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Ace turned her attention toward Rehan who stared intently at Shelby. Was he ignoring her or so caught up in this shamble of a conversation he couldn’t be bothered to look in her direction?
“Really? So you two are on a first name, old name, basis?”
Ace huffed out a breath and sat up straighter even though the movement pressed her shoulders into Rehan’s waiting arm. “I prefer Ace actually. ”
Rehan bowed his head respectfully. “Whatever you wish.”
“You two make such an adorable couple,” Shelby said quietly. He pointed his face away, perhaps pretending to admire the color changing leaves outside. “I hope you two are happy together.”
Did he? Did he really?
“How kind of you. I have to admit I didn’t expect such manners from a warlock.”
All Ace could do was squirm in her seat trapped in the carriage with these two men.
“No?” Shelby didn’t turn to look in Rehan’s direction.
“No, I always assumed you were simple creatures. I assume the queens and the Fae before them did not offer much in the ways of schooling. Then the only way to learn some manners would be perhaps through fear of the queen’s offense. That would explain your mostly quiet demeanor. It’s better to be a quiet slave than a dead one. Correct?”
Ace at one point had been of the same thought. Socially warlocks were the lowest of the low. They were used for their magic and little more. Ace had stolen from them, or rather from the queens, on several occasions and the repercussions that might fall on them had never occurred to her, or if they had, they never quite bothered her enough to stop her. Shelby was not what she had expected.
“We are not simple beasts. We’re not dogs to be trained. It would do you well to keep that in mind. Especially as we near Glatton.”
“Oh, so did they teach you in the castle? I only wish to understand you as you are Ace’s friend.” Rehan’s hand had crept down onto her shoulder, and he gave her a gentle shake as if to emphasize that the only reason he had even considered speaking to the warlock at all was because of Ace herself.
Shelby laughed. “We do not have to be friends, Rehan. We must only be civil.” Ace stared at the warlock as his voice quieted. “If only for Ace’s sake.”
Rehan nodded as if he respected Shelby’s decision not to further their friendship, but she could feel how his fingers tensed against her. When she became a queen, she could set Shelby up wherever he liked; then she could ignore her desire if she didn’t have to see him so often. See, she could do this!
As the conversation died down, Ace hummed quietly to herself to distract her drifting thoughts. More than once the coachman would call back to Shelby to make sure they were heading in the right direction. Every time he sat back down he sunk a little further into the seat.
Eventually the carriage came to a stop drawing all of their attention.
“Did you tell the driver to quit moving?” Rehan asked Shelby who shook his head
With one hand pushing back the curtains to peer outside, Ace leaned forward in her seat, unable to see anything other than the uneven dirt path they’d been traveling on and the waiting surrounding forest. Her heart hammered in her chest when she thought back to the moments with Petu and the thieves. Gods she hoped there weren’t any thieves.
Not thieves,Greshta said as if she was half distracted.Witches.
Witches? That only made aces pulse race even faster.
The carriage rocked as Rehan stood and opened the door. He leaned out letting the crisp fall air in for Ace to breathe in greedily. “Driver? Why have we stopped?”
The horses let out nervous whinnies. A muttered curse from the driver caught her attention. The sounds of the horses stomping feet accompanied the slow roll of the carriage. Inch by inch it moved backward. The driver audibly struggled with the reins. “It’s the horses! They won’t move any further.”
“Is there a snake?” Rehan asked, jumping down and walking out of sight.
Witches. Ace thought again, the idea was enough to paralyze her with fear.
“What’s wrong with you?” Shelby jutted out his chin.
“Are all the witches trapped in Glatton?” she asked.
“No, I’m sure there are a few we were not able to protect. Likely a few others like my grandmother who prefer to live on their own in hiding.”
Another question burned its way up her throat but before she could ask Rehan was back at the door. “We don’t see any snakes or anything else that might be spooking the horses.”
His fingers curled in and out of his palm, the barest flare of light sparking momentarily before it was gone within his grasp. She watched the small motion as he tried to avoid summoning his weapon. Rehan could hear the gods talking just as well as Ace could. Had he scanned the tree line while he was out there? Did he listen? Was he on edge knowing that something could be lurking out there? Witches? Witches who had been locked away for over a decade. Would they have run into them by now?
