Elara’s POV
“I need to bathe,” I announce as days of grime and sweat finally begin to overwhelm me.
Kael’s head turns toward me, and I catch him sniffing subtly, like he’s scenting the air. His expression remains neutral, but there’s something almost appreciative in his eyes that makes my cheeks warm.
“No, you don’t,” he says, his voice gruff. “You smell fine.”
“Fine?”
I wrinkle my nose at him.
“I hate being dirty, Kael. I usually bathe several times a week, and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without a proper wash. I feel disgusted.”
“You don’t smell disgusting.”
The fact that he just said this seems to surprise even him, and he clears his throat.
But I’ve already spotted a small river winding through the trees below us, its water catching the late afternoon sunlight like scat
