A heavy knock sounded at his door. He whirled to face it, finding it swinging open before he could grant the caller permission to enter. He may have been a bastard but the palace staff knew better than to treat him as such.
But it wasn’t a servant on the other side of the door. Instead, Prince Lexington of Tomas charged into Larylis’ room, a mortified guard following in his wake.
“He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” the guard said, her eyes brimming with apology. “Your father wouldn’t see him, but I can’t turn him away. He’s a…”
“A prince, yes,” Lexington said, although his appearance was the opposite of regal. His cheeks were smudged with dirt, his hair a blond windswept mess, his clothing torn and stained. “And yet no one seems to respect that fact nor how long or how fast I’ve been bloody riding.”
Larylis blinked back at the man, uncertain what to make of his presence. The guard gave Larylis a questioning glance, one hand on the hilt of her sword. “It’s all right,” he said to her, then turned his gaze to the prince. “To what reason do I owe this pleasure, Prince Lexington?”
“Call me Lex, and—” He held up a finger, then doubled over, hands braced on his knees. “Seven devils I’m out of breath.”
Larylis watched as Lex took several deep breaths before straightening.
“Teryn is being held hostage by Duke Morkai,” the man said in a rush.
“I know,” Larylis said, then paused. “Wait…Duke Morkai? Not King Dimetreus?”
Lex gave a flippant wave of his hand. “They’re basically one and the same, but the worst part is the duke is a bloody blood mage and he’s the one who really wants to become king. You cannot surrender to him.”
“If we don’t, he’ll kill Teryn—” He shook his head. “How do you even know this?”
“It’s a long story, but I was captured with Teryn. Duke Morkai offered me a deal in exchange for my father’s allegiance. Little does he know, my father would rather build a wall to hide behind than join forces with a conqueror. Which left me one choice—to warn you about the duke’s monsters and wraiths and try to find a way to save my friend.”
Blood mage. Monsters. Wraiths. His words made no sense, but Larylis only questioned the one that seemed at least partially grounded in reality. “Your…friend.”
“Teryn,” Lex said as if that was supposed to be obvious from the start.
“Since when are you friends with Teryn?”
“Another long story, and if you don’t mind, I’d rather only tell it once. Which means we should speak to your father.” Lex turned on his heel and marched down the hall like he owned it. “In fact, we should probably head for Selay straight away. They’ll want to hear this too. Besides, I’ve got a Heart’s Hunt to forfeit.”
Larylis followed after Lex, unsure whether the prince was a hero or a madman.
43
Cora could feel her destination drawing near. Her heart grew warmer with every racing step Valorre took across the forest floor. He’d hardly slowed his pace after escaping the pursuit of the Roizan three days prior. They’d stopped only to rest and eat, although without Cora’s bow or belt of necessities, she’d been limited to whatever she could harvest with her hands or an arrow. She was weak. Hungry. But at least she had Valorre. He carried her to the Ishvonn Woods where they first met. Where she hoped beyond hope that the Forest People had remained since she’d parted from them. Thankfully, it was not yet summer, so the commune had little reason to have departed.
As Valorre galloped past the hot spring caves, weaving along the familiar path she’d trod mere weeks ago, she felt the call of home. Of family.
Of people who might turn her away the minute they saw her face.
We’re here, Cora thought to Valorre when she sensed the commune’s proximity. He slowed his pace and paused near a thicket of trees. Cora dismounted, wincing at the soreness in her thighs, the ache in her legs, the hollow in her stomach. She felt a sudden stab of self-consciousness when she realized what she must look like. Dressed only in her corset and shift, no petticoats, no overskirt, filthy, her hair a mass of tangles…she imagined she appeared half mad.
I’ll stay close, Valorre said and trotted away.
She felt cold without her friend, but she knew it would be best to enter the camp alone. Her mission would be much easier if the others weren’t gawking at a unicorn. Then again, perhaps if they had him to gawk at, they wouldn’t do so at her.
With a deep breath, she made her way toward the camp.
Familiar smells of herbs, food, and campfire invaded her nostrils, sending her stomach growling. What she wouldn’t give for one of Chandra’s stews. The yearning almost sent tears to her eyes, along with a hefty dose of regret. What would it have been like if she hadn’t left? If she hadn’t even gone to the hot spring caves at all that night? Remorse sank her heart, but she was surprised that it didn’t linger. If she hadn’t gone to the caves, she wouldn’t have met Valorre or Teryn or been captured by Morkai.
But that would only have changed things for her.
Morkai’s mission would have stayed the same. Without Teryn to hold as a hostage, without her to have brought the entire mess together…no one would have a clue the duke’s war was coming.
Which is why I’m here, she reminded herself. Not for comfort. For war.
The clearing became visible between the trees just ahead. She slowed her steps and halted as she heard a soft step behind her. Just as she’d expected, her intrusion was detected.
