Emberhawk - Jamie Foley Page 0,29
off—perhaps it was meant to be pushed up farther and rest between muscles of the upper arm. But even then, it would be too large for her.
The metal shimmered translucent, like opalescent topaz buffed to shining perfection. But of course topaz couldn’t be forged—especially into something of this size. Perhaps it was some mixture of quartz and glass. Or just a resin with crushed flecks from a vibrant sea shell.
Does he really think this will make me feel safe around him?
Kira shook her head, sending her frizzy curls to dancing and tickling her face. Don’t think about it. If he tries anything . . . She steeled herself like a blacksmith’s molten sword submerged in water. I’ll make sure he regrets it.
Something rustled not fifteen feet behind her. Kira held her breath until she located her silver-haired companion emerging from the brush.
“By the tails.” Kira gathered herself and sat up straight. “You need a cowbell.”
Ryon smirked as he strode to the campfire. A limp branch runner dangled from his belt, and he tapped out a rhythm on the hilt of his machete.
“At least leave me one knife next time,” Kira muttered. “You promised to get me home safe and then left me here defenseless.”
Ryon sat on the other side of the fire with crossed legs and pulled a dagger from his belt. “I don’t think your knives can really be called a ‘defense.’” The branch runner began losing its non-edible parts with frightening speed.
Kira grimaced as the creature’s paws were snapped off. “Where’s our food?”
Ryon gave her a quick glance before turning the animal’s skin inside-out. “Didn’t realize you were blind.”
“Are you kidding? Tree-rats aren’t food!”
He shrugged. “More for me.”
Kira pursed her lips. “Give me that jerky you stole.”
Ryon pulled a bundle of sticks out of his pack. He carefully pulled it open to reveal two small blue eggs. “There’s a bowl in my pack. Get it out, would ya?”
Kira stretched out and snagged a loop of his pack to drag it closer. “I’m allergic to eggs.”
Ryon gave her a deadpan look.
“Not my fault.” Kira dug through his pack and found a small clay bowl. She handed it to him, then found the stash of half-cured jerky. She grinned to herself and ripped off a savory bite.
“Don’t eat my stores.” Ryon cracked the small eggs into the bowl and stirred the yolks with his finger. “Branch runners taste like chicken, okay?” He licked his finger and pushed the bowl up close to the coals.
Kira chewed and relished her father’s seasoning. This must have been the batch he’d experimented on with the spicy pepper glaze. Oooh, he’d be livid to find them gone.
“Didn’t you pack any food when you left . . . wherever you came from?” she asked through a mouthful.
“Preserves are expensive. There’s no need to pack much in the forest.” Ryon impaled the branch runner on a sharpened stick and held it out over the flames. “Plenty to forage here, but your plains are a different story. Nothing there, but, you know,” he lowered the branch runner to the embers, “chickens.”
Kira flinched. “There are doves and rabbits all over the place,” she said. If not for the drought, it would have been true. “My traps catch at least one coney a day.”
Ryon gestured to the forest. “Be my guest. Hopefully you’re a better hunter than fire-tender.”
The campfire erupted as if it’d been splashed with oil. Kira jerked away, but Ryon didn’t even flinch.
Kira squinted at him. “Did you do that?”
Ryon wiped his dagger on the cloth on his shin and sheathed it. “What?” he flipped the branch runner onto its back.
Kira stared at his blank-slate face and realized that he was a dangerously good liar. “You’re an Emberhawk.”
A crack fractured Ryon’s unreadable visage. His eyes blazed in tandem with the fire, but unless she was mistaken, they somehow weren’t as vibrant as before. “It’s not nice to call people names, yeah? I haven’t even mentioned that your hair is five times bigger than your head.”
“Don’t change the subject!” Kira snarled.
A little grin emerged on Ryon’s lips. “All of the tribes are of Phoeran descent. We can all manipulate fire.” He removed the branch runner from the flames to inspect it for a moment before returning it to the heat. “I’m Katrosi.”
“What were you doing on our land?” Kira demanded.
Ryon sighed. “This again? The agreement was that if I brought you along, you wouldn’t be annoying.”
“You’re ten times more annoying than—”
“Are you always this talkative?” Ryon interrupted.
“Are you always