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I gave her a soft smile. I saw my tired, anxious face reflected in her eyes. Evidently I hadn’t covered it as well as I thought I had. On the other hand, no one knew me better than she did. And no one knew her better than me. No one but us would ever know the way we'd huddled together on one of our beds, comforting each other after a nightmare, or a particularly bad bout of homesickness. Eight-year-old Khala and Tyla had no one but each other. I thanked the gods every day for her. I barely remembered my actual siblings, so she was the closest thing I had to a sister. To family.
I dreaded the day the temple would finally separate us and send us to different places. I knew that day would come, but I would never, ever be ready for it. Especially if the gods were particularly cruel and sent me to the same place as Hycanthe.
I shouldn't think that too loudly, I never knew when the god of jokesters was listening, waiting for an opportunity to screw with one of us. He was known for having a particularly wicked, sometimes cruel sense of humour. I did my best to stay the hells out of his path.
Thunder rolled again. A flash of lightning bolted across the sky. The rain started slowly but quickly turned heavy, drumming hard on the roof of the carriage.
It was so loud, I almost missed the sound of the first shout.
5
Ryze
Idashed the rain off my face with a sweep of my hand. Each movement slow and deliberate, I stepped forward through the trees. Senses all open, on alert.
The downpour slowed our progress, but did the same for those we hunted.
"Fucking rain," Vayne growled. "This idea was bullshit."
"It's necessary." I glanced back over my shoulder to see Tavian, his face tilted back, mouth open trying to catch raindrops.
Vayne gave him a dirty look, but he saved the dirtiest for me.
"Your objection is noted, now shut up or I'll put an arrow in you myself." I made no move towards my bow. On some level, Vayne was right. This whole venture might ultimately prove fruitless. Still, it was necessary. Vital.
"We should have gone straight to the Temple," Vayne grumbled.
He fell silent when I shot him another look. I’d make good on my threat if I had to. I wouldn't let anyone jeopardise this.
Tavian stepped carefully over the slick leaf matter that made up the forest floor. He put a hand on my arm and spoke only loud enough to be heard over the rain.
"We both support you in this. We know what's at stake. But if you need to put an arrow in Vayne, can I do it?"
"You first," Vayne growled. He slid past us through the trees and toward the road.
I shook my head at Tavian and followed Vayne. We were close, I could smell it. Horses, and people. Fear and blood. None of it was spilled, not yet.
I stepped past Vayne and moved silently until the trees thinned. I dropped to a crouch.
Keeping low, I moved forward, winding through the trees like a snake. Eyes always forward, but flicking this way and that.
Finally, I spotted the road, the carriages.
I sat back on my haunches, watching and assessing.
The carriages were simple, but the smell of humans from inside was strong. So strong I almost missed it. Almost rose and stepped out from amongst the trees. At the last second, I caught the flicker of movement, the scent of something different. Citrus and honey.
Dalyth slid out of the trees on the other side of the road, her usual escort on her heels. Then a dozen more. All Fae. All armed to the teeth.
She put up a hand to stop the lead carriage. The sound of drawn swords and bows was louder than the rain.
"We're too fucking late," Vayne snarled in my ear.
"Not yet." I reached for the hilt of the knife I kept in my boot, but didn't pull it.
One of the priests who travelled in the first caravan stepped out onto the muddy road. In moments, his clothes were wet through, dark brown becoming almost black, slick with water.
"What do you want?" he called out. "We have nothing of value. We're merely a caravan of humans travelling to Havenmoor."
