Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
TATE
Binding her to me was a mistake. Every time the wind blows her sweet and spicy scent right in my face, every time her arm brushes mine by accident, every time she bumps into me, because one of us forgot she was chained to me, her proximity drives me fucking crazy.
After a full day of that, I’m ready to come out of my skin. And the thought of sleeping next to her tonight? I exhale.
But what other choice do I have after uttering that damn threat? There is no way to take it back now. And how can I expect her to respect my orders if I don't go through with the consequences?
I run a hands through my hair only to make her stumble into me again. Gods be damned, having her this close and still so far out of my reach is the worst kind of torture.
She steps away from me and displays her frustration by kicking against a stone, sending it flying.
I suppress a grin. At least I'm not the only one who is aggravated by the situation.
Discovering her ability to sense magic could have made all the difference, but she refuses to acknowledge my observation.
Could she have climbed up there to get a better overview, like she claims she did?
Sure. But I know she’s lying, and it doesn't explain all the other things I noticed over the months. Like how she was able to find me in a crowd of people at the palace, or how she had noticed my shield when she shouldn’t have been able to.
That she's refusing to use it to help us win is starting to piss me off, though.
While Jared seems to think our bickering is entertaining, Calix still looks confused, which only means Ara didn't tell even her closest friends about me. And I don’t know why that thought pisses me off even more.
By the time night breaks, Tanner’s team has found the second egg, not due to Ara’s help, I might add, and again, it was far from the spot it was supposed to be. By now, I’m pretty sure who is responsible for that.
When we settle down for the night, I'm on high alert, and that’s not just because of Ara’s proximity. No, another flight descended close by not long ago. And with us already having two eggs, that also means we already have things worth taking.
“Change of plans for tomorrow,” I declare once we have the whole flight gathered, “Since we already have two eggs, other flights only have to ambush us to take the win. So it’s important to protect what we have.”
“Cassius, Tethys, and Tanner, you’ll be the core group and will protect the eggs. Everyone but Ara and I will accompany you, ready to throw up a diversion or draw others away, if they come too close. Ara and I will go find the third.”
“Why just you two?” Cassius asks.
“I would’ve gone alone,” I tell him. “But since Ara proved I can’t trust her to follow orders when I’m not around, she will stay with me for now.”
Cassius's brow furrows, but Ara only rolls her eyes. We make camp before the last light fades and retire early to take advantage of the next day. Our birds will take turns and alternate the watch, as they require less sleep.
“I’m still not the magical bloodhound you seem to think I am,” Ara whispers, while she rolls out her bedroll next to mine.
“We'll see about that,” I tell her.
“You're really going to make me sleep next to you?” She challenges.
“What do you think?”
“I’m not going to run away,” she grumbles. “Or you could attach that to someone else for the night.” She gestures at her arm and looks up when Jared walks past us. “Like Jared.”
“Oh, hell no,” Jared quickly answers. It seems he overheard her question. “I want to wake up tomorrow morning.”
Ara furrows her brows. “You think I’d stab you in your sleep or something?” She asks. “Maybe we do need some bonding time.”
Jared laughs. “No, Ara. I don't think you’ll stab me. But he might.” He motions his head toward me and grins when I glare at him.
Ara shakes her head. “Whatever. How about you chain me to Calix or Joel, then?” She points out the two who settled down close to us.
“No, and hell no,” I tell her. Having her snuggle up to Cassius is the last thing I need after today. Her sleeping draped all over him might actually turn me violent.
“I think they want to wake up tomorrow morning, too,” Jared says, patting Ara's shoulder. “Sorry, you're stuck with him. Even if he snores.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Ara disagrees and instantly has Calix’s and Cassius’s attention. “I mean, I'm sure he doesn’t.”
Jared throws his head back and laughs. I smirk.
Calix’s gaze jumps from me to Ara and back. Mariel comes over with her bedroll and drops it between Calix’s and Joel’s. She takes in Ara, who is pointedly ignoring all of us.
“What did I miss?”
Jared grins. “We were just discussing sleeping arrangements.”
“For a discussion, other opinions would have to be at least considered,” Ara grumbles.
“No, it’s definitely not a discussion,” I agree and bite my lip to keep from laughing at Ara’s annoyed sigh.
We retire early, and Ara is out cold as soon as her head hits the cushion.
I stare at her for a long moment before I quietly turn, trying to get more comfortable without waking her.
Despite my exhaustion, sleep seems impossible, so I lie in the dark, listening to her quiet breathing.
I turn again, but freeze when she shifts next to me.
She mumbles something unintelligible, and her hand lands on mine.
All the hairs on my body rise, my pulse jumps, and I hold my breath.
Is she awake?
When she doesn’t move again, I put that down as a no. The place where our hands touch seems to pulse and tingle, and while I love the connection, the thought that she wouldn’t reach for me while awake stings.
Slowly, I extract my hand from under hers, but she shifts again and rolls over only to end up snuggled into me.
Her head rests on my chest right over my racing heart, her hand sits on my stomach, her pinky grazes bare skin where my shirt rode up, and her leg is hooked over mine.
I’m a marble statue, not even daring to breathe.
“Ara,” I whisper, but only low breathing answers me. I try to nudge her over softly, but she only tightens her hold on me, her fingers find their way under my shirt, trailing over my abdomen and sliding up to my chest.
My abdominals clench, and her fingers leave a burning path. Bubbles fizz through my blood.
Holy mists.
Every one of my tries to push her over to her bedroll has her clinging to me even tighter, so I give up and wrap my arm around her. And I allow myself to enjoy having her in my arms, even if it is only for a night.
I wake from someone tugging at my arm and trying to wriggle free, remembering who slept next to me has me tightening my hold on her.
“Tate, if you don’t let me go now, you won’t like the consequences. I really have to pee.”
I crack open one eye, and I’m greeted by Ara’s sleepy face against a barely lit sky. The camp is still quiet around us. “Good morning to you, too. And I was right.”
“About what?” She huffs out an irritated breath.
“That you prefer to sleep on top of me.”
“You cuddled me like a cushion, so it’s hardly my fault,” she whisper-hisses.
“I just got comfortable since you clung to me like a burr, no matter what I did.” Not that it bothered me.
She scoffs. “And why would I do that? You aren’t even soft, but all hard and muscly…
” She trails off. “Whatever, I really need to go, so…” I release her and my hold on her to give her some privacy.
But keep tabs on her whereabouts through the air around her.
It would be just like her to run solely to piss me off.
ARA
“When I tell you to run, you fucking run,” Tate whispers.
I raise my eyebrows. It’s the second day of the competition, and Tate and I are on our way to find the last egg.
“Just to prove you right?” I lower my voice, trying to imitate him, “It's just like you to run when it gets hard.” I switch back. “I don't think so.”
There are other riders close by, and Tate is suddenly acting all tense and worried.
“You could just leave me here.” I offer. “If you get this off me, I’ll climb one of the trees and stay quiet until they are gone.”
“I’m not leaving you behind,” he rumbles, gripping my hand as if I could disappear any moment, even though I’m still chained to him.
“Why does this feel familiar? You, tucking me on, while we run from someone?” I ask.
“Not my fault that you always draw that kind of attention.”
“Now you have it all wrong.” I disagree. “Last time it was all you. Lorcan and I were just talking.” He is right about this time, though. It was me they spotted and started to chase, that is why we are currently trudging through this forest trying to lose them.
Tate scoffs. “Just talking. Well, let's just talk then.”
He pulls me behind the next tree, his body caging mine in.
“What are you doing?” I hiss. But he stops me with a finger to my lips. His gaze is not on me, but in the distance, intently listening.
“Could you stop touching me?” I try again.
“Could you stop talking?” He whispers back. I nip his finger just enough to sting.
He sucks in a breath, and his gaze snaps to me.
“Ara.”
“Keep away from my teeth if you don't want to get bitten.”
A twig snaps not far off, and Tate curses under his breath. He grabs my hand, and we start running again.
“We have to get out of this damn forest so Daeva can get us.”
“And here I was thinking you were hoping for a cliff to throw me off.”
He doesn't reply, but I swear there's a grin on his face.
We are running from other riders. I'm accusing him of wanting to throw me off a cliff, and that is what makes him smile? I shake my head.
Over the sound of us hurtling through the woods, I start to make out something else—the sound of water. You've got to be kidding me . I curse when I realize Tate is heading right for it.
“That was a joke,” I tell him. “I swear Tate, if you throw me off a cliff again, there is nothing that can save you from my retribution.”