Chapter Nineteen

The instant he woke, Ravi became aware of three things: He was warm, his cock was rock-hard, and a soft, naked body lay half on top of him. He didn’t need to look down to know it was Yaz. His fingers flexed against her supple skin. Her warm breath fanned his chest. She had one bent leg over his, near his arousal. His balls tightened greedily.

And with that came a soul-deep longing to slide his palms down to her arse and grind against her before rolling her onto her back and kissing her.

His breathing quickened. Need scorched his veins. He could feel her breasts against him. His hand rested on the curve of her back. A slight downward shift, and he could cup her bottom. He swallowed, the sound loud in the silence.

Yaz shifted her cheek against his chest. Strands of inky hair had come loose from her braid and lay across his shoulder as if beckoning him to touch them. She shifted her leg, and it brushed his rod. He barely bit back his moan.

She stiffened the instant she woke. Ravi calmed his breathing. He didn’t want her to know that he was awake. If she knew, she would likely be off him the next second. She fit perfectly against him, and he liked her there.

Gradually, the tension eased from her muscles. Ravi didn’t know if he was more surprised by his decision to remain or hers. His thoughts were muddy after the river. Ravi recalled going into the icy water but didn’t remember exiting the river. Still, he did have a memory of Yasmin getting him to his feet. She must have done it because they were inside, and he was warm.

He wondered how much time they had lost. It was hard to tell whether it was day or night, but since Yasmin hadn’t risen, he remained where he was. It was peaceful, and he wasn’t sure if that would continue when they faced each other. He never would have imagined that the prickly human could put away her barbs to lay languidly against him. But he liked it—perhaps too much.

Ravi bit back a groan as his cock grew harder. Desire thrummed through him, hot and thick, consuming his thoughts. It was all he could do to keep it in check. If he didn’t put some distance between them, he would do something they both regretted. The only reason her naked body lay against his was because he had needed to get warm. He would’ve done the same for her. It didn’t mean she wanted him.

But what if she did? Ravi’s heart beat faster just thinking about it.

Suddenly, she deftly moved her leg away from him. Next, her arm disappeared from across his abdomen. He snapped his eyes shut as she rose onto her elbow and tenderly rested her palm on his brow. Then, she was gone. Away from him and out from under the blanket. A whoosh of cool air slammed into his side before the cover dropped again. He immediately wanted to call her back to him.

Ravi slightly opened his eyes. He saw her dark silhouette standing with her back to him as she quietly dressed. She made a soft sound when she realized her hair had come loose. Instead of braiding it again, she stuffed the long tail of the plait and the stray strands under the cap she slipped onto her head. She paused long enough to put on her boots and then exited the tent so skillfully that he only saw a brief glimpse of the outside before she refastened the flap.

He released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, then palmed his aching arousal, wishing he had time to see to himself. Ravi sat up, bending his knees to plant his feet on the ground as he rubbed his eyes. He looked around for his clothes but couldn’t find them. Surely, she hadn’t tossed them away. Maybe she had gone outside to get them.

A moment later, the entrance opened wide enough for her to poke her head inside. She stilled when she saw him, then entered the tent. He could make out the subtleties of her face now. She had her gaze directed at his chest, and he glanced down to find the blanket pooled around his waist.

“Thank you.” He wanted to say more but wasn’t sure what words to use or how to phrase them. So, he kept with a simple gratitude.

“It was nothing,” she replied with a shrug, looking away.

“It was something.”

She jerked her eyes back to his. “Did you think I would leave you?”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you had. I know what we’re asking of you is more than anyone has a right to do.”

She shrugged again.

“You saved me.”

Yasmin briefly met his gaze. “You saved me twice. I didn’t check the ice by the river. I should’ve—”

“Things happen.”

She was silent for a moment, her thoughts seemingly distant. “It was careless. You could’ve…well, it was bad.” She cleared her throat and handed him a water flask. “You should drink. The fever was intense.”

Ravi accepted the water and frowned. “Fever? From what?”

“I thought you would know. There is something in the water that affects some elves. Your headache was an indicator.”

He shook his head. “I had no knowledge of any such thing. Why didn’t you say something?”

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Are you not at risk?” He was suddenly concerned about her welfare.

“It only affects elves.”

Ravi nodded once and drank deeply, realizing he was parched. He had a weird taste in his mouth. “The fever broke on its own?”

She didn’t look up when she said, “I used some herbs.”

He finished the water and reached over for his pack to see how much of the herb mixture was left. To his surprise, it didn’t appear as if any more were gone. Ravi looked at Yaz. “You should’ve warned me about the fever.”

“I should have.”

Something in her voice made him think she was keeping something from him. It could be because they had slept skin to skin, but since she had believed he was asleep when she left, he didn’t think that was it. “Why didn’t you?” he pressed.

She blew out a breath and swung her gaze to him. “You know why.”

Of course. She was angry, and it was her way of getting back at him. “How did you know how much of the herbs to use?”

“I guessed.”

“How much did you use?”

“The right amount.” She lifted the blanket where she had lain and tugged out his clothes. “They’re warm and dry. It’s nearly dawn. You slept through yesterday afternoon and the evening.”

Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but he would. One way or another. “We lost the time we had made.”

“But you’re alive.” She handed him her flask and took his empty one.

Because of her. She got food from her bag. He heard her stomach grumble in hunger and wondered what had happened during the night. Before he had time to ask, she took her pack and left.

Ravi wondered what she would’ve done had he thrown aside the blanket. She could hardly meet his gaze. Had he said something? Done something? All he remembered was being so cold that he didn’t think he would ever get warm.

He finished her water and dressed. Only then did he exit the tent. Snow flurries danced in the air, teasing his face and tangling in his eyelashes. His gaze immediately sought Yasmin. She stood beside the river, looking across it in the direction they were headed. Her hair was once more braided and hanging down her back. His boots crunched on the snow as he walked to her.

“What happened last night?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Besides the fever and getting your body temperature up? Nothing.”

“Did I say something out of line?”

“Nay.”

“Did I do anything?”

Her deep blue eyes met his in the pre-dawn light. “You slept.”

Ravi thought about his erection this morning. Perhaps that’s what made her nervous. Surely, she knew a man didn’t have control of such things. Maybe he should tell her it had nothing to do with her. He couldn’t say for sure or not if it was a lie. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she wasn’t the cause.

Even now, standing in the cold and knowing something was wrong, he wanted her. Desperately. The urge to pull her against him, have her cheek pressed against his chest, and her arms around him, was overwhelming. He wanted to touch her face, her lips. He needed her against him. He couldn’t explain it.

How he wished he knew what’d happened during the night. Maybe he was reading too much into things, searching for something that wasn’t there. He nodded once, deciding to let things be as they were. He retraced his steps and returned to the tent to grab his bag and find food. The thought of sustenance made him realize he hadn’t eaten since noon the previous day. He devoured some dried meat before dismantling the tent and packing it away. When he finished, Yasmin was still at the river. Something was on her mind. Since she faced the direction of Shaldorn, it was obvious what it was.

The sky was lightening to a soft gray by the time they wordlessly set out. He didn’t ask her which way they were going, and she didn’t offer. He was still trying to sort out his body’s reaction to her. He tried to tell himself that it was just the confines of the space and the accident. He’d had a human lover before, but he preferred elves. While he didn’t have relationships per se, he did have those he shared his bed with on occasion. They were liaisons that benefited both parties since he had no intention of settling down—not with the work he did.

They walked along the riverbank until they came to where a tree had fallen across the water. Yasmin was the first across it. He almost asked her why she was fine walking over a tree, but the rope bridge had made her hesitate.

Once across, she led them through more forest. Ravi saw something out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked, there was nothing there. He could’ve sworn he saw movement. Mountain Elves lived among the Dangerous Peaks, but few saw them. They were the rarest of all the elves. So much so that he had never seen one. As far as he knew, they never left the mountains.

Sea Elves came into the cities sometimes. Even Dark Elves came up from underground. But never their mountain kin. Ravi wondered if they had gone extinct like the Desert Elves. Would anyone know if they had since they kept to themselves?

After he crossed the river, Ravi halted before running into Yasmin’s back. He looked over her head to see why she had stopped. A huge, white animal stood before them. It nuzzled the snow as if looking for food. Yasmin pushed against him, tapping his leg. He got the hint. Ravi walked backward, glancing behind him to make sure nothing was there. He wrapped an arm around Yasmin when he reached a tree and tugged her behind it with him. They both leaned out to keep an eye on the creature.

He bent low until his mouth was by her ear and whispered, “What is that?”

“An ostoose. Let’s hope it doesn’t pick up our scent.”

“We could run.”

She shook her head. “It’s too fast.”

Ravi looked up at the tree branches. “We could climb.”

“It can, too. We have to wait.”

He realized he still had a hold of Yasmin. He didn’t care that layers of clothing separated them. He knew what her flesh felt like. She didn’t push him away, so he remained. They stood in silence, barely breathing as they watched the ostoose search for food. The animal began walking away, but Yasmin didn’t relax until it was far out of sight.

“We need to get out of the valley,” she said.

He loosened his arm when she stepped away from him and it fell to his side. The instinct to pull her back against him returned. He fisted his hands and lengthened his strides to catch up with her.

“There’s much you need to know about Shaldorn,” she said into the silence.

To his surprise, she began talking about the fortress. She described hallways, tunnels, and stairways. She spoke of stairs that led nowhere and passages that someone could become trapped in. He learned about the rooms the staff knew as the dungeons. It was where they were taken and punished. He didn’t need to ask if Yaz had been there. He heard it in her words as she described the rooms in detail.

She paused when they came to the end of the woods. Anyone looking would be able to see them when they crossed the last part of the valley. He got a look at the ascent up the slope. It was rockier, and the angle was steeper.

He barely had time to glimpse it before Yaz started walking again. She picked up where she had left off in continuing his education of Shaldorn. When they got back, he needed to get all of this in writing. If she would cooperate. It would also give him a reason to see her again.

Before he knew it, they had reached the edge of the valley. Yaz was the first to start the trek up. The incline was so steep they had to lean over and use their hands. She talked all the while. He now knew there was a back entrance to Shaldorn, but there were also secret doorways few were privy too. She gave him those locations, and he filed it all away for later.

Halfway up the slope, Yaz began asking him questions about Shaldorn to see how much he had retained. He was able to answer over half of them correctly, but it wasn’t enough. So, she repeated the information. And the next time she tested him, he passed.

She held out a hand once they reached the top of the mountain and helped him over the edge. Their gazes met. She was the first to look away. Ravi turned and looked back at the valley. It had almost been his last resting place. But that was why he wanted to remember it. For him, it was where something had shifted with Yaz.

Every mission held danger, but this one was even more treacherous. And they hadn’t even reached Shaldorn. He turned back to find Yaz with her hand on another rock, her gaze distant. He followed her line of sight to the next peak. There, nearly on the top, he could just make out the roof of a building. Shaldorn. The stronghold rose out of the rock and snow to dominate even the peaks.

He slid his gaze to Yasmin and studied her profile. He didn’t need to ask what she was thinking. It was written all over her face. Dread. Anger. Trepidation. Ravi started to grab her hand and give it a squeeze before he remembered that she didn’t like to be touched. He thought about how easily she had slept against him, but would she welcome his touch now? He didn’t have any words of comfort. What did someone say to another who had to return to such a place? There was nothing he could say that would make it better.

“I’m sorry you have to be here,” he said.

She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “We all have to do things we don’t want to do. It’s just a place.”

It was more than that. It had been her prison, and inside it, her tormentors. No matter what she did or didn’t do, what had been done to her or hadn’t been done, Shaldorn had left its mark, fashioning her into the person she was now. She had an inner strength he had never seen before.

Yasmin swung her head to him. “It will be tricky from here on out. Stay close.”