AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hycanthe hummed her agreement.
I didn't blame them. I wished I believed it too.
"Let's go," Cavan said when Dalyth's head was suitably wrapped and placed inside one of the guard's packs. The idea of carrying that around made me want to vomit.
The Fae method of preserving skulls was something else I’d have to get used to.
I remembered the line in the song about rows of skulls and wondered if somehow that had something to do with any of this. A pathway of the dead sounded nasty as fuck. Then again, opening portals and firing at people was also nasty as fuck.
"What are you thinking?" Ryze was in front of me, looking at me intently.
"I was thinking life as a Silent Maiden was a lot simpler than this," I said. "The worst thing we had to worry about was getting caught putting salt in the sugar containers. Or whether the cute priest would notice me."
He smiled and kissed my nose. "I know they would have noticed you. Although, if we see any of them at Havenmoor, let me know. I'll have Tave poke their eyes out."
I jabbed him in the side with my elbow. He grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a deeper kiss. We broke off when Vayne cleared his throat behind us.
"I don't think Cavan will leave without Khala, but he would totally leave without the great Lord Ryzellius."
Ryze waved Vayne away. "We'll catch up."
I laughed, grabbed Ryze's hand and pulled him behind me. "We all agreed we don't want to be out in the open. Let's get to Havenmoor."
He pouted, but let me drag him along.
As much as I liked the idea of being sidetracked and pinned to a tree, I needed to see Zared. I needed to know he was all right and could live his life without us. If I never saw him again, I’d have this. I could settle my mind, if not my heart.
We wound our way through the forest, moving carefully. We all glanced at the sky every few moments, always on alert for anything weird. Any strange sound, smell or sensation or sight.
Of course, that had me jumping at rustling from the bushes, or a bird soaring overhead.
One of the guards stepped on a twig, which cracked loudly, making us all jump.
If Jezalyn hadn't stopped Hycanthe, he might have ended up pinned to a tree, she was so startled.
By the time we reached the edge of the trees, we were all as twitchy as fuck.
"I think it would be a good idea if we stay close together," Cavan said.
"All the better to keep an eye on you," Ryze told him.
Cavan gave him a rude gesture with his middle finger, which for some reason made Tavian giggle.
"Maybe we can not argue amongst ourselves for a while," I suggested. "If we stay close together, we can help keep each other safe."
"Exactly," Cavan said, giving Ryze a long look.
Ryze nodded. "No one get complacent." He pulled me closer to him. "Keep your magic ready, in case you need it. You too, Hycanthe. If they come at us again with wind, we'll need all the heat we can get. I'll be ready with a shield of ice if they throw lightning at us."
"That sounds like a solid plan to me," Vayne said. He stepped in closer to the rest of us. Not having any magic, he must have felt slightly vulnerable. Not that he'd ever admit to it.
"Of course it is," Ryze said. He gave Vayne a cocky smile, but it wasn't as cocky as usual. He couldn't know what might come at us, if anything.
We walked for a few minutes until we found the road.
"Havenmoor is half a kilometre away, approximately," Cavan said. "I would have opened a portal closer, but the humans tend to… How do I put it? Shoot arrows first and ask questions later. Walking in won't scare them so much."
"Have you had to dodge arrows often?" Ryze asked him.
