He roared with laughter, causing everyone to turn and look at us.‘Don’t you dare!’he replied, his brown eyes sparkling.
We arrived at a small inn just before nightfall.There were more people here than we had seen on the road since we left Murus.The owner said the inn was full and only one room was available.I didn’t hide my surprise when Torgrin explained I would be the one to sleep in the room with Bethel to keep watch over her.
‘Don’t you want to take the room with her?’I asked Torgrin.It was petty for me to test him like this, but I couldn’t stop myself.
‘No,’ he said curtly.
‘I don’t believe anyone here will say anything to her father or anyone else.’I kept my voice low.‘Everyone here is loyal to you,’ I assured him.
I knew I spoke the truth.I’d seen with my own eyes how much his men respected him.Lord Warwick might have paid their salaries, but it was Torgrin and Atlas they truly served.
‘I will spend the night out here with my men,’ he growled back at me.It was wrong to be pleased by his reaction, but I smiled as he stalked off.
Despite the comfortable bed, I didn’t sleep well.I’d gotten used to sleeping under the stars between two disconcerting men.
In the morning, I was yawning and my muscles felt stiff and sore.Bethel, though, had her princesslike radiance back.The dark smudges under her eyes were gone, and her pale cheeks were rosy again.
Cillian and one of Torgrin’s soldiers were waiting to escort us to where they had camped for the night.
I scanned our surroundings, noticing several armed strangers loitering around the inn.Making sure Bethel and her horse stayed between me and Cillian while the other soldier covered our rear, we trotted across the open fields, heading towards the woodland where Torgrin and the rest of the soldiers waited for us.
We were approaching the last grassy field when an arrow flew past my ear and into the throat of the soldier riding behind us.
The stunned soldier dropped from his horse as blood pumped from his neck.I had barely registered what was happening when the light faded from the soldier’s terrified eyes.
We were sitting targets.
‘Get down!’I screamed at Bethel and Cillian.
They quickly dismounted at my warning, and I had my swords unsheathed as my feet touched the ground.
CHAPTER 23
‘Cillian, keep Bethel shielded between the horses!’
The arrow had come from the trees ahead of us.I peered into the shadowy woodland, searching for the archer who had ambushed us.
‘Caris!’called Cillian.
I turned to see riders bearing down on us.From the direction of their approach, there was a good chance they were the same armed men I had seen outside the inn.
Out of the trees came a man on a white horse.Two hooded archers rode alongside him, their arrows aimed at us.
The man on the white horse eyed us silently as the pounding hooves of the approaching horses reached us.I counted a dozen riders, all dressed in black.
The stranger on the white horse studied me with captivating, dark eyes.His complexion was a light copper, and long black hair flowed over his shoulders.He wore head-to-toe black, and his deeply grooved face was clean shaven.I caught a flash of gold from one of his ears.
Without turning my head, I whispered to Cillian.‘When I say go, take Bethel on your horse and ride like the wind.’
‘I’m not leaving you,’ he whispered back desperately.
‘They’re not after me.They’re after Bethel,’ I explained calmly.‘I’ll hold them off for as long as I can, but her only chance is if you get her to Torgrin.’
I planned to take out the archers first, using my Curse.That would trigger enough panic for Cillian to get a head start.
‘No matter what you see me do, keep riding,’ I commanded.His anxious eyes met mine with understanding.
The leader’s gaze narrowed on me.‘Get the woman,’ his powerful voice demanded.
