“We travel this way,” Taio said again, pointing to the forest.I did not like the look of that forest.
“Did you encounter any Hollows—Twilight Men—on your trek here?”Nize asked.
“No.The way is clear.”
Gaz snorted.“The forest is infested with Hollows.Everyone knows that.”
“I walked the forest and tell you I saw none.”
“That can’t be true,” Nize said.“We’ve been told again and again the forest is dangerous.Isn’t it, Lord Jolen?”
Jolen looked at Taio and then the map and lifted his hands, clearly not wanting to be part of this argument.Was it because he didn’t know if the forests were truly infested or because he’d been lied to before and didn’t know what to believe?
“If you didn’t encounter Hollows,” Gaz told Taio, “you were fortunate.I doubt we’ll be so fortunate.”
Taio put his hands on his hips.“We do not need fortune.Is that not why you accompany us?To protect us?”
Gaz leaned forward.“I’m not coming to protectyou, Barbarian.I’ll let the Hollows feast on you.I’m only there to keep Mara safe.”
“I will keep her safe, Loverboy.”
Gaz reared back.“What did you call me?”
Taio merely looked down his nose at Gaz.I saw what was coming even before Gaz reached for the dagger sheath at his belt.In an instant, the weapon was in his hands.
“No!”I yelled.Omira jumped in front of her brother and Yung and Kintle crouched for attack.Nize drew his dagger, and I gave Jolen, who was watching calmly, a panicked look.Then I did the one thing my battle instructors had said never to do.
I jumped between the two groups.
“Stop!”I said, holding my arms out to keep the groups separated.“This is not helpful.”
“I’ll help,” Gaz said.“I’ll kill all four of them.No one need go anywhere then.”
“Gaz!”
“Try and kill me, Loverboy,” Taio said.“Today will be your last.”
“Call me that one more time—”
“Gaz.”I moved toward him, pushing him back with a hand to his chest.Nize moved back too but gave Gaz and me some space.When I’d pushed Gaz out of hearing range, I grasped his wrist and made him sheath his dagger.“What are you doing?They are not the enemy.”I pointed to the Zuleniis.“The Hollows are.I need you to help get us to Zulen.”
“So you want to go with him?”Gaz said, his gaze meeting mine.“You want to be his bride.”I saw anger and something else—jealousy?—in his eyes.I wished we could be alone.I wished we could go back to my common room and have that kiss all over again.But everything had changed, and we couldn’t pretend otherwise.
“He won the Claiming Rite.”Those words made me bristle, but I forced myself to say them.I hated Taio for beating me.“I have no choice.”And I hated him for forcing me to leave my home.
“You had a choice.I was prepared to do as I’d been ordered.”
My mind flashed back to the glint of the dagger in the arena.I grimaced at him.“It was wrong to ask that of you.I don’t care if it was the king himself,” I hissed.“The request was dishonorable.”
“I would have done it, Mara.For you.”
I inhaled, wishing I could reach out and touch him.Instead, I kept my hands at my side.I was Taio’s bride now.Gaz was lost to me.
“I don’t want to lose you, Mara,” he said quietly, as though reading my thoughts.
I closed my eyes.“Don’t make this harder on me, Gaz.Please.”
“I apologize,” he said.“But I don’t know how you can stand this.”I heard the anguish in his voice and swallowed the lump in my throat.
