Crusade Across Worlds (29 page)

“Walker—”

“I get it. He’s alpha and—”

“It’s not that—”

“—I may not be a Rogue, but I am a
Zingfinold Tribesman. And I
earned
that,” he moves forward,
almost touching my body with his. Puffing out his chest, his eyes
darken with promise, affection coloring his features. “So if you
like strong…if you want someone to take care of you, to protect
you,
I
can do that too.”

I shake my head.

He leans closer, his focus on my lips. “Give
this a chance—”

“What’s up, guys?” Reid lands on the branch
between us. His words are venom, his hands knotting into fists by
his sides. He glares at Walker before shifting his attention to me.
“Baby—you good?”

I force a smile through the uncomfortable
moment. “Fine.”

Reid throws Walker another glare and waits
for the explanation of why the tribesman is up here, so very close
by. When Walker doesn’t answer, Reid turns to me. He’s definitely
not happy, but I see more curiosity in his eyes than anger, and
maybe a hint of concern. I’m about to ask after Sampson when Walker
wraps his hands around the rope-like portion of a Yulu.

“Guess I’ll leave you to it.” And without so
much as a goodbye, the tribesman swings away from us, instantly
disappearing into the layers of the lime Nerwolix greenery.

Reid looks at me. “What was that about?”

I shrug.

“Okay…” he rubs the back of his neck. “So
what were you guys talking about?”

“Nothing.”

He raises a brow. “Then why was he standing
so close?”

I can’t tell Reid about last night. He’d
freak. He’d freak worse than I’ve ever seen him freak and probably
end up killing the tribesman like Pratt said. And it’s really,
really
not the time for distractions like that. So to
protect them both, I have to pretend like last night never
happened. But I must be waiting too long to think up an answer
because Reid simply nods at my silence. “I take that as an
issue.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s something,” his eyes narrow, frost
growing behind them. “Do I need to talk to him?”

“No. It’s not—”

“I don’t want to be that overprotective
guy—and I don’t think you want that either—but if I need to, I’ll
talk to him. So,” he crosses his arms and pegs me with an intense
stare, “tell me if I need to.”

Does he?

It’s not like Walker was standing too close.
He
kissed
me. He crossed the line in more ways than one and
I’m not sure we can come back from that. Maybe Reid does need to
send a message because I’ve told Walker enough times that it’s not
going to happen and he still made a move. But we need to get past
this. There’s no need to worry Reid when I can handle the tribesman
on my own.

“You don’t.”

He studies me, searching for truth. “You’re
sure?”

“I’m sure.”

His eyes flicker between mine, but I give
nothing away. Not the guilt I carry for lying to him, nor the
reason behind it, a reason that very well could send Reid over the
edge—a sight I never want to see again. I meet his gaze head-on and
wait.

“Okay,” he finally says.

I silently let out the breath I’m
holding.

And then, the concern on Reid’s face melts
into something softer, something warmer and infinitely more
affectionate. Inching closer, a playful smile crosses his lips as
heat flashes behind his eyes. I know that look. I know what it
means, and what he means when he looks at me that way. My stomach
clenches at the thought, a wave of fire pulsing through my body.
Reid rests his forehead against mine, rolling it back and
forth.

“I feel like we haven’t been able to talk,”
he slides his hands around my waist and my breath hitches. He
hasn’t touched me like this. Not in a week. Not in this long,
grief-filled week. “With the whole Tucker thing and staying on
Mybyncia…” he rolls his head some more, playfully, affectionately,
“…I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Sorry about last night.”

“Tucker needed his friend.”

Reid leans in and, brushing his lips against
my neck, whispers just below my jaw, “I needed you.”

My mouth parts while my eyes shut, my mind
and body consumed by the pleasure of his gentle kissing. He moves
slowly, lightly teasing my sensitive skin which has grown hot in
response.

Eyes still closed, I force some logic back
in. We really should
not
be doing this, not here, not now.
We’re on a deadline to find the Floating Ruby and the best lead is
forward, through the forest and into Nhazual’s Pass. There’s no
reason we should be stopping for this. Although I don’t want to, I
force out the words. “What are you doing?”

Reid moves in closer. “What do you think I’m
doing?”

“Oh…” I inhale as his thumb grazes below my
shirt, “…I have a pretty good idea.”

I can feel his smile against my throat.

“Reid…”

A soft brush of velvet caresses me. His
tongue.
Oh God, his tongue
. It sweeps the side of my neck,
leaving a scorching trail behind. His thumb inches higher, the rest
of his hand following as it moves up the hot skin of my stomach. On
instinct I tilt my head back, totally succumbing to his wandering
lips and curious fingertips. But as quickly as he started, Reid
stops and pulls back with a wicked grin. “Sorry. Had to.”

I cool at his sudden departure. “That’s not
fair.”

“What?” he laughs.

“You can’t…” I sneak a peek at our quiet
surroundings, then look back at him. “Turn me on like that and
stop.”

Reid’s playful manner grows serious. Hot.
“You’re turned on?”

“We haven’t been alone in a week, and before
that it was three months. Of course I’m turned on.”

Hunger grows in his eyes, a hunger I’ve
yearned to see but can’t currently sate. Reid moves in again but I
hold him back by his chest. “Not now.”

“Just a little?” He goes for my neck.

“No. Later.”

“I’m not going to have much restraint,” he
says, his eyes narrowing at the weight of his words, willing me to
understand them. “Just so you know. It may be like the lake. You
okay with that? Tell me now.”

“You didn’t ask me then.”

“Fallon,” he exhales with a smile, amused
with my innocence. “It was three months. There was no way I
could’ve been any gentler.”

Something in his words sets a new fire to my
body. And suddenly, all I want is Reid unleashing himself on me.
Right now. Right here. Being as gentle as he can as aggressively as
he can be. I gulp at the thought, at the memory of us in the lake
after I returned.

His chest expands and deflates, his focus
still intent. “Later.”

I offer a single nod of confirmation.

“Well then,” Reid takes my hand and brings
it to his mouth. Brushing his lips against my knuckles, he grins at
me. “Shall we?”

***

“So it’s… just the five of you?” Walker pops
a brow, unimpressed with the plan. “Against Curhio?”

We’re outside Nhazual’s Pass, the cavernous
tunnel that links the Northern terrain with its Southern neighbor.
The shadowy entrance is stationed behind Sampson, a narrow split
down the mountainside, just wide enough for passage. I’m not sure
when I was elected to go with the others and seek out the
centuries-old Nerwo, but apparently, I’m one of the five. Reid
doesn’t look happy. Actually, he looks disappointed…and maybe a
little bit worried.

“We’re not
against
Curhio,” Sampson
amends with a tilt of his head, his long, slender fingers gesturing
to make a point, “we’re seeking his help, so there should be no
reason to expect violence. We will find Curhio and
carefully
,” he stresses, “explain that Nhazual has been
detained, but requests we return the Gift to her.”

The tribesman looks from the Fychu to me.
“Still. Five might not be enough.”

“I’ll go.”

Sampson turns to Reid. He places a hand on
his shoulder, frowning apologetically. “A smaller group will do
better, and as it is
their
Gift on
their
home, Ehan
and Norhra have priority.”

The brother and sister glance from Sampson
to Reid and back again. Neither says a thing and when it looks like
Reid is going to argue, Ehan steps forward. He flings strands of
his brown hair over his shoulder with the rest of it. “Fallon will
not be in harm’s way. You have my word.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“He just did,” Clarence says. “Remember,
Curhio is an ally. We don’t want to spook him or anything; we just
want to have a conversation. And too many people will make him
nervous… make him keep his guard up.”

“We were all there last time.” Able grips
his neck as memories play behind his eyes. “Although some of us
wish we weren’t.”

“But what if something happens?” Pratt asks,
her eyes filling with genuine concern. “What if you need our
help?”

“
If
there’s an issue,” my
great-great-grandfather says, “Vix will know and bring the
reinforcements we need.”

“How will she know?”

He smiles. “I’ll tell her. All right,”
Clarence rubs his hands together and glances back to Sampson,
“everyone ready to go?”

“And is King Thias aware of what we are
about to do?” Blovid asks.

The brother and sister exchange looks.
Norhra raises a brow at Ehan before stepping forward to respond.
“We feel he should only be notified if the Gift is actually
located. There have been too many rumors of its location. We do not
wish to burden him with false leads.”

“And if we find it?”

“
If
the Gift is found,” Blovid
reminds the group, “it will need to be turned over to both
Kings.”

“Correct. Once we have captured Reuzkimpart,
we will return both Gifts to their World’s ruling parties. This was
agreed upon originally with Thias and Hozfin, and just recently
with Queen Ariana.”

“Yes,” Ehan frowns. “We heard the tragic
news…completely devastating. How is she?”

“She is a young queen and has lost much
these past few months,” the Arizal Leader answers first. “But she
is doing as well as is expected.”

“Was the murderer apprehended?”

“Not yet. But, we believe there may be a
Musko sympathizer tending to the royal family. At this point, we
are unsure of any particulars.”

“Ensuring Queen Ariana’s safety is of the
utmost importance, and will be considered a top priority once this
invasion has passed.” Sampson gestures to the shadowy crevice along
the mountainside. “Shall we?”

The journey into the mountain is the same as
I remember it: blinding dark and incredibly slow. If we move too
fast, we might scare off Curhio, or worse, unintentionally engage
him in an unwanted fight. The pink glow from my Callix is the only
light we have, so Ehan and Norhra have me positioned between them,
my arm lifted like a lantern. We’ve been walking for about fifteen
minutes when Ehan slows us to a stop.

“He is here.”

Sampson and Clarence stiffen behind me as I
glance from spot to spot, searching for an outline, a
shape—
something
—but I don’t see a thing.

“Tunnel Keeper?” Ehan calls.

Silence.

“Curhio?” he tries, his voice friendly and
hopeful. “We have come on behalf of Princess Nhazual. She…has a
request to ask of you.”

Something shifts ahead, but the movement is
too quick to identify the shape. Silence follows, and after a
moment, a gravelly voice murmurs from somewhere in the darkness,
“Do you know?”

“We do not know when Nhazual is returning,”
Sampson replies. “But she needs something. Something she gave
you.”

“She is always nice to Curhio...” a shadow
scurries from side to side in front of Norhra. “Curhio keeps
waiting. Curhio
always
waits for her. Every time.”

“She needs—”

“She says she will see Curhio again soon. Do
you know?”

“No,” Norhra answers. “We do not know.”

“Is she safe?” he moves closer, but keeps
out of the glow of my Callix. “Does the battle still rage on?”

“Battle?” Clarence asks.

“The invaders are here, to steal the
Floating Ruby again. You protect her outside. Curhio keeps the
tunnel safe for her return. Curhio said he would.”

“
Oh
…yes, the battle is still
occurring.” Clarence clears his throat. “But she needs
help—
your
help. She needs you to help
us
.”

A small frame steps into the glow of my
Callix. I resist a wince, focusing on his glassy blue eyes and not
the curvature of his deformed body, which is achingly old, skinny
and frail. Tuffs of white hair sprout behind wrinkled, pointed ears
and his crooked nose sits smeared to one side, as though it was
folded over. The same small blades remain fastened to both wrists
and I remember with blazing clarity what they’re capable of. His
focus jets to each of us, quickly scanning and assessing.

Finally pausing on Ehan, the Nerwo braves
another step. “Do
you
know?”

“No,” he shakes his head. “I do not.”

“Curhio
always
waits for her. Every
time,” he glances past me, to the outside light at the end of the
tunnel. “She says she will see Curhio again soon.”

“And she will. But first, she needs
something from you.”

“From Curhio?”

Ehan nods. “She has asked us to retrieve
something—on her behalf.”

“Curhio will give when he sees her
again.”

“This may be harder than we thought,”
Clarence mumbles and then clears his throat. “She, uh, can’t come
right now. She asked us to bring it to her. You want to help her,
don’t you?”

The disabled Nerwo looks between us. “Curhio
always helps. Curhio
always
waits for her.”

“She is not coming—” Blovid quickly corrects
himself. “She is not able to come right now. But she needs your
help. She needs you to find—”