Page 14 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

Cora gave the group a shy smile, and I timidly greeted them. “Hello.”

I was met with more silent scrutiny. My body went rigid. Cora slid behind me, still gripping my side.

Dolus broke the next few seconds of silence. “Our manners.” He turned his head sternly toward the others, eyes narrowed. “Forgive them for their lack of decorum. We have never encountered a human. This is a new experience for us.” He shifted toward Gabriel and gestured to me. “How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure.” I tried to hold my voice steady. “Cora and I were on a wagon, moving fast. I think it hit something and threw us off into the barrier…er…threshing wall. We woke up here.”

Gabriel moved his hand to my lower back and rested it there. “These two have been through a harrowing couple of days and could use some food before I take them with us back to the castle. Dolus, get Rory and Cora something to eat, and the rest of you pack up camp and ready the horses to go.” The group broke their stare on Gabriel’s command, turning their backs to us and packing up their camp. They all tried to meet one another’s eyes for a silent conversation, no doubt about us.

My stomach groaned again as the scent of savory food filled the air. Gabriel, keeping his hand on my lower back, led us to some seating at the center of the camp. Cora still clung to my side.

Gabriel seated Cora and me on a log, and Dolus handed us plates of some sort of meat and root vegetables. My stomach was eager for a meal, and it smelled incredible. I flicked my gaze at Cora, who was already hastily diving into her food.

Seven large horses grazed nearby, and I lit up at the sight of them. Gabriel took a seat next to me, his thigh brushing against mine. “I see you’ve noticed our horses. We will be riding them back to the castle. I am unsure if humans use horses for transport, but this is the fastest way to move around the kingdom. It will be safe for both of you.”

“I used to ride a lot in my youth. You don’t need to worry about me. I know my way around a horse.”

I might have been a huge disappointment to my mother with how I turned out, but one thing I could say about my childhood with confidence was that I was excellent at horseback riding. That’s not to say she was ever proud of my accomplishments. My instructor often boasted about my skills to my mother, and all she would say was, “Well, I’m glad you’re not a total failure.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “That is wonderful to hear because we will spend most of the day riding. And you, Cora? Do you know how to ride?”

“I rode a horse with my mom when we ran away from my grandmother. His name was Buttons. Does that count?”

Gabriel furrowed his brow but didn't push for further details, to my relief. He smiled at her. “Of course it counts. Maybe we can have you take some lessons while you’re at the castle, since you will have some time before we figure out how to get you back home. Would you like that?”

Cora bit into a slice of thick bread and nodded with a smile on her face. I had always wanted to share my love of horses with Cora, but I was never able to afford lessons for her on my own, and I sold the horse we escaped on. “That would be lovely, Gabriel. Thank you,” I said on her behalf.

“My pleasure.” Gabriel softly smiled. His muscled thigh pressed against mine, and his proximity started to set in. He seemed gentle and kind, but my instincts drove me to gently slide away from him.

I didn’t typically let men touch me, especially ones I didn't know and ones that I had been taught would kill or enslave a human given the chance. Since meeting him, his hands were often placed on my body, and I was always suspicious of any man, human or seraph, who felt entitled to touch others without explicit consent. Still, I would have to be careful. I was in a foreign land with divine-touched entities who could kill us as easily as help us. And help was what we needed. If the nobles in Tironaill were anything like human nobles, then egos were large, nothing was given without a cost, and propriety and ass-kissing would be expected. I would need to play into his hands while keeping up a healthy guard to keep Cora and me safe. My disdain for anything I experienced or witnessed here would be silent. Here I was, biting my tongue once more, just the way they liked it.

Luckily, Gabriel didn’t appear to be offended at my need for space and gently tipped his head at me as he slowly rose to go talk to Dolus on the other side of camp.

After I cleaned my plate, I kept busy by taming my waves into a braid and helped Cora clean herself up, restyling her hair into a manageable ponytail. We were able to clean off most of the dirt that encrusted our faces and hands with the waterskins handed to us by Dolus.

Gabriel finished strapping equipment onto a beautiful dapple-grey mare. I smiled at the familiar earthy smell of the horse and ran a hand down the side of the mare. Gabriel’s head lifted to me, his eyes warm. “You look like you feel a little better. Are you and Cora ready to leave? We will embark shortly to arrive at the castle before sunset.”

“Yes. I want to thank you again for all you are doing for us. I don’t know how I can repay your kindness.”

He took my hand in his. “You don’t need to keep thanking me, Rory. It is the right thing to do for a noblewoman and her youngling.”

I blinked. “Why do you assume I am of noble blood?”

“The way you carry yourself and speak. I can tell you have training and poise that are usually lacking in commoners. Am I wrong?”

Aristocrats were nothing if not consistent in their ability of sniffing out their own. “You aren’t. Though I left that life behind after Cora was born. Does that change your desire to help us?”

“No. I want you safe, regardless of your breeding. Besides, once a noble, always a noble. Shedding your title doesn’t change your lineage.”

I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be comforting.

Gabriel released my hand and shouted over my head, “Soldiers! Let’s move out!”

“Let’s go, sweet girl,” I called to Cora as I grabbed my satchel.

The campsite was cleared quickly. The group of soldiers made every effort to erase signs that there was an entire camp with tents, fire, and bodies moving about for a few days. I overheard the woman, Devoruh, talking to Jorus while we ate, and from what I could piece together, the group was on a reconnaissance mission to locate some militia who were thought to be plotting to break free criminals that were being imprisoned at the castle. They were more cautious about what they talked about around me once they realized I was watching them.

Gabriel took my satchel and placed it atop the dapple-grey mare. “Rory, you will ride with me atop Eli.” He patted the neck of his huge, chocolate-brown stallion. “And Cora will ride with Devoruh.”