PHOENIX by Richards Elizabeth

Author:Richards, Elizabeth [Richards, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2013-05-08T07:00:00+00:00

19.

NATALIE

WE CUT ACROSS the river, wading across the cool water until we reach the other bank to try and throw them off our scent. My clothes are heavy with water, weighing me down, and it’s a struggle to keep up the pace with Ash. Only the knowledge that the Lupines are after us keeps me going, but every step feels like I’m dragging my body through mud.

“Ash, I need to stop,” I say after an hour, unable to take another step.

The Lupines howl again. The sound seems to be coming from both sides of the gorge this time.

“They’ve split up,” Ash says distractedly.

“That’s a good thing, right?” I say. “It means they’re having trouble tracking us?”

Ash doesn’t say anything. Instead he surveys our surroundings, then leads us into the shallow waters of a stream, I presume to cover our scent. We follow it through a crevice in the cliffs to our right, the water splashing around our boots. The light immediately dims as we enter the passageway.

The sandstone walls close in around us the farther we walk, making me feel claustrophobic. At one point, the passageway gets so narrow, we have to turn sideways to squeeze through the gap. Ash grunts as the stone scrapes at his chest, tearing a button from his jacket.

“Fragg,” Ash mutters, getting jammed.

I shove him with my shoulder, wincing as my arm collides with his hard body, and we burst through the other side of the passage. My eyes widen with surprise as we’re greeted by a natural pool inside a giant cavern. A large section of the cave’s roof has fallen in, so sunlight streams down on its glittering surface. Boulders and green thorny shrubs line the embankment, while silvery fish dart about underneath the jade waters.

We find a place to rest on the stony banks. I lay our coats on the ground while Ash removes his black headscarf, tucking it into his duffel bag.

“I’ll take the first watch,” Elijah says, walking to the water’s edge. He finds a boulder to sit on, and turns his back on us.

Ash and I lie down on the coat-bed, facing each other. Tingly sparks of electricity shoot through me, the way they always do when I’m close to him, because of our Blood Mate connection. He smiles softly at me as his fingers brush over my cheek, making my blood temperature turn up a notch. He closes the gap between us, and we gently kiss. This is all I need: him, me, like this. His hand slips under my top and lightly traces up my spine. I melt against him, my moan muffled against his lips.

“Ahem.”

The sound of Elijah’s exaggerated cough makes us both start. We stop kissing, and grin sheepishly at Elijah. He shakes his head, then turns around again. Ash holds me against him as we fall asleep.

In my dream I’m walking through the canyon, but it looks different: the skies are storm gray, the earth as black as cinder, the river rose-red with blood.

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