Curse Breaker (2)

38

Away from the fire, the cold crawls beneath my damp clothes. I draw my knees to my chest where the water lapping at the rock can't reach my toes. Casimir hasn't come to seek me out, which I can only hope means he's getting some rest. It's been a good ten minutes since Juem left, and Killian and I have sat in mere silence.

Noises of the cave surround us, filtering through the crashing of the waterfall. The whistle of the wind, the distant howls--they have not dulled in the time. Rather, the more I get used to the sound of the rushing water, the louder they seem.

I don't know how long we're supposed to wait them out. All I know is that they don't seem to be leaving.

I push to my feet, feeling the heat of Killian's gaze as I move around the edge of the lagoon, trying to peer through the gushing water. It's too thick of a sheet, concealing much of the forest beyond from view. A chill crawls down my spine. I glance above our heads, where the rock curves into the cavern.

"There must be another way out," I murmur.

"There isn't."

"Another entrance or passage, or... or maybe somewhere above our heads we can climb--"

"Freya." His tone draws my attention away from the ceiling. "There's no other way out. All we can do is wait."

Wait. Wait or fight. And even if we had enough of us to take them on, they could be fighting someone they knew in their own country.

I note the certainty in his tone, that grave expression marking his face. "Have you been here before?" I ask, softening my tone. "In this cave?"

He nods, looking back at the waterfall. "I wasn't sure at first. I would've been younger than 15 the last time I was here. Torrine is a country of many volcanoes. There are plenty of caves around, but not many hiding behind waterfalls like this."

I drop my hands to my sides, glancing around the cave and picturing a younger version of Killian running his hand along its wall. "Did you grow up near here?"

"No." He shakes his head. "My mother was the commander. I grew up in Taicho, the largest city in Torrine where the Palace is located. It's far from here. But the training camps were always sent out to the Saulun mountains. The terrain is rugged and tests even the strongest of soldiers."

"Is that where you met Lei? At the training camp?"

He nods, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. "My sister was obsessed with her. Thought she was the coolest person to walk the planet."

"What was she like? Your sister? Was she like you?"

"People used to say we looked like twins growing up, but that's where the similarities stopped. She wasn't like me, or my mother. She was all my father. Soft and gentle. Kind and selfless." He looks at me, turning his head. "I tried so hard to be more like her, but I'm not."

"Kind?"

"Selfless."

The depth of his gaze makes my stomach tighten. And though his words stab at my heart, I bite my tongue to keep myself from refuting his statement. His betrayal floats through my mind, the way he twisted my insides.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asks.

"You can ask. But I won't promise you an answer."

A half smile crosses his face at my defiant response. "True or false. You hate me."

I swallow. "That's a complicated question."

"Is it?" he probes.

I press my lips together, wishing I could tell him true, wishing I could wipe any and all feelings for him from existence. But I can't, so instead, I ask, "Do you regret it? What you did?"