Revelations (The Elysium Chronicles) (7 page)

“See? She’s a good girl. So?” Asher’s eyes sparkle with mischief. “May I offer the lady assistance in mounting her noble steed?”

Before I can say no, Asher bends and nudges my foot into his hand. He murmurs a few instructions to me, but it’s all I can do to hear him, much less understand before I find myself in the seat on the horse’s back, one leg on either side of her wide chest. My skirt hikes up my thighs and I fight the urge to tug it back down. It won’t do any good anyway.

He winks at me. “Probably should have worn jeans instead of that skirt, Princess.”

I ignore that, although Gavin said the same thing to me this morning. But the hand-me-down pants from Ann Marie make me uncomfortable. I can’t really explain why, but I feel out of place in them. Not to mention, they’re a bit large in the hip area, making me jealous of Ann Marie and her figure. Even though my skirt is just as borrowed, it’s somehow more familiar.

“Uh, Asher, I … I don’t know how to ride a horse.” I try to not look as terrified as I feel. It’s a long way back down to the ground and I clutch tightly to the saddle in hopes of keeping myself firmly in place.

He only grins and swings into the saddle behind me, causing me to grab wildly for purchase and shriek when the whole thing tips slightly.

“Not a problem. I’ll be right behind you. I promise I won’t let you fall.”

Before I can even think of what to say, Gavin grabs Asher’s arm and tugs—sending Asher crashing to the ground with a thump—before taking the leather straps attached to the horse’s head and walking forward with her. The horse starts walking and I cling to the knobby thing again, trying not to scream when the saddle shifts with each step.

Gavin looks up at me from where he walks next to the horse’s neck. “You’re doing great, Evie. Just keep holding on to the horn”—he taps the thing sticking up from the seat—“and holler if you want me to stop.” Then he leans back and kisses my leg just below the knee.

My stomach flutters and I smile down at him, wanting to run my fingers through his hair. Actually, I want to do much more than that. But I’m too afraid to let go of the horn.

Instead, I glance behind me to where Asher is just now pulling himself into a sitting position. He glares at Gavin for a second before pushing himself to his feet and limp/running to join us again. This time he stays on the ground.

*   *   *

No one really talks. We’re all probably just too nervous, but as the tortuous sun drags itself across the sky and nothing happens, I begin to relax. The horse’s steady gait rocks me until, between that and the heat of the sun, I start to drift.

I try to fight it, but after a while I give up and let myself float, staying awake only enough to not fall off the horse. It’s not like it matters if I’m alert. There’s nothing worth paying attention to anyway. Nothing to see, except kilometers and kilometers of sand and pale blue sky. There aren’t even any clouds to stare at. Which makes me a little sad. Gavin had taught me, when I was first allowed to go outside, how to pick out shapes in the clouds. We’d spent hours that first day, nuzzled up next to each other, pointing out different shapes between kissing. The kissing was my favorite part. Even now my stomach flips thinking about his lips against mine. Or on the side of my neck. How he held my face between his palms. Or ran his fingers through my hair, just staring at me, my heart beating so hard in my chest, I was breathless just from looking at him.

And now, the last few days. Nothing. Like we’re just really good friends.

A sigh escapes my lips and I blink back to the present to find I’m staring at him. He turns around with a frown.

“All right up there?”

I smile at him. “Perfect.”

He grins at me and the sun shines on him, highlighting his golden hair and making his bronze skin glow. My heart starts hammering as fast as it had in the memory and, for a second, I feel dizzy as we beam at each other.

Then Asher clears his throat and I realize with a start we’ve stopped walking.

“Are we going to stand here all day and stare at each other or are we going to try to get to the city sometime before the next war?” Asher grins at both of us.

For the very first time I can remember, Gavin actually blushes. He quickly turns around, makes a clicking sound, and starts forward again. Starshine continues on while I drift back into hazy, sleepy boredom.

It isn’t until the sun is high in the sky that Asher forces my attention back on the trip. “Forest dead ahead!”

Gavin scowls. “Can we not say ‘dead’ in conjunction with forest? I’ve had quite enough of dead forests, thank you very much.”

This confuses me, but I’m completely focused on the forest. It doesn’t look at all how I pictured. “Forest” may be a bit of an overstatement, actually. It’s just a collection of sad-looking trees.

Asher taps my knee and I glance down at him. “Not much of a forest, huh? It’s really just a bunch of scrub oak clumped together and some pine trees with palmettos tossed in for good measure.” He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “But it’ll feel great to get out of the sun for a while. And the shade will cut some of this awful heat.”

He’s right. It feels about twenty degrees cooler the minute we step into the shade. Shortly after entering, we find a clearing and stop for a rest and some lunch. Which, to my dismay, consists of jerky. And even though my nose wrinkles at the sight of the shriveled meat, I eat it anyway.

I just want a solid hour or two to nap, but entirely too soon, Gavin is telling us we need to start going again. And I find myself back on the horse and traveling down that worn path again, trying to ignore how bored and sore I am. Asher is mumbling to me about something, but I’m so hot and tired, his voice is more a droning sound than anything else. I’m finding it harder and harder to stay awake. Suddenly, the entire saddle jerks to the side and I let out a short scream when I feel myself tilting sideways as someone jumps up behind me.

Before I can fall, a strong arm snakes around my waist and pulls me close to a toned chest and stomach. I relax almost instantly. I know who it is even before I look behind to smile at Gavin.

“It’s okay,” he says in my ear. “I won’t let you fall.”

His voice is husky and I shiver, relishing the feel of him being so close. “Okay.”

Asher heaves a world-heavy sigh beside us and we turn to frown down at him. “I see how it is. Completely ignore me. I’ll be just fine being the only one on foot.”

Gavin smirks at him. “It’ll get some muscles in those skinny little bird legs of yours.” He leans against me again and gently pushes my shoulder until I’m facing front, then traces his fingers down my arms, whisper light, until his hands are over mine.

“Grab the reins,” he whispers. And I do, because when he talks like that, it’s hard to resist anything he asks me to do.

His hands tighten around mine, causing my hands to tighten around the reins. For the next little while I amuse myself by letting Gavin teach me how to control Starshine. It’s fascinating, how just a slight pressure from my fingers or my heel tells her exactly what to do. I have to admit I’m quite enjoying myself, but I’m enjoying the feel of Gavin’s body against mine more. Wicked thoughts—thoughts I have no business thinking ever, let alone with Asher less than an arm’s length away—fill my head and I bite my lip, hard, to try and force them away.

Unfortunately, or maybe it’s fortunately, Gavin seems to be thinking the same thoughts. He kisses down my neck, starting just below my ear and moving toward my collarbone. My breath catches in my throat and I let my eyes drift closed.

Now this is more like it
, I think.

His hands move from mine to rest on my hips, his fingers trailing along the edge of my waistband, inciting little fires along every single one of my nerve endings. My fingers slip from the reins and I start to twist around to face Gavin, but he only breathes, “Don’t,” in his gloriously husky voice, then goes back to brushing his lips along my neck. The stubble on his jaw prickles my skin.

A throat clears and I blink heavy lids. I try to focus on Asher, who’s grinning up at us. He hands me the reins. “You might want to hang on to these, Princess. Horses have a way of knowing when their riders aren’t paying attention.”

Blushing, I take them from him. “Thank you.”

Gavin only continues his onslaught to my nerves and hormones by nuzzling my neck and running his rough fingers across my stomach. I have to force myself to concentrate on breathing and paying attention to the path ahead of us.

“Stop!” My voice is hoarse and I have to clear my throat. “Stop.”

Gavin chuckles but does as I ask. He crosses his arms across my waist and rests his forehead against the back of my head. It isn’t long before his breathing evens out and his body sags against me. I’m fairly certain he’s fallen asleep. It’s slightly uncomfortable, but I don’t dare wake him up. He needs the rest.

By the time we finally stop to make camp for the night, my back hurts from leaning over the horse. When Gavin helps me down, my legs are stiff and patches of my skin feel raw from the leather saddle, so it’s hard to walk at first. I stumble my way over to where Asher is setting up camp.

“All right, Evie?” Gavin asks. He sounds more rested than I’ve heard in days, especially considering he’d been sleeping on a moving horse in what had to be the most uncomfortable position ever.

“Just tired … and sore.” I rub at the tightness in my arms.

Asher smiles over, knowingly. “You’ll get used to that. Couple more days riding and you won’t be sore at all.”

“Wonderful.” Just what I wanted, more pain.

To take my mind off all that, I help Asher set up the tents—one for each of us. But still my back aches to the point that when we’re finished, I’m grateful the only thing left to do is wait for Gavin to come back from hunting for some fresh meat.

I settle myself next to the campfire Asher is setting up. Asher keeps sneaking glances at me, and when he sits next to me, he asks, “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little sore.” My stomach growls and I press a hand to it in an attempt to make it stop. “And hungry, I guess.”

Asher laughs and scoots closer. “Me, too. Wonder what our famous hunter will bring back.”

“Famous?” I give him a sidelong glance.

“He’s the best in the village, Princess. Why do you think they always send him to go?”

“I’d never thought of it before.” I trace patterns into the dirt. It’s true. Gavin
is
always off hunting.

“That boy can catch anything.” Asher shakes his head. “But it’s not a job I’d want. Never being home … Only getting to see my family between trips…” He glances over at me as if he’s going to say more, but then turns back to look at the crackling fire.

I can’t pretend that I don’t understand what he’s telling me. That life with Gavin is going to be difficult. When I’m not having issues anymore, Gavin is going to have to go back to a normal hunting regimen. Which means he could be gone for days at a time, and I’m going to spend a lot of time alone. And worried.

But he’s the only thing I’ve got in this world. Or any world, really. I can’t remember what life is like without him.

I miss being able to remember.

Gavin’s given up so much of his life for me, and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to end any time soon. I know he can’t afford to sit around babysitting me forever, but I’m lost without him. It’s like I’ve lost
myself
somewhere along the way, and I don’t know what’s important to me, or what I want out of my life.

Asher and I stare into the fire in silence while worry twists my stomach into knots.

When Gavin finally comes back, he’s got some kind of fluffy, bloody thing in his hands, and he’s wearing a huge smile.

“Caught a rabbit!” he says so excitedly that even though my stomach turns, I give him a smile back. Then bite my lip against the burning in my stomach and force myself to look away until Gavin’s got it cleaned and strung up on the spit he placed over the fire.

He comes to sit next to me, the rabbit skin in his hands. “I’ll save this and take it back to Mom. She’ll have this whipped into a hat for you in no time.” He looks so proud of himself that I have to smile back at him and try to look as excited as he is about it.

However, I don’t miss the look of amusement Asher gives Gavin. He catches my eye and shakes his head, then goes back to poking the fire with a stick.

Before too long Gavin is dishing out the meat, and despite the fact that I really don’t want to eat it, I dig in. Gavin sits next to me, his hip pressed tightly against mine. No one talks during our meal. It isn’t uncomfortable like before, but I’m not stupid—I can still feel the tension between the two boys. Although I’m curious, I don’t ask. Gavin will talk to me about it when he’s ready.

When we finish eating, Gavin gathers all the bones. Without saying a word to either Asher or myself, he walks into the woods. He’s gone for so long, I begin to get worried and start wondering if maybe I should go look for him. Just when I’ve made my mind up, he reappears.

“I want to show you something,” he says, ignoring Asher. “Come on.” He smiles at me and holds out his hand. Without hesitation, I take it and let him lead me to the tree line.

“Hey!” Asher calls. “Where are you two off to?”

Gavin gives him a look. “If it was any of your business, I’d be taking you too.”

Asher glares at him. “You better not be ditching me.”

Gavin scowls. “Don’t tempt me.” Then he tugs on my hand and pulls me into the darkness of the woods.

Even though it’s pitch dark in the trees now, Gavin navigates expertly through them. The woods are filled with strange sounds—a kind of chirping. The rustling of leaves in the trees. Closer to us on the ground, a strange sound that sounds like someone asking, “Who?”

I’m sure I feel something slither over my shoe, but when I tell Gavin and ask him what it might be he just says, “Don’t worry about it. You don’t want to know.” Taking him at his word, I cling to his hand and follow, trying my best not to think of what could be around us.

Eventually, we reach a break in the trees. He steps out into it, but I’m more hesitant. There’s something about this place. It’s solemn. Peaceful. I’m not sure I should disturb it. But Gavin pulls me out of the trees. Moonlight streams over him, giving him a ghostly appearance, and I shudder.