It looked like so much more. For the tiniest splinter of a moment, it had—maybe—felt like more too.
She pushed off of him as fast as she could, nearly stumbling in the process. He rose much slower, his eyes never leaving hers. Then, trembling with rage, she stomped off, feeling his gaze follow her every step.
29
Teryn wasn’t entirely sure why he followed after Cora. He told himself it was to spy, to see where she went and ensure she wasn’t plucking poisonous berries to shove down his throat in retribution. But that wasn’t the full truth. He was concerned. He’d heard the pitiful pitch of her cries that had roused him from sleep, had seen beads of tears clinging to her dark lashes as she’d held her knife to his throat. For a moment, it had been like she was somewhere else, trapped in her mind. He’d had every intention of pushing her off of him at the first chance, but instead…
He blushed as he recalled the look in her eyes when he’d brought up pleasure and touch. Seven gods, he’dflirtedwith her. With a woman who would sooner butcher him than bed him.
I only said what I did to shock her into calming down, he told himself. That too was a lie. He’d said it because he’d wanted to get a rise out of her. Wanted to taste her rage and test the bounds of her anger. Did he have a damn death wish? Who flirts with a woman he’s planning to betray?
He shook the thought from his head as he trailed her. Valorre trotted past him, following after her too. They both disappeared into the dark. Still, he followed.
He spotted Valorre first. The unicorn stood at what Teryn realized was the edge of a rounded cliff. His white coat shone beneath the light of the moon, the ridges of his spiral horn glittering with reflected starlight. Teryn’s heart leapt into his throat as he considered that Cora might be on the other side of the cliff’s edge. She could have run blindly and taken a fall.
Then he saw her. Not far from Valorre, her small form was curled at the base of a tree, knees to her chest, shoulders heaving with quiet sobs. Teryn suddenly regretted coming after her. Her grief was not his to witness.
He took a slow step back, but Cora’s face whipped up, stopping him in his tracks.
She rose to her feet and crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?”
“I…” He searched for words, his throat dry. “I just wanted to see if you were all right.”
“Why wouldn't I be?”
Teryn knew he should leave. He was only making her more upset. If he wasn’t careful, she might throw a knife at him. But despite telling his feet to walk the other way, he found himself stepping forward instead. Not toward her, but to the edge of the cliff. The Cambron Pass sprawled out before him, cloaked in darkness. Somewhere out there, the next group of hunters awaited. The thought chilled him, made him wonder if everything he was doing was reckless. He could lose his life doing what he was about to do. All so he could save his kingdom. Would the sacrifice be worth it? He glanced over his shoulder and found Cora watching him. His stomach sank with guilt. Would sacrificingherbe worth it?
She’s a killer, he reminded himself for the hundredth time. But right now, she didn't look like a killer at all. She looked…fragile. Not like a glass trinket. She was nothing like the soft women who fluttered about court. She was more like a blade, one that was forged to be mighty but still bore chips and scratches.
“I used to have nightmares.” The sound of his own voice caught him off guard.
She stared at him, jaw set. At first, it didn’t seem like she’d reply. Then, uncrossing her arms, she returned to the tree and leaned her back against it. Valorre nuzzled her shoulder, and Cora reached up to stroke the space between his eyes. “Let me guess,” she said dryly. “You had them when you were young. Like every other child.”
He gave her a weak grin. “If you'd consider me a child three years ago, then yes.”
She met his eyes briefly, then returned her gaze to Valorre. “What were they about?”
He gulped before answering. “War.”
“Why war?”
It really wasn’t something he should talk about. Not only did he not enjoy talking about it but she had no right to know. Yet he found himself speaking regardless. “I…I don’t know how much you know of my kingdom…”
She gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Well, a few years ago, my father attempted to replace my mother with his mistress.” His lungs tightened. He remembered the yelling, the shouts. The way his sisters had cried. How he’d dragged them away to play games and pretend their family wasn’t falling apart. “Dermaine Palace erupted with scandal. My mother fought to keep her crown while I…I was caught in the middle. Between Mother, Father, and my half brother. I loved all of them and realized I was about to lose at least one of them to some degree. My mother’s home kingdom threatened war, and that’s when I started having nightmares. Not all of them were truly about battles waged on Menah’s shores but the familial war already wreaking havoc on my life.”
Teryn glanced at Cora and found her staring, brow furrowed, hand frozen on Valorre’s face. The unicorn nudged her to resume petting him. She tore her gaze from Teryn. “That sounds rough.”
He released a heavy sigh and tried to make his voice sound casual. “I led a charmed life up until then, so who am I to complain?”
Her eyes flickered to his, and he saw her expression soften.
“What about you?” he asked. “What was your childhood like? Have you always been on your own?”
Her lips pulled into a frown. “In one way or another, yes. My parents died when I was young. I was devastated when Father died, but when Mother followed…a part of me broke. I felt like there was no one left alive who understood me.” Her throat bobbed, and her expression grew hard again. “It’s also when my…mygiftsstarted developing and I realized I wasn’t like other people.”
A witch, she meant. His pulse quickened at that. Even though he knew it to be true, he was still bewildered by it. People didn’t believe in magic or witches. They weren’t supposed to be real. And yet, he’d met both a witch and a unicorn in a single week. He hesitated before asking his next question, unsure if she’d deign to answer. “What exactly does it mean to be a witch? I’ve never met one before you.” He rushed to say the last part.
