Chapter 14

14

KASSANDRA

A leksander insists that we need to leave as soon as possible, and surprisingly, Blaze agrees with him. While the two of them converse in hushed, curt tones, Faye leads me into a small hut to pack rations for our journey.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay with those two idiots?” she asks as she hands me a bag stockpiled with bread, fruit, vegetables, and dried meat.

“I’ll survive,” I assure her, my lips twitching with the urge to smile.

Despite the situation, a tiny thrill shoots through me at the thought of seeing Amorite. I’ve never given much thought to the country east of ours, but I’m excited to see it. How does it vary from the courts? Interwoven with my excitement is a growing sense of trepidation and despair. As much as I want to see the neighboring kingdoms, I can’t help but remember the reason for heading there in the first place.

My bicep tingles almost painfully, and I curl my hands into fists to keep from rubbing at it.

Faye bites down on her lower lip and fiddles with a strand of her short, almost silvery-blonde hair. She seems to be debating her next words carefully before she eventually blurts out, “I can come with you, if you want.”

My heart swells…and then begins to bleed anew when it presses against the prickly thorns encasing it.

I don’t know why or how I’ve come to trust Faye implicitly, but I know that she’s an ally—quite possibly the only one I have. It’s like my soul recognizes hers, as strange as that sounds. Not romantically, of course, but in a way that almost feels…sisterly.

It sounds insane even to me.

I turn to face her completely and place a hand on her shoulder, waiting until she blinks up at me. Only then do I release her and begin to sign. “You know you’re needed here. The Summer fae need you. I’ll be fine with Blaze and Aleksander.”

Her brows cinch together. “You trust them? Aleksander lied to you for days. And Blaze…”

She scowls, but I know what she wants to say.

Blaze is a lot of things, many of them unhinged, but I trust him. It’s a different type of trust than what I have with Faye. I’m not sure if I could describe it as irrevocable or absolute. There’s a lot that Blaze is keeping from me.

And yet…

Do I believe that he wants to help me get this mark off my arm? Yes.

Do I think he cares about me? I do.

My fear isn’t that he’ll sacrifice me or anything as ridiculous as that—it’s that he’ll sacrifice everyone else if it means saving my life.

But I don’t have a choice in the matter.

“Well, if you need my help, just let me know, and I can kick their asses.” Faye folds her arms over her chest, and I can’t help but smirk, imagining this five-foot nothing female fighting against the two huge males standing just outside.

“Good luck with that.” My smile broadens.

“You don’t think I can do it?” She arches one eyebrow arrogantly and pops out her hip. “I’ll have you know that my mate was one of the best soldiers in the Summer Court’s regiment. He taught me everything he knows.”

For a moment, grief flickers across her face before she masks it. I know from conversations with the tiny female that she lost her mate and child in the war with the Day and Night Courts. I can’t even imagine the pain she must feel, even now.

I offer her a tentative smile and sign, “I’m sure you can kick their asses if you wanted to.”

“Damn right I could. Just be careful, okay? I know you may trust Blaze and Aleksander, but I don’t.” She nibbles on her lower lip before adding, “I don’t like the way they look at you.”

“How do they look at me?” My brows furrow in confusion.

“Like…” She struggles to find the right words. “Like you’re the only thing keeping them sane.” A frown touches the corners of her lips before she sighs and shoves a hand through her wispy blonde hair. “But what do I know?” Abruptly, she jabs a finger into my chest and pushes up onto her tiptoes, so she’s now towering over me. “You’re not allowed to die, you hear me? The Death Whisperer is a symbol of hope, and without it…”

I pat her raised finger sympathetically. “And here I thought you cared about me.”

“Drama queen.” She rolls her eyes again, but a smile plays at the edges of her mouth.

Yeah. I definitely think I like Faye.

I follow the other female out of the hut and back into the blistering heat common in the Summer Court. My skin has taken on a red tint from the constant exposure, and sweat plasters my blonde curls to the nape of my neck, even with the strands piled up into a ponytail.

Blaze and Aleksander both turn in tandem when I step forward, and I can’t help but think how different they look from each other. Blaze is large and abnormally muscular in a way that makes me feel petite and vulnerable in comparison. His garnet-colored hair, highlighted here and there with gold streaks, is tousled and slightly spiked. It contrasts beautifully with his tan skin and striking hazel eyes.

Aleksander, on the other hand, is taller than even Blaze though not as muscular. His pale skin glistens in the midday sun. Long, black hair frames a face that’s as sinful as it is angelic—perfectly portioned features, a soft yet arrogant mouth, and wicked eyes.

Both of them home in on me as if I’m the only one they see.

Without a word, Blaze reaches for the bag I hold and swings it over his shoulder. His eyes sweep over me with careful consideration.

“You okay?” His voice is gruff. Husky.

A throb reverberates through me at the sound of it.

“Honestly?” I sign. “Not really. I don’t know what to expect next.”

“Nobody knows what will happen next,” Blaze reasons, and he flicks his gaze to Aleksander, almost like he’s self-conscious of speaking so freely in front of the other male. “But I’ll protect you every step of the way.”

“ We’ll protect you,” Aleksander corrects with a tsk of his tongue. “It’s rude to exclude someone.”

Blaze scowls but ignores Aleksander. I can’t help but think that’s progress.

“So how are we getting to Amorite?” I fiddle with the skirt of my long, yellow dress—borrowed from Faye. It’s impractical to wear a dress on our journey, but it’ll also attract the least amount of attention. Females don’t often wear trousers unless they’re members of the military.

And with all of the people currently after us…

A tremor works its way through me.

No, it’s better to be uncomfortable and fit in than stand out.

Blaze exchanges an unreadable glance with Aleksander, and both males scowl, puffing out their chests as if they're attempting to posture and preen.

Blaze turns back to me, and his expression softens marginally, his eyes warming. “We debated back and forth the best way to get to Amorite, and we agreed that it’ll be easiest—and safest—to pass through my kingdom.” Pride saturates his voice, and I swear he swells in size.

Then Aleksander speaks. “But we can’t decide the easiest way to get to the Fall Court.”

He lazily unsheathes a sword—one he found underneath a carriage—and uses it to clean out his nails. All of his movements are indolent and arrogant. If I didn’t notice the keenness of his eyes, I would’ve said that he didn’t give a damn about what happens next.

“On one hand, the quickest way is to cross straight from the Summer Court into the Fall Court.”

I furrow my brows. “So why don’t we?”

“Because to do so, we’ll have to cross through the Forest of the Damned.” A thunderous expression crosses Blaze’s face. “But on the other hand, if we choose to travel around the forest, it’ll take us an additional two weeks to arrive at my kingdom. And a few days more to reach Amorite.”

“We don’t have that time,” Aleksander interjects.

The Forest of the Damned…

I sift through my meager knowledge of what I know of the forest that borders the Fall and Summer Courts.

It’s rumored to be filled with monsters, right? Horrible, disfigured beasts?

Icy trepidation swirls in my chest.

“What exactly will we face in this forest?” I ask, my hands shaking ever so slightly as I sign.

“Our worst fears,” a dry voice remarks from off to the side.

Both Blaze and Aleksander tense automatically, the former shoving me behind his massive body, while the latter holds his sword out in front of him. I peer out from around Blaze and feel my mouth drop open at the sight of a familiar male leaning against the wall of the largest hut.

His pink hair stirs in the slight breeze, the color striking against his tan complexion. He looks exactly as I remember him, albeit a little rumpled, as if he hasn’t slept for a few days. Dark shadows underscore each of his eyes, making the blue irises almost appear black in the bright sun.

“Treyton?”