two days.” She couldn’t have relaxed if she tried.
Neeve told her she’d be safe once she reached the Eldur camp. Well, here she was, and she didn’t feel any safer.
“Why is Lochlan such a jerk?” she blurted.
Finn choked on his food, wheezing for breath. “I’m going to need you to say that again when he’s within earshot.”
She raised a brow. She’d only just met Finn, but she felt she knew Lochlan by now. From abducting her from a human prison to warning her in Gelsi, they’d already been through a lot together. “He’s your friend? You seem like nothing bothers you, yet he is kind of a douche.”
Finn sighed and ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair. “Appearances can be deceiving, Lady Robinson.”
“Can you stop with all the lady nonsense?”
“It’s what you are.”
“Because the Gelsi queen is my aunt? I’ll gladly relinquish that distinction.”
“No. Not because of that.” He didn’t elaborate, instead focusing on the meat in front of him. He offered her a piece.
She bit down. It tasted similar to beef jerky, only better. Myles used to make her gorge on Slim Jims and barbecue jerky his dad made in their smoker. She’d never liked it, but he did, so she went along with it.
“Why does the Eldur queen want me?” she asked.
Finn kept his eyes trained on his hands, but it was another voice that responded.
“That is not our business.” Lochlan stood in the opening of the tent with rivulets of water dripping off his powerful frame. “We do not question our queen. We follow her orders.” He gave Finn a pointed look that told Brea the two of them totally knew what the Eldur queen wanted with her. “I will take over Lady Robinson’s watch.”
Finn stood. “She wants to be called Brea.”
Lochlan grunted as if what she wanted was of little importance to him. It probably was.
Finn offered her an encouraging smile before leaving her be.
Brea crossed her arms over the dry shirt Finn had provided her with. “I’m surprised you want to sit in here with me considering I smell too bad even for dragons.”
He eyed her warily and took Finn’s spot on the floor. Ripping a piece of bread, he took a bite and chewed slowly. “You can bathe once we reach the palace.”
“And when will that be?”
He shrugged. “Four days? Five? Depends on this storm.”
“You know what she wants with me.”
“Yes.” He kept eating, not looking her way.
Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned back on the bed, refusing to look at him. Rustling sounded to her right, and when she turned onto her side, she caught sight of a very naked Lochlan pulling on dry clothes.
Her face heated as she rolled back over, trying to forget the image of his corded back and firm… She shook her head. Griff drew her in with his looks and his charm, she wouldn’t let that happen again. At least Lochlan had no charm to speak of.
“I trusted Neeve,” she whispered. When he didn’t respond, she kept talking. “Like you told me to. So… thanks.”
His sigh filled the tent, and when she turned to look at him once more, he sat back in his spot with his head bowed. “I wish we could get her out of there.”
So, he did care about something.
“Lochlan?”
He lifted his eyes.
She needed to know the answer to the question that could crush her. “Is he really alive?”
His eyes met hers, never wavering. “Yes.”
She didn’t know how, but she knew he told her the truth.
Tears built in her eyes. She blinked them away before more took their place. Shifting so Lochlan couldn’t see her face, she let the tears trail over her cheeks. Myles was truly alive. Her chest expanded like she could breathe for the first time since that awful day at school when she’d thought she’d killed him.
“Lochlan?” she whispered, her voice shaking.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” When she got control of her voice, she spoke again. “Can I ask another question?”
“I’m coming to realize there’s no way to stop you short of a gag.”
She smiled at that. “Why do you hate me?”
As soon as she said the words, he tensed, revealing she wasn’t wrong. He’d been gruff with her since the first day in the human realm.
“I don’t—”
“Please, just be straight with me, I don’t think I can take any more lies or half-truths.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “People have died for you, Brea. People I loved. I helped you at the request of my queen, but do not mistake anything