Gavril had found her only an hour later, but by then her tears had dried and she was sitting there in silence.
Her first words had been a whispered, “I hate him.”
Gavril had asked, “Your grandfather?”
She’d shaken her head. “I didn’t get to say goodbye. If he’d just have given me the Mitis post, I could have at least said goodbye.”
So if Aimilia was going to make it through this funeral without putting Nikias in a casket too she needed to be as far away from him as long as she could be.
Kissing him back had been the biggest mistake she’d ever made.
Her eyes were fluttering shut as the sun inched higher and higher in the sky after dawn. She forced herself to dismount and walk alongside her steed, hoping that would help her shake off the exhaustion trying to slow her down and get her caught by her certain pursuer.
When her feet kept snagging on roots and sending her right to the forest floor, she decided to lie there for a minute and shut her eyes. Her horse wouldn’t step on her, right?
She hoped not, especially since she couldn’t stop herself from falling asleep right where she was.
When she woke up, it was to a face full of horse muzzle as the mare nudged her face and her hot breath hit Aimilia’s skin. She cracked an eye open and reached up to gently push the mare’s head out of the way. The sun was setting.
Aimilia jerked upright, twigs and leaves sticking to her hair and cloak. She’d slept too long, and any lead she’d had was?—
She could hear the sound of horses in the near distance.
Aimilia scrambled to her feet, her horse dancing away from her and her frantic rush. Aimilia grabbed the reins and started to mount. She had one foot in the stirrup when a voice cut through the air.
“Don’t be foolish, Commander. At least, not any more than you’ve already been.”
Aimilia looked over her shoulder to see Nikias and several Runai guards approaching.
She glanced at the path ahead of her and Nikias said, “You won’t get far. You think I won’t chase you a few more feet after I’ve been chasing you for miles?”
Aimilia looked back at him. “A girl can dream, can’t she?”
But she took her foot out of the stirrup and Nikias was immediately dismounting. Aimilia kept a grip on her horse’s reins as he came toward her.
“You know how utterly reckless and irresponsible this stunt was?” Nikias’ voice was cold and his eyes dark. Her heart stuttered in her chest. “How shortsighted can you be, to not know how this would end?”
But it didn’t matter how furious Nikias was, Aimilia wouldn’t cower. “I knew how it would end. I wasn’t expecting to outrun you the whole way. I was just hoping for a few days free of your presence.”
Nikias took one look at her horse and then looked back at his soldiers. “Go ahead and make camp here for the night.”
“What—”
Nikias cut her off by gesturing to her horse. “Your steed is dehydrated, so are you, frankly, and while it’s clear you managed to take a nap in the dirt, you need more rest as well.”
Aimilia glared at him even as her cheeks flushed, ignoring the twigs in her hair. “I’m fine.”
Nikias reached forward and pulled one of the twigs out of her hair. “Really? You purposefully collapsed in the middle of the road in broad daylight where any clan mage, Solitus, or worse could find you completely helpless?”
Aimilia batted his hand away. “Just because we’re traveling in the same direction doesn’t mean anything.”
“That’s not the point. This wasreckless.” Nikias lowered his voice as he stepped closer. “You know the Stonai have beenactive and causing trouble, and you still went out on your own and collapsed, leaving yourself defenseless if any of them found you.”
“No Stonai activity has been anywhere near here.” She raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t just staring off into space the last two weeks. I was paying attention.”
Nikias’ jaw clenched as he blew out a long, slow breath. “You deliberately disobeyed my orders. Again. I’m starting to think if I want you to do something I need to order the opposite.” Nikias also reached forward and started brushing the leaves and dirt off her cloak. “I could have your cloak for this. I’m not sure what else would even get through to you.”
Aimilia scoffed, stepping back and moving to brush off her cloak herself. “You wouldn’t. Then you wouldn’t be able to marry me. Not that you’re going to, but then you’d be the one to wreck your plans.”
