The boy gave her a small smile before returning to hide behind his companion.
“There’s an uneven amount left, Sir.” A kingsman strode to Finigan, signaling from the carriages back to them. “Two carriages and four prospects.”
“The Princess can ride alone,” Finigan said, looking over at her. A slow smile spread across his lips. “In the one I’m directing at the front.”
Again, Finigan reached to grab Sol, but this time she sidestepped Cas, crossing her arms over her chest, and away from the man’s reach. “Don’t touch me,” she warned.
“So, you can veer off the path and likely kill her or whatever else your King ordered from you? ” Although the copper should have muted his magic, Sol swore Shadows bled from Cas while he spoke. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”
Surprise tightened Sol’s chest. She hadn’t thought of that. She supposed she was an open target now as well, since her participation made her both a prize and a threat. Eliminating her meant rewards in a caliber similar to marriage into her bloodline.
As Alix had explained the night before, prior to his exit to the libraries, Sol’s elimination from the Vows was second best to dragging her to the end, then having her adversary yield.
Although that would cause them to lose their noble status, if they were to convince Sol to marry them anyway after, that lost title wouldn’t matter.
Too bad she wasn’t granting mercy to anybody if that became the situation.
“Then all four of you ride together, and we return one carriage to the stables.” Fin shrugged. “However, will you defend yourself if the others decide the ride over there is the perfect place to get rid of you both?”
Another thing—there was no penalty for killing other prospects. The only thing they needed to refrain from was cheating during whatever the “tests” were. Cheating would anger the gods, and the whole point was to gain their blessing.
Sawyer had ripped the rules from Alix’s grasp after that, incinerating them out of spite with an exasperated groan. To an extent, Sol had been thankful.
She barely retained any of it.
“We mean no harm to you, Princess,” the boy whispered from behindthe man’s leg.
The man hushed him. “Quiet, Phil.”
Call it intuition or overall exhaustion, but Sol said, “We will all ride together,” then pulled Cas forward, not failing to notice Finigan looking her over until she tucked herself into the depths of the carriage seat.
The man’s name was Jonah. He was the eldest son of the Dianese nobility, an Earth Caller, and older brother to Phil who very eagerly shared all the information despite his brother’s annoyance.
“Jonah and I are only half siblings,” Phil continued, hands tapping his knees with excitement. “His father thought it would be smart to have us both here, to have double the chances to be with you, Princess.”
Sol looked away and watched the trees zip by instead. “This shouldn’t be happening at all.”
“It’s been tradition for centuries,” Jonah said, the first thing he shared aside from soft chastises at his brother. “We have all made peace with it.”
Still, Sol shook her head.
“You must get to the end, Princess,” Phil chimed. “We will help you.”
“I need to find a way to save you all.” Sol ran her hands through her hair. “I—I cannot just watch the slaughter.”
“If you would’ve just not joined, you wouldn’t have to see anything.” Cas pulled at his chains. “You can’t expect to save people in a tradition requiring the exact opposite.”
Sol rolled her eyes and shifted sideways, further away from the Shadow Guider. He obviously wasn’t dropping the subject any time soon, and she supposed she could’ve rebutted with something smart. But the image of him beaten, bruised, and broken inside the cage made her clamp down on the words.
From the edge of her vision, she watched Cas smirk. “What? Say it.”
“I have nothing to say.”
“Just say what it is you’re holding back.”
Sol sighed, shutting her eyes. “Just… I know this is stupid, okay? But it’s done. Deal with it.”
Jonah blinked at her, looking back and forth between them both. Phil nibbled at his nails but kept a pleasant smile, as if the bickering was entertaining.
