Page 142 of Crucible
“Do you really think Aurelia cares about anyone but herself?” Thorin doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t have to. I’m right. Per fucking usual. “You shouldn’t have brought her out here.”
“It’s done. Now tell me about the search.”
I blow out a breath, and now that I’ve seen Aurelia, touched her, and heard her voice, the exhaustion returns, and I think about the return journey.
Hell, I don’t know if I can make it.
“CAF called the search with a promise to revisit if new evidence arrives. Something like spotting a girl that looks awfully like our superstar way out in the middle of nowhere, looking like she doesn’t fucking belong.”
“Lay off, all right? No one’s around but us.”
“You don’tknowthat.”
“No one’s taking your toy from you, Khalil. Relax. Let her have some fun.”
“Oh, so you’re Prince Charming now?”
“You really want to do this, Khalil?”
“I want to know how you could be so selfish! I explicitly told you two to stay inside. Are you trying to get us caught?”
“I wastryingto find a way to make life easier for all of us.”
I pause my pacing. “So you were trying to get caught.” The only possible way to un-fuck ourselves and regain a little peace is to let Goldilocks go, and that’s not happening. Ever.
“No, you idiot. I was trying to make Aurelia happy.”
“What the fuck does she need to be happy for? We’re not! It’s called solidarity.”
“Weren’t you the same one that said Aurelia’s the answer?”
“And I still believe that.”
“Then what the fuck is your problem, Khalil?”
“I don’t want to lose her!” My shout echoes through the forest, and a flock of squawking ravens burst from the canopy while Thorin stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.
My heart maybe, but not my mind. My thoughts have never been more clear.
Shit, what the fuck am I saying? “I—”
“Khalil.” Thorin shakes his head. “It’s okay. I know. I feel it, too. We won’t lose her, brother. Whatever it takes.”
The words my heart is bursting to echo evaporate when I hear Seth’s desperate shout from far away. “Sunshine! Sunshine, where are you?”
Thorin and I don’t spare each more than a confused glance that turns into panic before we take off after them. When we reach the last place we saw them, Seth appears out of breath and looking ready for war. He pays us no mind as he picks up Thorin’s abandoned crossbow and takes off back the way he came without even sparing us so much as a glance.
“Seth. Seth, stop!” He does, but I can tell he doesn’t like it. His entire body is vibrating with the need to follow Aurelia wherever she’s gone. “Tell us what’s going on,” I demand. “Where’s Aurelia?”
“She was taken.”
“Taken?” Thorin echoes. “By who?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. Now, are you going to keep wasting time, or are we going to go kill some shit before they get away?”
Thorin and I make eye contact, and then he grabs Aurelia’s hunting bow.
“Lead the way.”
