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From there, the lady proceeded to sulk at her manicure. “My fucking nails.” Without looking, she pointed at me. “And if you value your life, do not lecture me about how I should have clipped them down when we first set out. As if we had time for that.”
I clamped my mouth shut. Nonetheless, my features melted into amusement. “Here,” I said. “Let me.”
Reaching over, I plucked the twigs from her locks, then impulsively tethered them into a fluffy ponytail. Cadence froze in surprise until I finished the job and wiped my hands. After an awkward moment, she fiddled with her hair. “Thanks.” But before I could reply, she waved me nearer. “Fine. Turn.”
Stunned, I did as she requested. Cadence unraveled my disheveled braid and plaited it anew, recreating the complex weave Mother had taught me. Once the lady was done, she scooted backward. “Perfect.”
I traced the braid while gawking at her. Such styles were hardly mastered in Spring.
Cadence read my mind and gave a saucy shrug. “I pay attention.”
Long ago, we’d started out as rivals. Regardless, pleasure rippled through me to have the lady with us. In the past, camaraderie between us had been incomprehensible. These days, I felt grateful to be wrong.
Starlight spangled the forest floor. A bronze owl kept vigil overhead, its plumage shimmering. My horse grazed several feet away, along with the two other mounts.
Cadence flitted her fingers toward the pit flames. “I’m no expert, but isn’t fire a sure way to get us mauled?”
“Not here,” I said. “We call this territory The Vapor Wild. Mist is a constant fixture in Autumn, but here it’s so congested, not even flames penetrate the fog. Visibility is limited, so the only way to travel this area is to be educated on the geography. The chances of us being accidently discovered are slim.”
“And that’s why you’re the leader,” Eliot praised.
I winced at the word. Thankfully, my friends failed to notice.
Although Cadence’s remark was accurate regarding murderers and thieves—open flames might as well be an invitation—the mist protected us from humans and fauna. I’d been putting such knowledge to use with every mile between us and the castle. Oftentimes, the subtleties of this wilderness proved more dangerous than anything else. Merely a few days into our journey, and I’d lost count of how many times research had saved our lives.
“So.” Cadence drew her knees to her chest. “What else are we talking about?”
Eliot obliged. “Briar was complimenting my prowess with a weapon.”
“Hey.” Cadence tossed me a fake glare and indicated the knife at her hip. “What about moi?”
Dutifully, I patted her thigh. “You are a natural with sharp objects and would make a wonderful slayer of innocents.”
“Aww. I appreciate that.”
“I know you do.”
We laughed, but the sound died quickly on my lips. None of this was funny, and I had no right to enjoy myself. We barely had sufficient training, and while I kept a destination in mind, every corner held obstacles and hazards.
To make matters worse, I spotted a line of dried blood seeping through the arm of Eliot’s shirt. “You’re hurt,” I fretted, hastening to search for a cloth.
“Briar, it’s fine,” he insisted. “It’s only a scratch. One of the offshoots got me when I was running to find you.”
“You need to clean that,” I spoke over his assurances while fumbling to rip my skirt hem, to use as a makeshift bandage. “And you need to dress it. And—”
“Briar,” he repeated, his inflection quieting me. “It’s fine.”
I stalled, feeling the weight of Eliot and Cadence’s attention. My best friend was right; it was only a scratch. But out here, it could have been worse. And all because I’d agreed to let him come with me.
As if sensing my thoughts, Eliot murmured across the blaze, “It wasn’t your fault, Briar.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Which part?”
The born souls locked in Autumn’s dungeon, including the maddened ones from Summer who Rhys had used as pawns against me and Poet. The Masters’ betrayal and the massacre in the castle’s courtyard.
The position I’d placed Mother in when she renounced my title. My friends, who risked themselves by joining me on this trek.
The little boy who didn’t know if he’d ever see his Briar Patch again. And his father, who’d been forced to watch me leave.
