Page 20 of Reign of Light
I nod, and our noses brush, but my eyes stay locked on his. “Let’s go figure it out then.”
His eyes fall to my mouth again, and it parts in anticipation as he leans forward. A barely there brush of his lips against mine makes my breath catch and heart race. Before I can chase after him, begging for more than such a simple touch, he pulls away. Mouth twisted into a knowing smile, he loosens his hold and lets the front of my body slide slowly down his, until my feet hit the floorboards, and I waver with the rush of the blood pounding through me.
Reaching around, he grabs the handle and turns, pulling the door open and gesturing down the hallway.
“After you.”
“Asshole,” I mutter. He chuckles softly as I turn on my heel, trying to ignore the desire coursing through my body. I stride down the hallway, feeling his presence behind me as always, which does nothing to tamp down the way I wanted him to do more than barely kiss me, leaving me flustered and distracted.
My boots pound on the steps and as I emerge onto deck, but when my eyes fall on the Castaways with their serious faces and bodies covered in weapons, everything we’re about to do comes rushing back to me. All my nerves and worry that had been plaguing me since last night are gone, even if only for a few minutes.
He wastryingto distract me.
I glance over my shoulder, but he’s already put his Captain facade back on, and his long strides take him past me quickly to the front of the group, where Sig already waits near the gangway.
The energy in the collection crew is different from the last time we went to the beach, and even more different from when we left for the Oasis. Back then, we left the ship during daylight hours, and we are again today.
But this time, everyone knows why, and it isn’t to relax and let loose.
“Listen up,” Weston calls out, and the rumble of voices around me quiets. “We’re meeting the Voyagers at the plateau. Surround the areabut stay concealed while we wait for them to arrive. It should only be Mara and one other, but be prepared for anything. It’s different this time. We don’t have the night to protect us, so stay alert in case it is a trap. But remember, if he’s there, no one touches Dane. He’s mine.”
The rumble in his voice with those final two words sends a shiver up my spine. Weston promised me he wouldn’t kill Dane, but the vengeful look in his eye makes me feel that if that moment comes, I might need to remind him.
Or stop him. Again.
“Let’s move.” The gangway rumbles out behind him, and he steps to the side, letting Sig and Jorn lead the group down to the reef. The way he falls into step behind me has now become too familiar, but this time he’s so close, I’m worried he is going to trip on my boots.
Still air settles around us, thick with anticipation that disappears the moment we’re in the safety of the tunnels. We move swiftly, winding through the darkness toward the plateau, and my heart races the closer we get. The roar of the river overhead signals that we’re close, and with it comes a flood of my nerves.
Despite all my animosity toward him for following me around like a guard, it is comforting knowing Weston is within reach in the face of all the uncertainty. I finally have someone who is by my side because they want to be, not because they are hired to be.
Reaching my arm back, I brush my fingers against his. When he hooks a finger around one of mine, and squeezes tightly before dropping it again, I’m able to breathe deep. I’m not going into this situation alone, not like last time. I won’t be trapped away from the crew with Dane, with no one knowing where I am. I have them, and they have me.
Sig halts just before the exit, the same one we used when I returned to camp, and the crew stops, waiting as Weston weaves his way through until he’s in the front beside her. He doles out groups and indicates where each is to hide themselves while we wait for the meeting time to arrive. He looks through the portal, scanning the area before waving us forward.
A small wave of relief washes over me that there wasn’t an obvious threat.
Maybe it isn’t a trap.
It takes only a few minutes for everyone to get into position in the lush trees that surround the plateau. Sig and Jorn stop on the flat, open area, but just as I move to stand beside them, Weston’s hand wraps around my elbow and he tugs me off to the side.
“Will you please hide in the trees?” he murmurs, his voice so low, only I can hear him.
“No,” I say incredulously.
“Lennox, please, I’ll be able to focus on whatever threats are coming if I know you’re protected.”
“Weston, I started all this. I’m not just going to hide.”
He huffs a breath through his nose, his eyes pinning me to the spot, but I meet his stare just as seriously. I don’t care if he wants me to hide away. I am not hiding from something that my actions caused. I will deal with the situation as it comes, the same way I would have as queen, and he’ll be right there beside me.
“Stay close then,” he grumbles, and his hand falls to the small of my back as he ushers me across the plateau, positioning me so I’m standing just behind him.
Beads of sweat drip down my back as the heat of the suns pounds on us. The damp still air is stifling, making it difficult to breathe. There’s still no sign of the Voyagers. At least we have the upper hand, but I still shuffle my weight on my feet. Whether it is from nerves, impatience, or discomfort, I’m not sure.
The foliage conceals the crew so well that if I didn’t know they were there, I would think it was only the four of us standing on this landing. Beside me, Sig and Jorn look as wound tight as I feel, and I can imagine all of us feel the same way. I’m sure Stassia, with all her earlier anger, is ready to pounce at any sign something is wrong.
Weston turns his chin to his shoulder and murmurs toward me. “Do you remember what I said last night?”
