The man flicked a glance at all of them, his expression darkening.
"That'll be all, Loren," Darius said in clear dismissal.
Where Loren might have pushed back against Caden and Fiona, he wouldn't dare with Darius. Darius was his general, and his word was absolute. Loren's mouth snapped shut and with a stiff nod he strode off.
Darius waited until it was just the Anateri and them, Fiona and Hanna listening before he glanced at Caden. "I can see how impartial you are to the herd mistress. I've seen the little thorn she wields. It's awfully familiar. Some might even say it’s an exact replica of yours."
Caden flicked a sour glance at the man.
Darius's lips curved up in a slight smile, amused that he'd found a way to pull the normally unflappable Caden's tail.
"Update me on what's been going on in my absence," Caden said. He had no intention of going into the complex emotions that had led to him giving her that dagger. He only partially understood it himself.
There was something about Eva that called to the protector in him, and he found himself trying to safeguard her, while also looking forward to the soft look in her eyes anytime she came across one of the small items he left in her bag—items from his own gear.
The accusation of traitor disturbed him.
Darius's expression sobered, the previous playfulness falling by the wayside. "When she took off and you followed her—thanks for the notice by the way—things escalated and the blame fell on her."
Caden shrugged. There hadn't been time to warn Darius of his intentions. Keeping the mythological in sight had been his main priority. He knew Darius and the rest would likely be able to take care of themselves. Given Eva's propensity for finding trouble, he hadn't been as sure of her. Good thing too, if the scene he'd pulled her out of was anything to judge by.
"As soon as she left, the creatures sank back into their lake," Darius said. "It wasn't until then we discovered there was another prong of attack. We only caught a handful of them, and when questioned they seemed to indicate there was a traitor in our midst."
"And you assumed that person was Eva," Caden finished for him.
Darius nodded. "It did seem like a convenient explanation given her disappearance."
A sinking feeling filled Caden. Eva might seem strong, but there were cracks in her mental defenses. Betrayal would be a hot button for her. No wonder she had snapped when he'd stepped in.
He had a feeling any progress he’d made into her affections had been set back because of his actions.
Caden rubbed his forehead. "How much did you learn about the real traitor?"
"Enough to know he's not the only one," Darius said.
"Have you confronted him yet?" Caden asked.
Darius shook his head. "I'm waiting for him to hang himself for me."
"And you used the confrontation and bad blood with Eva to lull him into a sense of safety," Caden guessed.
Darius lifted a shoulder. The motion confirmation enough.
Caden shook his head. And they called him and Fallon ruthless. They had nothing on the general. Darius used everything and everyone around him in pursuit of his goals. Eva was just his latest tool.
In the past, Caden would have admired him for the simplicity and brilliance of his plan. Now, he had to fight the urge to plant his fist in Darius's face and pour some of this aggression filling him into his friend.
Caden locked down on the impulse with an iron control. Violence hovered just beneath the surface—a fact Darius was too smart not to pick up on, as he gave Caden an assessing look.
"The information you've gleaned from the enemy makes this task even more important," Darius said. "By journey's end, we'll know just how deep the rot goes."
Caden grunted. That was the sole silver lining in this situation.
"Tomorrow we push on," Caden said.
Darius hesitated as his attention went to the camp. "I'm not sure that will be possible with how many are injured. They might not be ready to move, and splitting up in this situation could have devastating consequences for those we leave behind."
"Staying still isn't the answer either," Caden said.
