Page 10 of Hopeless Magic
“Why didn’t you?” I ask instead.
“The Hopeless aren’t gods; we’re fae. Descendants of fallen angels. There are things outside of our abilities. Death, love, life. Ask all you want, but even the prophesized Eminence will have its limits.”
Dread sinks through me, slowing my pace.
Ryder can’t bring my father back. My lips purse as I glare hard at the ground.
“What’s the Eminence?” I ask with a vacant sound filling my voice.
Ryder’s wide shoulders become rigid. With a long hesitation, he turns his head to look back at me. His light eyes hold mine, weighing me down with just one look.
Right now, he’s wondering if he can trust me.
He shouldn’t.
I’m the mortal danger his father warned him about. I’m the big bad wolf, and he’s all but begging me to guide him through the dark, dark woods.
If he screws up, I won’t hesitate to kill him. This world is a game of life and I rather like my life.
Even if I am a homeless thief.
Looking up at him, it pains me to not appear vulnerable, to keep my natural features in place. My instincts tell me to appear as he wishes. It’d benefit me to be what he wants.
For some reason, I can’t. Maybe it’s because he saved my life. He pulled me back from the greedy claws of death. And now he’s ruined me.
But it seems I’ve ruined him as well because he answers my question with nothing but honesty in his eyes.
“The Eminence is said to be the most powerful Hopeless in the entire world. Someday, the Eminence will come and it’ll either rain wrath on this already demolished world, or it’ll restore it to the beauty it once was.”
A warm feeling spreads through me. Maybe the Eminence will restore it. I might one day breathe air that isn’t tinged with smoke. I might bask in the warmth of sunlight. I might actually live a happy life.
Or the Eminence will destroy the world.
Well, you win some you lose some.
My thoughts fade and I feel something. I can physically feel the attention burning into me. My lashes flutter, and I look up to Daxdyn to find his eyes tracing across my features.
Pure confidence is all he possesses. Zero embarrassment is held within him for being caught checking me out.
A shiver skims down my spine as I narrow my hard gaze on his absurdly handsome face.
His tongue darts out and licks his lower lip before the smile falls into place there.
Gods above, this is going to be a long trip.
***
The coast is still at least a week’s hike. It’s been over a day and our pace has slowed to a near nonexistent speed.
“Let’s camp here for a few hours. We’ll start back up once we’ve had some decent food and some sleep.” Ryder assesses the surroundings. A stream trickles along our path. It leads into town. I know it like the back of my hand. I also know we won’t be robbed here. We’re too far from the village for the lowlifes to find us.
Well, except for me, anyway.
“Daxdyn help me with the fish. Darrio can you get us a small fire going?” Both of the men nod to Ryder, mirroring one another like true twins.
Daxdyn and Ryder make their way down to the stream. I can almost hear the sound of their voices from several yards away.
Darrio turns from them and runs right into me, his chest brushes mine. My footing falters but I’m quick to right my steps. A scowl curls his full lips.
