“Of course I can,” she affirmed.
He paused, smirking at her as he tapped his cup twice on the table. His eyes traveled to Nyssa beside him. “Princess. Safe travels back.”
“Venari King,” Nyssa addressed him formally.
Draven considered her a moment, and then shook his head before giving Lex an upwards nod. “Second Sun,” he acknowledged
“You’ll send my Queen back in one piece, Venari King,” Lex affirmed sternly as she stood from her chair.
His eyes flickered between Aydra and Lex. “So long as she behaves herself,” he mocked.
Aydra escorted Lex and Nyssa back out to where their horses were soon after the exchange. She told Nyssa to behave, to tell their brothers she was fine. Nyssa hugged her and got on her horse, leaving Lex waiting on the ground.
“You’ll take my sister back to the Village. Keep her safe,” Aydra told Lex. “Please insist to Ash and the rest of the company that I am fine. I am being well taken care of. Draven needs my help with a few things before I can leave.”
Lex’s brows raised. “Oh, he’s Draven now? Interesting,” she mused.
Aydra frowned. “What’s interesting?”
“That a week ago he was Venari King only.” Lex smirked at her. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were growing a soft spot for him.”
“It’s a good thing you do know better then, isn’t it?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“WHERE ARE YOU taking me, Venari?” Aydra asked as she and Draven set off later in the afternoon. “What creature is it I should thank for nearly slicing you in half?”
Draven huffed under his breath, his hands tightening on the reigns of the horse as he walked on the ground beside them. “You’ll see soon enough,” he told her.
Night fell a few hours into their journey. The noises of the Noctuans entered their ears, and Draven continued to lead them on foot through the forest. Aydra couldn’t see a thing, but she could feel the creatures moving around them, their darkened cores filling hers.
But it was when she suddenly felt a pain so agonizing tear through her entire body that she heard herself cry out into the darkness.
“Whoa—what is it? What’s wrong?” Draven asked, his hand grasping her leg.
Aydra doubled over and clutched her chest, feeling the pain of the creature radiate through her body. “The creature—what is it? What’s wrong with it?” she asked. “It’s close.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong, that’s the point—”
The loudest roaring cry she’d ever heard bellowed through the forest, and her eyes widened into the darkness.
“The Rhamocour?!” she hissed. “You brought me to the Rhamocour?”
“She’s hurt and scared,” Draven argued. “I cannot get close enough to help her.”
“Get me down,” she begged as the agony of the pain continued to stretch into her bones.
Draven’s hands grasped hers, and he helped her onto the ground. She doubled over on her hands and knees, and vomit evacuated her insides.
“What’s wrong—”
“It’s not me,” she told him. “It’s her. I can feel her pain. It’s—” she fell to her back and allowed her eyes to roll into the back of her head as she felt into the darkness for the beast’s voice.
I feel your pain, she cried out to it.Where are you?
Who are you?came its bellow.
Aydra winced as another sharp pain pulsed her.
