Page 3 of Whispers of Ruin
She’d only seen him clean-shaven, but shaving in a jungle wasn’t easy. The black tunic with green piping he wore cleaved to his lean frame, and the hint of a black cipher showed at his neck, but more of the dark fae markings spread out beneath his short sleeves; they flowed down to his wrists.
Kaylia couldn’t deny that he was a handsome man who radiated power. However, that didn’t matter to her anymore; she’d given her heart to Fabian years ago, and he still possessed it. He always would.
When Kaylia shifted her attention to the valley below, she felt Brokk’s eyes flick to her, but she didn’t look at him again as she drank in the verdant splendor sprawled out before them. This must have been the reason for the shouts, a warning there was a break in the jungle, a place where they could rest and eat before plunging back into its suffocating depths.
The trees didn’t appear as large down in the valley, but that was probably because she stood on this ledge, looking down on them. Once she was back amongst them, she was sure they would tower over her as they did now.
What remained of their group filed out of the jungle behind her to gather on the ledge. They still had seven lycans, two dwarves, and two, full-blooded dark fae on this journey with them.
Many powerful immortals remained with her, but they could have brought an army into this place, and it still wouldn’t have felt like enough. This place was too vast and too deadly.
“We should rest here and eat before entering the valley,” Brokk said.
When he spoke, the tips of his fangs were barely visible, though they weren’t extended. A vampire could never completely hide their fangs. That sight used to make her stomach turn, but she didn’t mind Brokk’s fangs.
Kaylia shaded her eyes to study the sky. The sun was just past its zenith. It felt like days had passed since they’d continued their journey this morning, but they’d only been walking for five or six hours.
Afraid if she took a break she might not get up again, Kaylia slowly sank to the ground and bit back a moan as she eased her weight from her aching feet and legs. She’d often spent days outside, harvesting ingredients for spells, basking in nature, running naked through fields, and dancing beneath the moon, but this realm was a different level of exertion and exhaustion.
She’d sell her soul for a shower or a plunge into an icy stream where she could cool off and lay in the water, letting it soothe and strengthen her. They’d yet to find a water supply, but it had to be out there. This place was too lush and green not to have a water supply somewhere.
Still, no matter how bad or gross she felt, she had no intention of opening a portal and leaving this place. She wouldneverleave Lexi trapped in the stone-like state Kaylia had frozen her in to save the young woman’s life.
Not only had she come to consider the young arach queen family, but they’d all fought too hard and lost too much to put Lexi on the throne where she belonged. They couldn’t lose it all now.
She wouldn’t allow the Shadow Realms to tumble into chaos again, and they would if they lost the last living arach. Lexi was the only one who could harness the power of the throne and control the dragons without going mad.
Whoever else sat on that throne and controlled the dragons would go insane from its magic… as so many already had. After everything they’d been through, and all the lives lost, Kaylia wasn’t about to let that happen.
Keeping her eyes on the valley, she tugged off her pack and set it in front of her. She pulled at her tunic before opening her bag and pawing through it.
She would have preferred the cool comfort of one of her dresses to the pants hugging her legs, but trekking through the jungle in a dress would probably be the worst decision she’d ever made, and she’d made quite a few over her lengthy lifetime. It was impossible not to after all the years she’d lived.
She contemplated putting some salve on her bug bites now, but the little bloodsuckers would feast a lot more before this day was over. Originally, she cast a few spells to keep them away, but the determined insects always managed to find a way around it.
If she had the power, she’d eradicate every bug in this jungle, but that was beyond her abilities. She’d gotten more used to the insects, but still loathed them.
Removing some dried apple slices, cheese, and her canteen full of water, Kaylia munched on her lunch. It all looked so peaceful down there, but she knew more death awaited them among the trees.
CHAPTERFIVE
Brokk bitinto a piece of dried venison while he surveyed the land below. If it was anything like what they’d already traversed today, the journey ahead would be miserable, but they’d come this far. There was no turning back now.
He looked over what remained of their small contingent before his gaze settled on Kaylia. She’d pulled her knee-length, silvery blonde hair into a braid she’d encircled around her head and pinned into place. Strands of it had fallen free to frame her oval face, and exertion and heat had flushed her cheeks.
Her translucent, pewter gray eyes were wary as she bit into one of her apple slices and absently waved away a mosquito. The sun filtering through the thick canopy of leaves shimmered off her hair and emphasized her aquiline nose, rosebud lips, and the slight cleft in her stubborn chin.
Even with streaks of dirt marring her ivory skin and sweat beading her forehead to slide down her cheeks, she was still one of the most striking women he’d ever seen, and he’d seen many. At first, he’d really disliked her; she’d been cold, vicious, and had an unreasonable hatred of vampires that pissed him off.
Yes, all witches and vampires had been at war ever since a vampire killed the last witch queen eight hundred years ago, but her loathing for vamps was over the top. He didn’t know if she’d been good friends with that queen, and he hadn’t cared at the time; he’d just wanted her to help them without throwing a tantrum and tossing him and Sahira out of her home.
It had taken some maneuvering, but they finally agreed to get her to give them the harrow stone and help in their fight against the Lord. She’d still been bitchy about him and Sahira for a while, but most of her attitude had faded with time.
Time and circumstances changed things like that. Fighting for one’s life and the freedom of the realms had a way of creating bonds between immortals. He’d forged a few bonds he never would have seen coming while fighting to remove the Lord from the throne that belonged to Lexi.
One of those bonds was Kaylia.
And as they worked together more, Brokk went from barely tolerating the witch to gradually liking her more and more. She was strong, ferocious, and loyal. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to ensure the Shadow Realms stayed safe and Lexi retained her throne, including coming to this forsaken hellhole.
