Curse Breaker (2)

42

The disorientation of finding Elora in Elel is vastly overshadowed by the shock of the man standing across from us. Chin tilted on an angle, his eyes brush past me and towards Casimir, clasped firmly in Elora's grip.

Silvery light streams from behind him, the moon silhouetting his figure.

"Elex," I breathe.

He doesn't look at me, eyes still caught on Casimir.

"Let them go," he orders.

I haven't seen this side of him. Where the deserters were cold and unfriendly, Elex was always warm. He welcomed me, a vast contrast to the way Trina always greeted me. But he stares at Elora with more ice than what caps the mountains behind his head.

When Elora doesn't respond, Elex takes a step forward.

"Uh uh uh," Elora tuts. She draws her dagger firmer against Casimir. My pulse quickens. His expression remains calm, even as her knife draws a drop of blood.

Elex halts. "We had a deal."

Deal? My mind reels.

"And you have not yet held up your end," Elora responds.

Casimir says nothing, but I can't keep my mouth shut. "What is she talking about, Elex?"

Both of them ignore me, caught in an intense, wordless exchange as they stare one another down. In the exposed bowl of the crater, the wind picks up, swirling around the bowl like a whirlpool. Gravel kicks up, hammering against my thighs. The bitter cold eats away at my exposed hands.

Elex is a deserter, Elora's despised enemy. How long have they known each other? In the back of my mind, a compelling thought presses at me. I'd thought Killian was a deserter too. I thought he hated all shifters.

It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt them," Elex says.

"I said I wouldn't kill them." Elora pauses. Out of the corner of my eye, I note the way she tilts her head. "Because you promised me the hyacerite."

Even the wind cannot swallow her words. The swirl around the crater, echoing in my head.

No.

"And I am a man of my word," Elex says. "You will get your hyacerite as soon as their safety is guaranteed."

A tense silence ensues. Only the whistling of the wind howls through the crater, carrying sounds and voices I can't tell are imagined or real.

"Get to your feet, Miss Raune," Elora says eventually. I hesitate, twisting my head slowly in her direction. Her eyes remain on Elex. "Now. Keep your hands up." Scrambling to my feet, I press my shaky hands to the back of my head, twisting to face her. "Now walk towards me."

Each step weighs me down. I try to control the tremble of my body as I shuffle across the gravel, halting just before her. When I'm within an arm's length, Elora switches her grip from Casimir to me before I can even register what has happened.

Casimir tumbles forward as her blade presses into the centre of my back. Righting himself, Casimir maneuvers his body, darting out to catch Elora's feet. She's faster than him, easily dodging his strike and hooking an arm around my neck.

"This mountain is surrounded by the guards," Elora threatens, voice low. "I no longer need the Cloud Piercer. I won't hesitate to slit her throat."

Casimir freezes, his eyes wide as they dart from Elora's arm to my face. I don't move, barely breathe. Taking a small step backwards, Casimir does not risk taking his eyes off me to check her claim. I glance at the craters edge. Just behind the mouth of the cave. There's no way to tell if she's bluffing.