Page 33 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Finally breaking the silence, Killian passed me the waterskin and a handful of jerky. “What’s going on in that fiery head of yours, Elena?” he said, gently nudging my elbow, patiently waiting my response.
Liam flashed a not-so-subtle look of concern to Killian as he tied back his long black hair into a messy low bun with a leather strap. In truth, I really didn’t know how to answer his question, because I couldn’t even understand what I was feeling. A shrug of my shoulders was all I had the energy for.
“He really does feel awful about last night.”
“Mmhmm.”
“That’s the reason he didn’t want you riding with him today. He felt that you both needed some…space.”
“Hmm,” I grumbled.
Anger reared its ugly head as I caught the two of them quietly shaking with mirth. Without warning, it crawled out of me to take over the conversation. “You both could have tried to stop what happened last night.” My words came out a little more harshly than I’d intended. I tried to speak a little softer. “I mean, it seems like you three have known each other for a long time. Has he always been like this?”
Their gazes flickered between each other. The skin between my brows scrunched with concern. What made this question so difficult to answer? It was as if they were silently deciding what they could or could not tell me. Curious.
“Yes, this is true, we’ve all known each other for quite a while, little lady. I consider us to be as close as brothers,” Liam said with a soft smile.
“Liam joined the guard first,” Killian said from behind me. “His parents had been friends of the queen’s for a long time, so he and Declan knew each other beforehand. I, on the other hand, was the outsider. Had to prove myself worthy to be accepted into their little man clan.”
Liam snorted underneath his breath, silently repeating the words “man clan,” before chuckling some more.
“What did you have to do to ‘prove’ yourself to them? As far as I can tell, the prince has very high standards for everyone, except himself.” I mumbled the last part. “You must have done something pretty impressive.”
Killian returned a weak smile, and I got the feeling that the story might be one he didn’t want to elaborate on. A wave of sadness flowed into me, strong enough for me to know I had pulled the emotion from him. “Nothing big, really.”
Liam scoffed. “I think that saving the crown prince’s life was abig deal,Killian.”
The leaked confession made my eyes widen. Another breeze of sadness flooded into me once more. Puzzled, I gently pushed the emotion out, and a gust of wind tousled Killian’s floppy blond waves.
“Really, it was no big deal. I was just there to help a friend when he needed it most.” Killian cleared his throat, signaling the end of that conversation.
Liam nodded at Killian with a silent affirmation. This time, a warm wind of pride seeped through me. Whatever Killian had done for the prince, he had more than proven himself to the two men he called friends. Even not knowing the whole story, I was beginning to understand just how kind and compassionate Killian really was. So, how was it that men like Liam and Killian attached themselves to the Prince of Darkness?
Perhaps there was far more to Declan than I’d ever understand. The man continued to be an enigma.
“Well, I’m thankful that he has the both of you to balance him out. I fear without you both, he would be eternally grumpy.”
As they both chuckled behind me, I felt my frown melt into a smile. After a few silent moments, my courage rose. I wanted to ask about my impending doom, the capital city. Every day we inched closer, and now we were only three days away. “So, what exactly should I expect when we reach the castle?”
They shuffled a bit on their saddles, and it appeared this was another question they weren’t too thrilled to discuss.
“Little lady, the king and Lord Alastor are temperamental like the prince.” He winced. “However, they are far more ruthless. Their anger knows no bounds, and they will not take kindly to being challenged. They are dangerous men, Elena.”
His eyebrow rose as he looked over towards me. I took it as a silent warning for me to rein in outbursts like the ones they’d witnessed yesterday.Note to self, no more throwing utensils.
If Declan was the least ruthless out of the three men, it made me wonder what their wrath entailed. A shiver ran over my body at the thought.
“Cold?” Killian asked.
“No, just mildly terrified.” I swallowed down the burn of bile rising in my throat. Killian rubbed his palm up and down on my arm.
“Don’t worry, little lady, we will be with you making sure you are safe at all times,” Liam boasted beside us. “Also, something tells me the prince would kill anyone who tried to lay a hand on you.” He chuckled. “Trust me, you’ll be well protected, Elena.” They both snickered, like they shared some kind of inside joke.
“What’s that supposed to mean? What’s so funny?” Turning in the saddle, I set a hard gaze on both with my hands on my hips.
“Oh…nothing at all, Elena.” Killian laughed. “Just trust us when we say that the prince will have eyes on you. He’ll make sure that no harm will happen to you during your stay with us.”
“Hmm, unless that harm is from him,” I grumbled under my breath.
