Instead, he withdrew his hands from my shoulders, curling his fists at his sides before shooting a glare full of ice over my head at the men on the forest floor.
“Hello,” Ilyas rasped behind me. “You must be hers?”
I closed my eyes, praying that Peytor would show some restraint.
“Yes,” he spat. “You must be the one that upset her.”
Somehow, even without seeing him, I knew Ilyas shrugged his shoulders. Peytor practically vibrated in anger at my front, but I was too lost in my own feelings and thoughts to comfort him properly.
“Leave it, Peytor. Let’s get back to Imena,” I clipped, burying my emotions while leaning into the one comfort—my role as a warrior, a general. Orders were easy to give, and there was no place for . . .feelings.
People died when leaders leaned too far into their emotions, and as much as I wanted to eliminate the problem of a True Bond that just fell into my lap, I wouldn’t live with their deaths on my hands, not yet, at least.
Peytor sighed heavily, aggressively pushing his sweaty hair back from his forehead.
“Really, Folami?”
I curtly nodded, securing my spear to its straps on my back. Peytor blew out another breath with a muttered curse before his hands flapped back to his sides.
“Fine. But don’t think you’re getting out of this discussion. Wewillbe talking when we get back to Imena.” His tone was kind, understanding even, but still brokered no arguments. “And you’ll be riding the horse with me”—he shot a look of unbridled hate at Ilyas and Lex—“they can walk the rest of the way if they’re so eager to accompany us.”
I shook my head, already taking a step away from Peytor toward Ilyas and Lex. I didn’t miss the stricken look of pure panic on Peytor’s face when I moved away from him, nor the confusion as I helped a shaky Ilyas support Lex’s unconscious form.
“They ride,” I said.
I didn’t want to dissect my reasoning or sudden allegiance to the very thing that imprisoned me for years, but my soul rebelled at the thought of either the Mage or his Vessel walking any further.
“You and I will walk,” I called as Ilyas and I tossed Lex onto the horse before the Pleasure Vessel mounted behind his Mage’s prone form. Ilyas’ hand shot out at the last minute, gripping my bicep. Peytor shouted something at him, but he didn’t relinquish his hold. Despite my muscles, his large fingers wrapped over halfway around my arm. I was stuck between gazing at the contrast of his light-brown skin against my own ebony and losing myself in his eyes again.
“Thank you,” he rasped quietly. “Please, give him—us—a chance, Folami.”
Then, before Peytor could forcibly pry his fingers from my skin, he squeezed once and let me go, speaking softly to the animal beneath him.
“Folami?” Peytor questioned, his hand shaking above the spot Ilyas just released, clearly debating whether to touch me.
“I’m fine, Peytor. Truly. We can talk later,” I said with much more confidence than I felt. Peytor’s grey eyes bored into mine, searching for the lie that we both knew was buried there.
“You have a lot to think about, Fo,” he said with a sigh and a nod, gesturing for me to follow the horse down the path that led out of the woods.
No truer words had ever been spoken.
Chapter Six
Torin
“They should be back by now,” I growled to an empty room. Empty, except for a still unconscious Ellowyn lying in my bed. While a bit of the beast inside me settled at seeing her here in my space—in my bed—a larger part prickled with justified rage.
At the gods.
At my commanders for ignoring my orders before the Battle of Vespera.
At the fact Ellowyn was still fucking asleep.
I paced just in front of my door, the gaudy red wallpaper and matching rugs only serving to exacerbate my pounding headache.
With a low, frustrated growl, I shoved my hands through my hair, causing the ends to stick up haphazardly. The leather soles of my boots slapped against stone as I stomped across the floor before my steps were muffled by the high-pile rug.
I’d abandoned my previous monastic space in the servants’ quarters in favor of the larger room Lord d’Leocopus offered when the rebellion first landed on Lishahl’s shores nearly a year previous. His responding serpentine smile when I demanded the room upon our arrival today should have set me on edge, but my need for Ellowyn’s comfort and safety far eclipsed any reservations I had regarding the Lord of Lishahl.
