I hold my breath when the god is directly below me.
Only then do I notice the well-trodden trail through the plants. Oh, he comes this way often. A beat of hope passes through me.
But the god pauses. Right. Underneath. Me.
My limbs start to tremble. My breath escapes my lips, despite my best efforts to hold it in. But amidst the fear, through the horror of being near the most terrible being known to my people, a thought creeps in. I imagine a course of action I could take right now.
If I could silently slide my ax from my back—if I could perch myself in just the right position on this branch—if I could angle my fall just right—and hold my ax just so—
Maybe I could strike the god?
Peruxolo turns in a slow circle, watching the surrounding wild with narrowed eyes.
My heart is in my throat. I try to swallow it back down. But the sound is so very loud.
Peruxolo doesn’t look up.
And bless the goddess, he keeps walking.
When he’s finally out of sight, my breath comes out in a whoosh.
I can’t make rash decisions. I promised Irrenia I would try to come back home. Launching myself at Peruxolo without a plan is no way to achieve that goal.
And I don’t deserve to die. Surely the goddess knows. Surely she knows the trial wasn’t my fault.
Either way, I will do this the right way. Slowly, deliberately. When I have a plan, I will face the god.
When I’m certain he’s long gone, I climb down from the tree. I walk on my toes as I head back for the road at a snail’s pace, but I don’t dare make a sound.
When I finally do reach the road, I run.
CHAPTER
7
I tire long before I make it back to my little fort, my pace slowed to a crawl.
I’m brought up short when I find someone inspecting where I slept last night.
Soren.
“Very impressive,” he says, indicating my fort.
“How did you find me?” I didn’t exactly go a great distance from their tree house, but the wild is thick and good for hiding things.
“Took me all day. I figured you couldn’t have gone far with how exhausted you must have been. Got lucky with this place.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask, somewhat irritated. Why did he seek me out? I’ll have to move now. Find a new spot to build another fort to remain hidden.
“I brought you something.” He nods toward a bucket I hadn’t noticed before. I peer inside to find bright yellow berries piled to the rim.
“What are they?”
“We call them ‘yellow berries.’”
“How original.”
“They’re very sweet. Iric and I lived off these until we were able to trap meat. Try one.” He pulls a berry from the top and offers it to me.
I narrow my eyes at it. It’s so bright. Surely it’s poisonous if these are only found in the wild.
Soren shrugs and pops the berry into his mouth, chews, and swallows. When he doesn’t start retching, I dare to try one for myself. I don’t put the whole thing in my mouth, but rather take a small bite. It sends juice dribbling down my chin.
But the fruit is tasty. Sweet, with just enough of a kick to it to make it exciting. I put the rest of the berry in my mouth before wiping my chin off on the back of my hand.
“It’s a small way to show my gratitude for what you’ve done for me, but I assumed since you’re new to the wild, you won’t know which plants are edible yet.”
I grab a handful of berries and walk with them over to the tree opposite the clearing, the one whose branches I chopped to make my fort.
“How did you know these wouldn’t kill you when you first tried them?” I ask.
“Well, I didn’t,” he says.
I peer over my shoulder. “You didn’t,” I repeat, confused.
“Iric was so hungry. We’d run out of food the previous day, and I didn’t know what else to do. I tried many things that day. In small quantities. I recommend avoiding the indigo-colored berries and the dark purple fruit. I won’t scar your ears by telling you what happened when I tried those.”
Apparently, putting himself in harm’s way is something Soren excels at. “And I suppose you volunteered to taste everything in your path while Iric merely watched?” I ask.
Soren just shrugs.
Odd I decide is the best word. This boy is very odd.
“Thank you for the berries,” I tell him.
“You are brave and wondrous with an ax,” Soren says. “May the goddess grant you rest in her Paradise in the next life.”
I force myself not to react to the words. I’d thought the two boys didn’t believe in the goddess, but it would appear I was wrong. At least where Soren is concerned.
I nod, both a dismissal and my own show of gratitude.
Then I turn back to the tree in front of me. Grabbing a long and pointed rock from the ground, I press it to the bark firmly and scrape a line at an angle.
“What are you doing?”
I jump slightly. Soren’s voice is close, and I hadn’t heard him come up behind me. I assumed he would have taken my hint and left.
I face him, not bothering to hide my irritation this time. “Look, I appreciate the food. It was a kind gesture, but I have work to do. And it’s really none of your business what I do with my time.”
Soren looks perplexed. “You … want to be left alone?”
“Yes.”
He’s taken aback. “It’s safer out here if we stick together. The only reason Iric and I have survived this long is because we have each other. Our shelter is plenty big for three people. The ziken can’t climb. We’re safe from them. Your fort is truly impressive, but if any beast discovers you’re sleeping inside, it won’t take much for them to break through. Especially the gunda.”
I roll my eyes but don’t bother telling him the gunda isn’t real. It’s not worth the energy. Instead I demand, “Why are you concerning yourself with my safety?” I don’t like at all the way he’s showing so much interest in what I do.
“Because I’m gallant and chivalrous.”
I stare at him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you flirting with me?”
He grins. “I just think it should be pointed out that you’re a fierce warrior woman and I’m a fierce warrior man, so we should spend some time together.”
I cock my head to the side. “I found you broken and bleeding on the ground.”
“I was … having an off day. Give it time, you’ll see what I’m really like.”
“I have no interest in seeing any more of you.” I wave a hand up and down his profile with the words, which I hope makes all meanings of the phrase perfectly clear.
Soren stands there for a moment, as though he doesn’t know what to do next.
“The road is that way.” I point in the direction I intend for him to go.
I turn back to the tree.
“All right. You want to be left alone. I understand.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“But there’s a problem,” Soren says. “You see, you saved my life. Now it belongs to you. I owe you a life debt. From now until I draw my last breath, I am your man.”
I blink.
Damn.
I know of the warrior code of honor, of course. But it didn’t occur to me that by saving this fool, I’d be shackling him to me.
Should have left him to die.
You don’t mean that. Irrenia’s voice cuts into my head, chastising.
Okay, I suppose I don’t mean that, but I can’t have this boy following me around all the time.
“I release you from your debt,” I say. “Think nothing of it.”
“You can’t do that. That’s not how it works.”
I groan. “Please go.”
He looks from me to the tree and back again. His lips purse. “Tell me what you’re doing and I’ll go.”
I fix him with what I hope is a death glare, but he doesn’t budge. If anything, he looks more determined than ever to stay.
Rock still in hand, I return to the tree, etching once more. “I’m mapping out Peruxolo’s domain.”
Silence from behind me. After finishing the mountain, I draw the thick wild off to the right, leaving a gap in the trees where I saw the trail.
I turn to the side of the tree and carve out a list.
FACE OF A MAN
BLOND HAIR
CARRIES AN AX
“You went to the god’s lair?” Soren finally sputters out.
“I did.” This boy is like an irksome fly that just won’t leave me alone.