Page 76 of Whispers of Ruin
She pressed her palm more firmly against his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
He showed no sign of having heard her. Reluctantly, Kaylia rose and slipped out of the shelter. She strode after Allegra, nodding to the guards before following the woman into the night.
She spotted the witch standing near the edge of the river. Her hands were still clasped behind her back as she studied their surroundings.
The crackle of the torches barely reached this area as the endless chirp, screech, and shrieks of countless creatures created a sound that interwove with the night. The setting sun had brought some reprieve from the heat, but the cloying humidity remained.
By the time Kaylia arrived at Allegra’s side, sweat cleaved her shirt and pants to her. She stopped beside the younger witch and looked out at the river as it lazily rippled around tree roots and rocks.
She contemplated what to say while watching the water; just asking the woman if she was in love with Leonidas was a bit too abrupt. But she had to start somewhere.
CHAPTERSEVENTY
“Are you okay?”Kaylia inquired.
“I’m fine.”
Allegra’s words weren’t clipped or irritated, and she didn’t sound like she’d prefer not to have Kaylia here, but she looked sad and resigned.
“How’s Brokk?” Allegra asked.
“He’s still weaker than I would like, but he’ll be better when he wakes.”
Or at least shereallyhoped he would. He should look better than he did now, but it might take more time to heal from what that bitch did to him.
If he heals at all, not even the mandaru knew if it was possible.
Kaylia pushed the negative possibility deep down into the bowels of her mind where it belonged. There was no way to know what would happen, and she was determined not to dwell on the bad; they already had far too much of that in Doomed Valley.
If he wasn’t better by the time they were ready to leave, then she would take him back to Dragonia, where he could heal in peace. He’d fight her on it, but she would win the battle.
“I’m sure he will be,” Allegra murmured.
“Were any witches lost last night?”
“No, we were fortunate to escape unscathed this time.”
“Good.” Kaylia studied the river as she tried to figure out how to get the information she sought. She decided to dive right in since she wasn’t good at subterfuge. “Why do you stay with them?”
Allegra didn’t tear her attention away from the water, but a flash of sorrow crossed her face. “The amsirah pay us well, but we’ve also lost friends and family to this valley; retreating now would be a disservice to their memory. We owe it to them to see this through and ensure we kill the monsters who destroyed them.”
There was more to it than that; Kaylia could tell by how carefully Allegra chose her words. It was as if she was trying to give enough of an answer without giving it all.
Kaylia wanted to push the witch for more but didn’t think an aggressive technique would work with the younger woman. They’d worked together in Doomed Valley, and knew each other before meeting again here, but they didn’t share the close bond Allegra had with the other witches here.
Kaylia couldn’t blame Allegra for not revealing everything; they were acquaintances, not friends. And if she was in love with King Leonidas, then this was a sore subject for her, but Kaylia was hoping to learn more from her.
“I’m glad the mandarus are all dead. Not hearing the whispers is a relief,” she said.
“Me too.”
And then, knowing she couldn’t put it off anymore, she had to prod on at least one thing. “I’m glad they didn’t have the same effect on Brokk as they did on everyone else.”
Well, not her either, but Allegra didn’t have to know that. A subtle twitch near the corner of Allegra’s eye told Kaylia she’d struck a nerve. She could tell Allegra they also hadn’t affected her as much, but until she understoodwhybetter, she wasn’t ready to share that information.
“It was very fortunate for everyone,” Allegra murmured.
Kaylia waited for something more from her, but Allegra didn’t speak again. After a while, Allegra turned to face her. “I’m sure Brokk will be okay. Dark fae and vampires are both extremely strong.”
