I put my back to a tree trunk, sit on the pine-needle-covered floor, and breathe out more easily. It isn’t quite twilight, but the night bugs are already out in full force, buzzing and niggling around my ears. I raise my hands to block the sounds and close my eyes, pretending I’m home, sitting before the hearth or in my bed or in my forge. Somewhere the rest of the world isn’t.
That’s when I hear footsteps. They’re light, as though trying to be quiet, and that naturally sends my mind spinning with all the possibilities. My eyes fly open as my heart pounds in fear of bandits or Kymora’s men.
It doesn’t slow down when I see it’s the mercenary, carrying a load of firewood he’s gathered.
“Why do you wander off on your own so much?” he asks. “Are you looking for trouble?” He smiles with the question. As though he knows just how attractive he is and he wants me to acknowledge it, too.
I swallow, torn between running and lashing out with words. I do not know this man. I do not trust him. And I don’t want to be alone with him.
Yet, lashing out wins.
“You’ve been with us barely a week. It’s hardly enough to start making assumptions about me.”
“No? Haven’t you already made some about me? All bad ones, I’d wager.”
I despise one-on-one conversations with people I don’t know. I always fidget, worrying I’ll say the wrong thing, embarrass myself tremendously. I barely have time to think over my words before spitting them out.
“You have done nothing to impress me so far.”
“We haven’t run into danger yet,” Kellyn says. Does he realize that the way he’s carrying that stack of wood puts his biceps on perfect display?
Of course he knows. He must know.
“So your fighting skills are the only impressive thing about you,” I say.
His gaze narrows on me, and he drops the stack of wood. Kellyn rises to his full six and a half feet, brushing off bits of bark and dirt from his shirt. He takes a few steps forward.
“Take a look at me and tell me it’s the only impressive thing about me,” he says. His grin is gone, and the look he gives me is a challenge.
My anxiety peaks at his proximity, but underneath it, I think I sense something else, too. I don’t have a name for it, and all I want is for the mercenary to leave me alone.
“I am not impressed by superficial surface looks that are completely out of your control.”
As if sensing how tense I am, Kellyn retrieves the wood and takes a few steps back. “What does impress you, then?”
I’m pushed off-balance by the question. Because the answer is that nothing impresses me. I have never been impressed by someone. Not enough to overpower the fear of being around them in the first place.
“Don’t tell me,” he says with a wink. “I’ll figure it out on my own.”
My jaw drops in outrage, but he’s gone before I can say anything else.
To make matters worse, Temra sneaks out between two trees, nearly giving me a heart attack.
“Temra! Are you trying to kill me? How long were you standing there?”
“Not nearly long enough, it would seem.”
I huff and lower my head into my crossed arms. “This is my alone time. Why is everyone trying to disturb it?”
Temra has only one long, thin branch in her hands. She drops it to the ground before sitting beside me. “We have very important things to discuss.”
She’s probably right. There are so many unknowns. The warlord. Our relatives. The two boys who could turn on us at any moment if they learn the truth.
“That boy is flirting with you,” she says.
“Sorry?”
“You heard me.”
“Yes, but you said we had important things to discuss!”
“This is important.”
“Temra.” I turn her name into a groan.
“It’s him, isn’t it? He’s the one you saw when you magicked the broadsword?”
I give her a wide-eyed glance.
“You said he was tall with golden-red hair,” she explains. “Our mercenary is an attractive man with those qualities.”
“Yes, it’s him.” There’s no point in lying. She’d see the truth anyway.
“And now you’re stuck together on the road! This is wonderful!”
“And how do you figure that? I thought he was attractive before I met him. He’s rude. Disgusting.” I don’t know if I can ever get the image of him drunk and belching out of my head. “Arrogant to a fault. And for all we know, he doesn’t actually have any skill with that sword.”
“Really, so I didn’t see you ogling his arms just ten minutes ago? Eyeing him like he was a piece of meat?”
I turn away from her. Hoping she won’t see my cheeks redden. “I don’t think he’s a piece of meat.”
“Of course not. But that doesn’t mean he’s not pretty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you ogle anyone. This is fantastic.”
“What?” I nearly shout. Being on the road must be getting to her. She’s clearly gone delusional. “How is this fantastic? He’s horrible, and I wasn’t ogling. I just like his arms, is all.”
“He’s quite tall. Tall enough for you.”
“Now a man has to be tall enough for me?”
“No, I’m just saying he’s the perfect height.”
“For what?” I hedge, dreading the answer.
She raises her eyebrows twice in quick succession.
“I’m not interested in that,” I say.
“Fine. Don’t jump straight to the kissing. Let’s start with something simple. Talking.”
“That’s not simple.”
“I saw you talking to him just now!”
I find a twig on the ground with my fingers and start breaking it in half over and over again. “I was angry. It’s easier when I’m angry. It overpowers the fear.”
“You really shouldn’t judge him based on the first two days on the road with him. He was coming off a nasty night of drinking. That would make anyone unpleasant.”
“I don’t care.”
“So you’ve made your decision, then? You don’t like him.”
“Of course.”
“Well, that’s even better.”
I’ve given up trying to make sense of anything she has to say regarding boys.
“No, listen to me. He’ll be practice for you! And because you don’t like him and don’t care what he thinks about you, it’ll make it easier for you!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Flirting, Ziva. Flirting.”
“We are on the run for our lives!”
“All the more reason to make the time count. You’re so lucky you have me.”
“Yes?” I respond like it’s a question.
“It’s not that hard. Repeat after me. Kellyn, tell me about yourself.”
“What?”
“Go on. Say it. Kellyn, tell me about yourself.”
“No, this is ridiculous.” I stand and try to move past her, but she stays me with an outstretched hand.
“It’s not. What’s ridiculous is that you’ve never properly flirted with a man. Now say it.”
“No.”
“Say it, or I’ll tell Kellyn I saw you ogling him.”
I glare at her. “You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I? The days are sure to grow long and boring. I could really use the—”
“Kellyn,” I say through gritted teeth. “Tell me about yourself.”
“Good,” she says enthusiastically. Like I’m some small child who’s accomplished a feat far greater than my size would allow. “Now, some follow-up questions. Where did you grow up? Why did you decide to become a mercenary? Do you have any family? Go on, say them.”
Though in a foul temper, I repeat after her. “Why are you making me do this?”
“Because you’re terrified of talking to people. Sometimes knowing what to say ahead of time helps.”
I feel my brow furrow. “You do this? Think over what you’re going to say ahead of time?”
“If it’s a boy I’ve got my sights set on? Always.”
“I don’t have my sights set on him! I was just admiring him—and it was only for about two seconds!”
“Never mind that. Now we will both have something to occupy ourselves tomorrow.”
“What do you mean? What are you going to be doing?”
“Flirting with Petrik, of course.”
I brush the dirt from my hands. “I didn’t think he was your type.”
“He’s not, but he’s not showing the slightest interest in me, and I’m taking that as a challenge. Besides, you should be thanking me. I’m distracting him from asking you questions about his book.”
“I should be questioning Petrik about magic to figure out ways to destroy the sword. Not flirting with the mercenary!”
“I’ve got it covered. I’ll ask him about it in between my longing looks and comments about his strong arms.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is amazing.”
CHAPTER
NINE