Page 15 of The Sunbound Princess
“Bel,” I repeated, not believing her for a second. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s almost sunset,” Helios said, drifting forward. The wisp of flame on top of his head flared higher as he stared up at me. “And I don’t trust you.”
Likewise, you little shit.
I smiled. “Fair enough, Helios, but the sun doesn’t lie. If we don’t get moving, we’ll have to make camp in the dark. So I suggest we talk less and walk more.”
Chapter
Five
EZABELL
The campfire was a small circle of light in the otherwise pitch-black forest.
“Do you think this is safe?” I asked, looking around from my perch on a fallen log. Helios hovered beside me, his body casting an echo of the fire’s light.
Nikolas looked up from turning one of the rabbits he roasted over the flames. He occupied the log directly across from me. Dain sat on a third log to my right.
“It’s safe,” Dain rumbled.
Nikolas offered me a reassuring look. “If you’re worried about the villagers, don’t be. They’re not the type to wander far from their homes.”
He had a point. We’d walked for close to an hour before he and Dain declared the campsite “a good spot.” Dain had gathered firewood while Nikolas hunted. The latter had returned with a self-satisfied smile and half a dozen rabbits, which he skinned with deft movements. While I was still marveling at how quickly he’d caught our dinner, he pulled a handful of herbs from his pocket and crushed them between his fingers.
“Got lucky in the woods,” he’d said with a wink.
The fragrant smell of herbs—and the memory of that wink—reached me now, setting my mouth watering. Tearing my gaze from Nikolas’s, I gripped the log. Pain shot through my palm, and I glanced at the scrape I’d earned as I ran from the villagers. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound hadn’t closed. Maybe I’d heal as slowly as a human now that I was without my magic. It was another complication I didn’t need. Another risk.
Nikolas plucked the roasted rabbit from the fire, set it on a nearby rock, and placed a second rabbit over the flames. Standing, he tore a thigh from the first rabbit and extended it to me.
“Careful,” he said, “it’s hot.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, blowing at the steam that drifted from the meat.
Nikolas offered Helios a portion of rabbit. “Ladies and sunsprites first,” he said, lazy smile in place.
Helios made a face. “I eat sunlight.”
“Of course,” Nikolas said, resuming his seat. He scooped the rest of the rabbit from the rock and tossed it to Dain, who caught it easily. “One or two?” Nikolas asked him.
Dain paused in the act of lifting the whole rabbit to his mouth. “Two.”
“I thought so.” Nikolas smiled at me across the fire. He went back to turning the spit. “Takes a lot to keep these big boys fed.”
My cheeks heated. Which was ridiculous. There was nothing suggestive about his comment. Dainwasbig. Of course it took a lot to satisfy his appetite.
Ducking my head, I bit into my rabbit.
“Good?” Nikolas asked.
Helios huffed. “She hasn’t even chewed it yet.”
“It’s great,” I mumbled around a mouthful of cooked meat. As I swallowed, I realize it was true. The rabbit was tender andflavorful, the minty herbs a perfect complement to the smoky meat. My stomach rumbled, and I took another bite.
Nikolas beamed at me. Helios made a low, disgruntled sound. He hadn’t stopped giving me sidelong looks since I decided to spend the night in Saldu Kuum. If he had his way, we’d be safely ensconced in Ishulum, my magic intact and Nikolas and Dain nothing but memories.
But I couldn’t deny the pull I felt around Dain. When I’d attempted to walk away earlier, the Dokimasi had yanked me back like I was a puppet on a string. The insistent tugging only settled down when I was near Dain.
