Page 79 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

“Say no more.”

Ronan hadn’t really stopped to consider it one way or the other. His thoughts had been too filled with her, but now that she mentioned something, itwascompletely out of character. Bast would have been the first one to gloat and demand details, not wait patiently in his cabin.

“Do you still have your daggers?”

Reyna shot him an incredulous look as she pulled two gleaming blades free. “As if I’d leave them behind.”

He gestured for her to pass him one since the blade he’d gotten from Jagger hadn’t made the journey to the lagoon with him. She handed it over without question.

“I could—”

“You better not be about to suggest we split up.”

“But, I—”

“I said no.”

Reyna spun, the tip of her dagger kissing his navel. “I don’t remember asking permission, Shield.”

He shouldnotbe hard right now.

“The Shield stayed in Elysia.”

“Fine,Butcher. But the point stands. Don’t expect me to suddenly be subservient because I told you how I feel about you. I’m not that girl.”

“I never expected you to be.”

“Good.” She raised up on her toes and licked his lower lip before stepping away. It was all he could do not to take her by the hips and haul her up against a tree. “Now, as I was saying. I could cloak and scout ahead, make sure it’s safe before we head straight for another trap.”

“Cloak?”

“It really has been a while, huh?” she asked with a small smile, holding her hand palm up and curling her fingers. As each one rippled, so did the air around them, until her entire hand was obscured by shadow.

Reyna’s memories weren’t the only things that had returned. So had her powers. He’d almost forgotten about the Night Stalkers’ ability to cloak themselves in shadow and blend into their surroundings. He reached out, holding his hand above her and then letting it fall until it met her warm skin. It was a trip since he still couldn’t make it out.

“Is this what the others referred to as shadowmelding?”

She dipped her chin in a nod. “The Night Stalkers were the first of Erebos’s nightmares. Makes sense we’d carry the trademark of our maker.”

He felt marginally better about her suggestion to go ahead since he knew she’d be safely out of sight. Though, as she’d pointed out, it wasn’t like he got a say in the matter.

“How far would you say we are from camp?” he asked, trusting her judgment since she was the one who’d been conscious when they’d made the trip.

“Maybe five minutes? It’s not far.”

“All right,” he said, mind busy strategizing. “The nightdrake’s corpse should still be there. If you still don’t see signs of them by the time you reach it, I want you to turn and come back. You understand me?”

She grinned and gave him a mocking salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”

“Technically it’s commander,” he murmured, liking the sound of the honorific on her lips far too much.

“Be right back,commander.”

She started to call on the shadows, but a little prickle of awareness had him calling out.

“Kitten?”

“Hmm?”

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