Page 15 of Whispers of Ruin
At least with the spell in place, he could get some sleep tonight, though he doubted it would be much. He could never let his guard down in this place.
“Good night,” she said when she finished the spell.
With that, she rolled over so her back faced him. He watched her for a while as he ran his fingers over the stars. He pressed on different ones and made constellations out of the small, twinkling lights.
This was the only chance he’d ever have to touch a star; while he wasn’t actually touching them, he was fascinated by the magic of this realm. He flattened his palm against them before glancing at Kaylia’s back. Her breathing was slow and steady, indicating she slept.
As time passed, a chill crept into the air. Unlike the humidity of the jungle, the sky in this place was wintry.
Removing his blanket from his pack, something he hadn’t used since arriving here, he settled down near Kaylia and pulled the material over him.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
He wasn’tsure what time it was when he woke to shaking beside him. At first, he bolted upright, certain those beasts had somehow found their way into the mirror realm and were thundering toward them, but the sky didn’t quake with the same intensity the earth had when they were above… or below?
It didn’t matter. What mattered was that something was coming at them.
He gripped the sword he’d placed beside his head before going to sleep and pulled it toward him. Confused, he searched the twinkling stars and moon before realizing the shaking came from his right.
He looked over to see Kaylia curled into a ball; she had a cloak and blanket pulled over her. The cold had never bothered him much, and he tended to tolerate lower temps than most, so he hadn’t realized how much the temperature fell while he slept.
She shivered, and her teeth chattered, and judging by the tight squint of her eyes, she was awake but trying to make herself sleep. He stretched his hand toward her shoulder, seeking to comfort her, but pulled it back.
He wasn’t sure how much she’d welcome his touch. Instead, he dug into his pack and removed a cloak.
He placed it over her before settling his head onto his pack again. Folding his hands on his stomach, he stared at the trees above them as all around him stars spread infinitely onward.
He half expected the vines and other things he knew existed in the jungle to float down toward them, but only the tips of those towering green trees remained above. The jungle would keep its secrets and monsters to itself… for now.
Kaylia’s shivering eased, but when it didn’t stop, he edged his pack and blanket a little closer. Lying beside her, with his arm against her back, he tried to provide more warmth for her as her teeth chattered.
When he couldn’t take her suffering anymore, he rolled over and draped his arm around her as he edged closer. He half expected her to throw him off or elbow him, but she nestled a little closer.
Brokk gritted his teeth when her ass fit perfectly against his crotch. He had to will himself not to get hard as heat flooded every aspect of him and her supple body reawakened his dark fae hunger.
When her teeth continued to chatter as she snuggled a little closer, Brokk forgot about his baser instincts as the urge to protect and shelter her roared to the forefront. Everything in him eased, and a sense of rightness stole through him when he slipped his arm around her.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“Ye... ye... yes,” she chattered out her response as she settled against him.
She was about six inches shorter than his six-foot-three height, but her curvaceous body fit perfectly against his. Her natural, sweet scent was stronger than the blood and dirt still clinging to her. She smelled of earth and freshly sprung leaves. It was the aroma of life, yet she’d admitted there was a time when she would have preferred death.
The reminder of that caused his teeth to clamp together. He didn’t understand why she’d felt that way and hated the reminder as he held her closer and settled his head on his pack.
He draped his leg over hers, drawing her closer and shutting out the cold as her shivering gradually eased and she relaxed against him. Her breathing slowed as she finally drifted asleep, but Brokk remained awake.
He was acutely aware of how right she felt in his arms and never wanted to let her go.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
When Kaylia woke,the sun was starting to rise. It peeked through the clouds about a hundred yards away from her, but its warmth still didn’t touch them.
The cold air iced her cheeks and turned her breath to frost. Beneath Brokk’s cloak, and with him wrapped securely around her, she barely felt the icy air that had woken her last night and made it impossible for her to return to sleep.
She recalled the chill wracking her bones, but nestled securely in his arms, it was a distant memory. He was far too warm for it to be anything more than that.
Brokk still slept soundly, unaware she was awake but still very aware ofher—the rigid evidence of that pressed against her back.
