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Roan nodded, though he didn’t appear totally convinced by my claim I was okay. “Sometimes he just needs space.”
I suspected he was probably right, if only because Niko hadn’t come back or responded to me. To be fair, he might not have heard me either.
I glanced at the forest. It was so quiet, though. The sounds of little woodland creatures were almost gone, leaving only an eerie emptiness that made my skin crawl. In all of that, for Niko not to have heard me…
Space, Roan said. It must be that.
“Maybe we should go back, then. Give him time.” I bit my lip briefly. “It’s kind of creepy out here.”
Roan nodded. Still holding my hand, he drew me with him as he started back the way we’d come. Like a low-lying cloud of black smoke, Ruhl flowed after us, only barely looking like a wolf anymore.
“What about you?” I asked Roan. “Are you okay?”
His brow rose and fell. “As much as I can be.”
“I’m so sorry. That really could have gone better.”
“Or worse, considering the demon did take you away from them.” He released my hand, but only to put his arm around my shoulders. “I don’t blame them for how they reacted. When that vampire—” He paused and then continued as if correcting himself. “When Casimir stole you from me, I…” A soft scoff left him like words couldn’t cover it.
I bit my lip. “Only briefly.”
His head shook, ironclad certainty in his expression. “Not briefly. Not to me or the demon. We both were mad with fear for you that day, and this whole time, I’ve never forgiven him for that.” Roan was silent for a moment. “I think maybe I should have.”
I leaned my head against his side. “I’m here now.”
His arm tightened on me gently, but then he cast a glance over his shoulder.
Apprehension bubbled through me again for no reason I could name. “What is it?”
He shook his head like he wasn’t sure, and when he turned back, he gave me a reassuring smile. “Just creepy, like you said.”
Despite his words, his eyes flicked to the forest behind us again, and I didn’t miss the flash of distrust that passed over his face.
My nervousness grew. “Are you picking up something out here? Because I?—”
A sudden surge of worry and rage flooded through my connection to Ozias, stealing my words and making me gasp. In an instant, I could feel him running this way.
“Princess?” Roan turned me toward him, taking both my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Ozias is?—”
Suddenly, Roan thrust me away from him without ever letting me go.
A thin object shot past, whipping straight through the space where I’d been. Gasping, I threw a panicked look after it.
A crossbow bolt quivered where it impaled a nearby tree trunk.
All emotion vanished from Roan’s face. His gaze snapped to the forest behind us, his expression turning deadly cold.
My breath caught. I’d seen that look before. A few hours ago in the city, in point of fact.
His demon was coming back to the surface.
“Run,” he ordered me.
Without waiting for my response, he took off, his grip on my arm pulling me with him. Rustling erupted behind us both. More metal bolts shot through the air. I shrieked as one of them whipped past so close it tore a few strands of hair from my scalp.
“Ruhl!” Roan snapped.
