by Bekah Clark
I climbed out and moved over to him, noting that Vonn was nowhere in sight. I frowned up at him. “What’s going on?”
“I’m taking the first watch. Go to sleep. Once Vonn takes over, I’ll come in. I promise.”
I rose up onto the balls of my feet and kissed him softly. “Goodnight.”
Before I could walk away, he hauled me against him and deepened the kiss. Fire ran through my veins and ignited my core. He growled, and his hand slipped around my hips and yanked me tighter against him sending a jolt through me as I realized the fullness of his desire. Without a thought, my legs wrapped around his waist. His tongue stroked along mine in a slow and sensual way. My heart sped up madly as need flooded my body.
Suddenly, there was a sneeze. I froze and drew away to look up at him with a blush, my legs sliding off his hips. In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten about Vonn.
Torric was grinning at me, his arm still around my hips as he ground slowly against me. My cheeks were in flames. I pushed at him and hissed, “Stop it.”
Chuckling, he lowered me to the ground. I kissed his cheek one more time before I turned and slid inside the tent.
For a long time, my eyes just wouldn’t close because I preferred his warmth instead of the cold quilt wrapped around me. I kept tossing and turning to try to find a position. When I thought that sleep would be impossible, I suddenly heard Torric singing softly. The sound of his voice comforted me like no other, and soon, I drifted away. I awoke later in the night to the feel of his arms around me as he tugged my body to his chest. Soon, however, surrounded by his woodsy, cinnamon scent, I was once again asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
The next four days were uneventful. We’d wake up early in the morning and start our day with a quick breakfast before cleaning the camp and heading out. Vonn and Torric would take turns keeping watch at night. Once Torric realized that my falling asleep easily was more likely when he was in our tent, he switched with Vonn so that he had the last watch. I didn’t tell him how much I missed his warmth in the morning. However, Torric was more relaxed with Vonn around. I couldn’t blame him; having someone to help him keep me safe made things easier for him. He slept better, and I was glad of that.
One evening I asked Vonn, “Have you always been in Fort Nyte?”
He smiled. “Zeer and I grew up in the village of Pheon. We’ll be stopping there on our way to Kingshold. My assignment at Nyte was only temporary.”
“Did you always want to be a spy?”
He broke into a friendly laugh and shook his head. “No. I’m not really a spy, Zianya, I’m more of a scout—but I do the occasional spying. During my assignment at the fort, my job has been to watch over the border. Every so often, the soldiers of Renth like to test their mettle against us. They cause some trouble, and there are a few spats, but eventually, when we don’t try and push against the border, they back off.”
“Why would they back off? Why not try to push the border closer to your side?”
Vonn’s grin sent a shiver through me. “Because they push, but we stop them. They realize their casualties are not worth trying to expand into our territory.”
I turned my eyes to Torric and I could see in his steady gaze that he was worried about how I would react to that. To be honest, I didn’t know how to react to it. I hated fighting and death. But the soldiers of Renth were trying to break a treaty that had lasted for as long as anyone could remember, and as far as I was concerned, they were in the wrong. But their deaths… My feelings were very mixed when it came to them. Perhaps I was feeling like I no longer belonged in Renth. Or perhaps living outside those stifling walls opened my eyes a little.
I smiled, and Torric’s emerald eyes became molten pools.
Vonn quipped, “No wonder you couldn’t resist her. I couldn’t if she gave me that sweet gaze.”
Torric turned to him and frowned. “Stay away from her.”
I was about to tell Torric that he shouldn’t be so rude when Vonn chuckled. “You’re so easy to rile, even knowing there’s no reason to worry. This trip is going to be fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not for me if you keep that up.”
Vonn only laughed and tended the roasting wild chicken on the spit. I had tried to suggest my taking the cooking duties, but Vonn had insisted. And soon I realized why. His cooking skills over an open flame were amazing. So I let him take care of it, but I was finding being idle to be a bit disheartening. If the circumstances around my leaving Vella had not been so thrilling, I probably would have felt this sooner. But since being in Fort Nyte and having a chance to teach my herbalist skills, I found the monotony of the trek to Kingshold to be too much. There was no way that I could tell Torric and Vonn that.
My journey there was necessary. I knew it. Since being in Glane, I had grown to want to heal Donner. And I wanted to meet Sarine. She was Torric’s sister, and I was hoping she’d like me. If she didn’t, I wasn’t sure what would happen with Torric and me. I probably would not have been concerned if what had happened back in Vella a few years ago to Ama didn’t keep running through my mind. She was a sweet-tempered lovely girl that had been in love with Worren, a carpenter, and he with her. Worren’s sister, however, had disliked Ama. It took some time, but eventually, Worren had tearfully broken it off with Ama and married a girl that his sister introduced him to at the bakery. Only the sister had been happy.
I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. Torric and Vonn were talking quietly about their watches for the evening. I was restless. There was nothing for me to do. Getting up, I walked away from the camp. Before I reached the edge, Torric was at my side. “Where are you going?”
I stopped and looked at him, confused. “You’ve never stopped me from going to relieve myself before. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Nothing? You’re asking me where I’m wandering off to and you haven’t before, so obviously, something is going on.”
He scowled, and I folded my arms, waiting for his reply. Finally, he answered. “We’re close to Deend. They tend to be a bit lawless.”
I blinked in surprise. He stroked my cheek gently. “Not every place in Glane is as safe at Fort Nyte.”
I leaned into him and smiled up at him. “I guess I was feeling so safe that I didn’t think perhaps there were some places that were not.”
“Come, I’ll turn my back and guard you.”
I blushed and glanced away. “Honestly, I was sneaking off for a walk. But if I have to go later, I’ll tell you.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Why were you doing that?”
Pursing my lips, I looked away for a moment before I turned back and let out a soft huff of frustrated breath. “Because I’m sick of being useless. Sitting around while the two of you do everything is driving me crazy.”
His rich laugh surprised me. His arms encircled me and his lips danced along mine as my body warmed against his. “Sorry. I should’ve realized that you’d hate not helping, lass. When we were alone, we’d at least share the cooking. Plus, you were on an adventure.”
“Just give me something I can do,” I moaned.
“How about when we stop, you and I go looking for wood together? I don’t think Vonn will give up the cooking.”
I grinned up at him and said, “Honestly, I don’t want to take that over. I always end up overcooking one side when I cook over open flame.”
Torric quickly pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was affectionate and tender. When he drew back, he touched his brow to mine and smiled down at me. I slipped a hand over his chest and let it rest over his heart, just to feel the steady rhythm. His hand slid up to cover mine, and for a long time, we stood there, reveling in each other’s eyes.
When I came to my senses, I asked, “So tell me about Deend.”
He frowned and drew me back to sit in the camp. Arranging me by his side, he held me with one arm.
Vonn looked over at us and gave a grin. The wild chicken he w
as cooking smelled delicious and my mouth watered just a little. My stomach gave a slight growl.
“Healers and their appetites…” Torric said teasingly.
I smirked up at Torric. “So does Donner eat a lot, too?”
My breath caught and I glanced at Vonn. I had no idea who knew that Donner was a healer, and saying that was probably a mistake.
Torric frowned. “Vonn knows, but you should be more careful.”
I nodded.
He continued. “Now that I think about it, he does eat more than me.”
“My mother and grandmother always ate a lot, too. I think it has something to do with how we heal.”
“Don’t worry,” Vonn said. “We’ll keep you well fed.”
I grinned. “You might have to hunt more than you’d like.”
Torric rolled his eyes. “As if I don’t love to hunt.”
Vonn took the chicken off the spit and cut it up, handing me both legs and a wing. Biting into one of the legs, I let out a little moan of delight. It was perfectly seasoned and juicy. Torric grinned at me before he dug into his own piece. When my eyes found Vonn, there was a proud gleam in his eyes.
After dinner, I got Vonn to let me help him with the cleanup. Torric decided to check the area to make sure there was no one around.
While alone, Vonn said, “I don’t think anyone could ever thank you enough for coming to heal our king.”
I grinned at him. “I didn’t have a choice.”
He laughed. “Ah, yes. Torric kidnapped you. You still had a choice, though.”
As I organized his box of spices, I said, “No. Actually, once I see Donner, I won’t have a choice. The need to heal can be overwhelming. Look what happened when you broke your arm.”
His voice was rich and warm as he said, “Thank you for that, by the way.”
I smiled. “It was my pleasure. I actually like healing. I suppose the only person I wouldn’t want to heal is someone truly evil. Someone who preys on the weak.”
He scrutinized me for several long moments before he asked, “So you would not heal them?”
I sighed. “Honestly, I’d hope that Torric would pull me away from someone like that. Not healing someone can be so difficult to do.”
His eyebrows rose. “You’re serious. It really is hard for you not to do it?”
I sat down and stared into the flames. “It is. I can do it, but it’s at great, personal toll. If I choose to walk away, I can feel an ache inside for a long time.”
He studied me a moment before he asked, “And if someone takes you away?”
“I’ll hurt for a short while, but it isn’t as severe. I can ignore it.”
“Does Torric know?”
I let out a little huff of breath. “No. And I’d rather you not tell him. He seems to really care about my well-being, and I’d not want to upset him.”
Vonn was quiet, and when I turned to look at him, I found him sitting there quietly, staring at me. Confusion filled me for a moment, but I smiled. “What?”
He hesitated, and when he spoke, it was in a very low tone. “I don’t…want to get in the middle of this.”
I turned back to the fire. “I wouldn’t want you to. You’re his friend. Some things I’ll just have to learn for myself.”
We sat quietly. I wondered how much longer Torric would be.
Suddenly, in a gentle voice, Vonn said, “I do know that he cares for you deeply.”
A bright smile took my face and I turned him. “I know that much. I have no doubts about that. Vonn, don’t worry about me.”
He mussed my hair just a little bit, reminding me of an older brother. “All right, I’ll try not to. But, I think that might be impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re very sweet, and I might want to steal you away for myself.”
I laughed and could feel my cheeks redden. When I met his eyes, he grinned at me, and I realized he was just teasing.
“Did I miss something?” Torric asked as he strode in to the camp. His emerald eyes darted from me to Vonn.
I grinned up at him. “Vonn was trying to tempt me to run away with him. Since you were taking so long, I was just about to say yes.”
Vonn laughed as Torric frowned. He made his way over to me and sat close. His arm slipped possessively around me, and I peered up at him mischievously. I didn’t know if Torric was in love with me as I was with him, but I knew I had a strong place in his heart and that he cared for me. It was enough. For the time being.
I awoke with a hand over my mouth and Torric’s voice in my ear. “Shh. Don’t say anything,” he whispered fervently, “we need to be as quiet as we can while we move.”
Nodding to him, I silently pulled on my riding clothes. I was happy to have taken up the habit of the women of Glane to wear pants. At least while I was traveling. When I slipped out of the tent, Torric and Vonn quickly brought it down and packed it away. I stood near Torric’s horse, waiting for him. It took no time before he lifted me and set me in the saddle, and then he was on the horse behind me. Quietly, the horses picked their way down the trail. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but the tension rolling off Torric made me very nervous.
I leaned back into him to take comfort in his warmth. His arm tightened around my waist. He leaned forward and softly whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe.” I turned my face up to his. He looked down at me, part of his face in shadows, the rest lit up by the bright moonlight. His eyes were tender but full of determination. I reached up and softly stroked his cheek. His lips brushed against my temple. “I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”
“What’s going on?” I asked softly.
He frowned, and I could see for a moment that he was debating telling me. I opened my mouth to ask him to stop coddling me, when he whispered, “When I joined Vonn for the watch, he decided to scout the area before he retired. About two hundred yards to the north of us, there was a group of bandits bedding down for the night. We decided it would be wiser to head out now and hope they don’t find us. We’ll stick to the trail for now, but once the sun rises, we’re going to switch to another path through the forest. Don’t worry. Get some sleep.”
I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “And how am I to sleep knowing this?”
“There’s no danger. If they’d seen us, they would’ve attacked us. Because of their size, they didn’t think to scout out the area. Too arrogant. The only reason Vonn went so far was because of our proximity to Deend.”
My eyes darted around. “Thankfully there’s a bit of a forest here. If we were out in the open, they’d have seen us for sure.”
He laid his cheek atop my head and whispered back, “Most of Glane is rolling hills of green and lakes broken by wooded areas. The Telleen runs through it, connecting all the lakes.”
“I find it very beautiful,” I said softly.
His hand caressed my waist. “I’m glad you like this land. It’s your home now.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. There was a question burning inside me. I wanted to ask it and to have an answer, but I was afraid of what he would think.
Taking a deep, shuddery breath, I said, “If I choose to return home to Vella, after I heal Donner, will you take me?”
I could feel him stiffen behind me. His hand on my waist, which had been softly stroking my belly, stilled. “Do you want to go home?”
Taking a deep breath, I very gently said, “I just want to know that I’m free to make that choice.”
His arm around my waist drew me closer. He whispered, “I don’t want to give you up, lass. But I will. If that’s what you really want, I will.”
I slipped my hand over his and squeezed softly. “I don’t foresee me wanting to go home. I just wanted to know. Sometimes, I don’t know my place here.”
His voice was rough with emotion and his lips danced against my ear as he said, “Your place is with me. I’ll always keep you safe.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I loved hi
m, but then I closed it. The truth was, that I was afraid. I was afraid to tell him and find out that the depths of his emotions for me were not as deep. I was a coward, and so I clung to the balance he and I had formed.
He kissed my cheek again. “Go to sleep. We have a long road ahead.”
“But you’re awake. I don’t want you to have to ride like this.”
I could feel his hard body shaking behind me with a chuckle as he responded. “I’ve ridden far with you asleep in my arms. This time I have Vonn to keep me company while you snore.”
My eyes went wide, and it took everything I had not to raise my voice. “I do not snore.”
A laugh rumbled through him. “Yes, you do. Now sleep, my sweet lass.”
For a while, I watched the moonlight dancing in the leaves. Little flashes of pale green fluttered in the dark as the cool wind twirled among them. It would not be much longer before those greens turned to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. I had always loved the fall on Mount Caden, and I wondered if I would miss having the mountains surrounding me. Once I healed Donner, I didn’t know where I would go for the long term. I knew I would go back to Fort Nyte to train Kayla, but what about after that? Would Torric keep me with him? Or would I find myself some other home? I knew I could not go to the front lines in the war against Moritzan because there would be too many for me to heal. But I wanted to be useful here. And so, when the time came, I knew I would have to find something for myself in Glane.
Chapter Fifteen
Consciousness stirred me to life, and I was suddenly aware of cool air on my back and Torric’s strong hands around my waist, gently pulling me off the horse and putting me on the ground. For a few long moments, he held my body against his solid form. His heat seeped into me as my soft curves molded to him. Pressing his lips to mine, he lay a slow and languid kiss across my mouth that burned the last of slumber out of me.
I blushed when Vonn cleared his throat. Pulling back, Torric grinned down at me.