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“Well, you can’t ride alone! There’s an arrow in your leg,” he threw back.
“Then I will ride with Aiden. He’s the smallest.”
Elijah growled and faced his horse into the forest while Aiden mounted one of the remaining horses. If anyone had an opinion about the tension between Elijah and me, they wisely kept it to themselves.
Aiden hadn’t actively participated in leaving Liam behind. A part of me still blamed the others for his death. I also highly doubted Aiden had actually killed a prostitute and then hid her body in a lake somewhere before escaping south. That was just too preposterous. I wondered if there was any merit to him taking on a gay lover from Waterford and moving so they could be together. He did seem happier. Though… that happiness could also be explained if he had an illicit affair with a dignitary’s wife and they were raising their love child together. Either way, good for him.
Plus, Aiden’s kind, sad, light blue eyes, dimples, and trustworthy face always made me want to hug him. We could have both used a hug, so I’d ride with him.
Griffin carefully handed me up to Aiden, helping him settle me in the saddle behind him. Without warning, he snapped off the end of the arrow, so it wasn’t as long. It set the wound ablaze again and I sucked in a breath. Gritting my teeth, I wrapped my arms around Aiden’s midsection, and held tight.
As we sped away, I turned back to watch.
The castle always seemed to be the most beautiful thing in the kingdom. The ivy added a splash of color and warmth against the dark stone. Now, those vines seemed to strangle the castle and everyone inside. The flags flapping in the wind used to instill pride and loyalty within me. Now, those flags only sparked anger. All my devotion to the king was gone, leaving only feelings of contempt.
The early morning sun sparkled against the white coat of Aiden’s proud horse as the castle stood dark and imposing in the background. I watched that horse until it disappeared behind the foliage. I knew it would be the vision of the capital I would carry from here on out— a white horse stained red against a dark castle. Another innocent victim in my quest for freedom.
Chapter9
Kaia
The sun didn’t fully penetrate the thick canopy of trees overhead, but that wasn’t the reason for my bone-deep chill. Even nestled against Aiden’s back, I could not shake it.
The normally animated group rode silently, tension clear in their posture. The muscles along their backs were rigid, and their movements tight. These men had been friends and trained together for years, and that trust and fluidity showed through their formation and ease with each other, but their typical flare was missing. Conversation had been almost nonexistent since we’d left the castle behind. Though nothing was discussed, Liam’s death obviously weighed on everyone.
Elijah led us as quickly as possible, rarely stopping for days— with more growling and grunting than I’d ever heard. E.Z., who always seemed elated to call Elijah out on his surliness, and always seemed to fill the silence, didn’t even say a word. He stared straight ahead, his face downturned.
We stayed off the designated trails that ran throughout the woods, choosing instead to go deeper where we could avoid detection by weaving through the trees. It added a day and a half of travel stuck on the butt of a horse.
Elijah had to stop occasionally and clear a downed branch or overgrown foliage that the horses wouldn’t have been able to pass through, making the advance feel painfully slow. Every moment we wasted working through fallen branches and avoiding trees was another moment they gained to catch up with us. If the king's men had taken the marked paths, they would have been able to move quickly and gain ground on us. They could fly through much faster without the need to be quiet. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.
After several long, exhausting hours, Elijah raised his hand, signaling for us to stop in a clearing next to a softly bubbling stream. We all halted. Even the horses seemed to stop their stomping and sniff the air. Elijah sat tall on his horse with his eyes darting between the trees for several long minutes. The other men seemed just as alert, searching for whatever threat Elijah sensed.
Every muscle in my body was locked tight. Hearing animals scurrying away raised the hairs on my neck. Birds taking flight, shaking the trees, made me reach to cover my head from a possible incoming arrow. When twigs snapped, my head whipped around, searching through the trees. My ears were strained, listening for any sound of an incoming attack. My heart raced.
I didn’t dare take a breath, let alone move. Any movement could distract the others. Despite my feelings towards Elijah, I could admit that he was the best chance I had of surviving and could easily set aside my pride and refer to his expertise.
I was not making that mistake again.
After a moment, Elijah looked to E.Z. and Griff, silently giving an order. Together, they nodded and closed their eyes, their faces the picture of concentration. They were clearly using their elements.
As an Air User, I should have been able to recognize E.Z.’s intent, but unfortunately, I could not. Father had taught me what it meant to use the elements and several uses for each type, but it was hard to really know and understand all the limitations unless you’ve actually used them.
Eventually, they would notice I never used my element. They were trained to be observant. Never using magic was something even a layman would recognize if they looked long or hard enough. The quicker we were safely away from the danger of detection, the quicker I could escape on my own. Even though I was inclined to trust this team to keep me safe, I could not trust their actions if they found out I lacked all magic.
Once E.Z. was finished, he opened his eyes and nodded. Griffin did the same, and they dismounted— clearly satisfied with whatever they had accomplished. I assumed they were making sure we were in the clear, since everyone relaxed.
Elijah stomped toward our horse. The sound of the mud sucking on his boots was louder than the bird cries from the trees.
“Come, Kaia. We will heal your leg and change our clothes quickly,” he said, reaching for my waist.
As much as I wanted out of these horrid clothes, I still jerked back when Elijah reached to pull me from the horse. His hand on my arm burned all the way through his coat. I couldn’t bear to have his hands on me anymore.
“Do. Not. Touch me,” I seethed through my teeth, wanting to hurt Elijah with my words the way he’d burned me with his touch. Everyone was staring at us with their mouths hanging open. I only felt a little bad about doing it in front of his friends.
Elijah jerked his arm back and stomped to his horse, his entire frame rigid.
Looking back and forth between Elijah and me, Griffin reached up and grabbed my waist, helping me dismount. I was cradled against his enormous chest, probably rubbing my grossness on him.
