Look at us, the three amigos. As we followed the mountain tribe, I had a sense of déjà vu. Only this time, I hoped we weren’t betrayed and Orion turned out to be a better man than Brunlak had been—the bastard who had turned us over to the Night’s Guard after giving us a sanctuary of sorts.
The path ended at a set of large wooden gates that looked oddly out of place with lances sticking out at the top. Orion stepped forward and slammed the end of his spear on the ground. A moment later, the scraping of wood against rock filled the air as the gates opened, pushed by six men. Helluva job.
Together, we moved through the outskirts of the small town—not quite the size of Hurst, but a bit more modernized, at least for the Heights’s standards. Little wooden homes lined the rocky paths in a variety of shapes and sizes. Other than us, the paths were empty, but considering the time of night, it shouldn’t have been a surprise everyone was huddled inside.
Lanterns glowed along the dirt walkway, lighting the path and illuminating the windows of the cozy homes. The view was breathtaking. All around the small town were towering mountains with their snow-covered peaks. The air here smelled crisp and clean with lingering hints of long since burned embers.
“It’s not much, but we’re doing what we can to make it a sanctuary. The people of Eberus work hard to keep their lives out of the Institute’s business.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
Orion grinned. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you would like, Kamama.”
“We appreciate your hospitality,” Dash butted in, “but we can only stay a few nights. It isn’t safe for us to remain too long.”
“Maybe not for you, Slayer, but the butterfly can stay. We will protect her.”
Dash scoffed, his brows burying together. “I’m not leaving without her.”
Orion gave a slight tilt of his head. An unspoken exchange transferred between the two guys. “Understood. No harm will come to her within these walls. You have my word.”
As I met more people outside the Institute, the surer I became of my decision to leave.
We continued through the town. The sun crested over the horizon, adding a tiny bit of color to intertwine with the darkness.
Orion led us into a home. He lit two lanterns in both of the front windows, setting the room in a soft glow. Furnished sparingly with a small sitting area and kitchen, there were two doors off the main area—one on each side—but I didn’t care that it supplied only the bare essentials. It had a roof and bed. Enough said.
“There are only two rooms,” Orion informed us.
“It beats sleeping in a tree,” I said. “Thank you.”
“In the morning, we’ll give you a tour. I know the people of Eberus would love to meet the girl with the rainbow eyes. It would lift their spirits to know you are real.”
I nodded, too tired to think about that at the moment.
When the front door closed softly behind Orion, the three of us stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Two rooms. Three of us. I made it simple. “Star and I will take the room on the right.”
“Works for me,” Dash answered, dropping his pack in the corner.
Star was already on her way to the room. She looked bone-tired and a little pale. Dash turned in the opposite direction, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”
He faced me, a brow raised.
“What was that all about back there?”
“What?”
“Oh, I don’t know. The whole ‘I’m not leaving without her business.’ You don’t have a claim to what I do or where I go.”
His shoulder leaned up against the doorframe. “It’s been a long couple of days, hell, weeks even. I don’t want to argue with you. Just trust me.”
My pulse jumped all over the place when he looked at me like that, leaving me exposed to the core. “I do trust you.”
“Good. Now I am going to sleep for a few hours.”
I bit my lower lip.
He angled his head to the side, pushing off the doorway. “You still aren’t having trouble sleeping, are you?”
Dash stopped in front of me, and I glanced up into his face. “No, not really. Okay, maybe a little. But it’s the dreams, not the sleeping part.”
“I won’t be far.”
“I know.” But just not close enough.
He moved forward, as if he’d read my thoughts. Lifting a hand, he brushed a curl behind my ear, his thumb lingering over my cheek. “Good night, Freckles.”
I leaned into his touch for a moment and then swallowed. “Night.”
Neither of us was ready to move, but things were already awkward between us, and there was no reason to make it more complicated. I turned and walked into the other room, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the rough wood and closed my eyes. Why couldn’t my life be drama free for once?
Kicking off my boots, I dropped my bag on the side of the bed. “Any chance there is a shower?”
Star shook her head. “I looked.” She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, her eyes droopy and her lips turned down. There was a porcelain quality to her, as if at any moment she might break.
I sighed, remembering I wasn’t the only one with issues. “You okay?” I asked, plopping down on the bed. How I missed the feeling even after only a few nights.
“I don’t know how you do it. This world is so much different than I ever imagined. I feel like I’m not given a moment to breathe or catch up. I’m not like you or Dylan.”
Each time she called him that, my mind blanked for a few seconds until I remembered that Dylan was Dash’s given name. This was the first time we’d been alone since finding him. I didn’t know what to say to her. In an instant, Star had gone from being my best friend to my competition. I hated it. “So Dash is your boyfriend, huh?” If we were going to be traveling together, it was time to clear the air. I didn’t want to lose the very few people I had in my life that I trusted, and the tension wasn’t good for any of us.
This was so messed up.
She shook out her long blonde hair, combing the tangles with her fingers. “No, Dylan was. I don’t know Dash. He has changed so much. Besides, you’re in love with him.” She smiled, but it seemed off.
Talk about not beating around the bush. But I liked that she was straightforward, and there was no denying I had feelings for Dash. I had told her so when we had been in the Institute, and now I was wondering if opening up had been a good idea. “What are the chances?”
“Probably one in a million.” Her gaze skittered away. “He cares for you.”
“But I’m not the one he’s spent months searching for. What was he like, you know, before?”
Crimson swept over her pale cheeks. “Angry. Lost. Trapped. But he could also be sweet and caring. Believe it or not, the first time we met, he was stealing from the convenience store near my house.”
I turned on my side, propping a hand under my head as a tiny smirk tugged at my lips. “Oh, I believe it all right.”
“His brother, Logan, was hungry. He bumped into me on his way out, dropping the bag of chips from underneath his hoodie. I remember that day like it was yesterday, the purplish yellow bruise on his cheek and the smug grin on his lips.”
“Had he been in a fight?” I asked, entertained listening about the Dash I never knew.
Star frowned. “No. It was his father. He hit him.”