Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl #2) - Mara Rutherford Page 0,27

smile almost reached his eyes. “Thank you. You’re probably right. I’m letting my fears get the best of me.”

“Understandably.” I glanced at the forest around us. The fire had died down, and despite the moonlight, there was something about the trees that made me uneasy. I preferred the wide open skies of Varenia, where it was much more difficult for something to sneak up on you.

Talin smiled and patted the ground next to him. “For warmth.”

I only hesitated for a moment. Everyone knew how Talin and I felt about each other. What did it matter if we slept closer to one another?

I dragged my bedroll next to his and tucked myself under his outstretched arm, which started to close around me. When he felt me flinch, he lowered his arm until his hand just rested on my hip.

“What is it?” he asked.

I closed my eyes, not even sure myself why I didn’t like the feel of his strong arms around my chest. Gods knew I had, once. “It’s nothing.”

Within moments, I could feel Talin’s breath on the back of my neck, deep and even, and I was glad that my presence calmed him, even if I couldn’t relax in his arms. I didn’t know what awaited us around the next bend in the road, but our fears had not gotten the best of us yet.

The best was here, in the space between us, soft and warm and safe.

9

The next morning, we left Shale and Ella on the road, wishing them a safe journey. They were on foot, and we couldn’t afford to wait for them. I hoped they found a place to settle where they could live in peace. It seemed like such a simple thing to wish for.

The fifth day of our journey was uneventful, though we were all growing weary of the road. While I had developed calluses on my hands from rowing so much in Varenia, they had softened during my time in Ilara, and my palms were raw from gripping the reins. Every morning when I went to saddle Titania, she lowered her head and exhaled heavily through her nostrils, the equine equivalent of a sigh.

On the evening of the sixth day, when by all accounts we should have been close to the Galethian border, Osius pulled out his map of the continent and spread it on a large rock.

“Why is Galeth blank?” I asked, peering over Talin’s shoulder at the map. “Surely the mapmaker knows what the geography is like there.”

Talin glanced at me with a knowing smile. “Perhaps. But this is an Ilarean map. Whoever commissioned it, probably my grandfather, would have told the mapmaker to leave it blank. It’s still a sore spot that the Galethians took that piece of land from us.”

“What is it like?”

“I’m not sure,” Talin admitted. “But judging by these foothills,” he said, gesturing north, “I’d say mountainous.”

Grig muttered a curse. “That means it will likely be cold as well.”

“The hardier the Galethians are, the better for us,” Talin said, patting Grig on the back. “Assuming they’ll help us, of course.”

We all knew what a big assumption that was, and the closer we grew to Galeth, the more I worried they would refuse. If we came all this way and abandoned our parents to Ceren for nothing, I didn’t know how I’d ever forgive myself.

“Do you need any help, my lady?” Osius asked Zadie, who was using a branch to sweep a small clearing for our bedrolls.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, smiling. “No, thank you. We’re just about ready.”

Zadie had grown used to the trousers and boots, though we both longed for a bath. Even our bodies were changing. I had always been strong from swimming, but this was the first time I was both exercising and getting enough to eat. When I removed my tunic to change into my shift at night, I was shocked to see muscles in my upper abdomen where I had once only seen ribs.

“I’m going to check on the horses one last time before heading to bed,” I told the group. Titania and I had developed a bond that even I could tell was unusual. She had taken to kneeling down so I could mount without a boost from Talin or a rock. She anticipated my needs, so I rarely had to signal with my hands or legs. Most of the time, I didn’t even need to use my voice or adjust my weight. She was one step ahead of me,