Leo’s eyes widened before he flattened himself against Blackbird’s back and took off towards the castle while urging the horse to go faster, her hooves thundering against the ground. Felix raced after him as another arrow sailed wide, followed by a third.
He could hear hooves behind them, and he leaned forward in the saddle, digging his heels into Shadow’s sides and spurring the horse on as he tried to close the distance that had opened up between him and Leo. He had the short sword he always kept strapped to his belt, and he was good enough with it that he could hold his own in a fight, but he couldn’t protect Leo if he wasn’t close to him.
“Comeon.” He grunted through his teeth, leaning farther forward and hoping that Shadow would pick up on his urgency, and for a wonder it seemed to work. Dust flew from Shadow’s hooves and the horse’s sides heaved as they picked up speed, and it wasn’t long before Felix was drawing level with Leo. They raced across the meadow, neck and neck.
It occurred to Felix that the last time they’d raced like this, it had been towards the stand of trees, and Felix had won. His prize had been the king’s mouth around his cock, and Felix was almost certain Leo had lost on purpose.
A laugh bubbled up in Felix’s chest, inappropriate and shocked, and made its way out of his mouth. It had a hysterical edge to it, and at the sound Shadow’s ears flattened against his skull. Felix sucked in a deep breath, willing himself to focus, and managed to get himself back under control as he rode forward.
But no amount of deep breathing in the world could prepare him for the solidthwackof an arrow hitting his saddle. He pulled on his reins reflexively, and Shadow reacted to the impact of the arrow embedding itself in the leather by rearing up onto his back legs. The next thing Felix knew, he was flying backward through the air. The ground was hard beneath him when he landed on his back, rattling every bone in his body and knocking the wind out of him.
Pain flared through him and jarred up his spine where he’d hit the dirt, and for a few seconds he was paralyzed, unable to even draw a breath, before a strange croaking sound came out of his mouth, and he gasped in precious air.
Shadow’s hooves were far too close for his liking, so he rolled over to lessen his chances of being trampled, which proved to be a mistake. His vision greyed out for a moment as a wave of pain flared from his side and he struggled not to be sick. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, slow and steady, trying to ignore the way every breath brought a fresh stab of hurt.
Someone was touching him, cradling his head and calling his name with increasing panic. “Felix? Felix?Flick?Oh gods, are you all right?”
He opened his eyes to find Leo crouched in front of him, his face twisted in concern. “Are you all right?” he repeated, his voice taking on a desperate note. His hands darted about as he petted uselessly at Felix’s shirt, like he wanted to help but didn’t quite know how, and all Felix could think waswhy aren’t you running?
He dragged himself into a sitting position, wincing at the ache in his arse and his side, and gasped out, “What thefuckare you still doing here?”
Leo reared back like he’d been slapped. “You’rehurt.”
“And you’re theking. It’s my job to keep you safe.” Felix breathed through another burst of pain and hoped he hadn’t cracked a rib.
“But you’rehurt,”Leo repeated. “I can’t leave you.” His bottom lip quivered, and Felix didn’t know whether to kiss him for his concern or slap him for his stupidity.
Given the situation, he bypassed the kissing and barked out, “Oh, for the love of giblets,will you stop being so stupid andget on your damn horse?I’m fine! Just bruised, not broken. I’ll be along in a minute.” He followed it up with the sternest glare he could muster.
Leo opened his mouth, caught the look Felix was giving him, and closed it again. He mounted his horse and galloped off.
It was a relief when he was gone because it meant Felix could finally stop pretending that he didn’t hurt all over. He slumped back onto the ground, lying as still as he could manage, and waited for their attackers to catch up to him and either put him out of his misery or add to it.
Except, after several long minutes, there seemed to be a distinct lack of murderous figures anywhere nearby. Felix levered himself upright again and, shading his eyes with his hand, peered back the way they’d come, still expecting assassins on horseback to come racing towards him. But there was nobody there.
Whoever had been after them—afterLeo, because nobody was interested in the son of a guard—had obviously fled once they’d failed. They’d probably be back, but for now at least, Felix had done his job.
He’d saved Leo’s life.
He stifled a hysterical giggle at the thought that he’dactuallyguarded Leo’s body for a change, before dragging himself to standing. With a lot of cursing, he snagged Shadow’s reins and managed to haul himself up into the saddle. The sharp ache in his ribs and arse had lessened to a dull thud, and he was able to slump across Shadow’s back and slowly, slowly make his way back to the stable yard. He passed a dozen guards thundering the other way on horseback, so he assumed Leo had made it back, and the tension in his gut eased at the knowledge that the king was safe.
Shadow walked at a gentle, easy pace, as though sensing his condition, and when he got back to the stables he found his father waiting for him, white-faced and thin-lipped.
“Gods, son, are you all right?” Janus hurried over and held out his arms, and the sight of his father there waiting to catch him, just like he had been Felix’s entire life, was enough for Felix to let go of the last shred of stubbornness that had been keeping him upright. He slid from the saddle and into his father’s hold, let out a mumbled “Ow,” as the pain in his side flared, and promptly passed out.
ChapterTwelve
Leorode.
He rode like the devils of hell were after him—which, in a way, they were. Someone was trying to kill him, and if it wasn’t for Felix and his quick thinking, they might well have succeeded.
His heart was thundering like it wanted to escape his chest, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the attempt on his life or from the sight of Felix lying sprawled in the dirt, gasping for breath. Both were equally horrifying. He’d seen Felix topple from his horse, and Leo’s blood had run cold for a split second when he’d thought Felix had taken an arrow. The relief he’d felt when it became clear that Felix had simply been thrown had been overwhelming.
He’d wanted nothing more than to stay and help Felix up, but even though he was clearly injured, Felix had reminded Leo in no uncertain terms that his primary responsibility was to his kingdom. The glare he’d sent Leo’s way had convinced him that the boy couldn’t be too badly injured, not if he could manage a scowl of that magnitude.
So now here he was, riding away from his lover and desperately wishing he wasn’t. He didn’t turn around, though—he wasn’t a fool. Instead, he galloped like a wild thing, urging Blackbird on until the stable yard came into view.
“Send for the guard!” he called as he clattered over the cobbles and Blackbird tossed her mane and snorted, picking up on his distress.
