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“Do you have to go without me? I can come with you, I can help!” she wailed.
Noah brushed her hair as he stood stiffly in the morning breeze. “You being in danger would be a distraction. Be safe here, I’ll return soon.” He took her chin and gave her a chaste kiss, one that made my stomach want to hurl even though it hadn’t been passionate.
With that display, I turned to Nicole, who was nearby. She leaned her arm out and wrapped it around me awkwardly. “Don’t you dare take too long. I don’t know how I’m going to manage this,” she said through clenched teeth.
Noah moved down the front stairs of the castle and, as the only one remaining behind, I followed.
Vanessa reached out and grabbed my arm forcefully, though she wore a smile. I stared at the place where her fingers dug into my bicep and then looked her in the eyes.
“Stay in your lane on this trip, human. If you lay one finger on my fiancé,” she snarled before leaning close to my ear, “I’ll kill you.”
She released my arm and walked toward the king and queen to wave as we rode off. One look at Nicole’s curled lip and hateful stare toward the duchess let me know she’d heard it loud and clear.
Worrying about Vanessa should be the last thing on my mind though. Right now, there were more important things at play. I mounted my horse, joining the rest of the party and with a “yah” from Noah, we all cantered away from the castle and forward down the road that would take us to our destination.
Though we weren’t at a full-on gallop, it was fast enough that no one was talking. A tension hung in the air. The warriors with us didn’t seem concerned. Their eyes remained focused straight ahead on where the road was taking us.
It seemed as though I was the only person looking around and watching others. Everyone else was in their own world, focused on whatever things fae warriors walking into the unknown think about.
A thunderous boom cracked loudly above us and the sky lit up with lightning in the distance. Noah held up a hand, pausing our caravan before he glanced over at the largest of the three additional men with us. His bearded face hid the curves of his lips and even his cheeks so that it was as if only his eyes held any sort of way to communicate. They flicked up to the sky and north.
“Five miles if we’re lucky. Maintaining a canter, that is.” His green eyes met mine as if he was referencing me. Probably the question they all had thought, to be fair. Could I keep up with them? With their prince.
I met his gaze, softening slightly but not backing down from his stare. He may be right, but I’d earn respect for giving it everything I had. I swear his beard twitched near his lips, like I’d passed some sort of silent test.
Noah bowed his head in acknowledgement and looked out toward the rolling clouds in the distance. “Give me five hard miles,” he shouted to us. “Then we’ll set up camp and wait for the storm to pass. The more ground we cover now, the more likely we are to outrun anyone thinking about spreading the word of our arrival to the borders.”
* * *
Making myself useful had become my new mission among my colleagues on the road. The eyes that the bearded fae, Ryzel, had cast me sent me into a frenzy of proving my worth.
We found a wooded area, and the three other fae were sent as scouts into the woods, gathering food and finding a solid structure to rest in, while Ryzel and Noah spoke at the edge of our camp regarding our progress.
When they returned, we moved the horses and our camp to the edge of a small cave. A fire was built just as the rain came crashing over us. The cave’s shelter made it so that we could sit somewhat comfortably and get dinner cooked, not that I much enjoyed the small rabbit twirling on the fire in front of me. But I was hungry and ate. Again, not wanting to give anyone a reason to look at me as though I were a hinderance.
The two other male fae were older than they looked by far and had scars on their arms that were visible in the firelight. Their names were Weston and Charlie. The female with us, Vara, was younger, sent off to train at the castle when she was a teenager Her name is perfect for a warrior, I thought as she spoke of her latest mission, laughing and eating with the other fae.
Noah was respectful, but I noticed he didn’t offer up stories of his own. He engaged each fae in theirs, marveling at their feats and laughing when the story lended itself to a chuckle. It was clear that his soldiers respected him, even in the way they reverently spoke of the honor in serving the Unseelie.
When the storm picked up again, Ryzel let everyone know we had a few hours and his suggestion was rest. Noah backed him up and the fire was cleaned and packs were laid out. I hadn’t packed a blanket, but Noah had an extra, handing it to me like he already knew I wouldn’t have thought of it.
There really should be a list for how to pack on a warrior’s journey for those of us who had no idea.
Loud snores hit my ears almost as soon as I pulled my blanket over me. I wondered how often the others had cause to sleep outside. How accustomed they must be if they could take advantage of a few hours to sleep so quickly.
“That was fast,” I whispered to Noah above the sounds.
He chuckled. “You learn fast on the road.” He paused. “I feel bad leaving Vanessa behind in a castle full of people she doesn’t know.”
I snorted, tucking my arms behind my head. “Yeah, can you imagine her being told to sleep in a cave though? And don’t get me started on the rabbit we just ate.”
“Enough.” Noah’s voice was cold, harsh. And I sat up immediately. “I’ve tried to be patient with you and ignore all your aggressive little comments, but Vanessa is my fiancée and you have to respect that. I know you’re jealous of my relationship with her—”
“Well of course I’m jealous! We were best friends before she came around, and now I hardly ever see you!” I hissed back at him.
Noah was on his knees now in front of me. “That’s your problem. You not being able to handle that there’s someone else I enjoy spending time with that has nothing to do with you. You’ve made things uncomfortable, not me.”
“She told me I was disposable the first time we were all together. That it was okay if I died. How could you possibly be marrying someone like that? Making a queen of someone like that,” I said, rising to meet his height as I knelt too.
