Page 66 of Ravenrose

Chapter 31

ROWAN

Without having to keep my mind on avoiding tree roots and uneven terrain, I’m able to think—able to plan.

I behave. I don’t want to give Ayer any reason to doubt the little freedom he’s offered. If he and his men stop thinking of me as a threat, they might just forget for a moment to watch me at all. I keep a steady pace behind Dash, giving his rider no reason to tie me back to the saddle.

We stop briefly at a small, clear pond. The men allow their horses a drink and seize the opportunity to refill water satchels.

The woods thin shortly thereafter. The rough path we’re on intersects with a road—a real road. And we just as soon start down the new road when a village appears in the distance.

A village.

Ayer tenses, the company as a whole preparing for anything as we approach. Men draw their swords, with a few near the rear nocking an arrow for good measure as we proceed slowly toward the entrance to the village.

My heart sinks as we draw closer. There are no scouts watching the road—the village is unaware of the fast-approaching danger. There are many villages in Sitara, but small ones like this aren’t likely to be super loyal to the crown, especially this close to the Daekhar border. Wild fae clans have spread their poison and propaganda far and wide.

I keep my head down as we pass through the village gate, careful to stay close to the horses.

These Kovari soldiers likely hold villager loyalty in Sitara, though whether Ayer’s men know this remains uncertain. We still haven’t seen a single villager yet, and I’m on edge, bracing myself for what I might see—what the Kovari soldiers might do.

But it’s empty.

It seems dinnertime approaches, yet the streets lie deserted. A few doors are left swinging in the day’s light breeze. Like their inhabitants had left in a hurry.

That puts Ayer’s men on higher alert. They proceed with caution, silently motioning hand signals I don’t understand to each other while spreading out in small groups to check the dwellings nearby. Everyone’s head is on a swivel—carefully keeping an eye on the tree line and the hills—preparing for a potential ambush.

Nobody talks, relying on hand signals and low whistles to communicate with one another. I’m struck once again by how in tune this group feels—how they work as one.

Ayer slows his horse, and I stick close to them. Now is not the time to go running off with this arrow-happy group of men. I’m practically at the horse’s shoulder as we near the center of town.

Should an ambush occur, however...

My gaze drifts over the hollow streets and buildings. I can’t help but wonder if perhaps word of the attack on Rosecliff has preceded us, along with news of the approaching contingent of Kovari soldiers.

That’s when I see it: halfway down the road, just barely a few yards away, a flicker of movement. My breath catches, and without thinking, my head snaps in the direction of the movement. And sure enough, in one of the cottages nearby, behind a closed window, a curtain swings lightly back and forth.

My heart thunders in my chest, and I quickly avert my gaze, looking everywhere—anywhere else—like I’ve seen absolutely nothing.

Too late.

Ayer draws up his reins, and I feel his attention burning down atop my head.

Realizing what I’ve done, I carefully school my face into neutrality as the rest of the company halts around us, following the sound of a low whistle coming from the captain. My pulse hammers in my throat when Ayer dismounts his horse, stepping up to me with all the subtlety of a grizzly bear.

Deciding to be bold and avert suspicion, I speak first, hoping to keep my voice steady despite my shaking hands.

“Why have we stopped?” I ask, keeping my face blank—innocent. I saw nothing. I know nothing.

Ayer stares down at me, wearing a thunderous expression on his face. “What did you see?”

I don’t dare even chance a glance in the direction of the window, working to keep my nerves in check as I shake my head, painting a mask of confusion on my face.

Ayer’s gaze hardens, his eyes darkening, an overwhelming aura of danger exuding from him. Fear shoots through me, snapping me out of the delirious haze I’ve been stuck in all day. It sharpens my senses like a blade on stone.

“What was what, Captain?” I ask, adopting my best bored tone, meeting his eyes while shifting impatiently on my hips as if this little pause is an inconvenience.

But Ayer is having none of it, and he steps closer still, shoving a finger in my face. I have to grit my teeth to resist the overwhelming urge to bite off the tip. “You saw something. Just now. Over there.” He thrusts his finger in the general direction of the window, though I refuse to look, choosing instead to maintain my already bored expression.