more
surprising was just how different he was from the others. The growing darkness
made it difficult to see, but his dress alone set him apart. Where she and the
others wore shirts of cotton or wool and leather pants in shades of browns and
blues, he wore all leather in a flat black, and his clothes were tight .
She had no idea how he could move in such clothing. He didn't even really have
on a shirt, but a vest cut so short it displayed half of his torso.
Kendric elbowed her. "Don't stare."
She ducked her head quickly as her cheeks flamed. She
hadn't even realized she'd been looking for so long.
"It's fine," Kei said kindly, and she peeked
through her hair at him. His voice was surprisingly soft and deep. "He's
never seen anyone like me before." He grinned at her, a flash of white
perfect teeth.
Gah, but she wished there was more light . "The problem is I can't see anything at all,"
she muttered.
The men of course heard and their response to her
complaint ranged from a chuckle to a snort.
A new sound began, or perhaps it had started earlier
and she just hadn't noticed. She looked up as a strange pounding roar filled
the hold.
Bo swore. "Wonder if they headed into the storm
we were feeling earlier?"
"I certainly hope not," Kendric replied
tartly.
The clouds now covered whatever faint light the moon
and stars had given them.
"Well. Let us get some sleep then, before the
wind finds us." That was Cain. Or did they say he was supposed to be
called Jonathon? John? She should have paid more attention .
She crawled back a little to lie down in the dirty
straw and closed her eyes. She listened to the men settle and the pounding of
the rain. Her thoughts spun madly in her head. Were here brothers dead or
not? What was she supposed to do now? Eventually the thrum of the rain
lulled her into sleep.
Chapter 5
The Fey
She woke with a start.
Someone was touching her, a feather light caress
trailing down her arm. She tensed, sucking in a breath to scream. A hand
clamped over her mouth.
Warm breath suddenly tickled her ear. "It's Kei.
Hush."
Eyes wide, seeing nothing but pitch black, she nodded
frantically
Kei's hand moved from her arm. Frozen in stunned
silence, the pounding of the rain echoed through the hold around her. The sound
thrummed so loudly she couldn't even hear her own ragged breaths.
"Sorry."
"You scared me." The overpowering smell of
wet straw overcame her and she gagged. It registered suddenly, her clothes were
wet. She grimaced and sat up, the straw squishing under her.
She heard him sigh. He sat somewhere in front of her,
but she couldn't see anything.
"You were having a nightmare, I think," he
said quietly.
She blinked and cursed under her breath. "Did I
wake everyone?" She concentrated, trying to hear if the others were up.
"No. You weren't screaming. Just thrashing
around." He laughed softly. "You kicked me in the head."
A blush crept up her cheeks, thankfully the darkness
hid it. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I wasn't sleeping much. It's getting
wet in here."
She snorted. "I noticed."
"Well. Go back to sleep."
She could hear him moving. What he was doing? "I
think I'll just stay up," she said, more to herself than to him.
"Do you…would you mind if I sat with you?"
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. Why would he want
to? But then again, she didn't know him. He wasn't much older than she was.
Maybe he just wanted some company in the darkness. "Sure," she said
finally, "If you want."
She could feel his presence suddenly closer to her,
even if she still couldn't see him. He touched her arm, pulling slightly. "Come
over to the hull, it's a little higher and not so wet."
She let him guide her and only bumped into him a few
times. He settled next to her, back against the damp wood, staring forward in
the darkness.
"I hate the dark," she murmured.
"I don't mind it so much. Usually." She
could imagine him grinning, and wondered again what he looked like. "I'm
glad to get a chance to
surprising was just how different he was from the others. The growing darkness
made it difficult to see, but his dress alone set him apart. Where she and the
others wore shirts of cotton or wool and leather pants in shades of browns and
blues, he wore all leather in a flat black, and his clothes were tight .
She had no idea how he could move in such clothing. He didn't even really have
on a shirt, but a vest cut so short it displayed half of his torso.
Kendric elbowed her. "Don't stare."
She ducked her head quickly as her cheeks flamed. She
hadn't even realized she'd been looking for so long.
"It's fine," Kei said kindly, and she peeked
through her hair at him. His voice was surprisingly soft and deep. "He's
never seen anyone like me before." He grinned at her, a flash of white
perfect teeth.
Gah, but she wished there was more light . "The problem is I can't see anything at all,"
she muttered.
The men of course heard and their response to her
complaint ranged from a chuckle to a snort.
A new sound began, or perhaps it had started earlier
and she just hadn't noticed. She looked up as a strange pounding roar filled
the hold.
Bo swore. "Wonder if they headed into the storm
we were feeling earlier?"
"I certainly hope not," Kendric replied
tartly.
The clouds now covered whatever faint light the moon
and stars had given them.
"Well. Let us get some sleep then, before the
wind finds us." That was Cain. Or did they say he was supposed to be
called Jonathon? John? She should have paid more attention .
She crawled back a little to lie down in the dirty
straw and closed her eyes. She listened to the men settle and the pounding of
the rain. Her thoughts spun madly in her head. Were here brothers dead or
not? What was she supposed to do now? Eventually the thrum of the rain
lulled her into sleep.
Chapter 5
The Fey
She woke with a start.
Someone was touching her, a feather light caress
trailing down her arm. She tensed, sucking in a breath to scream. A hand
clamped over her mouth.
Warm breath suddenly tickled her ear. "It's Kei.
Hush."
Eyes wide, seeing nothing but pitch black, she nodded
frantically
Kei's hand moved from her arm. Frozen in stunned
silence, the pounding of the rain echoed through the hold around her. The sound
thrummed so loudly she couldn't even hear her own ragged breaths.
"Sorry."
"You scared me." The overpowering smell of
wet straw overcame her and she gagged. It registered suddenly, her clothes were
wet. She grimaced and sat up, the straw squishing under her.
She heard him sigh. He sat somewhere in front of her,
but she couldn't see anything.
"You were having a nightmare, I think," he
said quietly.
She blinked and cursed under her breath. "Did I
wake everyone?" She concentrated, trying to hear if the others were up.
"No. You weren't screaming. Just thrashing
around." He laughed softly. "You kicked me in the head."
A blush crept up her cheeks, thankfully the darkness
hid it. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I wasn't sleeping much. It's getting
wet in here."
She snorted. "I noticed."
"Well. Go back to sleep."
She could hear him moving. What he was doing? "I
think I'll just stay up," she said, more to herself than to him.
"Do you…would you mind if I sat with you?"
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. Why would he want
to? But then again, she didn't know him. He wasn't much older than she was.
Maybe he just wanted some company in the darkness. "Sure," she said
finally, "If you want."
She could feel his presence suddenly closer to her,
even if she still couldn't see him. He touched her arm, pulling slightly. "Come
over to the hull, it's a little higher and not so wet."
She let him guide her and only bumped into him a few
times. He settled next to her, back against the damp wood, staring forward in
the darkness.
"I hate the dark," she murmured.
"I don't mind it so much. Usually." She
could imagine him grinning, and wondered again what he looked like. "I'm
glad to get a chance to
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