Cormorant Run

by J. C. McKenzie

  “Cora!”

  Holding onto the bars, she faced the cave she’d found years ago and silently thanked her planning. Over the course of multiple runs, she’d installed bars and stored dried food in case of emergencies—injuries or skewed timing where she needed somewhere to hide. Her toes touched down on the ledge and she let go of the bar with one hand to grab another one near the cave’s entrance. A gust of wind pushed her off balance. She clung to the bars and ground her teeth.

  Normally, she enjoyed the play of the ocean wind, but not today. Not when her wings were unlikely to save her from plummeting the hundred feet to her death on the rocky shore below.

  She waited for a lull in the wind and regained her balance before letting go of the safety bars.

  The cave was exactly as she left it. The roar of the waterfall to the left of the opening droned continuously. If she extended her arm from the cave’s mouth, she could catch the freshwater thundering over the cliff edge. A locked wooden chest sat in the corner. Dry. Lock still in place. No rodents. An invisible weight lifted off her shoulders.

  Oh, thank god.

  A shadow passed over the cave’s mouth. She whirled around. Ronin stood at the entrance of the cave, blocking the early morning’s light. Shadows danced along his chiseled features but did little to hide the thunder in his gaze.

  The cave suddenly felt very, very small.

  “That wasn’t funny.” His deep voice filled the cave.

  She held up her hand, leaving about an inch between her finger and thumb. “It was a little bit funny.”

  Murder flashed across his expression.

  “It would’ve been funnier if I got to see your face.”

  Ronin squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep, pained breath. The tension in the air eased. “What is this place?”

  “My safety cave.”

  Ronin blinked at her.

  “I have a number of hidey holes around the Cap. Sometimes, I need to rest before returning to the Eyrie, especially if I get injured. The idea is never go to the same place twice in a row. I always change my resting location. This cave is one of my spots, but I rarely use it, keeping it for emergencies only.”

  Ronin studied the cave, mouth working, but no sound coming out.

  She gently tapped the box with her foot. “Every few months, I change out the supplies. There’s about three months’ worth of dried food in here for one person. So, this can feed us for about a month and a half at the most. With your excessive energy-sucking muscles, we’re probably looking at closer to one month. Hopefully, by then we’ll be healed enough to get our own food.” She jerked her chin toward the river. “And fresh water.”

  Ronin still didn’t say anything. She was damn proud of her safety cave and preparedness. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

  Ronin burst forward, gripped both her arms, and pulled her into his body for a bone crushing hug. “I could kiss you.”

  Cora wanted to sag into the heat of his body and let his words and her heart carry her away from the reality of their circumstances and respective positions in Eyrie society. Her brain said, “Nope.”

  “Please don’t kiss me,” she said. “Your breath is awful.”

  Ronin chuckled, his chest rumbling against hers and his hands searing into her back. “You’re no spring flower yourself.”

  He released her and stepped away to study the cave.

  As if a giant had scooped out a chunk of the cliff face like it had the consistency of butter, the cave was a rounded, open-faced blemish in an otherwise sheer rock face. Using her own height and wingspan, she determined the space was about eight feet high, twelve feet wide and thirteen feet at the deepest point. Not enough space for Ronin to fully extend his wings, but enough for the two of them to cohabitate, and more than enough for any accumulated heat to escape.

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “I know. Too cramped and cold, but we can for now.”

  Ronin grimaced. “We’ll lose our lead. If Ava’s townspeople, the men who tried to abduct me or the hunters who shot us down are after us—and we have to assume they all are—we risk getting sandwiched in between the groups.” Whenever he mulled over something serious, he squinted as if someone had just punched him in the nads and he was debating how to punish them without puking. He had the same look on his face now. Guess some things never changed.

  “Do you honestly think we’d maintain our lead with our injuries and our very obvious, hard-to-hide tracks?” Keeping her wings off the trail was almost impossible on a good day, and obscuring the tracks took more time than they had.

  “No,” Ronin agreed. “But I don’t want to be caught in the middle of three blood-thirsty, sapavian-hating groups.”

  “We could wait more than a few days,” she offered.

  Ronin grimaced. “It’s going to get awfully awkward if we stay here more than a day and popping in and out of the cave would increase our chances of getting caught.”

  “There are bar-holds that lead to an area under the waterfall from here.” She nodded at the entrance. “Not only does sprint mint grow along the sides, we can use the area to bathe and take care of private matters.” She hesitated. “It’s too wet for sleeping though.”

  Ronin grumbled.

  “If we delay for a week or more, we can regain our energy, let any potential tail get way ahead of us and take our time once we head out.” She hugged herself against the breeze. “We might want to consider staying here the entire time instead of trekking across the coastline to the Oap. By the time we’re healed, the heat at the Cap should’ve cooled down and we can make the return crossing we originally planned.”

  “It’s too populated here. That food will not last us more than a few weeks, not if we’re trying to regain energy and heal. We need exercise and food with sustenance, and it’s too busy here to risk venturing out to hunt on a regular basis.”

  She sighed, knowing his assessment of their predicament was spot on—she’d thought similar things as well, but part of her didn’t want to leave the safety of the cave. If it were just her, she’d hole up here for a month and then risk the channel crossing.

  “Fine,” Ronin said. “We’ll stay, but for no more than a few weeks.”

  She perked up.

  “And fires are out.”

  Her smile turned into a scowl.

  “Okay, maybe a little fire.”

  If he made some cheesy line about keeping her warm, she’d slap him.

  “Of course, there are other—”

  Slap! Her hand stung, but it was totally worth the pain.

  22

  “I want to touch with my mouth. His mouth, with my mouth. Maybe his neck, too. But first things first: Make him aware I exist."

  Laini Taylor

  Cora tensed as a shadow fell over the opening of the cave. She whirled around to find Ronin standing by the entrance and a sense of déjà vu settled over her.

  Water dripped from his bare chest and his underwear clung to his powerful thighs and left little to the imagination.

  Oh my.

  Her mouth went dry.

  “Are we out of food already?” he asked, gaze flashing.

  Huh? They’d been here for two weeks and she had to endure daily sightings of near-naked Ronin and nightly cuddles to stay warm, but food wasn’t an issue yet. “We have a couple more weeks.”

  A grin spread across his face.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “You look hungry.” He picked up his shirt to dab his chest. Usually, he moved with quick efficiency, but today he took his time, running the shirt over his hard muscles. Was he flexing?

  Grrrr. “You’re such an ass.”

  His grin could melt the panties off a nun. “Interesting choice of words.”

  Do not take the bait. Do not ask.

  He waited.

  Why me? She sighed and threw up her hands. “And you say this because…?”

  He pulled the shirt over his head and let it hang loose around his back. It clung
to his still damp skin. If history repeated, he’d sit at the cave’s entrance, dangle his legs over the edge and let the sunshine dry his underwear before pulling on his pants and buttoning the back of his shirt up.

  “The way you’ve been looking at my ass makes me think being called one isn’t an insult.” He stepped away from the cave entrance and crowded her personal space. He opened his wings behind him, blocking the early morning light.

  She tensed under his scrutiny. It didn’t matter what her feelings were or how attractive she found him or what she wanted to do with him and to him. None of these things altered the reality that he was the arrogant crown prince from the ruling Eagle Clan whose father’s orders inadvertently resulted in her mother’s death and she was a lowly messenger spy from the cormorant family. At one time, when she’d followed him around believing them friends, he’d thought of her as a little sister at best and an inconvenient doe-eyed follower with a massive crush at worst.

  Damn it.

  She didn’t want him to sense her attraction, her weakness for that smile or heated gaze. A little dignity to walk out of here after their isolation would be nice.

  Ronin studied her from a foot away, his predatory gaze softening into something unreadable. “I can hear your brain clanking around again.”

  Great. Call me stupid. Real charming. “Your game needs some work.”

  “You must be thinking about something hard.”

  Her mind nose-dived into the gutter. Her gaze drifted to his groin area to salivate over how the wet cloth clung to his…Argh. She snapped her gaze up. He did that on purpose. “I’m not thinking hard about anything. Just looking for the exit.” She stretched up on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder.

  Ronin ruffled his wings. He was healing well, a few days ago he wouldn’t have made that move with his injured wing. Hopefully in a few more days, they could remove the splint and try gliding. Long distance flying was still out for both of them.

  “Nervous?” Ronin asked.

  “No. A little worried. You’ve obviously slipped and hit your head. Or maybe you sustained a concussion during our crash landing. We might have to alter our plans in light of you clearly becoming delusional.”

  His white teeth flashed in the shadows.

  Why did she suddenly feel like prey?

  “I think...” Ronin reached out and trailed his fingertips along her arm.

  “Shocking.”

  He grinned and carried on, his fingertips sending thrilling little pings along her arm. “I think you’re thinking about us together. What it would be like. How it would feel. How I would taste.”

  Oh my. How was it suddenly so hot in here? He wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t the point. “Wow. How do you manage to fit in this cave with that ego of yours?”

  He stepped closer, so close the coolness from his waterfall shower reached out and licked her skin. “You’re as red as last night’s sunset.”

  Her cheeks grew warmer. This was ridiculous. She was a badass messenger, one of the few capable of navigating the Carrion Channel. She refused to get all swoony and flustered from a strutting peacock of a prince who decided he needed some female attention with the absence of his admirers.

  She pulled herself upright. “I think you’re homesick.”

  “Is that so?” He remained standing a few inches away. “First delusional and now homesick?”

  She ignored his quirked brow. “You’re obviously in withdrawal from feminine affection and have zeroed in on your only option.”

  His head jerked back. Sore point. “Is that what you think of me?”

  “Oh, you’re so much more than that.”

  His gaze flashed in warning. Bottled rage vibrated in front of her. He leaned in, almost brushing her lips with his own. “Is that so?”

  If she were smart, she’d take a step back and placate him. He’d had enough. Instead, she lifted her chin. “Of course, Your Majesty. You’re also arrogant, conceited, ru—”

  He pressed his lips against hers and she lost her train of thought. She’d expected anger or sarcasm, an outburst, not a tender kiss. Not a gentle touch that asked for more with the tease of tongue. He folded his wings tightly against his back, letting the sunshine stream in to bathe the cave in golden light.

  She could bolt. He left her an opening.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He pulled back to catch his breath and cradled her face in his hands. When she leaned in for more, he smiled and kissed her again. His tongue flicked out and licked her lips. He tasted of spring mint and forbidden nights.

  She moaned into his mouth and that was all the encouragement he needed. His hands moved from her face, one tangling in her hair to grip the back of her neck and the other travelling down her body. She arched into him, wanting, teasing, and kissed him back, hard.

  His hand gripped her butt and pulled her into his hard erection—hard to miss with only a thin layer of clothing between them and just…hard.

  A low ache throbbed in her core. Almost painful, the need for Ronin grew as he deepened the kiss and she answered. She wanted him inside her. She wanted him rocking into her.

  She moaned into his mouth again and ran her hands down his back to the hem of his underwear. One tug and she’d release him from his clothing. A couple more seconds and she’d have her clothes off. If he sat back, she could impale herself on his hard shaft and ride him, grind against him, and release this agonizing pressure that continued to build.

  “I want you so much, it hurts.” Ronin moved from her mouth to kissing her neck, tasting her skin as he tugged at her clothes.

  “Well, I’m telling you, Derek, this fucking sucks.” A deep voice thundered down from the cliff’s edge over the roar of the waterfall.

  Cora and Ronin broke away in an instant. She drew her dagger and Ronin eyed his sword a few feet away.

  “That bird-loving bitch said they looked injured.” Another man shouted back, probably Derek. They must be standing right at the cliff’s edge. They had to yell at one another over the waterfall.

  “And we followed their trail to here. The scouts we sent forward on horses haven’t found a thing. The trail never picks up again. I’m telling you, they took off. They’re sapavians. There’s no telling how far they went. They’re probably back at the Eyrie laughing their asses off. Ava must’ve been mistaken.”

  A shiver wracked Cora’s body. If they’d continued on instead of holing up in this cave, they would’ve been chased down by those hunters on horses. Cora could defend herself, and Ronin was a trained warrior, but fighting injured, tired and on foot against prepared hunters? The outcome could’ve been disastrous for them.

  Ronin’s grim expression said he rolled through the same scenario and reached a similar conclusion.

  “Or she lied, Andrew. We’ll just have to beat the truth out of her.”

  “Again?” Andrew said.

  Cora hissed quietly.

  Ronin glared.

  Oh, give it a rest. If those men hadn’t heard their heavy panting and make-out session over the rushing water, they certainly wouldn’t hear her little hiss.

  Those men.

  They’d beaten Ava. Any heat remaining from Ronin’s kiss fled her body. Her almost-friend had been caught and beaten for information on them.

  “Yes. Again,” Derek said. “I know you have a soft spot for the girl, but we need to find these two before Aeneas’ people do.”

  “I don’t think she lied. You scared her thoroughly. She told the truth,” Andrew said. “I don’t think we needed to tie her up.”

  “You heard her. She liked the messenger. We couldn’t risk her running off to warn the creatures,” Derek grumbled.

  Cora was beginning to really hate Derek.

  “And if she didn’t lie, where are they?” Derek asked.

  Silence settled over the men.

  The waterfall continued gushing freshwater to the ocean below. The waves lapped the shore and the sea looked calm—a complete contrast to how Cora felt.

>   Had the men moved away from the edge? She remained frozen in place. Though a feather ruffle, hiss, or heated kiss wouldn’t likely give them away, she didn’t want to risk it. The silence stretched and the tension in her body faded away. She relaxed and moved to sheath her dagger.

  “There’s a number of caves along this shoreline. Cory is arranging a boat,” Andrew said.

  Ronin bit off a curse.

  “They’re risking the ocean?”

  “We are, yes. The shoreline is relatively safe, and these villagers make their living on the water.”

  “But the Sea Beast has been spotted in the bay near the shore,” Derek said.

  Ronin tensed at the mention of the monster and glanced at her. Why? Did he want confirmation? Why did he think she could add anything to this information? She shrugged and went back to waiting.

  “Pfft, rumours. They’re always saying that. It keeps the competition away.”

  “What are we going to do then?” Derek yelled. “Wait here?”

  “You’ll have to hold off on your torture fetish. We’ll stay here and signal to the boat to let them know where the trail went cold. If they’re hiding in some cave, we’ll find them.” The man’s voice faded as he presumably walked away from the ledge.

  Dirt fell from the ledge and sprinkled down to the cave’s entrance. The men’s boots must’ve scuffed the earth as they walked away.

  Ronin turned to Cora and whispered, “Is the cave visible from the ocean?”

  Cora shook her head. “Not if they hug the shoreline. They have to be far enough offshore and armed with either good eyesight or binoculars.”

  “Then why do you look worried.”

  “They’ll realize the same thing when they try to locate those men. And there’s still a chance they’ll see the handles, either from the boat or from the edge. We’re really lucky those two turkeys didn’t look down very closely.”

  Ronin’s expression darkened. “We have to move.”

  She nodded. “But we can’t gracefully pop out of the cave without alerting them.”

  A slow smile spread across Ronin’s face, not a nice smile, a smile that promised pain and death. A chill ran along Cora’s spine.