Someone else was inside this castle. Just like I’d thought.
Terror tripped through my veins. How did she know my name? And why was she calling out to me?
“Tessa,” she whispered again, her voice barely audible over the whistle of the wind.
Gritting my teeth, I shoved my feet back into my boots and held my dagger at the ready. When I crept into the hallway, nothing but dense, whirling shadows waited for me. The voice hissed again, somewhere far away, down in the dark. The back of my neck prickled, and my heartbeat picked up speed.
I stepped out into the hallway. The heavy thump of footsteps thundered behind me. I spun around with my dagger held high and my heart in my throat. Kalen’s hand caught mine just two seconds before my blade hit his chest.
My cheeks flamed as memories of the kiss flooded my mind.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a frown.
“Um.” Tongue thick in my mouth, I tried to come up with an explanation that made sense, but I was too distracted by the fullness of his lips. The lips that had been kissing me only moments before. But none of that had even been real. “I thought I heard something. A voice.”
A deep frown carved his face. “I thought I heard you calling for me. I came to make sure you were all right.”
Heat spread through my entire body. “I wasn’t calling for you. It was that voice.”
His jaw clenched as he dropped my hand and turned to gaze down the corridor that stretched out beyond where we stood. “Hmm. It seems the god who is trapped here is trying to get our attention. Best to ignore it.”
“All right.” Swallowing hard, I tucked the dagger back into my tunic. His eyes tracked the movement, lingering a moment too long on where the top of my shirt dipped low. “Why would she be doing that?”
“For nothing good, I’m sure. Ignore her, Tessa. She’s dangerous.”
A long moment of silence passed between us. Tension pounded the air like a hammer of war. My feet seemed frozen in place. For a good long while, I barely even breathed.
And then there he was. Within two quick steps, he’d palmed my cheek with his rough hand and looked into my eyes with an intensity that made my soul shake.
“I’m sorry, Tessa.”
His hand dropped away. Cool air whispered in to replace the heat of him. With a shake of his head, he stepped back, turned away, and vanished down the corridor. I stood there, staring after him with a racing heart. I had no idea what had just happened. My mind felt full of a million twisted thoughts.
What had he apologized for? Being rude to me earlier, when he was upset about the storm? Or for kissing me? If it was the latter, did that mean he regretted it? I shook my head at myself. Why would it matter if he did? It wasn’t like I’d wanted him to kiss me. Or that I had enjoyed it. Or that I ever wanted it to happen again.
Still, a part of me wanted to march after him and demand he explain.
Instead, I returned to my room, slammed the door, and slumped against it, my heart still careening wildly in my chest.
I didn’t think I would sleep any more tonight.
* * *
“Do you ever sleep?” I found Kalen still sitting before the row of “windows” the next morning. Or maybe it was only several hours later. It was impossible to tell without the sun to guide me. He perched on the edge of the chair, hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He didn’t even glance my way as I approached him.
Truth be told, I hadn’t gotten much sleep myself. After our little…incident, I’d tossed and turned until I got fed up with trying. Now, I was back here again. It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go.
“I only need sleep every few days,” he said, his eyes still locked on the windows. “And then only for a few hours. The mists rejuvenate me more easily than rest.”
Interesting. I wondered if the same could be said for Oberon and the sun, although I supposed not. He didn’t have his powers right now.
I wandered through the room, coming to stop beside his pack. It was partially opened, and inside, the Mortal Blade gleamed, the gemstone sparkling with the heat of a thousand suns.
“You brought it with us.”
He glanced over his shoulder, saw what I was looking at, and frowned. “Considering using it against me, are you?”
“I…” My heart faltered. Strangely enough, the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. “Actually, no.”