“That it is,” the nymph agreed.
“A little help back here would be nice!” The male nymph yelled from the back.
The barkeep gave a long-suffering sigh. “Let us know if you need anything else.”
Once we were alone, Neve began to eat with a far-away look in her eyes. A few bites in, she set her spoon down again.
“Eat it all,” I urged. “We need your magic for the final few days.”
“I constantly feel like I’m failing those we travel with. These people too.” She gestured to the bar, to those who suffered from the blight. “Their issues aren’t natural. It’s a problem with the magic of the realm, and I might be able to fix that.”
There was no denying such a thing. “But you can’t blame only yourself. You’ve only recently been freed from slavery and have learned much since then. The king might also have the power, and he’s been failing them for far too long.”
She picked up her spoon, and I shared a sidelong glance with Caelo. Neve had said nothing about claiming her birthright. Seeing as she’d only had a couple of weeks to come to terms with such a monumental notion, no one had pressed, but it seemed to me that she was tiptoeing closer to claiming herself as the rightful ruler of the land.
Chapter 4
NEVE
The humans waved excitedly when we rode back to camp, laden down withlevae,other dried goods, and useful supplies. Things like the weapons and tools the humans would need once they settled into their new home.
The only beings who didn’t look pleased to see us were the pair of horses we hadn’t been able to take to the village. From them, we received greetings of stomped hooves and harsh snorts.
“They’re brimming with great irritation.” Caelo nodded to the horses.
“They see how fresh and well fed their friends look after visiting a warm stable.” Vale shook his head with amusement.
“Exactly.” Caelo turned his full attention to the horses and clicked his tongue softly a few times. “We brought you apples and oats.”
Their stances softened.
“I’ll take care of them,” Caelo said, eyes crinkling at the corners. He’d removed our glamours an hour out of the village, and his eyes were back to their brilliant blue color. “You two can unload without assistance?”
“We have it under control,” Vale assured him, and the knight veered for the horses.
Once he was gone, I met Vale’s eye. “Judging by the smiles we received, all went well in our absence.”
“Agreed. It helps that the sun warmed things up today. People are in a good mood.”
Two dozen people helped us unload the supplies into an ice hut. Once done, I took a bunch oflevaein one hand and waved the other at the hut, dousing it with my magic. It was not warm enough to melt ice, but to be safe, I wished to reinforce the structure.
“One piece of this bread can last a fae Vale’s size all day.” I handed a woman one of the many packages oflevaethat we bought. “And as long as it stays dry, it won’t go bad. So make sure to keep it stored dry.”
She pressed the package to her heart, clearly grateful.
“Did the hunters go out today?” Vale asked the general group.
There had been some debate on whether that should happen. Given the nøkken attack, many humans were fearful.
“We did,” Ronaldo replied. “Killed ten hares and, get this—we finally saw a boar!”
The barkeep in the village had told us boars did, occasionally, venture this far south and west, and at this further proof, gratitude welled in my chest. Maybe the boars wouldmove further south and into the mountains. They could be regular food sources for these people.
“It ran off too fast for us to hit it, though.” Anna came up behind and added to the tale. “Next time, we’ll be ready.”
“Excellent.” Pride rolled off Vale at his students’ progress. “Perhaps we should practice shooting again before we lose the light? Those who are adept can help those who are still learning.”
Ronaldo grinned. “I’ll gather people.”
