AllFreeNovel
Share Us
––––––––
I FRET OVER SHALIA the entire ride home and drive the males harder than I should. It’s a hardship for the prisoners in the wooden half-cart getting tossed around. They’ll be full of scrapes and bruises when we get home. But I’m not worried about their comfort, or whether they break bones. On the contrary, they can suffer as much as possible for what they’ve done to her.
When we reach the gates of Solaya, I hop from Tobias and allow another male to take him to be brushed. The prisoners groan as they’re hauled from the cart where they’ve been tied together to prevent one from jumping out.
I don’t even wait to hear what they discuss with the rest of their clan—already caged—before I veer off to find Shalia. I know I should question the prisoners but there’s plenty of time for that later.
Then I see Latsil, who has been slinking around the village keeping an eye on her. He’d mentioned that the boys would be visiting with her and he wanted to make sure none of them came to any harm.
“Is she good?” I ask.
“Aye. She’s at the creek with Hisa. The brats have returned home to their mother. Joanna has stayed indoors all day, working in her gardens to distract herself from trying to catch glimpses of Shally. What of the males you captured?”
“They offered no information and it doesn’t seem like the others were too enamored to see them. Mayhap they had a fight before being captured. I’ll question them after I visit with Shalia.”
“Makes sense,” Latsil grunts. “Shalia never had time to try to visit the other males.”
“Did it seem like she wanted to?”
“Aye, it did. But she protected the boys.” Latsil looks proud.
“Then she may try when she hears we have them all,” I say. “Give her space. She needs to clear out her head with them.”
“You’re not worried that she may try to escape with them?”
“Nay. And if she does, I’ll track her. Don’t worry.”
He does look worried, and I can’t blame him. She’s his daughter and he lost her once.
I lost her once.
I head off toward the edge of the village where the creek runs. I see my favorite girls ahead and for a moment, it seems like old times—except for Shalia’s clothing. Both Shally and Hisa start to rise from the rock’s edge where they sit.
“Jogug!” I call.
She turns and the excitement on her face makes me run to meet her.
Hisa fades into the background as I reach Shalia, lifting her smaller form to me and spinning her around. I hunch down into her so I can kiss her sweet lips. Goddess, I love this. I love that she’s finally mine after a lifetime of waiting.
Doesn’t matter to me that she looks Blackheart.
Doesn’t matter to me that she’s no longer the gentle princess she was when I dropped her off in Creede.
Doesn’t even matter to me that she doesn’t remember me, because her soul still knows mine.
“I missed you,” she gasps, pulling away and then, unable to resist, sealing her mouth back to mine. She winds her arms around my neck and this moment between us feels perfect.
“Well, I’ll just leave you in capable hands then,” Hisa says finally, with a snicker in her voice. “I’ll go and find Tok.”
“Do that.” I bend and sweep Shalia into my arms, then head back to our tent. She sighs and cuddles against me.
“I know I said we could leave today, love. I’m sorry I had to go—”
“It’s okay,” she says. “A couple days doesn’t make much of a difference, does it?”
“Nay,” I say, relieved. Until I realize why it doesn’t make a difference to her. She wants to be able to see the males of her ex-clan. Part of me hoped that she wouldn’t be foolish enough to want to visit with them. But yet, I also know that she is still under their influence.
It makes me sad, but also makes me proud of her for navigating this relationship between them. For investigating the truth for herself. And surely, she will see how different their treatment of her was compared to that which she receives in her real clan. Now she’s able to see both sides.
