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“Good, then. If everything is out in the air, then I’ll be on my way to the Twinity Court with its new king.”
“What?” Shavarra gasped.
Now that was the reaction I expected from saying Dace had an extinct creature living in his home.
“Did they give you the throne already? Even though you haven't married?” A small level of excitement rose in her voice.
Dace’s lips twitched, but he forced them to stay pressed together in a line that cut across his face. He turned to give Shavarra his profile. Lifting with a struggling, ragged breath, his chest rose then fell.
“Oh, no,” Shavarra whispered. “What happened?”
A piece of anger dissolved at the reminder that we were all going through stuff. It didn’t excuse his omission, but perhaps it helped explain it. I didn’t want to look at him again. Not when my emotions tugged at me. I wanted to be angry.Havala, I was angry. Yet, I was also sad. Mourning with and for Dace. Both emotions were so strong that it rattled my brain.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he finally said, bringing his gaze over to me. “Is that enough? Can we go?”
“You can handle this?” I nodded to Shavarra, mostly reassuring myself rather than posing the question.
“Yes, go do what you need to do.”
“Okay, then. One last stop,” I said, already leaving their conversation. Dace didn’t follow as I walked away.
Graceson paced a foot behind Jerydin, who moved so quickly that I wondered if he was trying to lose his friend. Graceson kept talking anyway, his hands excitedly moving through the air as he did. He paused when he saw me approaching and cut in front of Jerydin. Jerydin huffed, his foot hitting Graceson’s heel as he stumbled forward and caught himself with a frown.
“Not sorry,” Graceson shot over his shoulder. His smile fell a little as he faced me. “Dace come to steal you away?”
“Actually, yes.” I shrugged.
“Is that okay? Do you want me to tell him that you can’t leave? I mean, I will.”
“No, no. I want to go. I’m just mad. And confused. But I’ll be fine.” I waved him off. Again, saying aloud more so for me than him.
“I’m sure it’s rightfully so.” His gaze narrowed as he looked over my shoulder. No doubt sending his deadly eye daggers toward Dace.
“Stop it.” I snapped my fingers. “I’ll be fine. It’s fine. I just wanted to tell you so you weren’t confused when I vanished.”
“It wouldn’t have been hard to guess.” He dragged his attention back to me and gave me a flat smile.
I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. An awkward goodbye? Or maybe should I just give him a wave as I jog away?
His green eyes snapped down to my mouth. I pulled my lip from my teeth and cleared my throat.
“Okay, bye.” I turned briskly. Awkward exit it was then.
“Bye,” he answered.
Dace waited by Shavarra without speaking a word. The set of his jaw cut so sharply, he could have used the raw edge of it like a weapon.
“How long is this walk? How many days are we adding to my travels to get to your court? I’m not dressed for it, you know?” I started. I didn’t have a coat for myself, nor were my legs prepared to walk the extra days it would take to get there.
“We aren’t walking,” he said gruffly. ‘At least not the entire way. Just until the next village. I’m not worried about keeping our travel as quiet as theirs. I’ll purchase a horse for us.”
“Can’t wait.” The response was stiff at best, and between the anger, sorrow, and still unresolved sexual tension between us, I could only imagine this ride wouldn’t be very enjoyable.
This ride, though, came with a hopeful promise of a solution to save Daethian’s life. Wherever he was. I could only pray that he was safe and that there wasn’t any bloodshed at his hands.
Dace offered the smallest of waves at Shavarra before starting back down the trade route. I pointed at the tree I was at earlier as I walked backward following him. Jogging to catch up with Dace, I slowed only once I was at his side. “You’re going the wrong way. This is back toward the Heathern Court.”
“This is the fastest way to the closest village,” he mumbled.
