darkness again, crossing the river. At the back of my mind lingered a feeling something was chasing us, but it was drowned out by the Binding ’s impulses. My arms curled about Ryan’s chest, longing for the warmth of his breastbone against my palms.
My hands were already at his buttons before I realised they ’d moved from his hips. Unable to hide my horrified gasp, I jerked my fingers away and stuffed them under my armpits. To hell with falling off Cielo.
Ryan glared at me over his shoulder.
“What in the Goddess’s name are you doing?”
“Nothing.” I stared at his coat seams, counting the stitches in the leather. Quick, change the subject. “Why did we have to step up the pace?”
Ryan huffed, before he turned back to look ahead. I got the impression he wasn ’t going to let go of this one.
“Someone ’s coming towards us,” he said. “I’ll try to pass them quickly. Keep your face covered.”
My heart vaulted to my throat. So much for an uneventful ride. Rather stupidly, my first thought was of Adam. By all rights he should be well on his way home, but niggling doubts wouldn ’t leave me alone. What if something had delayed him in Bane? Would my cloak be enough of a disguise?
I clasped a hand around my forehead. Knock it off, Eliza! Plenty of other people entered and left Bane in the early hours. Whoever was heading this way was not going to be Adam. Stop being so paranoid.
Following Ryan’s suggestion, I pressed closer to his back. My cheeks ignited, and I grimaced. I couldn’t let another memory take hold. Because each was so vivid, it was hard to tell between the actual recollection and the present moment, making it incredibly easy to slip from one state to the other, as I’d proven just now. I didn’t think I’d ever see buttons in the same light again.
The Binding must have been listening, for my view of the trees clouded, replaced by a stream of flying petals. It was trying to pull me back to the valley, when I’d fallen from Cielo’s saddle. Into Ryan’s embrace. Oh no, think of something else!
Screwing my eyes tight, I named as many animals as I could. Bear, wolf, hellersbird, squirrel, horse, bull, pig, cow, chicken, duck, goose, cat, dog, sparrow, hawk, mouse, rabbit, fox, owl, snake, frog, lizard, eagle, sloth, monkey, pigeon, elephant, er…armadillo…
“It ’s okay. They’ve gone now.”
Ryan ’s voice cut through my efforts, and I was thrown back to the flower field, looking into his leaf-green eyes. The want to draw closer overwhelmed me, and in a mad rush the feeling caught up in the present. I held him tighter, and my lips edged towards his cheek. No, not again! I buried my face into his coat, holding my body rigid.
“Eliza?” Ryan shifted, so he could check on me. “You ’re shaking. What’s wrong?”
“I…I…just tired,” I muttered. That was only the fourth memory since we ’d left the valley. One more lapse and I’d be in serious trouble.
If my little button fiasco hadn ’t already done its damage.
“Oh, well, we ’re almost there,” Ryan said. There was an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. I swallowed. “Hold on a little longer. I’ll take you to the inn. You can rest while I get the stuff we need.”
I could only whimper as Bane ’s north gate came into view.
* * * * *
Bane’s inn, The Swan and Gate , was a two-tier building on the east side of the square. Opposite stood the red and blue market stalls, while behind lay the north gate. To the south stood the Guardsmen garrison, which overlooked the South Road. In the centre sat the wishing fountain. A bronze statue of the Goddess crested it, gazing at the water that trickled into troughs filled with pennies.
Something prickled behind my eyes, and I turned away. I ’d spent countless days here with Adam, sitting on the fountain’s edge, sipping pumpkin juice and tossing coins into the crystal water. Watching the world pass by, playing cards, even splashing each
My hands were already at his buttons before I realised they ’d moved from his hips. Unable to hide my horrified gasp, I jerked my fingers away and stuffed them under my armpits. To hell with falling off Cielo.
Ryan glared at me over his shoulder.
“What in the Goddess’s name are you doing?”
“Nothing.” I stared at his coat seams, counting the stitches in the leather. Quick, change the subject. “Why did we have to step up the pace?”
Ryan huffed, before he turned back to look ahead. I got the impression he wasn ’t going to let go of this one.
“Someone ’s coming towards us,” he said. “I’ll try to pass them quickly. Keep your face covered.”
My heart vaulted to my throat. So much for an uneventful ride. Rather stupidly, my first thought was of Adam. By all rights he should be well on his way home, but niggling doubts wouldn ’t leave me alone. What if something had delayed him in Bane? Would my cloak be enough of a disguise?
I clasped a hand around my forehead. Knock it off, Eliza! Plenty of other people entered and left Bane in the early hours. Whoever was heading this way was not going to be Adam. Stop being so paranoid.
Following Ryan’s suggestion, I pressed closer to his back. My cheeks ignited, and I grimaced. I couldn’t let another memory take hold. Because each was so vivid, it was hard to tell between the actual recollection and the present moment, making it incredibly easy to slip from one state to the other, as I’d proven just now. I didn’t think I’d ever see buttons in the same light again.
The Binding must have been listening, for my view of the trees clouded, replaced by a stream of flying petals. It was trying to pull me back to the valley, when I’d fallen from Cielo’s saddle. Into Ryan’s embrace. Oh no, think of something else!
Screwing my eyes tight, I named as many animals as I could. Bear, wolf, hellersbird, squirrel, horse, bull, pig, cow, chicken, duck, goose, cat, dog, sparrow, hawk, mouse, rabbit, fox, owl, snake, frog, lizard, eagle, sloth, monkey, pigeon, elephant, er…armadillo…
“It ’s okay. They’ve gone now.”
Ryan ’s voice cut through my efforts, and I was thrown back to the flower field, looking into his leaf-green eyes. The want to draw closer overwhelmed me, and in a mad rush the feeling caught up in the present. I held him tighter, and my lips edged towards his cheek. No, not again! I buried my face into his coat, holding my body rigid.
“Eliza?” Ryan shifted, so he could check on me. “You ’re shaking. What’s wrong?”
“I…I…just tired,” I muttered. That was only the fourth memory since we ’d left the valley. One more lapse and I’d be in serious trouble.
If my little button fiasco hadn ’t already done its damage.
“Oh, well, we ’re almost there,” Ryan said. There was an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. I swallowed. “Hold on a little longer. I’ll take you to the inn. You can rest while I get the stuff we need.”
I could only whimper as Bane ’s north gate came into view.
* * * * *
Bane’s inn, The Swan and Gate , was a two-tier building on the east side of the square. Opposite stood the red and blue market stalls, while behind lay the north gate. To the south stood the Guardsmen garrison, which overlooked the South Road. In the centre sat the wishing fountain. A bronze statue of the Goddess crested it, gazing at the water that trickled into troughs filled with pennies.
Something prickled behind my eyes, and I turned away. I ’d spent countless days here with Adam, sitting on the fountain’s edge, sipping pumpkin juice and tossing coins into the crystal water. Watching the world pass by, playing cards, even splashing each
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