Page 42 of Whispers of Ruin
“Oh… ah… yeah… yes, of course it is. I’m going to go a little further downstream.”
Brokk stepped after her before stopping himself. She needed privacy, and she was as safe as him along the river’s shore, but he didn’t like the idea of her being out of view.
She would probably leave if he followed her, though, and she wanted this bath as much as him. No matter how badly his protective instincts screamed at him to stay close to her, he couldn’t take that from her.
“Don’t go far. The witch’s spell is strong, but we don’t know what is out there,” he told her.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
While this was true, he couldn’t help but worry as she moved further away from him and into the shadows.
CHAPTERFORTY
Kaylia refusedto look back at him until she was certain she was far enough away not to see much. Finally, when she was sure not to glimpse Brokk and all his naked glory—and she knew it was glorious—she stopped and looked over her shoulder.
Through the thick canopy of trees, she glimpsed him wading into the water, but she was far enough away and it was dark enough that she couldn’t make out many details. She told herself she was extremely glad about this, even as disappointment crashed through her.
Shaking her head, she berated herself for this strange, newfound weakness when it came to him. Not only was her desire for him a betrayal to Fabian, but Brokk was part vampire.
Yes, she’d worked side by side with vampires to overthrow the Lord, but a vampire killed Fabian, after all. For some reason, the wrath this knowledge used to arouse didn’t come screaming to the forefront like it once did.
Not all vampires were bad, and she didn’t have that kind of hate inside her anymore; she couldn’t. It was exhausting to hate that much all the time.
With a sigh, she admitted defeat when it came to being a pissed-off, hostile witch. Just like her time in the crone realm had ended, so had that part of her, but life was ever-changing and evolving. The flowers bloomed, died, and bloomed again… and so did she.
She would still be hostile when necessary, but that woman who had seethed in the crone realm for centuries wasn’t there anymore. Someone new, who had forged bonds with immortals as strong as the ones she once shared with her family, replaced her.
Those immortals, like Lexi and Cole, needed her to be strong and not angry. They required her help, not her fury. It had taken her a while to learn that, but it made her a lot happier when she did.
And while that was true, guilt still tugged at her. Fabian’s life was ripped away from him; he could never enjoy it again, and while she had no choice but to keep living, and she had a right to do so, it still made her feel like she was betraying him.
She couldn’t change that and refused to hide, but she didn’t have to ogle other men; she could stop herself from doing it.
Stripping out of her clothes, Kaylia tore her gaze away from Brokk and splashed into the water. She’d hoped for it to be freezing so it would douse some of her unwanted lust, but it was warm and inviting as it sloshed around her calves.
Kaylia removed her soap from her pack and walked up to her thighs in the water. That was as deep as the water went, and it felt wonderful as it swirled around her.
She used the soap to scrub away the grime caked onto her. The bar she’d made was great for her skin and hair, and she spent a long time washing herself and carefully cleaning the healing cuts on her leg.
She twisted her calf to examine it more carefully, but the jagged slices had stopped bleeding and were knitting together. It would completely heal by the time they left tomorrow.
When she finished cleaning the wounds, she sat on the soft riverbed and slid down to dunk her head underwater. She held her breath as she stared up at the trees and skies from under the clear water that caused the landscape to blur around her.
She should finish bathing and get out of the water, but it was all so soothing and beautiful. The water flowing around her and sliding across her skin was marvelous as well as… arousing.
Kaylia burst free of the surface and inhaled a shaky breath as she tried to ignore the tingles racing over her skin as her nipples pricked. Now was not exactly the time, and she had to get clean and get out of there before some horrible monster broke free of the jungle and tried to eat her.
Yes, she’d have a warning before that happened, and the creature would have difficulty breaking through the protective spell, but she had to move. With trembling hands, she lifted her arms and washed her hair.
She was grateful for shorter hair as she cleaned it before letting it fall around her shoulders. When she finished, she pulled herself from the water and trudged toward the riverbank as she tried to ignore the sensation of the water streaming down her, trickling between her breasts and legs.
With no towel, she shook off her hands and hopped from foot to foot as she tried to drip-dry faster, but it wasn’t helping. Unwilling to put her only clean clothes on while still wet, she removed her blanket from her pack and laid it on the ground.
She glanced back at where she last saw Brokk, but he was still in the river, mostly hidden by the trees bowing low over the water. It looked like he would still be a bit, so she had time to relax while she dried.
Lying on her blanket, the warm air caressed her drying skin as she spread her arms over her head and relished the beat of the earth beneath her. At the river’s edge, the trees weren’t as thick, and silvery rays of moonlight filtered through their thick leaves.
It had been far too long since she’d run naked through the woods, absorbing the power of the earth, moon, and stars. She’d spent many nights dancing in clearings and releasing all her tension, but those nights happened centuries ago.
