The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (64 page)

Guilt welled up inside. He had no way to know how long she would be gone. She’d promised him to return by morning. How could she possibly explain that she couldn’t keep her word? Heartbroken, she held his gaze, voicelessly mouthing her apologies. He seemed to understand the movement of her lips, though his confusion was clear. He wouldn’t know what she was sorry for, but come morning, he would hopefully realize her meaning.

Dazed by her pensive thoughts, it wasn’t until she felt Uttae’s hand gruffly grab her shoulder that she became aware of the horn blasts echoing through the trees around them. It was beginning. Callum took a step forward, stopped by the steepness of the drop between the roof and the ground, the torment in his eyes growing, their umber glow flashing brightly to see her pulled away through the crowd.

Gripping her tightly by the wrist Uttae tugged Aiva along with Kroth keeping a close pace at his side. It was so easy to be swept up in the rush. The warriors were anxious to get into the jungle. Aiva believed she was the only one in the entire village who possessed no desire to go. If Callum could have come with her, it might have felt like a game, the way the Tunirons considered it. Alone, it felt like suicide.

Uttae lagged somewhat behind the wave of warriors, watching. Calculating the direction each group took. “We must go wherever the least number of hunters have traveled,” he explained, handing his bow to Aiva expectantly. “If you attach this to your back, I can carry you for a while.” Noticing Aiva’s disdain at the offer, he chuckled, shaking his head. “I mean no offense. I only offer because we must take to the trees. Unless you think yourself capable of climbing, I will leave the invitation open.”

She accepted the bow, allowing Kroth to assist in securing it to her back. Proud or not, she couldn’t deny her inability to swing from the branches the way Uttae could. If it got them back to Callum any quicker, she would take the offer gratefully. With a pat on her shoulder Kroth signaled her to be ready. She gave him a gracious nod, ignoring the smirk on Uttae’s face while he knelt to make it easier for Aiva to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her legs had barely clasped at his waist before he was in the trees, running up the branches as if they were nothing more than a flight of stairs. They moved higher than the others, finding their way easily into the uppermost levels. Their footing was less sturdy, the top branches lacking the stability of those closer to the base. From their height it would be a simple task to pass the other warriors without them taking notice. It was a brilliant tactic. One that she was amazed more of the men didn’t attempt to take advantage of. At a near constant she was reminded of why Uttae was the General. He was trained and experienced in clever maneuvering. It almost seemed unfair that he was allowed to participate in the hunt.

Time passed in a blur of leaves and vines. They were putting more distance between them and Ghaient. Further away from Callum. She wanted to feel the excitement of the moment but her melancholy thoughts overpowered any chance at joy in the unique experience. After they left Tunir, she would never witness anything like this again. Deep down, she didn’t care. She wanted the familiar forests of Tanispa back.

Overhead the sky was beginning to darken, making it harder to see the branches in the growing shadows. Kroth and Uttae finally began to slow their pace; more cautious of their grip with every swing. Eventually Uttae came to a halt, prying Aiva’s fingers apart from around his neck. “We should settle here for the night,” he stated.

Aiva blinked, staring at their surroundings. They were still in the upper branches of the trees, the ground not visible from their height. How did he expect her to sleep? If she fell… “We are not going to set up camp on the ground?”

Uttae chuckled, guiding Aiva along the thick branch they were perched on, helping her to a seated position next to the trunk. “You will be safer here, trust me,” he smiled, sympathetic to her concerns. “Few animals that climb are as dangerous as those on the jungle floor. Snake bites can be tended. If a jungle cat catches your scent, it would make your husband a widower within seconds.”

“But what if I fall? From this height, that alone would kill me – ” her voice trailed off. Uttae turned his back on her, reaching for something which hung from a branch above. Curious, she watched him, his hands tugging on a vine to check for security, nodding as if in approval of what he found.

With impeccable balance he maneuvered along the branch, wrapping the vine around Aiva’s waist, fingers tying an expert knot just below her naval. “If it makes you sleep easier, know that this will catch you.”

Before she could protest Uttae leapt to the branches overhead. She could hear him and Kroth speaking in their native tongue, an occasional laugh causing her to feel self-conscious. Were they talking about her? She hadn’t done anything to merit being the core of their jokes. Not yet, anyway. The worries she voiced were justified. Vor’shai didn’t spend their days hanging from trees. She was well within her rights to question the safety of it.

Sleep was impossible. How could she expect her body to relax when she was so far off the ground? Perched in the middle of nowhere. If anything happened to Uttae and Kroth, she would be lost in the unfamiliar terrain.

The look on Callum’s face when the horn sounded in Ghaient haunted her. He knew the dangers of the task she embarked upon. If something happened to her, he would be powerless to assist. There was no way for him to know where she was. Callum would be safe within the stone walls of the palace, but she was an open target to every creature. At least he was safe. It brought comfort to her troubled mind.

Leaning her head back, she felt her hair catch on the rough bark, pulling slightly. She didn’t care. The discomfort was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. Somehow the tree was more unnerving than the Feh Noq prison. At least Callum had been with her there. This was utter torture. She hated to be away from him. It was funny to think that before setting out on their journey, she wanted nothing more than to never see him again. Now she couldn’t wait to see his face.

Cautiously she brought her legs in, bending her knees to rest her elbows on top of them. With a heavy sigh she slumped forward. Burying her face in her hands, she tried to push the thoughts of Callum away. If she didn’t stop thinking of him, it was going to drive her mad. “Are you toying with my mind, Kaemin?” she whispered into her palms. “You were always the one trying to make me see how wonderful he is. Please tell the gods to stop tormenting me.” Why did she feel so obsessed? Every waking moment Callum was all she could think about.
Maybe it is because you still haven’t told him…

She let her fingers weave through her hair. The thought lingered in the back of her mind. Time and again Callum had confessed his feelings, yet she had not done the same, despite the opportunities she had to do so. He still prepared himself for the heartbreak of an annulment. Why had she not told him that she didn’t want it? Why had she failed to express her growing emotions? An annulment would devastate her. But there was no way to know if he would be willing to go back on the agreement.

It was foolish to think he would deny her, though it seemed more so to assume that she had that kind of hold over him. If he feared her constant change of heart, he would turn her down. She couldn’t blame him. Her mood had been ever fluctuating from the moment he returned from Siscal. Unpredictable. One minute they were friends and the next they were at one another’s throats. She needed to think of a way to make the annulment less likely. Maybe even impossible.
Or you could just talk to him.

Talk. Yes. It sounded so easy. But when faced with him again, it was inevitable the words would flitter away, forgotten, the same as they had every other time she decided to say something. And in their current predicament the only thing which would make an annulment impossible would be…

She blushed, squeezing her legs in closer to her chest. This was hardly the time to think about that. They had too many problems to focus on without jumping into anything so – adult. In her mind they were still children.
He is your husband
. It was strange to consider. Regardless of how often she referred to him by that title, it only now truly sank in. They weren’t children anymore. They were adults. And if the pirates hadn’t come and taken Shaelyn away during the reception, it was possible they may have already crossed the threshold of intimacy that now made her face flush with warmth to think of.

One step at a time. She wasn’t ready for that yet. If she couldn’t bring herself to tell him she loved him, anything else was premature. Married or not, they had much to come to terms with between each other before anything else could be allowed to happen. They needed a consistent friendship. The thought of being so close to Callum frightened her. Other than Dacian, he was the only boy she’d ever kissed. Unlike other girls at court, she lacked experience in the ways of handling men. Lady Faustine preferred it that way, though Aiva knew the women of court well enough to know that very few ladies upheld the virtuous standards Faustine preached.

There would be time for talk later. Discussion would be impossible until they were safely to the Luquarrian islands. He would be healthy again and they would be in better spirits for her to confess how much he meant to her.
Then it’s settled
, she thought decisively, shifting on the branch to lean her head against the trunk, forcing her eyes closed in attempts to sleep.
When we reach the islands I will convince him to keep me as his wife
. She smiled at the thought. Edric would be so happy.
If Edric was even alive…

Stop it
. Grimacing, she curled up tighter against the tree, praying silently that she would be able to distract her mind until morning. If she couldn’t, it was going to be a very long night.

By the next afternoon Aiva felt her hopes beginning to rise. Satisfied that they were far enough from the other hunters, they descended to the ground, senses alert and waiting, seeking signs of their prey. It didn’t take long for Uttae to signal a possible track. He indicated the scent, retrieving his bow from Aiva’s back without a word. Orkteids were known for their sharp ears and keen eyes, making them difficult to ambush. She found herself curious to see what this mysterious creature looked like.

Her mind was far from the track itself. All she could think about was getting back to Ghaient. If they were able to find this animal and kill it, she might be able to convince Uttae and Kroth to move through the night to the palace before the sun rose the next morning. She didn’t care about sleep. There would be plenty of time for rest when they were on the islands. What was a little lost sleep now if it got them out of Tunir faster?

Kroth took to the trees to gain a better vantage. He and Uttae moved along at a slow pace, communicating through silent gestures with their hands and heads. Aiva wasn’t much of a hunter. She’d never gone with her father and brother when they went into the woods for sport. If she’d known it might be useful in the future, she might have tagged along. But there was no sense dwelling on the things she should have done. She was an intelligent woman. If Uttae gave an order, she was confident in her ability to assist with the capture of their target.

Hand on the hilt of her sword she followed behind Uttae, anxious for a directive. They couldn’t lose this track. It was too important.

The sound of rushing water could be heard up ahead. Uttae drew an arrow from his quiver, placing it at the ready on his bow, listening. Aiva waited restlessly. How could he hear anything over the rush of the nearby stream? “Stay here,” he hissed. She watched in disbelief as he moved away, ducking into the trees. Stay there? What good was she going to do if she let him go off alone? It was frustrating. He didn’t trust her ability with the sword to be good enough to assist. Arms folded across her chest, she let him go. Now wasn’t the time to start a commotion. If she argued, it might frighten the orkteid away, and there was no telling when they would come across another.

From the branches above she listened to Kroth move with Uttae. They were leaving her. The realization was unsettling, causing her stomach to flutter in a wave of fear. She was alone in the middle of a jungle. Afraid of being on the ground without the others, she climbed onto the roots of a mangrove tree along the river’s edge. It offered only minimal height from the jungle floor, her footing uneven atop the twisted and curved wood. Anything seemed better than just standing in the middle of the path, waiting for a wild animal to turn her into their next meal.

Back pressed against the trunk, she listened. Something didn’t feel right. She laughed pitifully. Nothing about her current predicament was right. It seemed humorous to try and pinpoint one single thing which would provoke her already excited nerves.

Amongst the trees she heard something crack. A twig.
It’s probably just the trees settling.
She moved in tighter against the protective barrier created by the trunk. The animals in the jungle were brutal. Agaruls, crocodiles, venomous snakes… her eyes drifted timidly toward the water. It was similar to the river which ran behind Uttae’s home in Iachoor. A perfect place for crocodiles to lie in wait of their prey. Trembling, she moved away from the tree, balancing awkwardly on the roots to find her way back to the flat ground of the path. Being near the water no longer seemed like the best idea.