Chapter 31 - Glory #2
“A map,” Thorn explained as Kalla handed it over.
“Better than the burned fragments we found scattered across your camp. This one is marked with some tricks to get you through dragon territory and whatever details Tersey noted down.” At my surprised look, she shrugged.
“We may have stolen this from him before he left. The map shows you all of Golthwaine, but I’m afraid his notes will only take you to the next signpost.”
I unfolded the parchment, and a weight fell from my shoulders.
I’d feared that the delay with the vampires would put us too far behind schedule to meet with the ship in Blue Harbour.
Princess Brynna would die, Evaniel would revoke his promises, and Cammon and I would both be in the same positions we were in before we’d left—or worse.
But Tersey’s route would shave nearly a week off our trip by sending us under the mountain.
When we left, we would have time to figure out the remaining puzzles.
Whatever we’d endured with the shifters and the mutts, our losses hadn’t cost us everything.
“Thank you.” I hated how thick my voice sounded.
I was not about to cry in front of this fury leader.
Thorn didn’t strike me as the type of vampire to tolerate such weakness.
Summoning my strength, I drew back my shoulders, swallowed around the lump in my throat, and met her eye.
“I appreciate the gift you’ve given us. If ever the opportunity arises to return the favour, you need only ask. ”
Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed me, then her gaze flicked once more to Cammon, which piqued my curiosity further.
“Consider this offering payment for a favour already sworn. Or perhaps we’ll owe you the favour. The Gloaming Fury has our own reasons for preferring the princess stay alive.”
I didn’t have time to question her before Kalla and Cliff pulled more goods from behind the chair. Soon, Cammon and I were loaded up with new packs filled with food, water, extra blankets, and our own enchanted lantern.
“We’ve restocked you to our limited ability,” Thorn said, “but that’s as much as we can do.
Some of my people”—she shot a look at Cliff—“expressed an interest in accompanying you, and as much as I’m curious to learn what you find at the end of your journey, I can’t allow them to put themselves or this fury at risk.
The safety and secrecy of our home remains my priority. ”
I nodded. “Of course. You’ve already done so much. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Thorn eyed me, then beckoned me closer. When I approached, she dropped her leg from the arm of the chair and leaned forward. I dropped to my knees to sit at eye-level with her, and she brushed her lips over my ear. “Keep the demon close, child. Whatever comes, you keep him close.”
She patted my shoulder and was up and gone from her chair before I saw her move. I looked around to try to find her, but there was no sign of her in the busy cavern.
Kalla curled her arm under mine and pulled me to my feet.
“Don’t bother. When she’s done with you, she’s done with you.
You kept her entertained for the night, which makes you one of her favourite people, but she’s moved on to the next drama.
” She looked me over. “Something you two have in common, I think.”
“I hate drama,” I said. “Books are far more to my taste.”
Kalla arched an eyebrow, that superior smile still tickling her lips. “Mmhmm. That’s why you look like you’re made of rubber today? And why you reek of sex?”
She closed her eyes and inhaled, and I curled my nose. “Gross.”
She laughed. “You can’t deny it’s an intense aroma. Lust and pleasure and distraction. The best kind of drug, and I’m glad you sampled it. Come on, I’ll walk you to the exit. I can’t go with you all the way under the mountain because rules, but I can at least see you out of the party room.”
I looked over my shoulder to where Cliff walked with Cammon.
The demon prince winked at me, and my cheeks flushed warmer.
Before I turned back, I watched him stop, his attention caught by someone to his left.
He waved for me to keep going, and Kalla’s tug on my arm gave me no option to do otherwise.
“So?” she asked. “Was it as good as I predicted? Lie to me if it wasn’t. I can’t look at that man and not imagine perfection.”
“It was… yes.” It wasn’t a lie, but I didn’t want to get into much more detail when Cammon might be within earshot.
He didn’t need to know how wound up my thoughts were after our night together.
How much I desired more and how much I feared taking it, suspecting my feelings were creeping closer to something deeper with every interaction.
I’d sworn to myself at the beginning of our journey that I would keep my guard up and protect myself.
I hadn’t anticipated how challenging that would be—or that the real threat wouldn’t be Cammon’s demonic charms but his mind and his willingness to accept me for who I was.
Curse my luck.
“I knew it!” Kalla exclaimed, oblivious to my mental crisis. “I demand at least partial credit for you two finally cutting through that sexual tension. The drakes outside this mountain wouldn’t be the only creatures burning up if you hadn’t. So what now?”
I blinked. “I have no idea. We haven’t—we can’t—I don’t think there is a now. I think it might have been a was.”
Kalla shrugged. “That’s fine. Nothing wrong with taking pleasure where you find it. But somehow I doubt your relationship is over. Will it continue after this trip? Maybe not. But why wouldn’t you take advantage of someone sharing your bedroll while you can?”
Heat flared between my legs, my body refusing to listen to what my mind had already processed.
Cammon and I couldn’t afford to lose focus.
He didn’t tie himself to other people, and I…
if I kept down this path, if I allowed my connection to take root more than it had, I didn’t think I’d cope well with losing him.
Ashara would never let me live this down. What would I tell her? That he’d seduced me by letting me ramble on about history without judgement? By filling in my knowledge gaps in that cave and getting us our most recent clue? By saving my life but giving me space to help him in return?
What right did he have to be so complex and layered and interesting? And kind on top of all that? It wasn’t fair.
I waited for regret to kick in about sleeping with him and making my life more complicated and was surprised when it didn’t.
Last night had been a sweet release. A way to work off the rush of the attack on our camp and the fears that had risen thanks to those pursuing mutts.
I would appreciate it for what it was and leave it at that.
Even while I argued with myself, I couldn’t deny the squeeze in my chest at the thought of distancing myself from him again. Despite all my efforts, the feelings I’d fought not to form for him existed, and I could only hope that if I didn’t feed those flames, they’d die out before we parted ways.
“Whatever,” Kalla said with a shrug. “You’ll do you.
I’m just saying think about it. I’ve known you a single night, but I can already tell you’re a woman who has repressed her desires for a long, long, long time.
I bet you don’t even know what your desires are anymore.
You tell yourself you’re happy with your books, but is that what you want or is it just what you’ve convinced yourself you need?
” She held up a hand as though to stop me from arguing with her, although I hadn’t been about to say anything, too stunned by her analysis.
“Whatever you want to believe, go for it, it’s your life.
But by the blood, Glory, you have to live that life, yeah?
If you died tomorrow, would you be happy with how you’ve spent your time?
Because I’ll tell you what—I am. Before Jael, I felt trapped under this mountain, but he made me realize that choosing something for myself had the power to open my whole world.
So just… think about it. Whatever else comes, make sure you’re choosing what makes you happy. ”
We reached an archway on the opposite side of the cavern from where we’d come in, and Kalla threw her arms around me in a tight, intimate hug.
“All right, here we go. Best of luck to you. If ever you’re out this way again, feel free to stop by and say hi.
I promise we’ll let you come through without trying to kill you. ”
I opened my mouth to thank her, but just like Thorn, the vampire was gone. That woman was a whirlwind. I hadn’t had time to process a word of what she’d said and had now missed my chance to respond.
My heart lurched on not finding Cammon behind me, and I scanned the crowd, heaving a breath of relief when I spotted him striding towards me. Where had he been?
“Everything all right?” he asked when he reached my side, his eyes downturned with concern.
I laughed. “I think so? Probably?” I shook my head to put the chaos behind me. “Where did you go?”
“I’ll fill you in as we walk.” He gestured towards the tunnel. “Shall we?”
I took a deep breath before taking my first step towards the last leg of our journey.
My last days with Cammon. With him standing beside me, his towering height and broad mass filling my vision and warming my skin, my resolve to reclaim any emotional distance from him was tested.
But I steeled myself, knowing what was at stake if I didn’t.
I also couldn’t shake Kalla’s advice. What would my life look like if I chose happiness?
It was a scary question, the answer filled with uncertainty, but even scarier was the realization that I wasn’t sure I remembered what happiness was…
at least, not outside the company of my beautiful demon prince.
Someone who claimed his happiness involved a life untethered.
Where did that leave me?