take to throw them off our trail.
There’s no time to slink along the wall to the next gate, the festival will be wrapping up soon and people will be headed back to their homes for the night. There really isn’t even time for me to be standing here thinking. No other choice then. I’ll find another way to throw them off. Grabbing Lir’s arm, I run the last few feet to the gate and slip through.
* * * * * * *
We’ve been making fast progress away from Bridgelake for what feels like forever, but in reality is probably only a couple hours or so. There should be plenty of time for us to make our escape. Emily said the guards don’t switch over until morning so our escape won’t be discovered until then. Our westerly direction, away from the city, should help keep them off our tail as long as the dead guard doesn’t give us away. That is, if Dane actually cares about retrieving me. It’s not like he was very concerned about Jace.
The weight of the day’s events is catching up to me and my steps are slowing. We walk in silence, the sound of the forest surrounding us and the occasional twig breaking underfoot. I mumble an apology when a small branch swings back after I push by and hits Lir. He mumbles something in return. Small talk is not my specialty and it doesn’t appear to be his either. The lingering quiet between us unnerves me, sending doubts flooding into my mind.
What have I gotten myself into? Now that I really have time to stop and think, or at least concentrate on thinking, I realize I have no idea what I’m doing, not really. The combination of hope and adrenaline that has been keeping me going is fading, leaving me with nothing but a very vague goal to work towards. Yes, I’m going to get Jace back, but how?
The increased anxiety speeds my steps until Lir falls behind. My feet beat out a steady cadence. Step. Breath. Step. Breath. What if I should have waited for Flint? Step. What if the alien is dangerous? Breath. What if I’m too late? Step. What happened to the dead guard? Breath. What if Jace is dead? What if—
“Jax?” He’s beside me now, his voice breaking me out of the endless stream of what if’s floating through my brain. “Are we stopping here?”
Huh? I realize I’ve stopped walking and I’m practically hyperventilating. The buzz of anxiety is back, filling my body and throbbing in time with my rapid breathing.
Lir’s brow furrows. “Are you alright?” His hand extends toward me and mine flies up to meet it, grasping his wrist and squeezing.
I can feel his wrist bones grating together under my grip. “Don’t touch me.” My hand releases and he yanks his arm away.
“Got it. No touching.” Wariness enters his eyes and he takes a step backwards.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
And his hands go up in front of him. “Like what?”
“Like I’m crazy.” And there goes the eyebrow. “And stop with the eyebrow thing!”
Lir blinks his eyes twice and then a short burst of air escapes from his chest. “Eyebrow thing?” His lips fight to turn up at the edges.
I scowl, but the wavering edges of his mouth start my lips to mimicking the motion. I lose the battle first. A smile spreads across my face and my anxiety releases into a laugh. “Yeah. The eyebrow thing. You know, like this?” My pointer finger goes to his brow and lifts his left eyebrow up. “Just the one.”
The muscles in his forehead move under my finger and the green tips of one curl brush against my knuckle. If I move my hand his eyebrow would stay up. Lir doesn’t say anything, he just trails his eyes down my arm and up to my finger until his gaze is twisted up. Crap. I’m touching him again… Right after I told him not to touch me. What is wrong with me?
I was right, the eyebrow stays up when I pull my hand away and drop it to my side. The tingling buzz recedes along with the previously unnoticed tension in my limbs. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m just a little on edge.”
“Really? I
There’s no time to slink along the wall to the next gate, the festival will be wrapping up soon and people will be headed back to their homes for the night. There really isn’t even time for me to be standing here thinking. No other choice then. I’ll find another way to throw them off. Grabbing Lir’s arm, I run the last few feet to the gate and slip through.
* * * * * * *
We’ve been making fast progress away from Bridgelake for what feels like forever, but in reality is probably only a couple hours or so. There should be plenty of time for us to make our escape. Emily said the guards don’t switch over until morning so our escape won’t be discovered until then. Our westerly direction, away from the city, should help keep them off our tail as long as the dead guard doesn’t give us away. That is, if Dane actually cares about retrieving me. It’s not like he was very concerned about Jace.
The weight of the day’s events is catching up to me and my steps are slowing. We walk in silence, the sound of the forest surrounding us and the occasional twig breaking underfoot. I mumble an apology when a small branch swings back after I push by and hits Lir. He mumbles something in return. Small talk is not my specialty and it doesn’t appear to be his either. The lingering quiet between us unnerves me, sending doubts flooding into my mind.
What have I gotten myself into? Now that I really have time to stop and think, or at least concentrate on thinking, I realize I have no idea what I’m doing, not really. The combination of hope and adrenaline that has been keeping me going is fading, leaving me with nothing but a very vague goal to work towards. Yes, I’m going to get Jace back, but how?
The increased anxiety speeds my steps until Lir falls behind. My feet beat out a steady cadence. Step. Breath. Step. Breath. What if I should have waited for Flint? Step. What if the alien is dangerous? Breath. What if I’m too late? Step. What happened to the dead guard? Breath. What if Jace is dead? What if—
“Jax?” He’s beside me now, his voice breaking me out of the endless stream of what if’s floating through my brain. “Are we stopping here?”
Huh? I realize I’ve stopped walking and I’m practically hyperventilating. The buzz of anxiety is back, filling my body and throbbing in time with my rapid breathing.
Lir’s brow furrows. “Are you alright?” His hand extends toward me and mine flies up to meet it, grasping his wrist and squeezing.
I can feel his wrist bones grating together under my grip. “Don’t touch me.” My hand releases and he yanks his arm away.
“Got it. No touching.” Wariness enters his eyes and he takes a step backwards.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
And his hands go up in front of him. “Like what?”
“Like I’m crazy.” And there goes the eyebrow. “And stop with the eyebrow thing!”
Lir blinks his eyes twice and then a short burst of air escapes from his chest. “Eyebrow thing?” His lips fight to turn up at the edges.
I scowl, but the wavering edges of his mouth start my lips to mimicking the motion. I lose the battle first. A smile spreads across my face and my anxiety releases into a laugh. “Yeah. The eyebrow thing. You know, like this?” My pointer finger goes to his brow and lifts his left eyebrow up. “Just the one.”
The muscles in his forehead move under my finger and the green tips of one curl brush against my knuckle. If I move my hand his eyebrow would stay up. Lir doesn’t say anything, he just trails his eyes down my arm and up to my finger until his gaze is twisted up. Crap. I’m touching him again… Right after I told him not to touch me. What is wrong with me?
I was right, the eyebrow stays up when I pull my hand away and drop it to my side. The tingling buzz recedes along with the previously unnoticed tension in my limbs. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m just a little on edge.”
“Really? I
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