Page 47 of These Fractured Bonds

“I know what I saw yesterday.”

She clamped her mouth shut, looking away, and saying, “Leo and I aren’t anything. He’s hot one moment, and cold the next. I’m free to do as I want.”

He looked unconvinced, unmovable like the mountain they were standing on. She stood up, pointing her chin at him.

“Fine. I’ll remember first. You can’t run from me then, August.”

His lips curled up. It was the first smile she had seen on him since they were reunited, but it was the kind of smile born of pain—the one people sported at funerals.

“I won’t run away.”

“Good,” she replied. Then, she stomped to her tent, not caring that she was acting childish. Her cheeks burned. So hehadseen her with Leo. She groaned; having boy troubles in a magical land had probably not been on her checklist, but she was here now, and she’d be damned if she didn’t get kissed once.

Thefollowingmorning,Yareliwoke up cranky, flipping the bird to the Curse Eater’s lair as they passed it. The Curse Eater had enjoyed her torment. Now that she had confronted it and survived, she was no longer frightened. She stuck her tongue out for good measure. August waited for her by the trailhead, his lean figure striking in the morning sun. With his dark hiking pants that accentuated his slim waist, he looked jaw-droppingly delectable. Too bad she couldn’t have a taste.

He watched her approach, and an image flashed through her mind. He had waited for her before, except that time he had worn a smile—a happy one. His eyes had been bright in the morning sun, and his hair had been pulled back in a ponytail. She closed her eyes; the loss was a pang in her chest. He was right; there were important things she needed to rememberbefore she acted on impulse. She set her shoulders back and nodded at him to begin the descent.

No one was around when Yareli and August arrived at the cabin. She rubbed her throat, coaxing away the nausea, and looked around the living room.

“Where’d they go?” she asked.

August handed her backpack to her. “Erick is gathering more herbs for you. Bri has been dispatched to watch the Earth Court’s movements, but I’m not sure about Leo. Regardless, I’ve let Leo and Erick know we’ve arrived.”

“No one told me about Bri.”

He must have heard her dissatisfaction in her voice, because he said, “I’ll make sure to communicate changes with you earlier next time.”

Although he had said so as a gesture of goodwill, Yareli felt like a petulant child.

“Thanks.” Then, wanting to defend herself, she added, “She’s my friend.”

“Of course. Go settle in and come back in about half an hour.”

She lingered a moment longer, staring at his back as he left the room, and renewed embarrassment about yesterday washed over her. She had acted brazenly, which was not typical of her. She ran to her bathroom, running the tub. She would drown her humiliation away and return downstairs as if nothing had happened.

Yareliwasthelastto arrive. Erick waved at her—a steaming cup of tea nursed between his two hands with a large bag plopped in front of him. Leo smiled at her, the cheery expression a direct contrast to his behavior two days ago.

“How’d it go?” His voice boomed across the room.

She bit the inside of her cheek; his tone was accusatory, like he knew what had happened between August and her.

“Well, my curse isn’t broken,” she said and plopped down on a wooden chair. She met his eyes. “But my memories are healing thanks to Erick’s tea.”

She wasn’t going to hide from her actions. She was free to do as she desired, but lingering guilt escaped her clutches, and she fidgeted, pushing her hair back from her face.

Erick slammed his hands on the table. “How much have you remembered? Does it come and go? Or is it a consistent stream of memories?”

“Ok, Doc,” she said, chuckling. “Slow down for a minute. We can talk about it after.”

He looked put out, but he acquiesced.

“I take it the Curse Eater was of no help?” Leo prompted.

“The Curse Eater was not completely useless,” August said. “It provided us with two options—bring a vial of Tuom’s blood, or kill him.”

Leo whistled. “Sheesh. Neither of those options will be easy. I vote for murdering the bastard. It’ll be a huge blow to my brother.”

“While it’s my preferred option as well, politically, it would destabilize the precarious balance,” August said.