Scared to spend hours with my body pressed flush against Raphael as the horse rocked us back and forth, his neck inches from my fangs?
My stomach clenched. Not exactly.
“Fine. I’ll ride with you. But I do want to learn how to ride by myself as we go.”
“Deal,” Raphael said, stepping aside. Doing so revealed the two-seated saddle on Alphonse’s back. As though he’d already known what the outcome would be.
As if he and I were inevitable.
At least now I didn’t need Raphael’s assistance to mount. I ignored his hand as I mounted behind him, drawing my shoulders back.
With a proper two-person saddle, at least I didn’t need to sit in front of Raphael.
“Unless you want to fall off and crack your skull, I suggest you wrap your arms around me,” Raphael offered mildly.
When I took too long, weighing the pros and cons of a broken skull against more contact with the vampire king, he added, “If you do break your skull for stubbornness, I’ll pour my blood down your throat to heal you.”
That had my arms snapping around his waist in a hurry, even as my fangs ached at the morbid thought.
“Happy now?” I groused.
“Just like old times,” he teased.
I resisted a shiver.
This was going to be a long, long journey.
The first few dayswere as exhilarating as they were miserable.
Being out in nature again was wonderful. So much of my life had been spent in Greymere. The little taste I’d had when we’d journeyed before… I was almost nostalgic for it.
The journey was mountainous, but not monotonous. The stone turned from the sharp gray of Damerel to a softer clay path that allowed for breathtaking views. Trees dotted our journey as well, and in the woods, with my improved vision, I saw different animals, nocturnal creatures going about their business.
But Raphael was always there. Demos rode at our side, and I could feel him constantly watching me, as if at any moment I might strike Raphael. Raphael, for his part, ignored it. When the night sky lightened with daybreak, we stopped, and I was transferred to the carriage like a useless babe, where I was forced asleep. I fought as hard as I could against the compulsion. The vulnerability was terrifying, even if, logically, I knew Raphael—for any other faults—would rip apart any threat far more effectively than I could dream of.
I’d spent over a decade hiding myself any way I could at night. The ability to sleep lightly—or not at all—had been a small piece of security, of safety, when I had no other way to protect myself.
Something else I’d been robbed of.
At some point, our retinue would stop fully for the day, but I had no way to know what was going on when that happened. I trusted Raphael, in this at least, but my hatred for the newfound vulnerability remained. When the sun set once more, and I was transferred to the back of Alphonse, I was treated to a different form of torment—my fangs constantly resting inches from Raphael’s neck.
Until one gloaming when I awoke, and Raphael stood by a different horse, one of the Nykta. Its black coat was the same dark shade as the rest, with a small white mark on its forehead.
He held the long reins out to me. “You said you wanted to learn to ride.”
I frowned. I had said that, though since it would slow us down, I’d assumed it was a quickly forgotten request. Apparently not. “Why can’t I learn to ride on Alphonse?” Having not spent much time around any other horses, they unnerved me. The old steed was at least familiar, and I’d gotten used to him, spending all my energy being afraid of Raphael instead.
“This is safer. Nykta horses are better for navigating the low light of the evening on uneven terrain.”
Did I believe Raphael? Yes.
Did I also believe the horse was staring at me with beady black eyes that promised retribution if I attempted to ride her?
Also yes.
I took a step toward the horse and nearly jumped as it snorted.
“Easy,” Raphael said. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or the horse.
