Rise of the Warrior Queen (Kaia and Silver) novel Chapter 45

CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

SILVER’S POV

I stood there for a long time after Kaia left. The trees rustled softly around me, but my mind was anything but calm. I kept staring in the direction she had gone, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

What had she seen in my eyes?

Why had she looked so shocked… most importantly, why had she lied about it?

Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in my chest–like a knot tightening more and more with each passing

second.

I let out a heavy sigh and made a mental note to talk to Kaia later.

Right after this moon–forsaken mission. I let out another sigh and pulled the folded map from my pocket. I opened it, hoping that if I focused on the route, maybe I could push the thoughts away. Maybe I could reset my mind, get back to the task at hand.

I had only been looking at the map for a few seconds when the sound of soft footsteps coming from behind

me met my ears.

At first, I thought maybe Kaia had come back. I turned slightly, expecting to see her or hear her voice.

Instead, something small slammed into my leg.

I jumped and looked down quickly.

My brow furrowed when I saw a kid hugging my legs.

“What the-?”

I stared at the boy in surprise. He held onto me tightly, burying his face against my pants. It took me a few

seconds to recognize him.

“Eli?”

I hadn’t seen him since the night of the eclipse. And now his tiny hands were clutching me like he’d known

me forever.

I crouched down slowly, folding the map and tucking it back into my pocket.

“Hey, buddy,” I said gently. “You okay?”

He didn’t answer. Just hugged me tighter.

I looked around quickly, expecting someone–anyone–to come out of the trees. But the forest was empty.

Just us and the quiet sounds of the woods.

“Are you out here by yourself?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

८

Still no answer.

Then, just as I was about to stand, I heard him whisper.

“Don’t go.”

CHAP

1 froze

“What?”

“You can’t go,” he said again, louder this time. His voice was small but firm, like he knew something I didn’t.

A strange chill ran through me.

I looked into his young face. He seemed serious–like, really serious.

“Eli, what’s wrong?” I asked carefully. “Why don’t you want me to go?”

“There’s danger out there,” he said. Plain and simple.

My frown deepened,

I mean, Doc had warned me about this. He’d told me that the kid was… special. But nothing could have

prepared me for this experience with him one–on–one.

How did he even know where I was going?

Before I could ask what kind of danger he was referring to exactly, I heard another voice in the distance.

“Eli!”

Footsteps pounded through the trees, growing louder. I stood up just as a man came running toward us. He looked panicked at first–but when he saw us, his face lit up with relief.

He rushed over and scooped Eli into his arms.

“Thank the moon,” he breathed. “I was so scared… I didn’t know where he went. I only looked away for a

second…”

The man turned to me, eyes wide with gratitude. “I’m so sorry,” he said quickly. “He wandered off while I was talking with someone nearby, I didn’t even see-”

“It’s okay,” I said, holding up a hand to calm him. “Really. He’s fine.”

The man shifted Eli in his arms, then held out a hand. “I’m Jeff. Eli’s father.”

“Silver,” I replied, shaking it.

He blinked. “Wait… the Silver? You’re the one who saved him during the eclipse?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I just… someone had to do it, and I just happened to be available. I guess.”

“That was more than enough,” Jeff said, his eyes softening. “I’ve been meaning to come find you. To thank you. But… life, you know? Work’s been crazy. Still, I owe you everything.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” I said with a small smile. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

He gave me another smile of gratitude, then nodded and turned to leave, carrying Eli in his arms.

“Take care,” he said over his shoulder.

I was about to head in the opposite direction when I heard Eli again.

“Wait!”

I turned back just in time to see him squirming in his father’s arms.

“Eli, what are you-?” his father began, but Eli had already slid down and taken off running–right back to me.

2/4

< CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

He stood in front of me and waved his hands, motioning downward.

At first, I didn’t get it.

Then he did it again, clearly trying to tell me something.

“You want me to crouch down again?” I asked.

He nodded quickly.

Still confused, I crouched down in front of him.

Eli stepped closer. His eyes were wide and serious. Then he reached for my hand, gently opening it. I felt something small and sharp touch my palm. He placed it carefully into my hand–then leaned in close to my

ear.

“Just a prick,” he said. “Just enough to draw blood. Not theirs. Yours. It won’t hurt–but it will scare them off.”

His whisper was soft, but his words made my blood run cold.

I stared at him, confused.

“Wait, Eli. What do you mean? Scare who off?”

But he didn’t answer.

Before I could stop him, he turned and ran back to his father, who looked more confused than ever. The man gave me a polite nod, probably thinking Eli had just said goodbye in some weird way, and started walking

again with his son.

I stayed crouched, staring at my open hand.

In it was a needle.

Just an ordinary sewing needle.

But nothing about this felt ordinary.

“Just a prick. Just enough to draw blood. Not theirs. Yours. It won’t hurt… but it will scare them off.”

I closed my hand around the middle, my heart pounding in my chest as the words replayed over and over

again in my head.

What was Eli talking about?

Why did he give me this?

And how the hell was my blood supposed to scare anyone?

Nothing about this made sense. First/Kaia was acting strange after looking into my eyes… now this?

I stood up slowly, my mind racing.

Something was happening. I didn’t know what. But it felt like I was standing in the middle of something big-

something dangerous–and I didn’t even understand it yet.

And now a little kid had just handed me a warning.

A needle.

And a whisper that sent a shiver down my spine for reasons I didn’t even know.

L

CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

What’s going on?

I tucked the needle into my pocket.

He Points

I didn’t know what scared me more–the fact that a child had given me a cryptic warning… or the growing

feeling that he wasn’t wrong.

The forest suddenly felt quieter than before.

I turned back toward the trail, forcing myself to focus. I had to keep moving. I had a mission to complete.

Whatever this was–whatever Eli meant–it would have to wait until I had more than goosebumps and

guesses.

But an hour or so into the trek, I knew something was wrong.

The path on the map no longer matched what I saw around me. Landmarks were missing. Trees that were supposed to be there… weren’t.

And worst of all?

I kept having this feeling like I was being followed.

I didn’t see anything–not at first–but I felt it. Like eyes crawling over my skin. Like there was someone in the

forest watching. Or maybe it was something.

CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

SILVER’S POV

I stood there for a long time after Kaia left. The trees rustled softly around me, but my mind was anything but calm. I kept staring in the direction she had gone, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

What had she seen in my eyes?

Why had she looked so shocked… most importantly, why had she lied about it?

Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in my chest–like a knot tightening more and more with each passing

second.

I let out a heavy sigh and made a mental note to talk to Kaia later.

Right after this moon–forsaken mission. I let out another sigh and pulled the folded map from my pocket. I opened it, hoping that if I focused on the route, maybe I could push the thoughts away. Maybe I could reset my mind, get back to the task at hand.

I had only been looking at the map for a few seconds when the sound of soft footsteps coming from behind

me met my ears.

At first, I thought maybe Kaia had come back. I turned slightly, expecting to see her or hear her voice.

Instead, something small slammed into my leg.

I jumped and looked down quickly.

My brow furrowed when I saw a kid hugging my legs.

“What the-?”

I stared at the boy in surprise. He held onto me tightly, burying his face against my pants. It took me a few

seconds to recognize him.

“Eli?”

I hadn’t seen him since the night of the eclipse. And now his tiny hands were clutching me like he’d known

me forever.

I crouched down slowly, folding the map and tucking it back into my pocket.

“Hey, buddy,” I said gently. “You okay?”

He didn’t answer. Just hugged me tighter.

I looked around quickly, expecting someone–anyone–to come out of the trees. But the forest was empty.

Just us and the quiet sounds of the woods.

“Are you out here by yourself?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

८

Still no answer.

Then, just as I was about to stand, I heard him whisper.

“Don’t go.”

CHAP

1 froze

“What?”

“You can’t go,” he said again, louder this time. His voice was small but firm, like he knew something I didn’t.

A strange chill ran through me.

I looked into his young face. He seemed serious–like, really serious.

“Eli, what’s wrong?” I asked carefully. “Why don’t you want me to go?”

“There’s danger out there,” he said. Plain and simple.

My frown deepened,

I mean, Doc had warned me about this. He’d told me that the kid was… special. But nothing could have

prepared me for this experience with him one–on–one.

How did he even know where I was going?

Before I could ask what kind of danger he was referring to exactly, I heard another voice in the distance.

“Eli!”

Footsteps pounded through the trees, growing louder. I stood up just as a man came running toward us. He looked panicked at first–but when he saw us, his face lit up with relief.

He rushed over and scooped Eli into his arms.

“Thank the moon,” he breathed. “I was so scared… I didn’t know where he went. I only looked away for a

second…”

The man turned to me, eyes wide with gratitude. “I’m so sorry,” he said quickly. “He wandered off while I was talking with someone nearby, I didn’t even see-”

“It’s okay,” I said, holding up a hand to calm him. “Really. He’s fine.”

The man shifted Eli in his arms, then held out a hand. “I’m Jeff. Eli’s father.”

“Silver,” I replied, shaking it.

He blinked. “Wait… the Silver? You’re the one who saved him during the eclipse?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I just… someone had to do it, and I just happened to be available. I guess.”

“That was more than enough,” Jeff said, his eyes softening. “I’ve been meaning to come find you. To thank you. But… life, you know? Work’s been crazy. Still, I owe you everything.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” I said with a small smile. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

He gave me another smile of gratitude, then nodded and turned to leave, carrying Eli in his arms.

“Take care,” he said over his shoulder.

I was about to head in the opposite direction when I heard Eli again.

“Wait!”

I turned back just in time to see him squirming in his father’s arms.

“Eli, what are you-?” his father began, but Eli had already slid down and taken off running–right back to me.

2/4

< CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

He stood in front of me and waved his hands, motioning downward.

At first, I didn’t get it.

Then he did it again, clearly trying to tell me something.

“You want me to crouch down again?” I asked.

He nodded quickly.

Still confused, I crouched down in front of him.

Eli stepped closer. His eyes were wide and serious. Then he reached for my hand, gently opening it. I felt something small and sharp touch my palm. He placed it carefully into my hand–then leaned in close to my

ear.

“Just a prick,” he said. “Just enough to draw blood. Not theirs. Yours. It won’t hurt–but it will scare them off.”

His whisper was soft, but his words made my blood run cold.

I stared at him, confused.

“Wait, Eli. What do you mean? Scare who off?”

But he didn’t answer.

Before I could stop him, he turned and ran back to his father, who looked more confused than ever. The man gave me a polite nod, probably thinking Eli had just said goodbye in some weird way, and started walking

again with his son.

I stayed crouched, staring at my open hand.

In it was a needle.

Just an ordinary sewing needle.

But nothing about this felt ordinary.

“Just a prick. Just enough to draw blood. Not theirs. Yours. It won’t hurt… but it will scare them off.”

I closed my hand around the middle, my heart pounding in my chest as the words replayed over and over

again in my head.

What was Eli talking about?

Why did he give me this?

And how the hell was my blood supposed to scare anyone?

Nothing about this made sense. First/Kaia was acting strange after looking into my eyes… now this?

I stood up slowly, my mind racing.

Something was happening. I didn’t know what. But it felt like I was standing in the middle of something big-

something dangerous–and I didn’t even understand it yet.

And now a little kid had just handed me a warning.

A needle.

And a whisper that sent a shiver down my spine for reasons I didn’t even know.

L

CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

What’s going on?

I tucked the needle into my pocket.

He Points

I didn’t know what scared me more–the fact that a child had given me a cryptic warning… or the growing

feeling that he wasn’t wrong.

The forest suddenly felt quieter than before.

I turned back toward the trail, forcing myself to focus. I had to keep moving. I had a mission to complete.

Whatever this was–whatever Eli meant–it would have to wait until I had more than goosebumps and

guesses.

But an hour or so into the trek, I knew something was wrong.

The path on the map no longer matched what I saw around me. Landmarks were missing. Trees that were supposed to be there… weren’t.

And worst of all?

I kept having this feeling like I was being followed.

I didn’t see anything–not at first–but I felt it. Like eyes crawling over my skin. Like there was someone in the

forest watching. Or maybe it was something.

I slowed my pace, taking another look at the map in my hand.

Something was wrong with it. It didn’t look right.

It took me a moment to realize what was going on. That the map I had in my hands was completely useless.

I looked around at my surroundings and then looked back down at the map. That was when it dawned on me.

It was a fake.

I had been given the wrong map.

I slowed my pace, taking another look at the map in my hand.

Something was wrong with it. It didn’t look right.

It took me a moment to realize what was going on. That the map I had in my hands was completely useless.

I looked around at my surroundings and then looked back down at the map. That was when it dawned on me.

It was a fake.

I had been given the wrong map.