“You have a reason to want her dead if she does not comply. And though you are typically the most patient of all of us, you are not on this matter. You simply lack the tolerance to pretend otherwise,” I pointed out. “I hope that you all will have your chance to better know her in the future. However, at present she needs to be protected and shown that we are not vicious. She needs towantto help us. That is the only way this is going to work.”
“What if we promise to be on our best behavior for just a short time? Dinner perhaps?” Jorn suggested. “We are curious. It is not every day we have a Bavadrin living amongst us.”
“It is unreasonable to have us as confidants and advisers to you when we are some of the least informed Lysians here when it comes to ourguest,” Edmond added. They were going to continue to press on this matter, and my brother’s point held validity.
I learned long ago that when it came to my brothers, especially when they teamed up against me like this, it was best to wisely choose my battles. If they indeed behaved themselves, then one dinner was unlikely to drastically change anything.
“Fine. Once we return from our trip to the Bavadrin city, we will all have dinner together.” My attention drifted to Kole. “I know it’s difficult for you to have to interact with Eislyn and for that, I am sorry. But I believe she will do well with Ariana.”
“As you wish,” Kole replied, void of any emotion. His response came automatically, a subordinate following his King’s commands. With a brief bow of his head, Kole turned and walked from the room.
My brothers also scattered, pleased to have gotten the outcome they wished for.
Finally, I was left to myself once more, yet I could not bring myself to pick up the blade again. So instead, I leaned back, staring at the hearth and the flames.
16
ARIANA
The horse stables were immaculate. Each pen clean, with fresh straw covering the floor. Stalls lined the stable, surrounding an open area in the center where several horses stood. Lysians moved around the magnificent animals, saddling them and securing packs of supplies.
We were always told that all animals fled from Lysians. Birds flew away, horses turned unruly and bolted, for fear was uncontrollable when in the presence of one of them. Even wolves avoided them. Yet there were many horses in the stable and many Lysians, and they appeared as comfortable as our own were around us.
The Lysian horses made ours look like simple ponies. I could not help but feel the sharp edge of disappointment, for not only did Lysians have physical advantages but even their animals were superior.
For all the stories our children were told of the horrors of the Lysians in order to scare them away from the border of our lands, I wondered why stories of their weaknesses were never also passed down. Surely there were some flaws, for otherwise how did theBavadrins stand their ground during the great war and not completely crumble out of existence?
We had one potential advantage: the Sparrows. They could attack the Lysians before they ever even got close. That was the only way I could see us standing against them. We needed to fight from afar, not in close quarters. No wonder our archers were so revered and loved in the past. They were our greatest defense until Fraser sent them from our city. What a fool.
“I know you have seen a horse before,” Kole mumbled, gently pushing me forward.
I had not realized I stopped moving.
“You ride with me,” Erik informed me when we approached the group. With us there were five other Lysians whom I had never met nor seen before. Half of them watched me while the others finished tying supplies to their mounts.
Erik looked at me expectantly, and I frowned. I glanced around the stable, and it was clear there were many horses left to choose from. It was not a matter of short supply.
“What if I promise to not run off?” I turned to the King.
“You’re riding with one of us,” he stated flatly.
Apparently, I was not to be trusted with my own mount, even when surrounded by Lysians. I wondered if the animals were faster than the Lysians. If they were, then for how long? Undoubtedly, some were faster than others. They could give me the slowest one.
Erik’s stony expression told me that pushing the matter would be fruitless. He wasn’t going to budge, not even an inch. And with the promise of finally going home, I found myself desperate and agreeable.
“If I have no choice,” I grumbled under my breath, resigning myself to the situation.
A couple of Lysians finished getting two horses equipped with small carriages filled with supplies of food for my people. Theanimals only pulled the carts of food; no Lysians rode them. I hoped that perhaps once they emptied the carts, I could use one of them on our return to the Lysian lands.
Soon enough, we were all mounted and ready to depart with the Lysian King sitting behind me. His arms reached around to hold the reins, his presence so close that his breath ghosted the nape of my neck. It sent an involuntary shiver down my spine, and I instinctively wrapped my cloak tighter around myself. I was surrounded by him, in the grips of a Lysian, without him actually holding me. His warmth at my back was both comforting and unsettling.
My heart raced in my chest, the rhythm matching the hoofbeats of the horses.
“I promise not to bite.” Erik’s voice was a soft murmur, his lips nearly brushing against my ear. His words were teasing, a hint of amusement in his tone, and it only served to make me more flustered.
The intimate proximity was unnerving. I struggled to keep from squirming.
Erik chuckled softly, the sound sending another wave of heat through me. It was as if the air between us had thickened. I gritted my teeth, wishing I could turn the tables and make him feel as vulnerable as he was making me.
