I don’t allow his stiffness to stop me from relaxing against his chest, and allowing his arms to cradle me, and his thighs to give me stability.
It’s not enough. I long to be alone, to feel him inside me, to give myself to him, to worship him.
“Hector, I—”
He squeezes my thigh. “Later.”
I cover my hand with his, molding my fingers around his, but he pulls away, and my heart falls to the ground.
The path opens to reveal a temporary settlement carved out of the wilderness to accommodate the Bloodstone army. Thousands of tents dot the landscape, the various shapes and sizes, creating a patchwork of colors against the natural backdrop of rocks. Some of the tents are adorned with colorful flags and tapestries, while others are more utilitarian in appearance.
As Hector navigates the horse through the sea of tents and people, Cenric hurries through the center of the camp, his eyes locked on me. I gulp in cool air as he stops in our path.
“Where is she?”
A sharp, stabbing pain sears through my chest as I force the words. “Jerrod took her.”
“I will kill him.” Rage twists Cenric’s face, igniting in his eyes and tightening his lips as he abruptly turns and storms off.
Luc hurries from his horse and follows his cousin. “Cenric, wait!”
Hector dismounts and takes my hand, his grip firm. “Tell me what happened.”
I tell him everything. Every detail. Every moment from when I first rescued those slaves, to when I woke to Jerrod killing my friends and taking Everly.
Anger flares in Hector’s eyes as he leads me into a tent that is bigger than the rest. “He will not get away with taking Everly. We will hunt Jerrod, and wewillget her back.”
I squeeze my fingers together. “He took my bloodstone too. I couldn’t do anything.”
“You need a ring. It will not be as easy to remove.” Hector sits behind a desk, leaving me standing in front of him with too much space between us.
How I long to breach it, to breach him, to erase the sternness carved into his brow.
“Why did Jerrod take Everly?” Hector asks.
The memories of Jerrod's attack sear into my thoughts. The horror of waking up to the fire. The horror of not being able to help Everly. The horror of finding the charred bodies.
“He wants something from me,” I say after a long moment.
“What does he want?”
“One of Mildred’s relics.” My eyes burn as Jerrod’s cruelty continues to smolder in my thoughts, leaving behind a trail of scorched sorrow.
“Which one?”
I take a deep breath before answering. “He said it’s in an amber bottle.”
Hector’s brows draw together. “I don’t know anything about it. I will speak to Mildred.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, hoping we will find Everly soon.
His intense blue eyes lock onto mine, unwavering and piercing. I open my mouth to speak, but I find no words. Not that there are any right words after everything I have done.
“I have thought about this moment at least a thousand times,” he begins. “But never in those thoughts were you soaking wet and pale.”
Something compels me to pull his oversized cloak tighter, to protect my secret a little while longer.
“Why, Sol?” Even though he only says those two words, they are enough. I know what he didn’t say. He wants to know why I left without saying anything to him.
