Declan’s chatter broke through again. “Everyone thinks the Kings wiped out the Godds to teach us a lesson about death. Hello! Most of us are immortal, or next to it. I think they were tired of their followers acting like donkey slugs. We?—”
I interrupted whatever Declan was talking about. “Could I do that?”
Declan turned to look at me, not at all disturbed by my change of topic. “Do what? Wipe out the Godds?”
Was that what he was talking about? I wasn’t paying attention.
“Could I kill a shifter of that size if he attacked Ward?”
Declan cocked his head. “It’s not really a matter of size for shifters, but heart. If someone attacked your mate, I wouldn’t want to see what was left of them.”
“My ex would faint dead away if he saw that and then probably sleep with my sister again.”
Declan sped up and yanked on Greg’s reins, stopping us cold. The elk stopped with us, too, grazing on some non-existent grass, trying to not make it obvious he was waiting for us. Declan pulled me off the horse in one sweep and crushed me into a hug. “No, Evie. Assholes don’t sleep with your siblings for any other reason than they’re assholes. Assholes, just asshole.”
Not even Maggie had ever said as much to me. We didn’t talk about that incident for fear of setting each other off, but we needed to. This had to be resolved between us, because I deserved Ward in my life and no one else. I hugged Declan back until a bellow sounded across the road.
“I like you too much to find you in pieces spread throughout the forest. Help me back up?”
The wolf nodded and boosted me up onto Greg. “Your ex sounds like he would have a very human perspective on what happened. Was he a sheltered shifter?”
“Well, he was human. Just like I thought I was until this whole quest started.”
Declan’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Ah. Well, that explains it. I only know about humans from the history books, but I do know about shifters and anyone that has found their mate would have done the same to that lion. There are no second chances when you’re in danger, Evie.”
Innately, I understood that, because I would have killed anyone trying to hurt Ward, too. If that made me a shifter, then it was time I embraced it.
The ground shook as Ward cleared a path to us. “Your time is up for talking to her.”
I rolled my eyes at him as he placed Noora on the saddle and wedged himself between Declan and I. The whole thing last night only made Ward more protective of me.
“Did Declan tell you he thinks those boxes are mechania?” Noora asked.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Infernal magic you don’t want to get mixed up in,” Noora spat.
As the day progressed, we chatted about our theories of who placed the boxes and why. Grassland and scrubby forest gave way to rockier terrain. Boulders peeked out of golden fronds. The wind blew chillier as we neared the foothills of the Infernal Peaks. They lived up to their name, towering above us, and we would need a proper meal before we attempted them.
I came up with the brilliant idea to have some shifters forage instead of hunt, so everything would stretch further. The elk only too happily organized the brood, not slaughtering wildlife into some semblance of a team. It made the evening meal a hearty one, where everyone stopped eyeing everyone else and relaxed enough to ask me to shift.
I had to put away this fear if I was in this life forever. Before everything exploded, Ward said he would love me no matter what I looked like, and I had to remember that. Godds knew we all probably needed a laugh to break the tension. Ward nodded his encouragement, and I awkwardly slumped into a black snake with stubby little legs. Declan blinked, flicking a foot with his finger.
“Dog!” Ward warned.
Declan smiled. “Don’t go into uncontrollable hiss-terics.” The monsters around the fire groaned. “I just wanted to see if they were real.”
Noora dragged him farther from Ward even as my man chuckled. Apparently, he was a sucker for puns. Everyone guessed what type of snake I became until we all dissolved into laughter. We all took turns coming up with fake snake species and all the banter allowed me to see Ward clearly again.He defended me. With his life.The enormity of that still didn't fit right, but maybe everything would be okay.
The next morning I mounted Greg with the help of a stump when Ward came over and snatched me down again.
“Viper. You’re riding under my cloak today. The horses I can spell for warmth. I’m not taking a chance with you.”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
Ward stopped dead in his tracks.
“I can't say it didn't scare me, but thank you. That lion would have torn me apart.”
