Her Dawning Empire: The Prophecy

Chapter 87

The sound of crunching leaves made me turn abruptly and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw it was Demir.

"You scared me." I muttered, rinsing my hands and Demir raised an eyebrow, leaning his glaive against a nearby tree before moving to the lake and rinsing his blood-splattered arms.

"You scare too easily." He said simply and I huffed, my eyes focused on washing my hands.

"Only when I see your face." I retorted childishly and Demir let out a small laugh.

"At least you admit that my presence scares you- something you were too reluctant to admit a few nights ago." He mocked and I opened my mouth to snarkily reply, but the sting of the water against my knuckles made me wince and I turned to inspect my hand.

"Ouch." I muttered to myself.

The sudden crunching of leaves made me turn my head and I stilled as I saw Demir move towards me, making me suck in a sharp breath. I merely stayed silent, watching as he crouched beside me, his silver gaze on me and hair blowing slightly in the evening wind. His intense gaze was enough to make me fidget and I opened my mouth to speak, but then he turned to look at my hands submerged in the water. I took in every small action, tensing slightly as he reached forward and took hold of my hand, bringing it out of the water.

My heart was pulsating loudly into the silence of the clearing and my cheeks stained as red as my hands were, but Demir didn't pay heed to this. Instead, he inspected my hands for a moment, his gaze impassive.

My hand felt small in his own and I gulped subtly when he brought it up to closer to his face to inspect the wound. His fingers grazed against my knuckles slightly, but in a gentle feather-like touch that didn't incite pain. I gaped as I looked to him, but his face was impassive, save for the small action of his eyebrows drawing together for a moment as though he was confused.

"How bothersome." He murmured, the warmth of his voice caressing my hand and my stomach fluttered at his words. I faltered as his eyes traced my face, making my veins ice up at every gaze. We sat like this for a moment before he abruptly dropped my hand, turning to look back.

"What?" He asked in his usual tired tone that lacked the depth I had just heard. I looked up at his words, watching as Ayla neared in, breathing heavily as though she ran, her hair matted down on her neck.

"I transported ahead and saw riding horses." She said through breaths before leaning her palms against her knees to finally recuperate. Demir nodded at her words before standing up to his full height.

"That's much faster than a carriage. I'll come with you this time and we'll grab them." He instructed and she nodded before turning to me and giving me a little wave to which I responded with a smile, much too focused on what had just happened. Demir, on the other hand, seemed so composed and unfazed, making his way over to Ayla and away from me without so much as another look.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding as I looked as they disappeared out of sight. My hand suddenly felt cold with the absence of his hold and I stilled as the flitting memory of his eyes on me and hand in mine came to mind. It was something that was so unfamiliar and foreign with Demir or any male for that matter, but I couldn't help the tantalising excitement that built in my mind. Excitement for what, I didn't know but the feeling made me shiver.

I shook my head to rid of the strange thoughts before making my way back towards the village, smiling as I passed Abrax who was helping carry a sleeping child towards a house with her mother. My eyes landed on Emut then who was speaking to who I came now to know as the village head. When his gaze caught my own, he smiled before turning to the village head and saying something. It must have been a way to excuse himself because then he was headed to me, his eyes glinting. We halted when he was right next to me and I watched as his eyebrows furrowed as he took me in, specifically my wavering form.