Spectator

Chapter Thirty-five: Now

"So what's your plan for getting them out of there?" Kali asked Zakariah. They stood on the same stone outcropping where she had decked him. If events repeated themselves, Zakariah would only have himself to blame.

It had been three days. Nari and Jae had been given food and water and Jae had even begun to look a lot better thanks to the Hazanti medicine, according to Zakariah. He had at least gotten close enough to talk to them, examine them, as long as the Shaman was nearby. But they hadn't been allowed up once and Sh'an had warned Kali to stay away. She wasn't even able to talk to them, talk to Jae. Instead, she had left them abandoned in a hole and they needed to be freed. Sh'an said he was discussing it with the chief and she needed to be patient but if that didn't work, there had to be a plan B.

Zakariah scoffed. "There isn't one."

"Come on," Kali hedged. "You've been walking around that hole for three days and you don't have a single thought or idea that's come into your head?"

"And what have you come up with?" He challenged.

"I'm not the one who's been able to get to them," Kali said.

"Blame your boyfriend for that. Although it looks like you've been more than happy staying away." His lip curled in mockery. Kali's eyes narrowed. Zakariah had seen Sh'an saying goodbye to her one morning, his face in the crook of her neck, leaving marks, his hands roaming possessively over her body. She told herself this was all part of the plan; she needed to ingratiate herself and secure Sh'an's trust. But there was something about his touch and attention that was quickly becoming intoxicating. Her stomach fell a little whenever he left camp, and started fluttering whenever he returned, his dark eyes meeting hers against the clearing, as if he could undress her by his mind alone.

It was overwhelming. It was exhilarating. She wasn't in love with Sh'an, but something stirred whenever he was with her, even if it was just him practicing Standard in his low, smooth voice. Soon, she would be in trouble, if she wasn't already. They had to rescue the others and escape as soon as possible, before it got any harder. As if it wasn't already hard enough.

"I have a guard, remember?" She gestured to where Lisan stood, far enough away they have privacy if they spoke quietly, but enough to be watching. Always watching. "And besides, if Ghaen sees me, he'll make it worse for them out of contempt alone."

"So as usual it's up to me to come up with everything."

"Something would be nice. There's more and more border attacks with Blood Clan after our escape."

"Maybe we should have thought more before going into their territory," Zakariah said. "But no, you all insisted. If you'd listen to me, none of us would be in this situation for no reason.

"There was a reason," Kali snapped. "They just happened to die before we got there."

Zakariah shook his head, his voluminous curls bouncing. "I have work to do. Enjoy standing there. And then later, enjoy being on your back."

"Someone has to," Kali said, resisting the urge to strike him but only because he was beyond her range. The asshole was learning.

She knew she couldn't get any closer without Sh'an's company, but that didn't mean she didn't want to. She gazed at the wide mouth of the glistening stone pit, thinking. Ropes were the only way down, unless they were to find a way to slowly fill the pit with water until they could swim out, which was probably even less feasible than the ropes. Damn it. She didn't have much patience left but there weren't a whole lot of choices. They'd spent so much time in this jungle. How long before the Sentinels decided they were never going to escape?