Page 40 of These Fractured Bonds

He let go of her hair, and soon the cool touch of a healing spell soothed her throat until it returned to normal. She straightened from her kneeling position.

“I hate it.”

“I can assure you it improves with time.”

“Yeah, well, until it does, I hate it.”

He helped her to her feet, her hands in his. Jolts of electricity sparked on her skin where they touched, and she swallowed. Light reflected from his hazel eyes, capturing her in their silken embrace. She traced his straight nose down to his pretty pink lips. She caught herself before she stared too long, and she dropped his hands, stepping back.

She cleared her throat. “We should get going.”

August nodded. “Are you ready to shadowstep again?”

“No. Yes. Ugh, okay. Let’s get it over with.”

The longer she stood in that clearing with him, the higher the risk of doing something stupid. She tapped her chest, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. For goodness’s sake, was Yareli’s weakness hot, tall men?

Augusthadbeenright;after the fifth time, Yareli had stopped vomiting. Her stomach churned and gurgled, but no vomit was expelled. It sped up their travel, and by late evening, they had reached the base of the Curse Eater’s mountain. Without a word, August set up their camp with magic. She watched, enthralled, as their camp materialized from thin air—two tents erected side by side, a lit fire with two stumps as seats, and most importantly, a platter of food on a third stump.

She rushed to the food and was dismayed to see it was raw.

There was a quiet chuckle behind her. She spun around, but there was no smile on August’s face. Yet, his eyes shone, confirming that she had heard correctly. August had laughed. He moved past her, dropping his own bag by a stump, and materialized a pot from nothing.

“It’ll be a few minutes,” he said.

He was a blur of action. The pot of water was already hung over the fire, and the meat had been seasoned. He cut the vegetables, and she hovered for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. His focus was so intense, she didn’t want to ruin it by asking him if she could help. She shifted her weight, indecision gluing her to the spot.

August, to her relief, decided for her. “Go freshen up. There’s a water barrel behind your tent.”

“Are you sure? I can help cut the veggies.”

“I’m happy to do it. Besides, you’ve always hated cutting the vegetables.”

“What?”

A pause. “You’ve had a long day. Don’t worry about it.”

She raised an eyebrow, but dropped the subject. “Well, thanks.”

She scurried to her tent to drop off her things, happynot tocut the vegetables. Inside, she found a thick bedroll and a pillow. Their camp was pragmatic, filled with only items they were going to use. She smiled. That felt like him. She took a small towel from her backpack and walked outside to the back of her tent. She wiped herself as best as she could without taking off her clothes. The relief was immense, and the thought of submerging herself in the tall barrel crossed her mind. Getting in wouldn’t be a problem; however, getting out… That posed a conundrum that likely ended with a toppled barrel, Yareli butt-naked on the ground, and August a witness to both her foolishness and her birthday suit.

She discarded that idea quickly, heat crawling up her nape, and finished cleaning her neck. The savory aroma of beef stew wafted toward her, and her hunger made itself known again, her stomach growling. She hurried to the campfire where August sat with two bowls waiting in his hands. She accepted one, thanking him, and sat on the stump next to him. The savory soup settled in her stomach with a satisfying warmth.

“This is delicious,” she said.

“Thanks.”

The silence that followed was so immense she swore it was a palpable, living thing breathing down their necks. Her skin prickled. After vomiting in his presence four times, hugging him like a lover, and making him laugh, she thought they had gotten over the awkwardness. She had questions, and he had answers. If it required one of them to break the ice, then she would be the one to do it.

“I’d like to ask you some questions.”

“Sure.”

At his easy agreement, the silence burst into nothingness, leaving as immediately as it had settled on them.

“How long had we known each other?”

August put his spoon down before answering. “Two, going on three years.”