“Because Emrys is my primary job,” I said quietly. “I need to be where he is.”
She stared for a long moment, lips parted. Then her chin lifted in that stubborn way that never boded well. “Then I’m coming with you.”
“Catrin—”
“Bollocks,” she said fiercely, jabbing a finger at me. “I’m ready for a bit of adventure. And it would keep me out of the bloody laundry.”
I blinked. Then I laughed. Of course she would make it about avoiding work.
“If you’re sure… Wait, this is about your beau!” In truth, having her want to go with me was the best outcome I could’ve hoped for.
“I’m sure,” she said, already moving toward my trunk, sleeves rolled up. “And, yes, maybe a little about him,” she admitted with a cheeky grin.
I started working on taming my unruly mane and dressing with as much haste as my fingers would allow. Midway through packing, Catrin ran out into the hall, not saying a word to me about what she was doing. Moments later, she strolled back in, commanding two bleary-eyed guards to carry my belongings down to the courtyard.
The sun hadn’t even cleared the hills yet, and the keep was already buzzing with preparations. Outside, soldiers tightened saddle straps and checked weapons. Armor clanked and voices barked orders. The entire courtyard smelled of masculine sweat, horseflesh, and leather.
I stood beside a wagon being loaded with arms and armor. I didn’t need to do any talking because Catrin did it all for me. She instructed the guards on the best placement of the chest and walked away to secure other provisions for us.
As always, I felt him before I saw him. Emrys stalked across the courtyard like a beast on the hunt, sword unsheathed in his hand. His knuckles were white on its ruby-tipped pommel, probably pouring his temper into it instead of exploding at me from a distance like he so clearly wanted to.
“Whatare you doing, Lady Isca?” His voice was a blade barely sheathed in civility. He didn’t stop walking until he was too close—close enough that I could see the tension running like a taut thread beneath his skin.
I offered him my most innocent smile. “I’m coming with you. Catrin is too.”
He walked—deliberately—in a tight circle, just far enough away that I couldn’t see his face. The snarl that escaped him was meant for the wind. I didn’t flinch; I grinned.
“You would be a liability,” he argued. His grip flexed around the hilt of his sword, the same one he’d worn in Caervorn when we were both still pretending we didn’t want to fall apart in each other’s arms.
“Or an asset,” I replied, refusing to back down. “I can change the mood of an entire crowd of men—you’ve seen it. And I’ve already proven that I can endure your curse’s pressure,Your Highness.” Then lower. “I can helpsoothe the curse and ensure the success of any peace treaty you hope to broker.”
His head snapped toward me from where he’d been watching the men’s preparations, eyes blazing. I watched him fight for control. This time the growl escaped unchecked, low and animalistic, trembling with restraint. He forced himself to pace again, a tight circuit carved by fury, or perhaps fear.
He turned sharply, used his sword to gesture as he barked toward one of his captains, “Get them both horses!” Then to me, “You. You will ride next to me. We must shore up your mental defenses before we get youanywherenear a battlefield that might have mages on it.”
I carefully controlled my features. He couldn’t know how shocked I was. How had I won so quickly, so easily?
A pause. Then his eyes narrowed. “Does Nisien know about this?”
A voice answered behind us before I could speak. “I do now.”
Nisien descended the castle steps, hands clasped behind his back. He carried a cloud of cloying jealousy and pressing sadness with him—he’d wanted to be the one to go. His smile was faint, clearly a show. “She is fiery,” he said, nodding to me. “I wish I could come to see her shine.”
I met his gaze, and he winked. Nisien was a great man—a steady one—but not the firestorm my soul kept turning toward.
Emrys sheathed his sword with a loud snap. It carried more finality than anything either of them could have said after that.
Chapter 40
Isca
We departed with the mist still clinging to the earth, our horses’ hooves muffled by the soft mud from last night’s storm. The wind carried hints of summer’s warmth and a rare blue sky with it. The sight of Darreth’s crimson and gold banners surrounding me, so bright and bold, made a lump rise in my throat.
I was proud—proud of this kingdom, proud to ride among its people, proud of their princes for seeking peace. Over the past few months, I’d become increasingly connected to them all. Nisien’s easy grins, Catrin’s steady support, the warriors’ jokes, the servants’ unguarded warmth. They’d accepted, they’dwelcomedme, an outsider, like I was one of their own.
This kingdom had already saved me in ways I couldn’t even begin to put into words. Without their open arms, I would still be the frightened, fluttering girl I once was. Now, I rode tall on a warhorse, hoping I might repay them by helping to spare them from war.
With each hoofbeat, I journeyed farther than I’d ever gone before. Though our destination lay just days ahead, the weight in my chest told me this journey would take me miles away from who I’d been when I left Darreth. And I was already leagues away from the woman I’d been months before.
