A Hero of Realms(52)

“What makes you think he’ll give up the box so easily?” I asked, frowning.

“I never said that it would be easy,” she said, tightening her hold on the reins. “But I know my father… Somehow, I’ll find a way to get it to you. That is my worry, not yours. You have enough to worry about as it is.”

“And then how will I get to Cruor?” Asking the question sent chills running down my spine.

Her jaw tensed. “That is, I’m afraid, something that I cannot help you with,” she said, to my dismay. “But you’ll have the box on your boat. Despite the distance from The Tavern area to Cruor, it’s a straightforward journey, and there are a number of landmarks along the way. I’ll leave this map with you and tell you which signs to look out for.”

“And human blood,” I muttered. “You said some needs to be placed inside it?”

“Yes,” she said. “Human blood is something I can help you with. We have a small stock of it on board my father’s ship—or at least we did when I left. I’m sure it’s still there and I’d manage to swipe enough for you without too much difficulty. Once we get the box, I’ll give you detailed instructions and advice, as much as I remember the warlock giving my father. It’s hard to explain thoroughly without having it in front of us.”

She paused, falling silent for a while. When she spoke again, her voice was lower. “Once I return to my father, it won’t be so simple to extricate myself again. It pains me to think of you alone in this. Though in fact… I’ll be sad to leave you at all.” She left her words hanging in the air as I wondered what exactly she meant by them. Then her glance, infused with an unexpected affection, made me realize.

“I… I would have liked to have known you better,” she continued. “I guess what I’m saying is, men like you don’t grow on trees.”

She smiled to herself bitterly. I wondered if she was thinking of her fiancé, the man she was so opposed to marrying that she would rather risk her life escaping. The man her father would surely force her to accept once she returned.

There was an awkward silence, as I had no idea how to respond. I had too much weighing on my mind to be able to think much about her apparent attachment for me. Even if I hadn’t, River held my heart. Every part of it. As attractive and kind as Julie seemed to be, she couldn’t hold a candle to the girl I’d professed my love to. I didn’t want to hurt the vampire either, however. Not after all she’d done to help me.

I realized that I hadn’t mentioned River until now. Perhaps because the thought of saying her name out loud was painful, since there was a strong chance that I would never see her again.

But I didn’t want to give Julie any kind of false hope. Hope that, even if I did manage to survive all this, I might have some attraction for her, and find a way to cross paths with her again in the future. I had to crush that now, for her sake.

“Julie,” I said, looking sincerely into her eyes. “Thank you. You’ve helped me through what has been the most desperate time of my life. I’ll be forever grateful to you. But I need to tell you that I have a girlfriend, back in The Shade.” I’d thought that talking about River would be painful, but somehow, it was strangely cathartic, and so I continued. “Her name is River Giovanni. I’m in love with her. Deeply, madly in love with her.”

To my surprise, Julie responded with a smile. “Oh, I know about River.”

I cocked my head to one side. “What?”

Her smile widened and she looked fondly at me. “I heard you mention her the other day, when we were camping outside the dragon’s cave… I’m pretty sure you fell asleep for a bit, or at least dozed off into semi-consciousness. You were breathing her name. I figured she must be someone you care deeply about.”

I hadn’t realized that I’d managed to fall so deeply into rest, much less that I’d been so audible about what was on my mind.

Our conversation became a bit stilted after that. I stood up and, it being dark now, I walked freely around the deck and stretched my legs.

I remained at a distance from Julie for the next few hours, watching the waves froth and foam. All the while, I tried to ignore my increasing hunger. As the early hours of morning approached, I felt a very different sensation within the pit of my stomach. A more worrying sensation. Like the pangs of hunger, it was painful, but this pain was more intense, more acute. As if someone was drilling a nail through me. I recognized it as the beginnings of the same sensation I’d experienced just before Bahir had left me. Before I’d leapt from the cliff. Before the Elder had regained control over my mind.