Page 22 of Whispers of Ruin
Kaylia looked as disappointed as him while eyeing the door. “There will be.”
It took everything Brokk had to turn away from the door. Below, some of the monsters finished eating and rose.
They waddled back and forth as their full, bloated bellies weighed them down. Brokk sneered at the disgusting creatures, but now that they were on the move again, they had to do something.
“We should go,” Kaylia whispered.
“What if the next exit is locked too?”
“If there’s nothing else there, we can do more to get through it.” Kaylia glanced nervously at the door. “If this is protected by magic.…”
Her words trailed off, but Brokk understood what she was trying to say. They’d likely fail to batter it down with air if magic protected it.
They were at an exit and no closer to escaping than last night.
“Come on,” he murmured.
When Brokk clasped Kaylia’s elbow, the warmth of her skin burned into his hand, and an overwhelming protective urge assailed him. It was the last thing she wanted, but every part of him was ready to do whatever it took to get her safely out of this.
He gritted his teeth against his impulses as they silently descended the steps while the waddling gremlins settled into separate piles of bones and flesh. There, they lay down and fell asleep.
Their awful snores filled the air, but thankfully, their noise covered any sound he and Kaylia might have made as they crept through the carcasses and creatures. He hoped never to see the foul-smelling monsters again, but Doomed Valley never kept its monsters leashed.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Kaylia spentmuch of the day dreading the night when they would stop. The memory of being locked in Brokk’s embrace—secure, warm, and aware of sensations she’d believed dead for hundreds of years—haunted her.
But with it came the guilt. And that guilt had spent a fair portion of the day chewing at her like a rat on wires.
Not only was she exhausted from their endless walking, the monotonous scenery, and their encounter with the gremlins, but she was also emotionally battered. That was the worst of it, as every step was an effort while sleep beckoned her.
The sun had set, and colors flooded the sky when Brokk suggested they stop for the day. She was both happy to stop and dreading what the night would bring.
Eventually, it would get as cold as last night, and she had no idea how to battle that. She couldn’t fall asleep in Brokk’s arms again. It would only make everything worse if she did.
But as she told herself that, the memory of his hand on her elbow and the warmth it created inside her returned. Her skin still tingled from his touch, and she easily recalled the desire he awakened in her this morning.
Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the memory of the way her body came alive in his arms. She couldn’t take the chance of that happening again.
Yes, she was a woman with needs, and she supposed she had a right to fill them, but giving in to her desire would be a betrayal to Fabian and a knife through her heart. Still, she couldn’t stop surreptitiously watching him as he settled in for the night.
She found his inherent grace fascinating to watch. Neither of them had bothered to change; they didn’t have many options for clothes, and if he was like her, she saw no point in putting her clean clothes on a dirty body, but even with grime on him, he was still handsome and alluring.
No one should look that good while covered in dirt and blood, but he did. She wanted to hate him for it; instead, she fought to keep from crawling into his arms.
He’d be a good kisser; she was sure of it. And once she started kissing him, she’d never stop. Kaylia gulped before tearing her attention away from him. She tried to focus on something…anythingelse as she tried not to think abouthim.
Above, the jungle was already dark, while down here, the fading sun still sent streaks of pink and red across the sky. It truly was beautiful, even if she was tired of being here.
Her attention returned to Brokk as he leaned back on an elbow, stretched out his legs, and studied the jungle while munching on some dried meat. She couldn’t help admiring how the colors played across his handsome face and danced in his eyes.
Few men were as attractive as him, but he wasn’t arrogant. He was simply just…him.
That only made him more appealing. Stifling a sound of disgust, Kaylia dropped her pack on the ground and settled in beside it.
She pulled out some bread and cheese. Chomping on a piece of increasingly stale bread, she scowled at the trees above while cursing herself and this doomed realm.
They had to get out of here so they could return to Dragonia. For all they knew, Cole or Orin could have already found some crudue vine, and Lexi was awake again. She could be stuck in this realm and far too close to him for no reason.
