"You're smarter than I gave you credit for," he said.
Eva's eyes moved right past him at first. Only returning when what she was seeing caught up to her brain. Ajari blended into the monochromatic landscape, moving through the shadows like liquid smoke to suddenly appear out of thin air.
"You came," she said with relief.
She hadn't been certain he would.
"Don't get used to it. I'm not in the practice of rescuing human mice," he said crisply.
"I'd never presume. That would assume you had a heart in that chest of yours."
His lips curved in the briefest of smiles before it faded. A thoughtful look crossed his face as his enigmatic gaze drifted toward the area where she'd started to answer the call of the meadow. "Aren't you full of surprises, Eva, daughter of an unexpectedly ancient line."
Eva was about to ask what he meant and if he’d seen the meadow too, when the mist thinned. Ahead, looming like a mirage, were the city gates.
Ajari twisted to look at them. "You should hurry. There are things that hunt in here."
Eva nodded. "Ajari, I know you don't think much of us, but thank you."
He surveyed her carefully before his shoulders lifted in a casual shrug and he sauntered away.
Eva followed, heading for the gate, the mist thinning further with every step. Then they were out, crossing into the city, its perimeter walls looming high on either side.
Eva led the wagon in a circle as she chanced a glance out the gates. The mist still lingered, a seething wall ten feet beyond the stone walls marking the city.
Didn’t it usually dissipate when you left its depths? How unusual.
Ajari watched the furor that followed their reappearance among the Tratori with bored eyes, not even reacting when the fox plopped down on top of his feet and yawned.
"Get the general," someone cried. "The commander and the herd mistress are back."
Laurell and the other warrior who'd elected to watch the wagon's sides looked around them with stunned disbelief. Ollie reclined, exhausted on the seat, the reins trailing from his hands.
Caden moved around the back, already snapping orders to those who approached.
Jason appeared out of nowhere, taking the reins from her. "I've got this."
Eva murmured a thank you, too happy they’d made it back to refuse.
Caden crossed to her, his expression once again a remote mask. Drake and Jane dogged his steps, relief on their faces.
He'd just reached her when Darius came pounding out of a building.
He headed straight for Caden. "We thought you lost."
"So did I," Caden admitted as the two clasped hands.
Darius's attention swung toward Eva. "That was a reckless move."
Eva couldn't argue with that, so she didn't even try.
"Don't do it again," he ordered.
Eva couldn't promise that. Life happened and you either rolled with it or you were crushed. Sometimes that meant leaping and hoping for the best.
"How many did we lose?" Caden asked.
"Very few. The pathfinder made it back a few hours before you with several he'd rounded up before they were engulfed," Darius responded.
