Olwen swished his bare arms and legs in the snow. “Yes. The cold is helping.” He sat up, snow stuck in his braids. He glanced between Flyka and Neve. “So, what did you learn, oh shadow mistress? Just what dark secrets is Dahlia hiding?”
Flyka crossed her arms, looking out into the distance. “Not many.”
Neve’s brows raised. “That is not like you.”
She huffed. “We can truly rule out her having any involvement with the Northerners.”
Olwen arched a brow, the scar along his cheek smoothing out. “I thought we established that when she arrived in our camp half frozen to death and bleeding.”
“Don’t be so naïve. Faking injuries to gain the confidence of your target is simple manipulation. I got her to speak a little about the person who hurt her.” He growled, and Flyka peeked at Neve. “Calm down. He’s dead just like Olwen said last night.” She scratched her forehead, lips turning downward. “I was scenting her emotions the entire time. The attack truly terrified her, and when she spoke about his death, it was with contempt that could not be faked. Neither could her wounds.”
“How bad are they?” he forced himself to ask.
“She has defensive wounds on her hands and arms. One of thebeastssliced her across the midriff. It’s a miracle he didn’t disembowel her.” Neve swallowed as Flyka continued. “Her back, chest, and legs are covered in bruises.” She paused and exhaled heavily. “Including a hand-shaped bruisehighon her thigh.”
Her terrified face flashed through his mind. It was only when he’d inched his seeking fingers up her thigh did she freeze on him.
Neve cursed and spun around, spearing his hair through his fingers. He pulled, leaning into the pain to control his temper. “Was she... was she...” He could not even get the words out.
“No.”
“And you believe her?” he panted, wiping a hand down his face.
“Yes.”
A knot loosened in his chest. That was something, at least. He would not wish that sort of violence against his worst enemy.He hated what Dahlia—the traitor—had done, but she didn’t deserve what that bastard clearly had in mind.
Neve turned back around, reining himself in. “Anything else?”
“Burns along her shins, new scars on her palms, arms, and temple. The cut underneath her jaw and the bite.” Flyka saidbitealmost as if it were a curse. “All are in different states of healing. She’s experienced several assaults in the last few months.”
Olwen swore, lacing his fingers on top of his head. “Qov.”
What the devil had the valles been involved in?
Neve emptied his lungs, shoving down the sorrow that tried to crop up for her. She’d made decisions that had almost led to his death. She didn’t deserve his pity. “Did she say why she showed up here?”
Olwen groaned and rose to his feet. “I can answer that.” He shook his arms out and settled into a loose fighting stance.
Flyka’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it!”
“Knew what?” Neve asked.
“Lia mentioned discovery,” Flyka groaned. “Tell me you didn’t.”
Olwen sighed. “I discovered Dahlia over five days ago.”
Neve did not react, even as his body flashed hot and then cold. “Five days?” he rasped, the hair along his arms rising. “Was that why she was in the mountains? Was she running away?” He growled. “With another male?”
His friend held up his hands. “I don’t believe so. If she had been running, she would have had things, a pack, something. I had my men scour that mountainside, and there was nothing but a basket with crushed herbs.” He puffed out his cheeks. “But we did find two giants with their pants unlaced. It was clear that one of them took something that did not belong to them.”
Neve moved, his fingers tightening around Olwen’s neck before he consciously realized what he had done. “Myniliavewas assaulted because of you? Because you did not bring her home?”
A warm hand settled on his left forearm. He glared at Flyka. “I’ve already told you that your mate was not assaulted in that way. You would have known. Think, Neve, did you smell anothervalloson her when you slept with her last night?”
No. “But he said...” He squeezed his eyes shut, hating the wave of emotion surging inside of him. Thevallesmade him so weak andviolent.
“He said that someone had been hurt that way but not who,” Flyka stated. “You did not let him finish. Release Olwen.”
