A groan left his lips as his head rolled back. "Don't stop."
"Keep talking and I won't have to."
A husky chuckle left him. "I'm assuming the Kyren already told you we're no longer alone up here."
"They may have said something to that effect."
"And probably a lot more," he finished for her.
"You know them well." Eva moved her hands to another spot, searching out the knots in his back and working them until they relaxed.
Caden made a noncommittal sound. "Judging by the fact they haven't tried to massacre us or chase us out of the valley, I take it they decided to give us a chance."
"A small one," Eva admitted.
A short silence fell as Eva finished up and then leaned against Caden, flattening her chest against the hard lines of his back. She looped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her cheek against his.
He slid one of his hands into hers, dropping a kiss against it before holding both against his heart.
"It must be bad if you're avoiding the topic," Eva guessed.
"The pathfinder thinks we're outnumbered."
Eva drew back slightly, shifting to get a better look at the side of his face. "What about you? What do you think?"
"I agree. They're hiding out there."
"Are they after the Kyren?"
"That'd be my guess. I don't know if the Kyren were always their goal or if they're taking advantage of the situation. I spoke to Van, and he said their direction indicated they were headed this way before the mist."
Eva pressed her chin into Caden's shoulder and frowned into the dark.
Caden's laugh was humorless. "Van and Gawain's arrival might have worked in our favor after all."
It was certainly timely. That was for sure. Convenient for them that reinforcement arrived at the exact same time as this mysterious army. One would almost think someone was guiding events from the shadows.
"Don't tell Ghost that," Eva said lightly. "He's most put out having to deal with them. I'm not sure how he'd react if he knew they actually turned out to be helpful."
"I can imagine. As strange of a decision as it might seem leaving either of those two in charge, they have the experience and reputation to hold their own. Even against clan leaders."
Eva thought that had more to do with the fact the two simply didn't give a fuck about what others thought, or how Gawain and Van could affect them.
"What about Jane and Drake?"
Caden shook his head. "No. Their skill sets lie in different areas. They're blunt instruments. They could kill a clan leader in the right circumstances, but leading is totally different. It requires a different sort of touch. Besides, I want you to be their only priority."
Caden wouldn't compromise on this point. There were only a few people he semi trusted and all of them had been trained by him. He knew the direction of their loyalties, what made them tick.
As long as Eva continued to be an asset for Fallon and didn't hinder his interests, they'd protect her. If it came down to it, they'd give their lives for her in the course of their duties.
Hopefully, that wouldn't be necessary. Jane and Drake were deadly weapons in their own right. It would take a lot to cause them to fall.
Still, bad luck happened. Death came for everyone eventually.
It was why Eva didn't take them for granted. The knowledge that someone might have to give their life for her was a burden she wouldn't be able to set down anytime soon.
There was also the fact the two were very good at being unobtrusive, letting Eva live her life without too much obstruction. People only realized their presence when the two wanted to make a splash, and usually by then blood had been shed and limbs had been severed. Other people's, of course.
