CHAPTER 32
Sloshy mud sucked at their boots, and the forest smelled like rain.
The pungent scent of drenched pine and the lusty breath of warm, wet earth rose up to meet them.
Other than putting on boots, they hadn’t bothered to change.
Bristol was still in her thin gown, the hem now spattered with mud, and Tyghan still bare-chested.
He said clothes were not important because they wouldn’t be running into anyone where they were going, and now, walking along this dark path, she believed him.
She wondered at his impulsive offer. It seemed maybe he needed this as much as she did.
A rare brokenness lined his face when he told her about the markings.
In the midst of his mountain of other problems, he was worried about her.
But his concern also made her breath catch.
How bad was it? Yes, maybe they both needed time to think.
Walking this steep, dark trail with him was the reprieve she craved.
The rain had stopped, and there were no other sounds besides water searching for a river to fill or a root to nourish—no bird songs, no rustling animals.
They had veered off the path that led to Thistle Lookout, and it made Bristol feel like she had stepped into a new world and left behind the worries of the old one.
Her shoulders relaxed, and her breaths deepened into a smooth, unconscious rhythm—until they reached a forested cliff and Tyghan told her how they would proceed with the rest of their journey.
“A nightjump? Have you lost your mind?”
“Two nightjumps, actually. It’s the only way. That’s why this place is a secret.”
“Then it can remain a secret. The last time I nightjumped, I couldn’t breathe.”
He circled his arms around her, pulling her hips snug against his. “The last time you weren’t with me. This time you’ll breathe, I promise.”
“Two nightjumps?”
“Trust me, Bri.” And he lowered his mouth to hers.
She felt her weight drop away, her feet no longer anchored to the earth.
She was a feather on a current, turning in the air with him, his arms secure around her.
Warmth enveloped her like a balmy storm.
He was her storm. His tongue gently skimmed her teeth, his breaths becoming her own.
He tasted of cloves and ale, and she breathed in deeply, feeling the spiciness roll through her mouth, her lungs, even through her veins, every part of her growing lighter.
She breathed him in, and it was like they were their own planet spinning through a galaxy, the stars parting as they swept past. And then, too soon, she felt her feet touching a firm surface again.
Their mouths parted, and he smiled. “Nightjump one is done. Can you handle one more?”
She cupped his face and brought his mouth to hers in answer.
The second time they landed, she heard the quiet rush of rain, and when the moon peeked out from the clouds, she saw they were at the bottom of a deep gorge. Above them, a waterfall emptied into a small lake.
“This way,” Tyghan said, taking her hand.
He led her across a mossy shore to the thin edge of the waterfall, and then they stepped down, knee-deep in water, and waded through the cascading falls before rising again on the other side.
It was pitch-black, but Tyghan roused a flame in his palm, and the walls and water around them came alive.
They were in a large sandy cave behind the waterfall.
Water dripping from the ceiling reflected the flame and turned the cave into a sparkling sky.
“It’s not exactly rain, but—”
“It’s perfection.” Bristol quickly yanked off her wet boots and dug her toes into the golden sand, circling the cave in childlike awe.
The remnant of a mostly burned log in the back of the cave was evidence that Tyghan had been here before.
With a gentle flick of one hand, the fire in his palm flew to the log and set it aflame, making even more light sparkle around her.
She stared, mesmerized by the backside of the waterfall.
“How on earth did you ever find this place?”
He smiled. “It was an accident, actually, one that cost me a few bruises and an impressive knot on the head.”
“That is impressive. We all know how hardheaded you are.”
“Says the pot to the kettle?”
“Maybe so.” She laughed. “When did this amazing discovery happen?”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I was only seven.”
She was impressed all over again, wondering how a small child could find such a distant place. “Tell me more.”
His expression turned somber as he walked along the back of the cave, gathering up dried branches for the fire, and she knew she was entering tender territory. “It was the day of my father’s funeral,” he said.
Very tender, she thought, and she was grateful he no longer deflected painful questions. He had changed. You made me want to share my life with you.
And he did, sharing one of the most painful days of his childhood.
“When the rites were over, Eris took my hand in his and led me away. My mother and brother were walking just ahead of us, and he told me I would need to be strong for my mother now. I remember turning and burying my face in his robes, and holding on to him. I was terrified.” Tyghan stopped at the back of the cave, looking nowhere in particular, maybe seeing the frightened child he had once been.
“I was certain I could never be strong enough. Eris put his hand on my head, like he was protecting me from the world, and said, But on the days you can’t be strong, I’ll be strong for you. ”
Bristol’s throat twisted, seeing Tyghan’s loss in a whole new light, and seeing Eris in a new way too, a man not only juggling the duties of a transitioning kingdom, but considering the needs of a broken family as well. “Was he?” she asked. “Strong for you?”
Tyghan nodded. “More times than I can count.” He added the dry branches to the glowing embers on the log, and it flamed up.
“But at the time I was still afraid and overwhelmed and wanted to disappear, and then, just like that, I did my first nightjump.” A small laugh lifted his chest. “It didn’t go well.
I didn’t know what the hell I was doing or where I was going, just that I wanted to get away from it all.
I’m lucky I didn’t kill myself. I missed the first landing and bounced down the side of the mountain until I ended up here.
I lay on the beach nursing my wounds, but even as my head throbbed, I felt a powerful calmness.
It’s such a small canyon, a small lake, but it was all mine.
In a single day I fell in love with this place, and determined to get better at nightjumps. ”
“Well, you succeeded with that,” she agreed, remembering the feeling of floating in his arms. “This has been your secret sanctuary ever since?”
He nodded. “I’ve never shared it with anyone, but now it’s yours too.”
“Hmm, could be bad news. I don’t do nightjumps.”
“I guess I’ll always have to be your personal guide, then.” He stood and began unbuttoning his trousers. “Ready for a swim?”
“It’s safe in the lake?”
“Empty. The only creature you have to worry about is me.”
More buttons.
“Then I have a lot to worry about.”
His trousers fell to his ankles, and he stepped out of them.
Firelight licked over every exquisite, sculpted muscle he possessed.
Heat kindled low in her gut. She remembered the first time she stumbled upon him, half-naked in his room, and her useless admonishment to herself to look away. Now she brazenly drank in every inch.
Her first assessment of him still stood—the planes, the sinew, the hard cut of deltoids meeting biceps, the tight ripples of his abs, even his calves were carved to perfection.
Except now his long, jagged scar didn’t seem like a flaw but a victory.
Michelangelo wouldn’t reject an imperfect piece of marble if he saw Tyghan.
His flaws, inside and out, were what she loved, what made him perfect, a hard-won version of himself that was a work of art.
This time of course, there was no towel covering his middle. He let her assess him, standing perfectly still—except for one part of him that was quickly growing. She was caressing him with her eyes, and it appeared that was enough.
She felt the heat of his eyes on her too. She glanced down. Apparently, it wasn’t just her gaze causing things to grow. Her gown was wet from going through the waterfall, and the thin fabric clung to her like skin. Her chilled nipples eagerly peeked through.
“You can join me whenever you’re ready,” he said. And with a few steps, he dove, disappearing through the waterfall.