Zaden gazed at Kala as she slept. Her cheeks finally had some color to them, he noted. The rabbit meat had done her good. It was always nice to have a good meal, and she seemed to be in higher spirits, even as she dreamed. Her gentle eyelids fluttered as she slept, and her lips curled into a smile that brought a surge of longing through his body.
He frowned. What in the world had happened to that girl? Where had she come from? If the Guardians knew who she was, that was a bad sign. But maybe he could go there to find out after he got her to safety. He could help her get her identity back.
He knew it was a dangerous move. The Guardians had weapons and technologies that the dragon clan feared more than anything. As time went on, their intelligence and malicious intent simply evolved and continued to become more and more lethal. But he would face it. And if nobody else would go with him, he would go alone.
Morning finally rolled around, and Zaden sighed to himself. He didn’t want to wake Kala up for another day of trudging through unfamiliar ground. Neither of them were any good at navigating this terrain and he didn’t want to disappoint her by being unable to get her the answers she needed as soon as possible. He would do whatever it took to get her back to the Kersh clan in one piece.
When Kala finally awoke, Zaden had breakfast ready for her once again. She seemed to notice the determined look on his face, because she looked at him inquisitively.
“We’ll get there soon,” he said simply, and her face softened. However, she said nothing and ate quietly. She wasn’t very talkative in the mornings, and chose to spare her words for when she truly needed them. It was strange to Zaden, who was used to being around the boisterous soldiers, but it was also refreshing. Still, he couldn’t help but feel that she was keeping him at a distance and wished there was some way they could get closer without having to overstep any boundaries.
They set off, and instead of trying to make empty banter this time, he remained as focused as possible. Something had changed in him during the night. He realized that he didn’t necessarily know what he was doing automatically by being a strong dragon shifter. He would have to read his environment carefully. He’d seen the sun rise and knew that he had to lead her to the east, which is what he did.
Kala, who hadn’t been expecting the grim, silent hike, fell into step beside him. He could feel her lavender eyes examining him, and wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or self-conscious. He settled for a mixture of both and pretended he didn’t see her watching him.
“Thank you,” she finally said. “For taking such good care of me.”
Zaden glanced over at her, sure she was teasing him or pulling his leg, but her eyes were serious and the ghost of a smile was on her lips. His heart hammered wildly, but he didn’t want to betray the way she made him feel. It wasn’t right. A woman like her was sure to have a husband or boyfriend in the life that happened before they had wound up together. He was sure of it. What kind of man would he be to ignore that?
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said casually. “I just know of a lot of people in your shoes. It’s not a big deal.”
It felt good to man up and stop goofing around. He felt different with a purpose. The determination and drive was exhilarating. Maybe that was the feeling that kept Clayton going, always thinking of what was best for the whole group. Putting himself last and working toward a greater purpose. He would never be Clayton, and wouldn’t choose to be, but for now he was having a good time.
“Whether I have to thank you or not, I’m grateful. Even if I don’t act like it.”
“It’s nothing.”
They continued on in a comfortable silence, until Kala spoke again.
“You remember your life, don’t you? Can you tell me about it?”
It seemed a simple request, but the thought of describing the torture of his formative years made his chest tighten painfully. He looked away from her, not sure what to do. He wanted to do whatever he could to please her, but his secrets were his own.
When he looked at her to tell her so, he was caught off-guard by the gentle nature of her lilac colored eyes and the pure beauty of her face. She didn’t look like she was capable of harming another living soul. Instead of the prying look he had expected, she seemed only to be curious to know more about him. Maybe she was beginning to trust him.
“Let’s see,” he said, searching his mind for any of the lighter moments of his life. He had a ridiculous urge to protect her from the muddied despair of his past and give her only things to smile and laugh about. If her face looked wounded on his behalf, he felt it would be too much to bear. “I was more or less brought up by the leader of the Kersh clan. He taught me how to fight better than most of the sorry sacks he calls an army.”
“That’s fortunate for me, it seems,” she said with a soft laugh.
He grinned. “It seems that way.”
He had hoped this tidbit of information would be enough to sustain her, but she pressed on.
“What of your parents?” she asked, looking down at the ground. She looked sad. She couldn’t remember anything about where she had come from. Perhaps it was giving her comfort to hear somebody else’s story when she couldn’t remember her own.
He wanted to cry then. To tell her every heart-wrenching detail about the death of his parents, but instead, he pursed his lips in a pained smile. “They died when I was little.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
She seemed horrified, even though he hadn’t told her how they had been killed by the Guardians. He decided not to tell her anything about that though. She deserved to have her peace of mind.
“It’s all right. I was raised well enough.”
He was shocked when Kala laced her arm through his and laid her head against his bare shoulder. It was as if she were agreeing without vocalizing it. Her nearness brought the thudding of his heart to his ears. He had never felt so close to anybody before, and he had half a mind to tell her so. But he was embarrassed by the way he felt. She might misunderstand and think that he was trying to seduce her. Although the thought had crossed his mind more than once, after all, she was strikingly beautiful, he would rather die than make her think he was a dishonorable man. They walked that way for a while until suddenly, Zaden smelled something familiar. His eyes widened and he looked around.
“I know where we are!” he exclaimed, beaming down at her. She seemed surprised, but pleased. “It’s this way!”
He broke off into a sprint, and this time Kala kept up, laughing this time instead of scowling.