Page 30 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Peeling off a wet dress with corset strings proved to be an unexpectedly frustrating task. Water thrashed all around me until finally I was free. As I tossed the sopping bundle of clothing back onto the shore, chuckles tumbled through the tree line.
“You can swim, right?”
Responding with an angry grunt, I used the soap to lather my hair and body.
As usual, my intrusive thoughts swirled around inside my mind like the ripples of water, expanding one after another, until finally my brain ached. Submerging myself under the water, I massaged my hair thoroughly to get out all the remaining soap. It wasn’t doing me any good to think about so many unknowns.
Leaving my thoughts behind with all the other remnants of the past two days, I swam up to the shore. I tried to squeeze all the water from my hair and body as fast as I could before sliding into the pants and tunic Bri had packed. When I picked up my boots to put them on, water sloshed out from inside, and my shoulders sagged.
Turning my boots upside down, I shook them until I was satisfied that every last droplet had been freed from within. Just as I began to shove my foot inside, Declan swatted the boot away from my hands. It tumbled into the dirt with a thud.
“Really?” I protested.
“Elena, you can’t put those back on right now. They’ll have to dry by the fire. If you put those back on in the state that they’re in, you could catch a cold or, worse, your feet could become infected. Prolonging our trip to take care of your feet is the last thing we need,” he groused. “I’ll have to carry you back.”
“Had it all figured out, did you, hmmm? Perhaps you should have thought about my boots before tossing me into the freezing lake,” I cooed, glancing at him from over my shoulder. “I think you just enjoy having me in your arms.” I froze, regretting the words that had exploded out of my mouth.
He grumbled something inaudible as he grabbed the wet clothes and the boots and shoved them into the satchel. With a tug, he lifted me up into his arms and proceeded to carry me back to the camp.
When we arrived back at the campsite, only Liam and Killian were left sitting around the fire. Declan lowered me down onto the log in between Killian and Liam, then placed my boots near the fire to dry out. Both men dipped their heads in silent greeting. They looked as though they were on the verge of combusting with laughter. Shooting them a glare, I dared them to jest.
Liam shook his head and averted his gaze towards Declan. “All is clear, I just checked in a few moments ago.”
Placing his hands inside his pockets, the prince nodded. Liam squeezed my shoulder as he and Killian stood.
“The tent is all set up for you both,” Killian muttered. “There are some extra blankets as well, it feels like it’s going to be a chilly evening.”
Both guards started to turn away, leaving me alone with the Lord of Sass. Panic forced the words out of me as I called after Killian. “So, which one is my tent?”
He tossed a grin over his shoulder, but his gaze didn’t land on mine. Following his line of sight, I landed on a set of striking emerald eyes.
“We’re sharing a tent, aren’t we?” I whispered as I stood, even though I already knew the answer. The intensity of his stare made my knees threaten to buckle. “Y-you don’t really think I’m going to let you sleep that close to me, do you?” Wrapping my arms over my chest, I attempted to cover my nerves with a glower.
One corner of his lip turned up as he leisurely closed the gap between us. With each step, my heart rate elevated, as it echoed in my ears like the beat of a drum. Unable to hold the intensity of his gaze, mine fell towards the ground. Black boots drifted into my view, and I slowly tilted my gaze upward.
My breath hitched as he wrapped his calloused palm around my forearm. It felt like the entire forest surrounding us buzzed with energy. Declan leaned forward, causing my skin to pebble as his breath flowed over the shell of my ear.
“Are you scared, Lena?”
Frozen by the velvety tone of his voice, my answer lay rooted on my tongue and made no attempts to venture further. Everything I’d heard and witnessed today had been evidence of all the reasons that I should fear the man before me.
However, there had also been moments where I had caught glimpses of another man entirely. There was a lightness buried within him that had flickered through the cracks in his carefully constructed mask. That little flicker of light made me curious what more might lie underneath and how I might be able to coax it out of him.
The hand still curled around my arm fell free. Unconsciously, my body chased after the heat of his palm.
“Let me carry you back to the tent so you don’t hurt your feet.” Both our eyes dropped to my bare feet, already covered with dirt and pine needles from the forest floor.
“Okay.” The words brushed over my lips on a breath. I wasn’t even sure they had even been audible, but the crush of pine needles in front of me proved me wrong. Declan wrapped his arms around my back and legs, and lifted me up.
The walk was short, but the tension that simmered between us made it feel like an eternity. His silence as he guided us towards the tent made me wonder if it influenced him just as much. The prince shouldered open the flap of the tent as he walked us through and lowered me onto the canvas floor.
The flap fluttered close behind us, sealing me in with the shadows—some created by the night, the others by a broody prince with a powerful dynamis. Blinded by the darkness, I bent down to my knees, searching the space for the bedroll that had been in front of me.
Grumbles spilled into the air next to me. I shook silently with mirth with the knowledge that he was struggling just as much as I was. A few more grumbles arose until I heard a thump against the side of the tent, followed by a content sigh.
Dammit. He’d found the opening before I had, and hadn’t even bothered to help me. Cursing him inside my head, I continued to search for the opening of the bedroll. Every inch of my body ached, from the tips of my toes to throb inside my head.
My fingers combed over the smooth warmth of a surface. Shock coursed through me as I realized my palm now lay on top of a very bare chest that was rapidly rising and falling.
