The evidence is damning!
How else would Alvina have obtained such a detailed map of our encampment? There’s no way she could have gathered that information on her own.
No, she would need help from within. Help from someone close to me. Help from Hawke.
I turn toward the tent flap, needing answers and knowing where I’ll find them.
Chapter
Forty-Three
EVERLY
I wake slowly,and as consciousness seeps in, the memories of last night flood my mind.
Cenric kissed me again. Well, he did far more than kiss me.
Of course, he had to go and put a stop to things before they got too heated. Part of me wants to roll my eyes at his restraint, but another part—a larger part—admires him for it.
Still, I wonder what might have happened if he hadn’t pulled away.
I roll onto my side, hugging my pillow close as I relive every moment. The smoothness of his hair between my fingers, the slight stubble on his jaw that scratched deliciously against my skin.
I sit up and run a hand through my curls. My lips still tingle. My body still burns with an unfulfilled need.
A burst of cold air slams into me as the tent flap rips open with such force I’m surprised it doesn’t tear. Cenric barges in,his face a storm of fury I’ve never seen before. My heart leaps into my throat, and I shriek, scrambling backward on the bed.
He stalks toward me, his eyes daggers of ice as he thrusts a piece of parchment at me. “Care to explain this?”
I blink, trying to focus on the words swimming before my eyes. My brain refuses to cooperate.
“I... I don’t…” I stammer, my wit deserting me when I need it most.
Where is my sarcasm now? Probably hiding under the bed, along with my dignity and common sense.
Cenric steps closer. “You’re working for Hawke.”
The accusation hits me like a punch to the gut. My mouth opens and closes, but no sound comes out.
“I can explain,” I finally manage to squeak out.
“Oh, I’m sure you can,” Cenric says, his voice dripping with sarcasm that puts my own to shame. “I’m all ears, Everly. Please, tell me how you’re not a spy sent to infiltrate my camp.”
My mind races, searching for the right words. How do I explain that I was forced into this? That Hawke threatened my family? That every moment I’ve spent here, every interaction with Cenric, has been genuine?
I take a deep breath, ready to spill everything, but Cenric cuts me off with a raised hand.
“Save it,” he says. “I’ve heard enough lies to last a lifetime.”
I scramble off the bed, nearly tripping over my feet in my haste to get to Cenric. My mind races, trying to piece together a coherent explanation while simultaneously cursing my rotten luck.
Of course, this would happen right after we’d shared suchan intimate moment. The gods clearly have a twisted sense of humor.
“Cenric, please,” I plead, reaching for his arm. He jerks away, as if my hands are made from shards of glass. “It’s not what you think.”
He scoffs and rolls those impossibly blue eyes. “Oh, really? Because I think you’re a lying, manipulative spy who’s been playing me for a fool this entire time.”
Well, when he puts it that way, it does sound bad.
