He straightened, held her stare. “The feeling is mutual.” He meant it. But for some unfathomable reason, his lips began to quirk up with a smile.
She lifted her chin and smiled back. “Good. Then we at least understand one another.” She strode away from the tree and began heading in the direction of camp, Valorre following in her wake. Her back was turned to him as she paused. “Goodnight, Teryn.”
His lungs felt tight at the sound of his name on her lips.Fear, he tried to label the sensation.Revulsion. Hatred. Guilt. The only one that held even the slightest truth was the last. In reality, the constricting sensation in his chest was something else entirely. It was…pleasant. Not to mention new and terrifying and highly inconvenient. “Goodnight, Cora,” he replied and watched her swaying form disappear between the trees.
30
The next day, they followed the hunters’ tracks until it was clear they’d entered their hunting radius. Which meant today was the day they’d spy on the camp itself. The prospect tied Cora’s stomach in knots, but she tried to focus more on the fact that they were going to get another chance to free the unicorns. So far, she’d only saved two. Unless Valorre counted, which in that case it was three. But the three the Beast had slaughtered…
Cora steeled her resolve as she, Teryn, and Lex tethered their horses in a secluded grove at the far west of the Cambron Pass. Based on the sounds of hunting horns, the group was scouting west today. And if these hunters had similar habits to the previous group, the main party wouldn’t be back until just after sundown. They only had about six hours to find the camp before it would be fully occupied.
They finished securing their horses. Cora could feel the tension radiating from Teryn and Lex, even with her shields in place. Valorre too had grown skittish since gaining so close in proximity to the new camp. He stood stiffly behind the horses, ears twitching back and forth. Even Berol seemed wary. She hadn’t left Teryn’s shoulder for the last hour.
“All right,” she said, her own nerves creeping into her voice to give it a slight tremble, “I’ll leave now and seek out the camp. Valorre will come with me, but he’ll remain out of range once I think I’m close. If I find a decent vantage point to spy on the hunters, I’ll stay. If I don’t, I’ll simply take in the lay of everything?—”
“In what world did you think you were going to spy on their camp alone?” Teryn said.
His tone had her bristling. “In what world did you think I’d seek your permission?”
He shook his head. “We’re coming with you.”
Lex raised his hands, palms forward. “I’d rather stay and watch the horses, thanks.”
Teryn rolled his eyes. “Fine.I’mcoming with you.”
Oh, yes, he can come,said Valorre.
“I don’t need you,” Cora said, ignoring Valorre and folding her arms. “I’ve done this before, you know.”
“That’s all well and good, but there’s no way I’m waiting behind while you…endanger yourself alone.”
Ah, he does have a point to be concerned,Valorre said. I don’t like when you endanger yourself either.
Whose side are you on?she shot back.
His, obviously, he said without shame.
Cora furrowed her brow. Was that true concern in Teryn’s eyes? Or something else? Suspicion, perhaps. She let down her shields just enough to sample his emotions. All she felt were conflicting elements. Fear. Trepidation. Something that made her stomach feel warm. With an exhale, she lifted her shields again. “This is the safest part of our plan.”
Lex lifted a finger. “Remind me what this plan is again? Sorry, working together as equals is a foreign concept to me, considering Helios was a royal ass.”
She felt a flash of guilt. They’d told her about what it was like working with Prince Helios. How he’d kept more secrets than he’d shared. Her instincts begged her to keep the boys from getting close to her, begged her to do exactly what Helios had done. She’d only let them come along because Teryn had practically begged her. Still…she’d agreed, for better or worse, which meant she now had to suffer the consequences. Even if that meant collaborating with people she’d sooner leave behind.
Valorre came up beside her and nudged her in the shoulder.Are they not our friends?
No, she conveyed back.
To the boys, she said, “Today, I will scout. Gather information. Study the camp. Valorre will warn me if he senses danger. I’ll try to glean as much as I can about this party’s habits. I’ll report back everything I find, then we’ll form a plan of attack.”
“By attack do you mean…” Lex mimed throwing back a drink and tipping his head to the side, eyes closed, tongue lolling from his mouth. When Cora refused to acknowledge him other than thinning her lips, he whispered, “Poison.”
Her mind filled with a vision of Paul’s prone form at the base of a tree, of James lying by the campfire with blue-tinged lips. The sound of bodies falling, cries of alarm?—
She blinked the memories away, but her pulse had kicked up to a rapid tempo. “I don’t know.”
“Ideally, we’ll avoid bloodshed,” Teryn said. “Which is why I’m coming with you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one. With both of our perspectives, we’ll have a better chance at coming up with a viable plan that puts all of us in the least amount of danger.”
She wanted to roll her eyes. Of course the goodly, dutiful prince wanted to avoid bloodshed. He was a fool if he thought it was possible. Perhaps it was a lesson he’d have to learn on his own. “You can help me form a plan but I’m going to scout alone. That’s final.”
