CHAPTER THREE
Those around Eva weremotionless, speechless at the unexpected guest on the hill. Ollie gaped as Jason stared up in awe. A hush fell over the group as the winged horse studied them.
He cut a regal figure. He knew it, too, if the pride and defiance he displayed was anything to judge by.
He glared at them, unruffled by their presence; the bodies on the ground pointed to his ability to defend himself.
Why had he stayed? If she'd been him, she would have taken to the sky and escaped the moment she was free.
"Great Rava in the flesh," Delia murmured.
"Eva?" Ollie said questioningly.
"I found him," Eva responded, already knowing what he was asking. "I'm willing to bet he escaped from those two. There was a net around his wings and a collar around his neck.
Fiona and Roscoe shared a glance.
"What is one of them doing here?" Jason asked.
"No one is to speak of this to anyone else," Fiona interrupted, her voice hard. "If I hear even a whisper of what happened here, I will have you tried for insubordination and treason. Is that clear?"
The rest of them nodded uncertainly.
"Ghost, summon the Hawkvale and the Battle Queen," Fiona said grimly.
"Already on it," the man on the horse said. In the next moment, Ghost and his horse wheeled and were gone.
Fiona's intense gaze focused on Eva as her expression grew severe. "I had a feeling you were going to be trouble."
Eva's opened her mouth in protest.
Fiona held up a hand to forestall it. "Don't bother. I know it's not your intention to draw attention, but it seems you share more in common with the Battle Queen than the fact you came to us through unusual means. She too, draws notice when all she wants to do is go unremarked. I don't fault you for it, but it will make for a very interesting ride for those of us caught in your vicinity."
Eva studied the other woman with a slight frown. There hadn't been judgment or accusation in her words. It was more like she was stating the facts as she saw them. It left Eva uncertain as to how she should respond. In the end, she chose to keep her mouth shut. Silence had never hurt anyone and was an often-underutilized tool.
Eva drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them for a little warmth.
The fact of the matter was, Eva was a small thread in the Trateri's overarching tapestry. She could easily be snipped from it if she became more trouble than she was worth.
The gravity of what she'd done was beginning to sink in, leaving her with the feeling she was wavering on the edge of an abyss. The tumble down would be hard and brutal.
The winged horse's presence held the potential to shatter the tentative alliance Fallon had made with some of the mythologicals. Throw in the men dressed in the same manner as his warriors and the entire situation could have consequences that reverberated for years to come.
It wasn't a stretch to think the Trateri might decide to heap the blame for this entire mess on Eva—the outsider with few ties.
She hid her trembling hands beneath her, not wanting anyone to see her fear.
It'd been a long time since she’d felt this powerless over her fate. Not since leaving her village.
Hardwick reached over and clasped her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. The expression on his face didn't shift from his normal dourness.
The gesture might be small but Eva took comfort from it, drawing strength from the simple kindness.
