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“Oh, no one was injured,” I answered.
“Then what was King Ganglin there for?” I could sense the shift in his tone—the odd concern and interest in my statement.
Shit. I should have told them sooner.
“He was looking for Randsin,” I admitted. “I may have told him he was in the Acture Court to save Daethian’s life.”
“What? Why would you do that?” Hattie hissed. She bustled about like she had the urge to run and notify the guard. “Why is he looking for Randsin?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
“How is Daethian?” King Windre continued, unfazed.
“Daethian ran away.” I averted my eyes even though I knew King Windre wasn’t really looking at me.
“Where would he go?” Hattie brought one hand up to her mouth, mindlessly chewing on her nails.
Daethian in his right mind would go where we were going. He would be with me, but Daethian wasn’t okay right now, and it made him impulsive and unpredictable. It made him confused.
“I wish I had an answer to that.” I sighed.
“That isn’t good.”
“It’s not,” King Windre started. “I’m sending Graceson and Jerydin to you, Ryker. They’ll get to you the fastest and help get you back here as safely as we can.”
An ounce of relief flooded my system. Just their company could be comforting. It would make each step I took feel a little less heavy, I supposed.
“That would be lovely,” I acknowledged.
Hattie watched me. I wondered if she felt the same way I did. The strong urge to protect each other and the desire to no longer be separated. We had been apart for too long. I needed my sister now more than ever.
“I’ll let you go, Ryker. I’ll make myself busy making arrangements for you all for when you get here. Stay safe.” She smiled.
“You too.” The words spilled uneasily from my tongue. King Ganglin was heading their way, and confronting him wouldn’t be an easy task. Not to mention the fact that King Windre was about to make a very important announcement that would almost certainly pit the Obtune Court against him.
Reluctantly, I pulled my backpack in front of me and tossed the stone inside. Hattie’s image dissolved as she waved goodbye. I tried to wave back, but the movement was sluggish and she likely missed it. Help was on the way soon and that would fix this powerless feeling that kept creeping up on me no matter how much I tried to battle it.
Sweat dripped down my neck as I turned to watch a bird take flight from a branch. Its hollow caw echoed across the trail. My eyes stayed on it until it banked behind a large tree and disappeared. Sighing, I gripped the straps of my backpack and tried to take a few large steps, meaning to catch up with Shavarra and Suzetta, but a large hand gripped my shoulder to stop me.
“Ryker.” I twisted in the dirt, nearly tripping over a dip in the trail before Dace caught my arm and pulled me upright. He panted, like he had run all the way from his court.
“What are you doing here?” I coughed. Normally, when Dace was around me all I could smell was the crisp scent of winter and a strong pine cologne. The scent that wafted around me didn’t smell anything like pine though. It was sour. Like alcohol. “Are youdrunk?”
He blinked, but his red eyes said a lot. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
“Why are you here?” I tried again, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed the Prince’s sudden appearance.
“I’m here to tell you to turn around.” He stepped in front of me, forcing me to pause. Nymphs walked around us like a river rushing around rocks, many sending me questioning glances. I offered a series of fake smiles in return, hoping they believed everything was fine despite the way the Prince’s hair stood on end and the noticeable bags under his eyes.
“Why would we stop? Are you okay?” I brushed my hand over his pointed cheekbone. Warmth traveled up my arm at the touch, begging me to get closer. He pushed my hand away gently, frowning. I took a breath trying to cover up the way the small rejection hurt.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me while I’m busy worrying about you.”
“You look like I should be worrying about you, though,” I continued, leaning closer to breathe him in. “Seriously, are you drunk?”
“Yes. No. I was drunk. I’m fine now. I’m fine.” He shook the blonde hair out of his face. “Ottack’s troops are heading this way, and with King Ganglin only the gods know where, you need to go back to the Heathern Court. That land is an asset, you can’t just give up that vantage point.”
“You’re telling me that I should march this trail of Nymphs right back to a crumbled castle. Dace that castle isn’t livable anymore, it’s nothing but rubble.” I’d laugh if I wasn’t so irritated by his suggestion, but my heart still swelled at his presence, and I was glad to see him, even if he wasn’t currently at his best.
