AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"There's a lake nearby." Not a lie.
"Let's be on with it, then," he commands.
I nod and steer him toward the trail I only wish I’d taken down the mountain last time. Gideon protests, slowing down even more before coming to an abrupt halt. He stamps his feet and throws his head back. I dismount hurriedly before he can accidentally toss me down the mountainside again, making shushing sounds and stroking his neck.
"What are you doing?"
I can't discern his features in the dim lighting, but Damian's cultured tone is laced with the barest edge of suspicion this time.
"Giving him a break before he throws us both.” I let him hear the ire in my own voice. "I said that he was fast, not that he had the most reliable temperament, but by all means..." I gesture for him to stay where he is, seated on top of Gideon, my tone dripping with condescension.
I don't move from where I stand near Gideon’s saddle, facing the hestrinn with my left hand on his mane. Damian is forced to dismount on the other side.
I take advantage of his absence to slip the rose into the saddlebags, along with the note I had hastily scribbled on my way out. Once Damian has his footing, I walk forward and pull on Gideon’s lead just a little too hard toward the trail leading to the caves.
He whinnies and rears back, leaving Damian furious, as expected.
"At this rate, it would be faster to slit the thing’s throat so he doesn't give us away and just walk the remainder of the journey." Only his words belie his impatience. His tone could be discussing the weather.
"Have you ever actually trekked through the snow before? We would probably die before morning, you imbecile." I raise my voice, using the word I know will rile him the most, even knowing that I will pay for it.
He stalks toward Gideon, and it's the excuse I need to step in between them. I reach behind me, ostensibly comforting the horse while refusing to turn my back to Damian. In reality, I pinch Gideon, hard. And just as I knew it would be, it is too much for him.
He rears back again, nearly kicking us with his massive hooves, then spins around and races back down the road.
“Denny!” I call out the wrong name.
As expected, he doesn't even slow. Damian stares after the hestrinn for a moment, then crosses the short distance between us in two quick strides.
His fist flies toward my midsection, but I already know it’s coming, so I raise an arm to block him. He would never strike my face, knowing how important beauty is to Madame. He always left bruises elsewhere, places that weren’t as visible that wouldn’t bring as much of her wrath down on him.
The blow connects with my forearm with enough force that I am surprised not to hear the crack of the bone. I suppress a wince so he won’t know how much it hurt.
"What have you done?" Damian is as close to raising his voice as I have ever heard him.
“Something must’ve spooked him,” I say honestly.
The furious man tilts his head to the side, cracking his neck. He is dangerously angry as he mumbles something under his breath about Mother’s ire.
“If you have ruined this for us, I will kill you myself.” He says, his nostrils flaring. “You’d better start thinking of a good excuse for your absence if you are not back in time.”
My fingernails dig into my palms.
“If it becomes an issue, I can claim that I went for a ride to clear my head and got lost.” I say shivering. “But for now, we need to find shelter.”
I make a show of looking around, relief and dread mingling in my gut when I point in the direction of the frozen lake.
“There is a system of caves down there that will protect us from the freezing temperatures. We can shelter there until morning."
I take off quickly so that I can lead him to the correct cave, assuming I can even find it.
"And what of that damned horse? What do you think will happen when he returns and alerts the stable hands that you’re gone?"
I know exactly what will happen, but it hardly matters now.
"By the time he gets back and someone thinks to retrace his steps, you will be long gone, whether we spend a couple of hours in the cave or not. And he rarely checks on me. He’s all consumed with finding a cure, and I’m usually left to my own devices." My fists clench as I fight to keep my voice even.
If Damian had spent any time within the castle walls, he would know this to be true. Saying the words out loud, though, breaks a small part of me. So much time we wasted, hating each other.
