Chapter 24 - Cammon
Cammon
XXIV
The flames soared over my back, scorching my wings and pushing sweat from my pores. Not nearly hot enough to ruin my feathers or make my skin blister, but more than enough to turn Glory into a charred mess if they’d reached her.
Which they almost had, hells take her. Instead of listening to me, she’d nearly been incinerated for her stubbornness. If I hadn’t thrown myself over her as soon as we’d hit the ground, wrapping us in my wings to protect her from the flames, she would have been ash.
I hadn’t thought about doing it. Instinct had taken over as soon as the temperature had risen high enough, and only now that we were here could I process my decision.
I could have kept running and ensured my safety.
Instead, I’d known we would never make it out before the fire swept around us, and I’d put the mage first.
When was the last time I’d put anyone else first? Syrus, maybe, but that was out of a sense of loyalty. He’d saved my life, so I was ready to return the favour.
This bond was proving to be more of a liability than I’d thought.
Carrying an extra load to make camp comfortable was one thing, but putting someone else’s life before mine?
That was against my nature. I felt unfamiliar in my own skin.
How many days were left until the effects of the bite faded? They couldn’t pass quickly enough.
I had no more time to dwell on my anger before the fire tapered off, and goosebumps pebbled my skin in the absence of the heat.
Only then did I appreciate how tightly my body had spread itself over Glory’s. Every curve and bump of her form pressed against mine, and at the realization, despite my resentment, most of my blood scurried south.
I pulled my head back and propped myself up on my arms, hoping she hadn’t noticed the extra lump now prodding her hip.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I climbed off her and helped her to her feet.
I expected horror. I expected belated fear at what had almost happened or embarrassment about what was currently happening. I also expected to get a chance to express my frustration that she’d ignored my order, an outlet for my raging feelings at being tied to this woman against my will.
What I did not expect was the wide smile that greeted me or the sparkle in her eyes. She tipped her head back to take in the sunny day beyond the mouth of the cave, and a laugh of unadulterated joy escaped her.
“That was—” She shook her head and laughed again.
Her reaction was contagious, and I found myself smiling in response. She tore out of the cave into the open space and threw her arms open.
“That was wild! I can’t believe we did that! What were we thinking?”
She spun in a circle, her head still tilted back, and as she did, her hair broke free of the bun she’d pinned up that morning.
The dark locks, kissed by red-gold highlights, tumbled between her shoulder blades in thick waves, and in that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to wind my fingers through it, tug back her head, and claim her mouth.
I wanted to bask in her happiness, an emotion that had been elusive from her since we’d met, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
The taste was so rich, so complex, it put the finest brandies to shame.
Glory caught my eye and stopped mid-spin. She must have sensed my rising need through the bond because her pupils dilated. My hulking shape cast a shadow over her as I stalked forward. My breaths were heavy, each one stretching the singed flesh of my back.
The pain jerked me out of my lust, and my anger returned. I kept getting swept away by the bond, and the rapid current distracted me from all the reasons I had to be furious. I was done with being jerked around.
“Maybe next time you’ll listen when I tell you to run. What did you think? That I was going to leave the clue behind? Come on, Glory, put that big brain of yours to work.”
Her lips parted, and a faint flush spread over her cheeks. I tasted her guilt, her embarrassment, but I wasn’t finished yet. “I’m putting myself on the line out here. You cutting in to call the shots tells me it counts for nothing. Do you still not trust me?”
Her eyelashes fluttered in a series of rapid blinks, and I gritted my teeth, expecting tears.
Instead, in a rough voice, she said, “You’re right.”
My thoughts stuttered. “Excuse me?”
She raised her arms and let them fall to her sides.
“You’re right. I didn’t trust you to grab the clue, and I’m sorry.
” A rush of horror, the flavour heavy and sharp, filled the air between us as her eyes flew wide.
“I’m so sorry. I held you back from running, didn’t I?
You stayed there for me and almost—I could have gotten us killed. ”
Regret, fear, sadness, more guilt. The flurry of her emotions spun too quickly. She was spiralling, and pushing the issue would only send her more off balance.
I exhaled sharply and ran my hand through my hair, wincing when the skin around the base of my wings pulled. “Next time listen and we’re good, all right? Remember that I want to find this amulet as much as you do.”
She scanned me over, shame and concern still drifting off her but the whirlwind of her feelings settling into a more stable flow. “Were you badly hurt?”
“Nothing more serious than you might get being out in the sun too long.”
The crease between her eyebrows radiated skepticism, and I turned in a slow circle to allow her a better view of the damage. Only when she hissed through her teeth did I know it was worse than I’d realized.
“Let’s get away from here in case Tersey set up any secondary fireballs, and we’ll see what we can do about those burns. Will your feathers grow back?”
I recognized the forced calm in her voice and was driven to reassure her there was no need to panic.
With a gentle flex of my muscles, I gave my wings a shake.
Black, charred feathers tumbled to the ground like fallen leaves, and I frowned.
“I can only imagine the mess they look right now. But yes, my wings will be fine in a few days. Let’s hope we don’t have any more giants to run from until then. ”
I retracted my wings, keeping my expression carefully schooled to cover the agony of moving them, and Glory pressed her lips together. “Hmm.”
Her expression remained serious, the brightness of her joy extinguished, as we left the cave behind in search of safer ground to call it a night.
I opened my mouth to try to draw her out, to convince her once more that I was fine, but my gaze landed on tracks in the dirt. Fresh tracks by the look of them, less than an hour old. More mutts, stalking towards the cave, then fleeing.
Again, they’d come so close to us and left us alone. Had the fire chased them away? If so, we’d have to be prepared for them to return.
I balled my fists at my sides and scanned the area, searching for any sign that they were close and finding nothing.
Their behaviour didn’t make sense. Mutts didn’t have the ability to strategize.
Their minds were too trapped between human and animal, split between rationality and instinct.
In all my years, my only experiences with the creatures had proved their feral, vicious natures.
Beyond that, there was no way someone in the palace would have told the mutts about the amulet.
Anyone higher up the ranks would have had better resources, and anyone lower wouldn’t have had access.
No, we had to be looking at someone who couldn’t reach official channels but who had enough strength and cunning to wield these creatures as a weapon—but in that case, why the wait?
Well, whatever they wanted, they wouldn’t get it. I hoped they came for us so I could tear them apart and get them off our backs.
“Cammon?”
Glory’s concern pulled me out of my worrying, and I grimaced.
The temptation was strong to say nothing.
After the ups and downs of the last few days, while she was still recovering from our fight with the shifters and the loss of her books, I didn’t want to add more stress, but I reminded myself that she was far from a weak and defenceless academic, long skirt and habitual tight hair aside.
“Mutt tracks. More of them are coming in.”
She frowned and scanned the area, her hazel eyes sharp. “And still no direct sign of them.”
“I’m thinking they didn’t want to get grilled by those flames. We’ll set traps around camp tonight. I think it would be smart.”
She nodded and returned her attention to the road as we plodded on, but I caught the slump in her perfect posture and the slight drag of her feet. Whatever her expectations had been for this mission, they obviously hadn’t included being hunted and attacked and carried over waterfalls.
The sun was setting by the time we found a spot to put up the tent, and I eyed the dark clouds rolling in.
So far we’d been lucky with the weather, but a low hum in my bones warned me that was about to change.
Obviously we hadn’t faced enough challenges today and the environment wanted to get its kicks in as well.
Glory’s frequent glances at the sky told me I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.
“We should look to your wings now,” she said. “How are they? Any pain?”
I pulled off the charred remains of yet another shirt and tossed the bundle into the firepit to deal with later, then flexed my back and brought my wings out.
The process made me hiss at the sting of irritated flesh, but structurally everything felt sound.
I gave them an experimental flap, lifting myself a few metres into the air, and told myself it wasn’t to catch Glory’s gaze.
“I think we’re good,” I said after returning to the ground.