Chapter 30
“Feel better?” Raine asked as they exited the tent in dry clothes.
“Much.” She smiled and placed her damp clothes on a log next to the fire.
Kaden was standing over by the wagon, his eyes out towards the road and she knew he was on watch. Finnley was sitting by the fire, Raine joining him and she hesitated to sit.
“You can go talk to him, just don’t distract him too much.” Finnley smirked and she glared playfully before heading towards the wagon.
The horses were still in their small corral, most seeming content munching on the pellets they had packed for them to eat.
She reached into the apple bag and snuck Zuri a snack, the mare nudging her in thanks.
“We are going to run out of apples at this rate.” Kaden’s voice sounded behind her and she turned to see him leaning against the wagon facing her.
“Sorry.” she shrugged.
He just smirked and turned to look back at the road. He was back in his normal fighting leathers, cloak around him to keep warm and sword across his back. He was ready if they were to be attacked, but at this point she figured they were pretty safe.
“Will you tell me something else about you?” she asked with hesitation.
He turned partially towards her, his eyes looking over his shoulder at her with a questioning look. “What do you want to know?”
“Anything,” she said far too quickly, her nerves getting the best of her.
He turned back to the road, but kept his body relaxed which meant he wasn’t upset that she asked. She stepped around the wagon and stood next to him, her eyes watching his face.
“I prefer my steak with some pink left in the middle, I hate dancing, and my favorite color is red.” his eyes looked down at her for a minute, nothing but a casual expression looking back at her.
Her mind raced, the steak and color didn’t matter, but the dancing.
“But you danced with me at the ball?” she questioned.
“I did.” he answered.
“If you hated dancing, why did you ask to dance with me?”
“When a beautiful lady is standing in the middle of the dance floor needing a distraction, especially one that you are in charge of protecting, you dance,” he smirked.
“So what you are saying is you will only dance for me?” she teased.
“I will do whatever you ask of me, princess.” His eyes burned bright again, the promise in his voice familiar from before and she felt her knees wobble.
“Stay with me again tonight?” she whispered. “Xander said there might be more thunder rolling in.”
Her heart was racing but she didn’t know the exact source of it.
It could have been the fact his stare was making her want to melt into a puddle, or maybe the idea of him confessing more to her than she could process.
Maybe it was the sheer thought of him laying with her again and feeling the safety of his hold.
“Of course.” he nodded and then turned back to the road.
With that, she figured it was time to let him do his job and go back to the fire. The rain had lightened up but water still poured from the top of the alcove and the air was getting colder with the evening approaching.
“You ok staying with Finnley again?” she asked quietly as she sat next to Raine.
“I was actually going to ask you if I could.” Raine giggled.
“Kaden said he was a good guy and I believe him.”
“Finnley said the same about Kaden.”
They both grinned and looked towards the fire as the day dragged on.
Xander, Boone, and Titus came back from the waterfall, spending way less time there then they had, and started checking supplies. Titus started to cook food while the others secured tents and had small conversations.
By the time dinner was ready, Kaden was sitting next to her and Boone was standing out by the wagon with Finnley. She watched Titus take food to the two men on watch, returning quickly to dish out the rest to those sitting by the fire.
Another stew, but it was warm and she wasn’t going to complain. She casually leaned against Kaden to steal even more warmth from him and he didn’t object.
Xander was quiet as usual, his body always seeming tense and she wished she knew why he was like that. It seemed maybe he had seen a lot in battle and was permanently scared from it.
“We should be able to pack up easily tomorrow and head out.” Kaden spoke. “As long as someone gets up at a decent hour.”
Her eyes glared up at him knowing he meant her.
“Wake me up then!” she snapped.
“I don’t think any of us are brave enough to do that.” He chuckled.
She elbowed him in the side and everyone laughed except Xander, who just stared at her with haunted eyes. An odd feeling of familiarity sparked in her, but she was sure she had never met him before.
Time kept moving and when everyone started for their tents, Kaden stopped her just outside hers.
“I have the first watch tonight, but I’ll be with you later.” His voice was soft, a hint of worry mixed in and she placed her hand on his arm in comfort.
“It’s ok. I’ll be here waiting.”
His eyes softened and he nodded before walking towards the wagon to relieve Boone from watch.
She dressed quickly into her now dry cotton sleep clothes and crawled under the blankets in hopes sleep took her quickly.
For the first time, she felt an ache in her chest for Kaden and realized her heart was in trouble.
- - - - - - - -
Thunder boomed in the air and she felt herself jerk awake, her nerves instantly on fire.
“It’s ok, I’m here.” Kaden whispered behind her, his lips against her ear.
The blanket lifted between them and she knew he was offering comfort to her like the night before, another silent gesture. She started to shift backwards to him, the warmth of his body welcoming her.
His arms wrapped around her and pulled her against him gently, chest pressed up against her back. She leaned back into him more, his arm pulling her in as close as possible and she instantly let out a calming breath.
Her face was cold, the evening air dropping in temperature and it was starting to annoy her. As comfortable as she was, she knew his body was warmer than the air and started to turn in his arms.
He loosened his grip and let her situate against his chest, her face burrowing into him. For the first time, their legs intertwined and she made sure to keep her middle away from him, not wanting to know or imagine what he was like down there at this moment.
A crack of thunder made her jump again and he again pulled her closer.
“Pú ert oruggur hjá mér,” he whispered in her people’s old language against her forehead.
‘You are safe with me.’
Shock rolled through her body at the sound of it, let alone the reason he might have known it but she didn’t move. Sleep was winning her mental battle and she fell asleep with complete calmness around her.