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Whateverthiswas.
The only thing I knew for sure was he didn't want me to acknowledge his presence. He must be here as a part of some ruse, like his time in the temple. Hades, was that only yesterday? It seemed like a lifetime ago already.
My tongue darted over my lips and I forced myself to look straight ahead until Elgar called a stop for the night.
The place he chose was a small copse, beside a thin trickle that could barely be called a stream. By the state of the ground, they had camped here before, maybe as recently as last night.
Had they sat and planned their attack in minute detail; talked about me until everyone understood their role in the ambush?
Had they laughed at Bain's intention to betray me? If I saw him again, I was going to kick him in the nuts. Before I killed him.
I slid down from my horse and forced myself not to grind my teeth. Better I focus on biding my time and waiting for a chance to escape.
"Set up a tent for the child," Helene ordered. She waved a hand in my direction and lowered herself into the shade of a small tree. She closed her eyes and let her head fall to the side.
To a casual observer, she might look as if she was asleep, but I doubted she was. She would likely have all of her other senses on alert against anyone or anything.
The soldiers and Luther would also watch me closely. The surrounding land offered little in the way of a place to hide. If anyone attacked, they would be spotted long before they reached the camp.
That also meant I couldn't run and hide, even if Luther did remove the bond.
"Don't worry, I'll stay nearby," Luther said in a tone that was clearly meant to make me feel better.
He may be a greater threat than any of the swordsmen, so I forced back a snort. My mother once told me to always look past a smile, or pretty words. The intention behind them could be more poisonous than a glare. I didn't always take my mother's advice, but when it came to Luther, I would step lightly and carefully.
I led my horse to a patch of grass on the edge of my bond, and let it nibble at the meagre blades.
"I know how you feel." I patted his smooth neck and spoke in a whisper. "I don't want to be here either." Where did I want to be then? The witches didn't want me, nor did the shifters apparently. Dex might have called me ‘mine’, but I belonged to him like the knife at his hip. Or a table fork. Useful until broken.
"Are you all right?" A swordsman, with a saddle in his arms, stopped to peer at me.
"Yeah, just fabulous," I said sarcastically. I drew myself up and gave him a scowl worthy of Helene. I regretted it when he took a step back and hurried away. I hadn't meant to snarl, but he was as complicit in all of this as Helene.
"You learn fast." Luther appeared from around my horse and leaned against the animal's belly, arms crossed over his chest.
"I beg your pardon?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You almost have Helene's manner down to perfection. You'll be commanding us all before long."
"Would that work?" I asked.
He considered for a moment, then smiled. "No. She would have my hide for a belt if I followed your orders instead of hers. Perhaps some day, that will change. When you can be trusted."
I wanted to laugh in his face. "I wasn't the one doing the kidnapping. I'm not the one holding anyone prisoner. I was just—"
"Going to kill some dragons?"
I frowned. "No, we were just going to see why they attacked the city."
Luther chuckled. "No offence, but you're naive."
"Offence taken," I said dryly, even though he was right. "What are you trying to say?"
"The Alphas," he said the word as though it was an insult, "have been trying to rid themselves of the dragons since before there was ever a Vault. They saw you as a way to do that at last."
A pawn, yet again, assuming I believed him. His words rang with a certain amount of truth, but all good lies did.
"Then they're dumbasses," I said, my chin raised. "I wouldn't have killed any dragons with my power."
