilled loose in a dark, glossy cascade that tumbled down her back.

The ties of her tunic hung undone, the fabric slipping from one shoulder to reveal a stretch of smooth skin that caught the candlelight. The sight punched the air from my lungs. Heat climbed under my collar, prickling the back of my neck .

The hut itself was just a small, warm space suspended over the clouds. A wide hammock stretched across the room, hooked into heavy beams overhead. Mosquito netting billowed faintly as the wind drifted through the open balcony door.

Pedestal candles ringed the floor around her, their flames flickering.

Beyond the gauzy curtain, our clothes hung from a climbing rope, drying in the night air.

Her boots lay tipped on their sides, her jacket tossed carelessly on top like she'd walked in, shrugged off the armor she'd worn since stepping back on land, and finally let herself rest.

I closed the door with my foot, juggling an armful of wrapped food and two mugs. Marin glanced up, candlelight playing over her soft features. Something in my chest twisted so sharply, I had to let out a shaky breath to loosen it.

“The conquering hero returns,” she murmured, our fingers brushing as I offered her a warm mug of mulled wine. Her eyes drifted shut with a dreamy sigh after the first sip.

“I don’t see any dragons, so you must be speaking about me.”

“Mmm…” She settled one of the wrapped pies on her lap, peeling back the waxy leaves to a rush of savory steam. “I already slayed the dragon. I didn’t want to share my food.”

“Smart move. More for us.”

Marin smirked, then devoured her dinner while I kicked off my boots and shrugged out of my jacket.

“These are delicious.” She licked gravy from her fingers and finished the last bite of flaky, cheese-and-meat-filled crust.

“They came highly recommended.” I handed her another. “Did you know… in some realms they bake pies over heated vents in the rock? ”

Her eyes gleamed. “Do they? No wonder they're so airy. It's been one amazing meal after another since I returned from the sea.” She shuddered. “Though seaweed sludge isn't much competition.”

I didn't laugh. She was making light of it, tossing a joke over a wall of pain. But the sparkle in her eyes dimmed.

I settled on the floor next to her, wincing at the ache in my shoulders. Marin noticed and leaned sideways to dig into her pack.

“I've got more of Cass’s salve if you need it. She made me take a whole jar, and I have to admit, it works wonders.” Her gaze drifted to her open palm, fingers curling into the center. “When I first came back, my hands were sore and inflamed from the mines.”

“The mines? You never talk about it. All I know is what I learned from Cass.”

Marin rubbed gently at the raised scars on her wrists. They looked like they’d been caused by chains. The food soured in my mouth, my throat closing with fury.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Her gaze flicked back to mine. “I want to… forget about it.”

I inhaled roughly, hearing my words cast back at me from the night Reid died. It had felt like any control I’d had was gone, like fighting for my future might not be enough, and everything that mattered could slip through my fingers.

Holding Marin had been the only thing that made sense. It still was. Her distraction, the way she’d captured my attention with her teasing smile, had pulled me out of the dark.

“Come here,” I said softly.

Marin hesitated as if she was caught between second thoughts and the solace she so desperately needed.

Then, slowly, she moved, her hair slipping past her shoulders as she eased into my arms. Her back pressed against my chest, fitting against me like she belonged there.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and let my chin rest lightly against her shoulder, breathing her in.

“Let’s see the map,” I murmured. “You were always the planner. Which way should we go?”

She bent slightly, scooping the map into her lap, then she traced her fingers over the smooth paper. Her voice broke low, becoming a breathy whisper.

“Well, there are a couple of different paths we can take.” She moved her finger over a line of mountains.

I tilted my head, the ends of her hair brushing my jaw. “You want to take the Ridge of No Return? It looks like it would drop us into the Gorge of Misfortune. That’s not my favorite kind of gorge.”

“No...” Marin drew out the word, elbowing me lightly in the ribs. “Those names are ridiculous.” She twisted in my hold to look at me, and the shift brought her mouth closer. Her breath ghosted over my cheek. I tried not to glance down, to skim the curve of her lips.

I failed. Hard.

“I think we should go south through the…” she paused, biting the edge of her lip while she came up with ridiculous names of her own. “Fields of Futile Escape, then straight through the Bog of Regret.”

My hand flexed at her waist. The neckline of her tunic dipped lower, sliding further down her shoulder. I swallowed a groan.

“That’s a tough call.” I managed, my voice rougher than it should have been. “Is there a River of Crushing Despair to cross, or is it all by land?”

Marin laughed; the warm sound washed over me like a wave. “The quickest way is through the bog. Plus, I don’t think I can do any more climbing, so the ridge and gorge are out.”

“Fair enough. The bog it is.” I cleared my throat. “We’ll head out in the morning after we talk with the innkeeper’s wife. See if we can get a little more intel first.”

Marin nodded, our plan set. But she didn’t move. A charged silence settled over us. The candles flickered, bathing her skin in gold, and the clean, fragrant scent of her hair filled my senses. Her thigh pressed against mine. She shifted, just a fraction, and the movement sent a jolt through me.

Without thinking, my thumb traced a slow path along the slipping neckline of her tunic. Back and forth. She tensed, then leaned subtly into the touch, her breath turning shallow.

The map slid off her lap. Her lips parted as her gaze held mine, and it was like everything just stopped.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked thickly. “Is there a very orange sun behind me?”

Her lips twitched, but she tamed them. “No. Now it’s a very silver moon. But that’s not why I’m staring. I need to ask you a question, and you might hate me when I do.”

“I doubt that.”

Her expression softened, but the question still lingered in her eyes. One she forced herself to ask, squaring her jaw and inhaling a quick breath.

“Gavin?” Marin’s fingers bunched in the fabric of my sleeve as if she was steeling herself to finish. “Are we ever going to talk about that kiss by the vine?”

I went still. My mind emptied of coherent thought. I didn’t know how to answer, wasn’t sure which words to choose that wouldn’t send me plummeting over the edge if she told me she’d hated it. That I never should have stooped so low.

She frowned. “Because we act like it never happened. And the truth is… I think about it all the time.”

“You do?” My throat was tight, but my chest was tighter. Her words made the ache of want inside me so heavy I couldn’t breathe.

Marin nodded.

“The thing is,” she continued, not waiting for me to answer. “I thought I could ignore it. But I don’t think I can. At least not until we decide what to do about it. So here’s what I think.” She swallowed hard. “We should flip for it.”

“What?” The sound barely escaped, and it was drowned out by the pulse thundering in my ears.

“We should let fate decide what happens next.” She licked her lips, and my breath stalled. “Tails: it was a terrible mistake. And we never mention it. Never even think about it. You go your way, I go mine.”

“And heads?”

“You kiss me again.”