She inwardly groaned. No, she couldn’t leave him behind, but she also couldn’t free him, which meant she’d have to tow a large bound man through the forest. Emotion welled in her throat. Would she ever find Alex moving at that pace? All I can do is try.
She stretched her arms in front of her and winced. At the time, sleeping in the tree far away from that infuriating man had seemed like a grand idea. All through the night, she’d felt less and less proud of her decision. Although the limb itself was soft, lined with moss and small flowers, it was still a limb, dozens of feet from the ground. She’d barely slept a wink, worrying she’d roll in her sleep, the rope binding her to the limb would snap, and she’d tumble off the tree into the fire. It’d also been chilly so far away from said fire, and small bugs that thrived among the tree plants had nipped at her exposed flesh all night, redoubling their efforts as the fire died out.
She’d argued with herself to simply climb down, feed the fire, and sleep near the warmth of the flames, but her pride wouldn’t allow it. He’d already treated her like a child, and she had no intention of letting him see how wrong she’d been.
She lifted her head and peered down to where he slept, only…he was gone. She shot upright, almost losing her balance in the process, and scanned the ground for any sign of him.
He was nowhere in sight. Had he left? Been eaten? Was he on his way back with reinforcements even now?
Lily untied herself, scrambled over to her makeshift rope, and slid down to the forest floor. Dashing around the camp, she stuffed her meager belongings into her woven bag.
“Going somewhere?” came a deep silken voice from behind her.
She turned, keeping her legs tensed to run.
Lily had to contain her shock. He was standing a few feet away and watching her, but he looked different. His skin was no longer dark blue but a pleasing combination of teal and seafoam green. Could he change color? His sling was also gone, yet his shoulder seemed to be working perfectly.
His vivid peridot eyes traveled down her figure, leaving her skin heated in their wake. She silently scolded her traitorous body. Even last night while fuming and flushed with embarrassment, he’d elicited much the same reaction. His deep voice was smooth and velvety, and images of darkened bedrooms had manifested in her mind whenever he’d spoken. She’d only been able to shake off the continual goosebumps at hearing him when he’d begun to berate her choices.
“How did you get free?” she demanded, attempting to focus on her dislike for the arrogant man and not the way the sun highlighted light-blue streaks throughout his hair. Had he colored it that way on purpose, or was it natural?
“Without much difficulty.” He nodded toward the snapped remnants of his bindings.
He sauntered over to the cold remnants of the fire, and her insides burned with frustration. That was strong rope, dammit! And her knots had been tight. Curse her bleeding heart. If she’d just hog-tied him like she’d wanted, he may not have gotten free so easily. But no, she’d felt bad about manipulating his injured shoulder in that way.
Sitting, he pulled a bright red fruit from his pocket and tossed it to her. She fumbled, then caught it. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I say we eat and then start heading back up the river.”
“Wha— I—” Lily’s mind stuttered along with her words. The impertinence of this guy. “Who do you think you are? I’m not going up the river. I need to head downriver.”
He frowned, his full lips pulling into a devastating pout. He spoke slowly as if she were an idiot, ratcheting her anger. “Upriver is where my people are. We’re going that way.”
Lily’s chin dropped. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I need to head downriver, so I’m going to head downriver. You can do whatever you want.”
“Why?” he demanded, slicing a piece of fruit with…a knife.
Her gaze zeroed in on the small silver blade, locking in place. He has a knife.
Lily eyed the tool covetously. She’d been making do with sharp rocks. What she wouldn’t give for a knife. It’d make everything so much easier.
He waved the blade in front of his face, recapturing her attention. “Why do you need to go downriver?”
“That’s none of your business.” She glared, not yet trusting him enough to reveal that Alex might still be alive.
Not at all cowed by her death stare, he studied her, taking another bite of fruit from the tip of his blade. Dammit, she always loved when men did that. “Fine. I’m coming with you.”
“What? Why?” Lily tried to keep the annoyance in her voice, but a small part of her rejoiced at the thought. She’d been alone for so long, and life had been difficult. And he had a knife.
“Because you’re my responsibility now.” He gestured around the forest with a superior air that made her head start to pound. “I need to make sure you don’t make any more rash decisions and get yourself killed.”
A disgruntled heat crept over her limbs. “I’ve been doing just fine, thank you very much.”
He snorted. “Oh yeah? Well, I was under the impression that there were two of you. If you’re doing so well, then where’s your friend?”
The air whooshed out of her chest, and she took a step back, as if someone had punched her in the gut. “Go. To. Hell,” she said, masking sudden tightness in her throat.
Swiping her bag from the ground, she turned and marched away. Screw
