wanting to run into another brunbjorn , especially at night. Every time the leaves rustled or a branch snapped, I tensed, anticipating another attack.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark, little girl,” Anders taunted.
It would feel so good to punch his jaw. “It’s not like you’re that much older than me. And no, I’m not scared of the dark. I’d just prefer not to be eaten by some predator I can’t see.”
He smiled sardonically before turning and walking away. “So if you can see the animal, you don’t mind being its supper?”
Rolling my eyes at his back, I hurried to catch up with him. “That’s not what I meant.” After walking in silence for several minutes, I hesitantly asked, “Can you tell me why my hands hurt?”
He stilled. “Do they hurt right now?” His voice was tight with concern.
“No,” I answered, almost running into him.
“When’s the last time they bothered you?”
“Right before the brunbjorn attacked.” I thought back to the incident. The pain had become intense during the encounter. However, I’d been so concerned with not being the animal’s next meal that there hadn’t been time to dwell on it.
The assassin continued walking, not saying another word.
“Are you ignoring me?” I kicked a small rock, sending it flying to a nearby tree.
Anders glanced over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows and pointedly looking from me to the tree before saying, “I just figured the answer was rather obvious and you’d be able to figure it out on your own.”
“I get that it has something to do with being a Kriger.” Bending, I plucked a rock small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.
Anders spun around and grabbed my arm. “If you throw that at me, I’ll gut you.”
I yanked away. “I just wanted something to hold on to.”
“Oh.” He turned and started walking again. “Well, don’t assault anymore trees either.” I rolled my eyes. “And don’t roll your eyes at me. It’s rude.”
“How did—”
“The pain you feel occurs when you’re in danger,” he said, cutting off my retort. “The power within you is seeking its weapon.”
Again, at the mere mention of my weapon, my body hummed. “How do you know so much about all of this?” I rolled the rock between my fingers, easing my nerves.
Anders sighed. “Can we please travel in silence? All of your questions will be answered when we arrive.”
“Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?” I asked, squeezing the rock. It started to warm.
He halted and turned to face me. “Do you ever stop talking?” He pointed his finger at me. “You’re impossible.”
His dark eyes and the fury lines in his forehead should have frightened me. Yet, the rock somehow sapped the panic from my bones. “Why? Because I ask a few simple questions trying to understand what’s happening to me? I’m not the impossible one. You are.” I pushed around him and continued walking, hurling the rock as far as I could into the trees. I’d never met anyone who grated on my nerves as much as Anders did. It was infuriating, annoying, and exasperating.
“Kaia,” Anders said from behind me. It was the first time he’d used my name.
“What?”
“You’re going the wrong way.”
Surveying the surrounding area, there weren’t any trails. “Well, which direction are we headed?” I folded my arms against my chest.
“That way.” He motioned to the left, the corners of his lips pulling up ever so slightly. “There’s a cave thirty feet ahead. It’s small, but it’ll offer us some protection for the night. And seeing as how I haven’t slept in two days, I’m rather tired.”
I trudged off in the direction he pointed, navigating between several trees to a cluster of boulders covered with bright green moss. Anders went around the side to a narrow, dark crevice between two of the boulders. Turning sideways, he shoved his way into the darkness.
“That’s a cave?” I asked, reminding myself that the
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark, little girl,” Anders taunted.
It would feel so good to punch his jaw. “It’s not like you’re that much older than me. And no, I’m not scared of the dark. I’d just prefer not to be eaten by some predator I can’t see.”
He smiled sardonically before turning and walking away. “So if you can see the animal, you don’t mind being its supper?”
Rolling my eyes at his back, I hurried to catch up with him. “That’s not what I meant.” After walking in silence for several minutes, I hesitantly asked, “Can you tell me why my hands hurt?”
He stilled. “Do they hurt right now?” His voice was tight with concern.
“No,” I answered, almost running into him.
“When’s the last time they bothered you?”
“Right before the brunbjorn attacked.” I thought back to the incident. The pain had become intense during the encounter. However, I’d been so concerned with not being the animal’s next meal that there hadn’t been time to dwell on it.
The assassin continued walking, not saying another word.
“Are you ignoring me?” I kicked a small rock, sending it flying to a nearby tree.
Anders glanced over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows and pointedly looking from me to the tree before saying, “I just figured the answer was rather obvious and you’d be able to figure it out on your own.”
“I get that it has something to do with being a Kriger.” Bending, I plucked a rock small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.
Anders spun around and grabbed my arm. “If you throw that at me, I’ll gut you.”
I yanked away. “I just wanted something to hold on to.”
“Oh.” He turned and started walking again. “Well, don’t assault anymore trees either.” I rolled my eyes. “And don’t roll your eyes at me. It’s rude.”
“How did—”
“The pain you feel occurs when you’re in danger,” he said, cutting off my retort. “The power within you is seeking its weapon.”
Again, at the mere mention of my weapon, my body hummed. “How do you know so much about all of this?” I rolled the rock between my fingers, easing my nerves.
Anders sighed. “Can we please travel in silence? All of your questions will be answered when we arrive.”
“Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?” I asked, squeezing the rock. It started to warm.
He halted and turned to face me. “Do you ever stop talking?” He pointed his finger at me. “You’re impossible.”
His dark eyes and the fury lines in his forehead should have frightened me. Yet, the rock somehow sapped the panic from my bones. “Why? Because I ask a few simple questions trying to understand what’s happening to me? I’m not the impossible one. You are.” I pushed around him and continued walking, hurling the rock as far as I could into the trees. I’d never met anyone who grated on my nerves as much as Anders did. It was infuriating, annoying, and exasperating.
“Kaia,” Anders said from behind me. It was the first time he’d used my name.
“What?”
“You’re going the wrong way.”
Surveying the surrounding area, there weren’t any trails. “Well, which direction are we headed?” I folded my arms against my chest.
“That way.” He motioned to the left, the corners of his lips pulling up ever so slightly. “There’s a cave thirty feet ahead. It’s small, but it’ll offer us some protection for the night. And seeing as how I haven’t slept in two days, I’m rather tired.”
I trudged off in the direction he pointed, navigating between several trees to a cluster of boulders covered with bright green moss. Anders went around the side to a narrow, dark crevice between two of the boulders. Turning sideways, he shoved his way into the darkness.
“That’s a cave?” I asked, reminding myself that the
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