Page 44 of Soul of Thorns
And we sleep. Just sleep, comfortable and safe, and together.
As much as I desire those other things, this is my perfect moment. Just being.
Whole.
Together.
Rev’s grip on my thigh loosens over time. He shifts and huffs, his breathing evens, just like in my fantasy. Twisting my body to glance over my shoulder, I find his expression just as calm and relaxed as in my mind as well.
A small smile plays at my lips.
It’s warm enough here we do not need a blanket. He has his blanket bunched up behind his head and his backpack behind his back.
I scoot out and spread my own blanket down on the uneven ground beside him. Then, I grab his upper arms and guide him to lay down. He won’t stay comfortable sitting up like that. He winces and groans but follows my guidance begrudgingly. I quickly grab his blanket and place it under her head just before he lays it down.
He settles into his new bed with a frown, his eyes still closed. Content with my handiwork I begin to move away from him when his fingers grip my wrist.
My heart sinks for an instant, but his eyes are still shut.
“Don’t leave me, Cae,” he mumbles.
I pull in a breath and hold it as my heart aches in the best way possible. “Okay,” I whisper.
His hand falls limp to the ground, and I sit there panting for a moment before finally taking my spot at the cave mouth, watching the dark valley below, and I wonder how the hell I got here. And what the hell it could possibly mean that Rev desperately wants to keep me with him.
Rev
Iforce my dry eyesopen, muscles stiff. The stone beneath me presses into my side uncomfortably. I’m surprised I’d been able to sleep like this at all.
The shiver of shadow magic covers us like a sheet, but there’s no sign of my beautiful shadow fae ally.
Her smell, her touch, the sounds she makes pop into my mind all at once. I should be focusing on much more important issues—like survival—but she’s stuck in my senses. I have to wait for anything more than these small pieces. I’ll have to fight for her life, especially because I’m not convinced she’ll fight for herself.
Her magic permeates the small space, so though I can’t see her, and her backpack is missing I know she’s near. I crawl toward the opening and pass through the shadow shield. Magic washes over me, sending chills over my whole body.
Only a few feet from the cave, a rock juts out over the edge of the mountain where we can get a decent vantage of the road leading to the fire wall. It’s not as clear as the spot a hundred feet down the path, but I doubt Caelynn’s magic would be so strong if she were that far away. The sky is still dark blue, but the edges of the horizon are lightening ever so slightly. Dawn is only an hour or two away.
