“We’ll leave as soon as night falls.” I slide the key into my pocket. “Lock the door behind me and don’t open it for anyone else.”
Wren and I might not have worked out what’s between us—and I’m starting to realize there’s a possibility we won’t ever get the chance to do that—but there’s no time to waste.
My father may have sent that message to frighten me into turning Wren in, but I will do no such thing. Watching him take Wren solidified something I’ve suspected ever since Hedranfound us: I will do whatever it takes to protect my gods-blessed, because the thought of the world existing without her in it is too much to bear.
13
I’LL PROTECT YOU
WREN
White flakes tumble from the sky, and the wind’s icy fingers graze my cheeks. The moons are hidden behind clouds, but neither the snow nor the lack of light seem to impede Chaos. He has been carrying me and Gabriel towards our mysterious destination ever since we left The Ivory Spoon hours ago.
“Gabe?” I run my gloved fingers down Chaos’s mane, finally daring to ask the question that has been on my mind ever since Gabriel told me about the king’s message.
“Hmm?” His voice is a low rumble behind me, and my core heats.
“I would like to learn how to fight.” My words, said with as much confidence as I can muster, linger between us. “Will you teach me?”
After the encounter with Hedran and almost getting Gabriel killed with my helplessness, it’s become clear that I need to learn how to defend myself. In addition to fighting, I also want to learn how to ride and hunt (for prey, not people), but those don’t seem as important.
Silence stretches between us for so long that I think Gabriel might not have heard me. I turn in the saddle, one hand on the pommel to stay steady.
The Hunter is staring at me intently. “You want to fight with a sword?”
“Maybe one day, but I think a dagger would be a better starting point, don’t you?” I tried lifting a sword earlier, and it was so heavy that I nearly dropped it on my foot.
Gabriel raises a brow. “Is this your way of warning me that you plan to stab me, Birdie?”
“Not right now,” I admit before playfully adding, “but you do seem rather stabbable, all things considered.”
“Do I?” He appears bemused.
“Yes. I can envision a world where something like that happened.”
His lips twitch as though he’s holding back a smile. “I see.”
“You can’t blame me, Gabe. Given our complicated history, it makes sense.”
Just because things have been easier between us the past few days doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten everything he’s put me through. Do I want to stab him right now? No. Would I have done so when he found me in Mora if I thought it would’ve helped me get away? In a fucking heartbeat.
“I suppose you’re right.” He looks at my Mark, and several beats pass before he inclines his head. “It would be good for you to know how to defend yourself, especially since your magic is...” His voice trails off, and he grimaces.
“Unreliable?” I suggest.
“Well, I wasn’t going to put it like that, being as stabbable as I apparently am”—his lips quirk, and this time I’m sure he’s biting back a smile—“but yes.”
Gabriel is right. Even though I’ve worked out that my magic is at least partially linked to my emotions, I don’t know how to control it. At best, it rises at inopportune moments. At worst, it will get us killed.
“So you’ll teach me?”
He hums. “Yes, little bird. I will.”
Surprised that I didn’t have to push Gabriel to agree, I settle against his chest once more. His natural warmth envelops me, and when he wraps his arm around my stomach, I can’t help but focus on the way his fingers spread across me, holding me to him.
I feel safe, and that’s unusual. Not for the first time, I’m taken aback by how things are shifting between me and Gabriel. Things have felt surprisingly easy today, ever since he told me about his nightmare.
Earlier, he procured food for us and restocked our supplies while I washed up and redid my braid. We ate a lackluster stew, commenting on the missing seasoning, and he told me all about the dragon before we spent the remainder of the day quietly in our room.
