Shea’s fingers tense. “Wynnie,” she reprimands.
I shake my head. “No, your sister is right. He did get hurt with me.” I glance back at Wynn. “I give you my word that if things become too dangerous, I will send Argo back.” I hold out my hand. “Deal?”
The girl takes my hand and shakes. “Deal.”
“Good,” I say. “And I also wanted to personally thank you again for healing Rissa.”
She squirms a bit, like she’s feeling shy. “You’re welcome.”
Rising back to my feet, I look to Shea. “You’ve received everything you need?”
“More than. Thank you, Your Majesty,” she tells me before looking down at her sister. “Come on, Wynnie, time to go. The king is very busy.”
Wynn looks at me. “You’ll really make sure he isn’t hurt again?”
“I promise.”
“Okay,” she says with a nod. Then she hugs Argo one more time, and the two sisters walk away, hand in hand.
I glance over at Ryatt, and my brother nods, already knowing what I’m thinking. “Don’t worry, Isalee and Warken are making sure they’re well taken care of. And don’t tell him I told you, but Osrik bought them their own house in the city. A nice one, right on the river. He doesn’t want the girl to know it was from him though.”
“Doesn’t surprise me.”
“You know him,” Ryatt says. “Os never wants people to know if he’s done something nice.”
“If he heard you say the wordnicein the same sentence as his name, he’d punch you in the gut.”
Ryatt smirks. “Probably.”
Turning, I start checking over Argo’s buckles one more time, ensuring my pack is secured. Then I swing myself up onto the saddle and glance down at my brother. I can see thenervousness in his expression, even though he hides it well. Everyone is nervous. After centuries of fae being gone from this world, this isn’t a threat Orea ever expected to face again.
“Keep Argoandyourself safe,” he tells me, tone going quieter so no one else around will hear.
“I will. And I’ll take out as many of them as I can before I head for the bridge.”
“I know you will. Fight fire with fire, and fight fae with fae,” he says with a small smirk before his expression grows serious again. “Orea definitely has a chance with you on our side.”
“Not just me. Orea has a chance because ofyou.”
He swallows hard, and guilt hits me again, because I can see how much my words mean to him. I should’ve been saying these things sooner. Should’ve given him this position a long time ago. I was so used to being his older brother and protecting him, that I stopped him from being able to step into the role of a protector too.
“Send word as soon as you get to Ranhold.”
“I will,” I reply.
If we need to mobilize Fourth’s army, he’ll be ready.
There are so many other unsaid things between us, but there’s no time. Instead, we share a drawn-out look, and then I give him a nod. “Lead well, Commander.”
He bows at the waist. “I’ll protect Fourth with my life.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
“You’ll find Auren and our mother,” he says, not an inch of doubt in his voice, because he knows I won’t settle for anything else. “Be careful,” he murmurs.
“You too, brother.”
My grip tightens on the reins, and my chest tugs with both emotion and pain.
