Two: Part 1

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Carissa was still smiling when she awoke, sunshine-yellow happiness spilling from her. She wasn't certain if she'd been smiling all night or if her smile had returned as soon as she'd awoken. Elon was sprawled across the sheets. She ran her gaze down him, her body warming. Perhaps she should awaken him with a kiss and then they could—

No. Elon needed his rest. And while loving someone sometimes meant bonding with them, other times it meant letting them rest.

She bounced to her feet and tugged on her now dry clothes. She cracked the door open, listening to the rush of wind through the trees, the chatter of birds flitting overhead. Today was beautiful. And the man sleeping on their bed even more so. Carissa cast another glance at him, unable to keep a smile from her lips. She had to be the luckiest woman in all the lands.

She pulled out some food she found in Elon's sack—mainly bread and berries—and set them out. It was unlikely they would stay once Elon woke up. She might as well pack up the tarp he'd fastened to the roof.

Removing the tarp took a good deal of hopping—and plucking a bit at the knots every time she jumped high enough. Finally, when she was hot and damp from the exertion, she managed to sweep the tarp off of the roof. She returned with the bundle under her arm, only to drop it when she saw Elon was awake, and smiling broadly at her.

His smile, combined with the sparkle in his eyes, knocked the air from her.

"Good m—" The last of her air ran out, making the words in her mouth wilt. She drew a sharp breath and propped her hip against the doorjamb. She began to run her hands through her hair, only to stop. Such a gesture would surely reveal how flustered she was. She propped one hand on her hip instead.

Elon remained seated comfortably where he was. "Comfortable, yet? Or are you thinking of changing positions again?

A blush scorched her cheeks. As if she could ever manage to hide something from Elon. "Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't do much sleeping at all, as you very well know." Elon flashed her a cheeky grin, and the heat spread down her neck, flaring across her chest.

She offered him a small smile back, unsure of what to say. "Well. I set out breakfast for you."

His gaze slipped toward the food she'd set out. "I suppose I'll stop teasing you long enough to eat, then." He glanced at her again. "If you turn any pinker, Carissa, I'll have to start calling you a fairywing melon."

As if on cue, her blush deepened. "Elon."

"I'm sorry. I truly couldn't help myself." He scooted toward the food and popped a berry into his mouth.

Carissa forced one wobbling leg in front of another. It seemed his teasing had set her off balance, in more ways than one. She sat next to Elon, casting a furtive glance at his bare chest. "Don't you want to put on clothes? I mean, not that I mind."

Though Elon laughed, she was delighted to see a flush on his cheeks. "If we're to go anywhere today, I suppose I must. I wouldn't want to be too great of a temptation for you."

She tossed a berry at him, and he caught it perfectly in his mouth.

He winked. "Foresight, remember?"

She shook her head, laughing. "Just get your clothes on."

He slid a piece of bread beneath his lips before standing and gathering his clothes. She very briefly considered looking away before discarding the idea. She'd already seen him without clothes anyhow.

When Elon finally tugged on his last article of clothing, his shirt, he glanced over his shoulder and met her stare. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a bottomless well. Blackness stirred in their depths, darkening his eyes with passion and sorrow. It was both nerve-racking and exhilarating, vulnerable in a way that reminded her of bonding with him.

And then he glanced toward the door. "I see you took the tarp off. It must have taken you quite a while."

She blinked, surfacing from her Elon-induced stupor. "Yes. It did. I wanted to do something productive while you were asleep."

He whipped the sheet off the pine boughs before folding it and stuffing it into his pack. He did the same with the tarp.

Carissa pointed at the remaining slices of bread. "What about the food?"

"You should eat the rest. Come, you can eat on the way."

Carissa pulled up the cloth that she'd used as a platter for the food, slipped on her pack, and hurried toward the door. Before she could slip out, Elon caught her pack and pulled her back in.

Was there danger? Something lurking out there she hadn't seen? She turned toward Elon, keeping an eye on the door. "What is—"

He cupped the back of her neck and drew her lips to his. Heat whooshed through her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed her back against a wall, pressing her more firmly against him, and she shivered as pleasure bubbled within her. He tasted like tart berries, and Carissa decided she'd acquired a new favorite food.

When he stepped back, she wobbled a bit and grabbed his shoulder.

He grinned. "Just checking."

"Checking what?"

"I wanted to see if I still possessed enough skill to kiss you breathless."

She laughed and shoved his arm. "I believe you're breathing just as hard."

His smile deepened, but he didn't deny it. "You're ready?"

"Always, so long as you're with me." It was the same answer she'd given him before they'd faced Tervalyn. Hopefully this endeavor would turn out better than that one had.

Elon threaded their fingers, the gap where his missing finger was making the fit a bit uneven. She squeezed his hand, having grown so used to the gap that she hardly thought of it anymore.

"Then let's be off."

***

Thus far, Esmeray had been filled with dark forests and barren lands. But nothing chilled her more than this new terrain.

There was a narrow passage, snaking in between two black cliffs. Between them and the passage was a long stretch of naked land, no rocks or trees for cover.

Tendrils of mist snaked along the ground, and—as if that weren't eerie enough—a heap of human-shaped bones laid outstretched toward the passage, rotting skin still clinging to the skeleton. An arrow sat in its back, the arrowhead caught in between two ribs.

Goosebumps crept over her skin, the prickling sensation reminding her of skittering spiders. "Something feels wrong about this."

Elon nodded. "Let's just try to get to the passage. One step at a time, right?" He released her hand and took a step forward.

She followed. Neither of them spoke. It would feel almost irreverent to disturb such silence. There was no light about Elon's eyes, no smile for her when she glanced at him.

The prickling sensation grew stronger, the spiders now swarming down her arms. She couldn't stop shivering. And seeing how tightly Elon clasped his sword wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

And then Elon's gaze snapped up, his eyes widening. Carissa followed it to see a fanged Reaper grinning at them from the top of the passage, standing atop one of the black cliffs. And then its face flickered, shifting to human features for only a split-second. Carissa's heart lurched as she recognized its human from:

Tervalyn. The Reaper was Tervalyn.

***

Author's Note: Sorry this is a bit late! And the sneak peek is up. :)

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