Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

" You what?" Surely , Kora hadn't heard him right.

" I'll take you."

She couldn't decide if she was thrilled about having a companion to help her navigate the complexities of the city or worried Derek would get in the way. " Why ?"

" Why not?"

They were back to that again, then. She rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. " I think I have the right to an answer. And if you tell me it's because you don't believe I can take care of myself, then you won't be going."

" You couldn't stop me."

" Try me." It galled her when he grinned.

Derek shrugged. " I have business there."

" What business?"

" Who are you trying to find?"

Kora balled her hands into fists. The man had a special way of irritating her. She dropped her gaze to his mouth, remembering how his tongue had wrung screams from her while licking her. How could he vex her yet also make her crave him?

If he came with her, she would have use of his body again. The moment that thought came, she knew it was wrong.

" Traveling together will benefit both of us," he told her. " I know the city and can get you inside. I have business to see to anyway. You can't argue with that."

She couldn't, damn him.

" There's also the added benefit of us continuing to share a bed."

Did he read minds now? Kora couldn't make such an important decision because her body hungered for more of his. Yet he made valid points. She needed to get inside the city, and he promised to get her there. That in and of itself was worth it. Once inside, they could go their separate ways.

" Are we in agreement?" he asked expectantly.

Kora waited several long moments just to annoy him before saying, " Aye ."

" Good . Get some sleep. We leave at dawn."

She wasn't tired, but talking to him was exhausting. Kora gladly crawled to her blanket and put her back to him. She sat stiffly for a long time, waiting to hear if he intended to join her. She couldn't decide if she wanted him to or not.

That was a lie. She wanted him. Desperately .

She closed her eyes and tried to forget him. But there was no forgetting or ignoring a man like Derek .

Kora woke against a hard body. Once more, she'd slept through Derek moving about. This time, lying next to her. His chest made a comfortable pillow, though. His heartbeat was strong and steady, his chest rising and falling regularly.

She carefully lifted the arm draped across his flat stomach and her leg thrown over his. Then she took the arm that held her and slowly removed it. She sat up and moved away. Only then did she release her breath.

Her head swiveled to look over her shoulder. Derek lay on his back, one hand under his head, and the other lying open as if waiting for her to return. Sometimes , the act of sleeping with someone was more intimate than a sexual act. A person let their guard down when they slept. They were vulnerable, defenseless.

She moved silently to the window and cracked it open. The storm had passed, leaving the world covered in droplets of water in the softness of the dawn. The sky was streaked: pale blue, yellow, and pink. Birds sang loudly as they fluttered from tree to tree, greeting the new day. She had returned to the place of her nightmares to fulfill her family's obligation. It started now.

A flutter of worry filled her stomach. Everything hinged on her as the last. It was immense pressure, and she hadn't been able to handle it before. But no matter how far or fast she fled, there was no outrunning the past. It was always there, waiting to remind her of what she had done.

What she still needed to do.

The ghosts of her ancestors watched her, waiting expectantly. Their silent accusations had stung worse than any injury. They couldn't rest until she had completed their mission and put the universe back into balance.

She didn't want the responsibility. While she had battled her inner demons that told her she wasn't strong enough to take down Villette , others had died. While she huddled in fear and let her anxiety dictate her life, evil had spread like a disease. If she didn't cut out the infection now, then it would blanket the entire realm.

Did she have what it took to win? The only way she would know that would be to face Villette . There was no one to back her up. No one to help her plan. No one to keep her in check so she didn't do anything rash and foolish.

And no one to get her out of trouble.

Kora glanced at the blanket, only to find it empty. She spun to look behind her. Derek squatted before the hearth, banking the coals. " How do you move so quietly?"

He didn't look her way as he said, " I move normally. You were lost in thought."

She tried to run her fingers through her hair again but gave up after a moment and dug the comb from her bag. Her hand grazed the money bag and the single coin within. She couldn't go to the city empty-handed. With the overcrowding, she didn't imagine there would be many opportunities to find employment.

Kora sat and combed her hair. The repetitive motions helped to soothe the riot of emotions swirling within her. She glanced over to find Derek watching her with a curious expression. He looked away when he noticed her eyes on him. Then he stood and dug in the sack of food. He handed her some dried meat and bread.

" Aren't you going to eat?" she asked when he didn't take anything.

" I'll eat when I'm hungry."

She watched him walk out of the cottage. Kora braided her hair and then ate. It felt good to have her belly full of food. Afterward , she gathered her things and put them in her bag, setting it by the door. She peered outside as she shrugged on her coat. Derek stood to the side of the hut, looking back toward the village.

Kora walked to him. " You don't have to come with me."

His head swung to her. " Me standing here makes you think I don't want to accompany you?"

" It makes me wonder if you have reservations or perhaps that you've changed your mind."

" I'm looking at the birds," he said, returning his gaze to the sky.

She saw them then. The two birds gliding through the sky. " What kind are they?"

" Lonin . The largest birds on the realm. You can spot them by their white feathers. They mate for life."

Kora watched the duo circle elegantly among the clouds, moving farther away and taking their haunting calls. She had seen a lonin up close once. It had been terrifyingly huge, its wingspan twice the length of a person. Its beak had been frightening but it was nothing compared to the talons.

She tore her gaze from the birds to Derek . He seemed in awe of the lonin. Almost as if he were imagining himself flying with them. She looked at the birds again and wondered what it would be like to soar among the clouds. She would be able to go anywhere. Get lost in the puffs of white. Maybe even above them. Possibly high enough to touch the stars.

" I wonder if the air smells different up there," she said.

" It does."

Kora looked at him. Before she could ask how he knew, he turned and walked to the cottage. She followed to see him grab the sack of food. She slipped the strap of her bag over her head and through one arm to settle across her body.

" Ready ?" he asked.

No one would know if she didn't go to Stonemore . No one would know if she never confronted Villette .

No one but her.

She lifted her chin. " Aye ."

Derek set a grueling pace. He didn't take the easy paths either. Kora kept up, but barely. She quickly abandoned her coat, stuffing it into her bag in an effort to remain cool. The route through the trees had been the easy part. After they refilled their waterskins, he led them straight to the mountain. The incline was steep and grueling. The only respite she got was when she reached each of the three ridges that flattened out enough to give her legs a break.

While she was winded and sweaty, Derek looked as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. She managed to keep up, but he occasionally looked back at her and called for them to rest. She wished she could've told him to keep going, but she wasn't stupid. Each opportunity to rest was one she relished.

Kora drained her waterskin while Derek had barely touched his. He eventually handed his over, and she gratefully took it. She didn't know if he took them to a water source because she was in such need or if it had been part of their journey, but she nearly cried when she heard it. She plunged her hands into the cool water appreciatively and splashed it onto her face before cupping her hands and bringing them to her lips.

While she contemplated stripping off her clothes to plunge into the fast-moving stream, Derek filled both their waterskins. Then she was on her feet again to keep trudging up the mountain. Her stomach growled with hunger, but she wasn't about to ask to stop for food. Though she glared at Derek's back, wondering how he could look so composed during such a climb. Granted , he was in excellent shape, but she had thought she was in pretty good form herself. He proved her wrong.

Her thigh muscle gave out when she tried to step. She windmilled her arms to try to stay balanced. Suddenly , Derek was there, his hand on her arm, steadying her. He pulled her up, and she realized they had reached the top of the mountain. Tears of exhaustion threatened. She had never been so tired in all her life.

" Sit ," he commanded. " We're stopping for the noon meal."

Kora didn't point out that it was past noon. She was just happy to hear that she could sit. When she tried to lower herself onto a rock, her fatigued muscles couldn't hold her. She ended up falling unceremoniously, hurting her arse in the process.

Derek tossed her the sack of food. She grabbed the first thing she touched. As she chewed the dried meat, she peered down the mountain they had just climbed. It looked a lot taller from where she was than when she had seen it from the bottom. There was no way she would've made the climb as quickly if she were by herself. Nor would she have known where to go. It had all been Derek .

The sun beat down on them relentlessly. She longed for an autumn breeze to cool her heated skin, but the chilly temperatures seemed to abandon them, even at the top. Kora fanned herself as she looked at Derek's profile. He stood at the edge, looking down the other side where they would descend. Dark stubble shadowed his jaw. Even among the rocks and trees, he appeared larger than life. Nothing seemed to faze him. She wondered what it would be like to face the world in such a manner.

His pale olive eyes met hers. Who was this man who had sought her out, pleasured her mercilessly during the night, and held her as she slept? She wasn't sure she would ever be able to peel back all the layers to find out. Or if she even wanted to. Sometimes , it was best to let the secrets be. Then again, he might surprise her and answer if she dared to ask, but would it be the truth?

If she were someone different, she might try to find out what his secrets were.

If he were someone different, he might want to share them.

But they were who they were.

Kora finished eating and put away her waterskin. It took her two tries to get to her feet. She walked to Derek , noting he hadn't sat during their meal. He still watched her. He kept his emotions behind a thick wall, not allowing her to see his thoughts or feelings. She understood since she hid things herself. It was easier that way. Just as it was easier to pretend that everything would work out in her favor when things pointed in another direction.

" Ready ?" she asked.

" The descent is tricky."

" I'll be careful."

He looked as if he were about to say something, then nodded and started down. Kora realized they were on a game trail. She used the trees for balance as she passed them. The decline was so sharp that she had to walk sideways so she didn't go sliding down. It put a lot of strain on her already overworked leg muscles.

The descent was done at a much slower speed than their trek up. Her thigh muscles began to cramp. She rotated her ankle in an effort to work out the kinks in her calves, but that stopped working after a while. She couldn't hold back her sigh of thanks when they reached a ridge.

Kora was so happy to be off the incline that she didn't pay attention to where she placed her foot and slipped on a cone. Her body lurched, and she reached out for something to grab. She tried to steady herself with her legs, but the muscles wouldn't respond. Her mouth opened on a silent yell as she started falling to the side. Suddenly , Derek was there again. His hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her roughly against him.

Instinct had her clutching him. When she realized what she was doing, she forced her fingers to loosen and released him. " Thank you."

He grunted and walked away.

Kora glanced over the side to the rocks below to see where she would have fallen had he not caught her. Again . She had taken such a plunge once. It had been excruciating, and she had no interest in repeating it. Besides , she didn't want to have to explain broken bones that healed in hours to Derek .

They continued their journey. It took the rest of the afternoon to get down the mountain, especially because Kora was careful how and where she placed her feet. When he brought them to a section of boulders and dropped the sack, she was too tired to question him. She found smaller rocks to make a ring for a fire. Derek returned with wood, and she stacked it before she lit it. Fatigue weighed on her as she scooted back to rest against one of the immense boulders.

The sky was beginning to darken, the first blink of stars appearing. She took a closer look at their location and was impressed at the seclusion it offered. The mountain rose behind them with deadly sharp rocks. They would be able to spot anyone coming down the slope. The boulders shielded them from view on the other three sides, with only narrow entry and exit points.

Derek returned shortly with another ritbit. She was a decent hunter, but he seemed to excel. As he did with just about everything she had seen so far. Her stomach rumbled with hunger at the smell of the cooking meat.

She had questions, but she was too tired to carry on a conversation. It seemed Derek was, as well, because he didn't talk either. She ate with her eyes closed, and once she was finished, Kora curled up on her side and promptly fell asleep.