Defy The Stars by Cathrina Constantine

Author:Cathrina Constantine [Constantine, Cathrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: YA fantasy
Published: 2023-01-11T16:00:00+00:00

twenty-two

SAGE

The sluggish tones of treefolk stirred them from their restive dreams. They’d slept until the wood in the firepit had turned ashy-white. Observing the location of the midsummer sun, the group had hours before evening descended upon them.

“We passed a lake on our way to the tavern,” Crew said. “I’m going for a dip. My bloody hair is sitting on my head like a dang helmet.” He demonstrated by shearing fingers into his mop of hair, which had clotted on his head. His eyes pinched, his wound still prevalent.

“That’d be Insmead Lake,” Tegan expressed. “I’m coming. Could use a washdown myself. Besides there’s nixies in Insmead.”

By the sight of her brother’s churlish scowl, he’d rouse a water nixie for the lone sake of taking a chomp out of Crew. “Hurry it up,” Sage said. Watching them retreat, she noted Crew’s slight limp. His bullet wound required further mending, yet her stubborn nature wanted him to experience the twinge.

Quarter of an hour later, wearing palpable frowns, they plodded into camp. Neither of them talking. Crew wiped a thin dribble of blood on his forehead. She should have advised him that submerging underwater with that type of wound might undue some of her handiwork. When he raked back his wet hair, rendering free his face, her heartrate swelled. He could have been sculpted by the gods, with that strong jaw and full mouth now set in a firm line. Those damp luscious lashes and eyes of amber sharpened as he glanced her way, which brought a stroke of heat to her cheeks.

“Here, figured you could use this.” Her brother lobbed a sopping chunk of her skirt at her. It wasn’t the blood-soaked section she used to bathe Crew with. He must have discovered it in the scrub where she’d left it after cutting Crew from the tree.

She dashed behind thorny bushes. Stripping off her sullied blouse and what was left of her skirt, she sponged her face, neck, and body. She had no choice but to redress in her soiled outfit.

Crew stated it was best to remain unobserved and, her brother agreed. They journeyed along the outer fringes of Alderwood with Sage trailing behind. Since most of her skirt was torn away, thistly brambles all wanted a piece of her bare legs. Noisy revelers and whistleblowing were coming from the village. With folks going and coming home from the Faire, they didn’t want to chance getting buttonholed by persons offering commiserating condolences. Sage wasn’t ready to deal with that either, not yet.

Tegan seemed to have buried his wrathful hatchet, and not in Crew’s skull. Their current standoffish disposition gave her pause to think, pertaining to Crew’s hazy commentary.

In her mind, the jury was still convening as far as Crew was concerned. Do I trust him? Since their interlude at the oracles, and then through the ensuing days, it had been a storming whirlwind. And, not in a good way. He said Madam Rouge was hiding something, so was Crew. He had an

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