Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 by Victoria Aveline

Author:Victoria Aveline [Aveline, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-05T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Lily’s shoulders stiffened as he approached. His fingers itched to reach out and pull her in close, but he held them back. Maybe she was right and it’d be better if he kept his distance. There was no way out of his contract that he could see. He needed to either let her go or explain everything and ask if she’d be willing to wait for him.

Suddenly she faced him. He couldn’t be sure if the streaks on her face had been caused by raindrops or tears, but her swollen lids gave him a heart-wrenching clue.

“So, we should follow this one, right?” She sniffed, pointing at the smaller branch of the river nearest them. It led downhill toward jagged black mountains.

He stepped closer. “Lily—”

“I know, this sucks,” she said with a raised hand. “Maybe we can talk more and see if we can figure it out, but right now, I just want to pick a direction and get out of this storm.”

Verakko finally took a moment to register her appearance. She was soaked to the bone, stained with mud, and shivering. The normally tan color of her skin was pallid, and the tops of her feet were dotted with angry red bites.

Verakko’s heart sank even further. She was miserable, and he hadn’t even noticed. Too wrapped up in his own thoughts and fears. “If we head this way, I can take us through a shortcut in the mountains. We could make it to my city in a few days and get help.”

Lily nodded resolutely and tromped forward. Her pitiful shoes flopped off her heels with every step, sticking in the mud.

“Please, Lily, let me carry you,” Verakko said, accidentally infusing the words with sway.

She gave her head a little shake, then huffed out a breath and eyed him sidelong. She opened her mouth once, then closed it. When she spoke again, a bright bolt of lightning, followed by booming thunder, drowned out her words. She glared at the sky, then back to him. “Verakko, just for right now, I need you to not be so nice to me. It’s making me crazy.”

Frustration flared white hot in him. He flung his arms to the side. “What would you have me do, Lily? I can’t stand seeing you this way.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she stared at him a moment longer before mumbling, “Fine.”

He didn’t wait for her to change her mind; instead, he scooped her up so quickly her weathered shoes remained stuck in the mud. He bent at the knees, waiting until she plucked them from the muck, then sprinted down the hill, sliding and jumping along the shoreline expertly.

A small, vain, desperate part of him hoped she’d be impressed. When he peered at her face, though, he only saw resigned misery.

***

Lily clutched Verakko’s neck, trying to breathe through her mouth so as not to become confused by his increasingly smoky scent. After a few remarkable leaps and bounds, he landed near the base of the mountain, skidding smoothly to a stop.

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