Chapter Twelve

Everett

When Everett had awoken, he noticed Aerilyn’s absence from the cot beside his.

Blaise snored beside him, his mouth hanging open at an odd angle.

The sight made him want to laugh, but he was more worried about where Aerilyn had disappeared.

He slid out of the house, entering the cobblestone street in an attempt to look for her.

He wanted to hate the girl who had stolen from the palace, who was trouble with a pretty face, but he couldn’t.

The sight of her stepping between him and the hound continuously replayed through his mind every time her big silver eyes met his.

“Aerilyn?”

He called out, the slightest bit of worry clouding his tone.

She could’ve gone off and explored, but a small voice in his mind feared that something had happened to her.

As that small voice got louder, his pace quickened.

He called out for her again, his heart rate picking up slightly within his chest.

Just when the panic began to set in, he heard the sound of boots running along the pathway.

Her white hair appeared several paces ahead of him, coming out from around a corner.

“Everett? What’s wrong?”

She questioned, running the last few steps until she stood before him.

His eyes examined every inch of her, trying to determine if she had any injuries on her small frame.

He couldn’t find words as he realized that she was safe and nothing had happened to her.

“Everett?”

She spoke up again, grabbing ahold of his arm.

“I thought something happened to you.

Are you okay?”

He let out a heavy breath, chewing on his lower lip.

Her expression seemed to change when she processed his statement.

“I’m okay, I didn’t mean to worry you.

I just didn’t want to wake anyone and thought exploring the area might be helpful,”

she explained her absence, not dropping her hand from the grip on his arm.

He let his fears slip away, hiding any emotion from his expression once more.

“Find anything useful?”

He asked, letting his eyes wander away from her to take in where they stood.

“There’s a forest around the corner.

The trees are thick, but I saw some signs of animals.

I think we could go hunt for something to eat.”

“Are you sure you saw animals?”

He tilted his head, still confused by the presence of the creatures.

Anything that survived the plague was surely killed off by the hounds that followed.

He’d been told the history more times than he could possibly count.

The only wildlife remaining was the animals within the walls that had been kept safe.

“I’m sure, Everett,”

she smiled, the excitement starting to light up her face.

He liked it when her lips weren't pulled into a frown.

She seemed to often be in a negative mental state, battling internal demons throughout the day.

He had no idea what she’d gone through before, but he knew she didn’t grow up in the best environment.

“Let's go check it out then,”

he ran his fingers through his hair, pulling his arm from her grasp as he let her lead the way.

If he allowed her hands to stay on him for any longer, he was sure to lose his mind.

Something about her seemed to drive him a bit insane.

She quickly moved her hands to her sides as she began walking around the corner she had just appeared from.

They walked in silence for several minutes before the pathway ended and the forest stretched before them.

There were trees in Orissia, but forests like this were no longer around.

It looked even more breathtaking than any drawing he’d ever seen. The plants stretched high above their heads, covering them in a cool shade. He hadn’t expected anything beyond Orissia to hold beauty. He had expected it all to be destroyed and dead. It was beginning to seem that everything he had thought wasn’t as accurate as he expected.

The pair stepped into the forest, staying alert for any dangers that might be lurking within.

Everett took a step closer to Aerilyn, feeling their shoulders brush with each step.

She didn’t seem to mind the closeness and being near her gave him a sense of security.

He was close enough to her that if something attacked he’d be able to defend her easily.

There seemed to be no sound besides their soft breaths and their boots crumbling the leaves beneath their feet.

He only hoped that Aerilyn had been right and there were animals out here.

The thought of getting to eat a real meal was enough to power him into continuing the walk into the unknown territory. The sunlight peeked through the branches in some areas, keeping a light to guide them into the depths of the forest.

The silence between them made him want to go mad.

He wanted to strike up a conversation with the girl, but he knew if there were any animals they had to keep quiet so they didn’t scare them away.

He squinted as a larger area of sunlight shined ahead of them, an opening in the woods seeming to form in the distance.

He exchanged a look with Aerilyn before they quickened their pace to investigate the strange opening.

With several paces, they were baked in sunlight once more and a small body of water sat before them.

The pond was large and took up the entirety of the open space.

It was still surrounded by trees, the forest still stretching beyond the other side. It was the first body of water they’d seen since leaving the kingdom. “Why do I want to jump in so badly?”

The girl finally spoke.

He looked over at her to see a small smile forming on her lips.

“I mean you smell horrific, I think you could benefit from a bath,”

he teased, leading her to smack his shoulder.

They looked between each other and the water, trying to determine if it would be worth the risk.

“What if we both turn our backs to each other and get undressed, then keep our eyes closed until we’re both under the water?”

He suggested, trying to find a way to make her feel comfortable enough around him.

“Are you trying to get me naked, princey?”

She smirked, letting out a laugh that made his heart flutter.

“Maybe.

I wouldn’t complain about that,”

he gave her a wink, watching her cheeks turn red.

“Fine.

Turn around pervert,”

she motioned for him to look away and he did without protest.

He heard her unzipping her pants and removing the materials on her body.

He tried to push the image out of his head about what she looked like beneath all of the clothing.

He finally began to strip his clothing off, leaving himself in his boxers before he turned back to her with his hand over his eyes.

“Are you ready yet?”

He questioned, hearing her hum a response.

He reached his free hand out to find hers before leading them towards the water.

The moment he felt the cool water touch his feet, he wanted to melt.

It made him miss his home and the bathing chambers within his room.

He missed the lemon bars of soap that he used to scrub every inch of his body.

The lack of bathing was driving him insane.

He continued to walk into the water until it reached his chest, not wanting to go further so that Aerilyn could see and touch the soft sand beneath their toes.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

He asked, making sure it was safe.

“As long as you don’t try to stare at me under the water,”

she poked him before letting go of his hand.

He finally opened his eyes, taking in the girl before him.

Her white hair was unbraided, the waves falling around her shoulders.

The tips of the strands were now wet from being submerged in the water.

No man could deny how beautiful she was.

He hadn’t ever seen anyone in Orissia that held the type of beauty that girl did.

Aerilyn was unique in every sense. He’d never seen someone with the color of hair that she had, it wasn’t a common color. He reached out and twirled a strand of it around his pointer finger, unable to resist the temptation.

“Did your parents have white hair too?”

He tilted his head, continuing to toy with her hair.

She shook her head once.

“No, none of my family ever did.

My mother always said that I was special for it.

For the longest time, she believed I was some sort of savior, blessed by the Gods above,”

she laughed at the thought and then her face turned into something else.

The sadness that washed across her features made him feel guilty for bringing up a topic that upset her.

“Maybe she was right”

he tried to smile, letting go of the piece of hair finally.

“What was it like being raised by that vile man? You mentioned that you became your brother's shadow, but was it always that way?”

“My father always disliked me for some reason.

He was always hard on me in hopes of making me into the perfect king.

He never provided me with love like a normal father should.

My mother tried to give me comfort, but my father would scold her for doing so.

He said coddling would make me weak.

I believe love and comfort gives people strength.

My father and I just view this world very differently,”

he shrugged, hating the way the memories felt as the words fell from his lips.

She stared at him with pity and he hated the expression.

He didn’t want someone to feel bad for the way he had been raised.

He’d come to terms with his life at a young age and never tried to imagine having the love he deserved.

“I’m sorry you had to live that way.

Everyone deserves love, Everett.

Maybe once we return to Orissia things can change,”

she touched his arm, her thumb rubbing against his bare skin.

The comforting touch was enough to melt him inside.

Everett pressed his lips together, unable to form words when she was touching him like that.

She seemed to understand what the touch meant to him and didn’t remove her hand.

“Part of me doesn’t want to go back there,”

he finally admitted.

The short amount of time they’d spent beyond the walls had given him a freedom that he had never had back in the palace.

He wasn’t being scolded for everything he did or constantly watched by guards.

“I wish things could be different.

There’s nothing left out here.

I’m not sure how long we’d be able to survive,”

she spoke words of reason, snapping him back into the reality of how things had to be.

“It doesn’t hurt to have some hopeful thoughts,”

he shrugged before pulling back from her touch.

He lifted some water to his face, rubbing away any dirt that had begun to coat him from the journey.

Aerilyn watched him without a word, rubbing her arms off beneath the water.

The blood of the hounds mixed with her own had clung to both of their skin for several days.

Each time he saw the blood crusted under his nails, he felt sick.

The sight of her bleeding before him would resurface each time.

He dunked himself under the water, letting it soak his messy brown curls.

When he came back up, the water dripped into his eyes.

He shook his hair out, causing the girl to let out a sound of annoyance.

She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her attempt to look angry.

He paused for a moment before he skimmed his hand across the surface of the water, splashing it towards her.

She gasped, her face now soaked from the droplets that landed on it. “You little shit,”

she groaned before returning the action.

He wiped the water from his eyes, staring at her with a wicked smirk before he used both hands to splash her over and over.

She squealed trying to step back away from him, splashing him back as she did.

He followed her deeper into the water, not letting her get away from him.

When she turned and began to swim away, he quickly grabbed her waist pulling her back into his chest.

“You’re not escaping me, little thief,”

he whispered against her ear.

Her back was pressed into his chest, feeling every inch of her bare skin touching his.

Her body froze as she glanced over her shoulder up at him.

He slowly turned her around to face him, keeping his hands wrapped tightly around her waist.

He waited for her to protest or attempt to pull away, but she didn’t.

Her breath picked up slightly, he could see her shoulders rising and falling faster than usual.

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Why would you think that?”

She tried to keep a straight face, but he could see from the flush of her cheeks that he was affecting her as much as she did to him.

“Your pretty cheeks are pink, darling,”

he touched the side of her face, letting his thumb drag over her skin delicately.

She bit on her bottom lip and he felt his chest tighten at the sight.

It had been some time since he allowed anyone this close to him.

He liked the way it felt to have her wrapped up against him.

“We should probably get back, the others should be awake by now,”

she whispered, slowly pulling away from him.

He loosened his grasp, not wanting to force her to stay close to him.

He glanced back to the sand where their clothes sat, his eyes widening at the sight of a creature prowling on the edge of the water.

From the drawings he’d studied, he knew that the animal was a deer.

Its brown body was coated in small white spots and its antlers twisted from its head.

He grabbed Aerilyn’s arm and pointed toward the animal, motioning for her to stay quiet.

Aerilyn turned slowly and noticed the deer standing on the edge of the water.

A smile formed on her lips as they began to slowly move through the water towards their weapons on the beach.

Brinley’s bow and arrow would’ve come in handy then, but there wasn’t any time to return to the others first.

Everett watched as she moved closer to her dagger lying on top of her pile of clothing, her body edging out of the water.

He felt his breath catch in his chest at the sight of the girl half-naked.

His eyes skimmed the curve of her ass into her perfect thighs.

He didn’t mean to stare, but there was no denying how perfect she truly was. Her hand latched around the dagger, watching as the deer perked its head up from drinking in the pond.

She didn’t give it much time before she let the dagger fly, the blade piercing its target perfectly. He didn’t want to question how her aim was so precise, the girl was deadly in every sense.

The deer let out a sound before taking a few steps and crumbling to the ground just ahead of them.

Aerilyn let out a squeal of delight, her sparkling eyes turning back to him.

“Nice aim, little thief,”

he gave her a smile before pulling himself out of the water as well.

“Now we have some real food to eat tonight.”

The joy in her voice was breathtaking.

Everett began to slip on his clothing, hiding his bare torso beneath the leathers.

Aerilyn noticed him dressing and seemed to finally realize how much of her was exposed to him.

She quickly began to pull her layers back on, returning her hair to its tight braid.

He approached the dead animal, taking in the sight of the creature up close.

It looked like all the drawings he’d seen, but he hadn’t ever expected to see one alive.

“Let's get back to the others and eat this damn thing,”

Everett chuckled, grabbing ahold of its antlers as he began to drag the dead animal back in the direction they’d come from.