She reaches out to cup my cheek, her blue eyes searching mine in concern. “Tell me, Cael. Did I ask too much of you in our past life? Was I… cruel to you back then?”
A smile tugs at my lips as I shake my head. “Never, Alora.” Her name escapes my lips in barely a whisper. The memory of the first time it slipped from my tongue without the word queen attached to it, surfaces in my mind.
Her eyes brighten with tears, but she blinks them back. “Bryndon,” she says softly. “I remember your name from… before.”
Hope sparks in my chest as I think on the first time my name escaped her lips as a breathless whisper, the day she told me she loved me. “Tell me, Kyra. Do you remember anything else?”
She takes my hand and then pulls it to her chest, resting my open palm directly over her heart. “I remember this.” She lowers her gaze and shakes her head. “But I—” she stops short and then steps back.
My arm remains outstretched in the space between us, hanging there a moment before I lower it again to my side.
She continues. “I don’t know if these feelings are mine or if they are hers.” Her brow furrows softly before she looks away. “I’m sorry, Cael.”
“It’s all right,” I murmur. “I understand.”
My fingers ache with want to touch her again, but I dare not. She does not want this. She does not remember that she loves me yet. I drop my gaze to the ground. Even if she does, I cannot love her. She cannot be mine. It would make her vulnerable again, and I refuse to fail her as I did before.
When we walk back to our camp, I offer her the clothing I found. “I found you some clothes.” I dip my chin in a subtle bow and then turn away. “I’ll keep watch nearby so you may sleep.”
I start to leave, but she grips my forearm, stopping me abruptly. “Wait. Please.”
Concerned, I blink down at her and kneel by her side, searching her blue eyes.
“What is it?”
“Stay here with me.” She pauses and then clears her throat. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be separated.”
“As you wish,” the words spill from my lips as they used to in our past life when I’d do as she asked of me. “I will stay with you.”
“Thank you, Cael.”
She does not need to thank me. Does she not know that each time she asked this of me—to remain by her side—it was everything I ever wanted? As her eyes meet mine, I realize this is still true. I remember loving her. I love her still. But she cannot be mine.
With a heavy sigh, I force myself to look away. “Are you hungry?”
She nods. I rifle through the bag and find the dried meat, cheese, and bread Willow and her daughter packed for us, handing it to Kyra.
A small huff of air escapes me as I grin. She is just as she was before. One of the pickiest eaters I’d ever known. Her nose scrunches up rather adorably as she sniffs at each item before taking a few careful bites. I’m satisfied that she’s at least eating some of it. That’s good enough for now. I hand her the waterskin next so she can drink.
While she does that, I make sure the horses are taken care of, removing the heavy packs from their backs and brushing them down. I glance back at Kyra.
“They need water. I’m going to have to take them to the stream.”
She swallows thickly, then nods. “Be careful.”
I hurry down to the water and allow the horses to take their fill while I train my ears to the surrounding forest, listening for any sign we might not be alone here. Horses are smart animals, and the fact they seem so unconcerned by our surroundings puts me a bit more at ease as well.
Once they’re finished, I lead them back to our camp and secure them to a nearby tree so they can graze. I’ll have to find them some proper grain soon. Perhaps when we reach another town, I can use the gold we found in one of the packs to purchase some feed for them.
I sit down next to Kyra to eat. The food is not good but it is not terrible either. As far as travel rations go, I’ve had worse. A wistful smile curls my lips at the memory of the freeze-dried meals I’d packed for myself and Lynx when we went on the camping trip that he hated. I miss his furry little face and his mischievous ways.
When I’m finished, Kyra changes into the clean clothing we’d found.
Her small brow furrows softly, as she looks down at herself. The clothes are obviously too large and I know she’s probably wondering how this will work. But, luckily for her, I found a few items that will help.
“We can use this belt,”—I hold it up—“to cinch the pants around your waist. It’s… better than your dress, at least, right?”
“Much better,” she mumbles. “That dress almost got me raped and you killed because it caught on the bushes.” She reaches out to take my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Tears fill her eyes, but she blinks them back. “I didn’t thank you properly for saving me, Cael. If not for you, I would have been—”
I place a finger to her lips to silence her. I do not want her thinking on the terrible things that could have happened, so I decide to tease her instead. “Unless you plan on apologizing, you do not need to say anything.”
She frowns. “Apologizing?”
I arch a teasing brow. “I seem to remember you questioning my abilities back at Willows. When you asked me if I knew anything about guarding.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I tip my chin up as I look down my nose at her. “Well?”
“Well… what?”
A sly grin curves my mouth. “It’s obvious
