Retrieve by Sarah Addison-Fox

Author:Sarah Addison-Fox [Addison-Fox, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780473465957
Publisher: Double Edged Sword Publishing
Published: 2018-12-25T22:00:00+00:00

A groan escaped as moisture spilled down Hadley’s swollen lips. Sharp rocks dug into her spine as she shifted her weight and tried to make sense of what had happened. Disorientated, she began trying to piece together what had happened.

A moment ago, she’d been wearily lamenting her foolishness at getting rid of the coat when her head had gotten light, and she’d been unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

No! No! No!

Panic flooded her body, her head pounding, and her mouth as parched as the land around them, she slowly opened her eyes. Kade’s stubble, the slight bump on his nose and the hues of caramel in his eyes the first thing to come into focus.

His eyebrows knotted together as he handed her his water skin. “Drink and don’t argue.”

Her hand was trembling as she accepted it, too weary, too hot to do anything but guzzle. Kade snatched it away and shook his head. “I told you, small sips and often.”

She laid her head back on the rocky ground, no longer caring about anything but finding relief from her discomfort. If she weren’t so tired, she’d cut away the bindings and lie here in the shade of the mountains.

Kade peered at her as though she were an insect he wanted to pull to pieces. “Let me guess, the bindings are too tight again?”

Hadley refused to answer him. What was the point? They both knew she had fainted because she was being stubborn. If she admitted to him, admitted it out loud, it somehow made it seem so much worse.

He shook his head again and stalked away, muttering words she couldn’t make out but could guess. She pulled herself to sitting, every part of her body aching and raw with burning, weary overused muscles.

Her head had grown even itchier, and she began fantasising wildly about shaving her hair off or finding a body of water and despite her fear of drowning, throwing herself in, if only to relieve the torment she was in.

Kade’s footsteps were heavy as he approached and stared down at her. “This isn’t going to work. You need to be wearing something lighter, or we’ll never make it to Lazen.”

Hadley tried for a weak shrug but could barely muster the energy. “What do you suggest?”

Kade raised an eyebrow, and a deep frown appeared on his face as he considered her. He continued to stare at her as she sat, legs sprawled out on the ground. “The best I can come up with is cutting your clothing.”

His eyes narrowed as he searched the length of her. A bolt of alarm jostled her into thinking. “How much are you cutting off?”

Kade dipped his chin, his voice low as he spoke. “Enough, so you don’t keep fainting, enough, so you still pass for a boy.”

He reached for a knife and wore the slightest of smiles as he unsheathed it. “Let’s hope you have hairy legs then eh?”

Hadley’s lips split into a smile before she remembered she was annoyed with him for being so smug.

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