Without a word, Domanikk dresses himself and shifts into Horse Form, kneels so I can mount, and leaps into a gallop before I’m fully secure and holding on. I manage to keep my balance as he twists and turns down the path at a speed that seems unnatural. The journey that had felt so long on the way there passes much quicker on the way back, and before I know it, we’re back at the clearing.
Viveen is still there with her group, but many of the other Equitae have left. Which is why I notice the looming presence of the white-haired Equitae, his ice-blue glare piercing towards us.
Reth.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alaya
I have scarcely slipped from Domanikk’s back when he Shifts, not far from where Reth stands. Reth’s gaze fixes on us—no, on me—his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed to slits.
Without warning, my knees give way. This time the weakness isn’t from the numbness of riding. A sudden, searing wave of inexplicable power surges through me, vibrating in the void where my Gift ought to be. There’s a distinct sensation—a tug, taut and insistent—pulling towards him. A tether.
The last time I felt this was in the Ballroom, in the midst of chaos, at my very first meeting with Domanikk. My arm instinctively curls around my stomach as the pain, mercifully, fades as quickly as it appeared.
A voice echoes in my mind, dark and possessive.
“Mine.”
Am I finally losing my grip on reality?
The voice—hisvoice—echoes inside my skull, impossible and clear. My breath catches, sharp and shallow. It can't be real. Voices don't just appear in your head.
I blink hard. Once. Twice. The kingdom tilts slightly, colours too bright, sounds too loud—the rustle of grass becomes deafening, my own heartbeat thumping erratically.
Reth’s deep voice cuts through my thoughts. “Where have you been?”
Domanikk approaches him, bowing in that peculiar fashion I’d once seen Rawson use with Ceira out in the Barrens. “Just into the forest a little way.”
“I didn’t give permission for her to leave Heartwood.” His words are clipped and flat, each syllable struck against the air with deliberate force.
“Come on, Reth, she’s safe with me.”
“And you allowed her to ride you?” Reth’s lip curls.
“She’s never ridden before. I wanted to teach her.”
Reth steps forwards, his hands clenching at his sides. “You’ve crossed a line, Domanikk. You’ve become far too comfortable with her. Do you forget who she is?”
“Never. You know that.” Domanikk’s voice remains steady, unwavering.
“To let someone ride you, and an Earthbound at that? You forget yourself.”
Domanikk meets his gaze, his own expression hardening. “I know my place, Reth. I know her worth to us—a means to the safety of Heartwood and our Herd. A reminder isn’t necessary.”
Reth turns his attention to me then, his eyes full of contempt. He stares a moment too long, and for a heartbeat I wonder if there is something else beneath the disgust. With a shake of his head, as though to rid himself of the feeling, he takes a small step towards me before abruptly turning away.
“See you both at the Gathering,” he barks, his voice echoing through the trees as he strides down the path that leads back towards Heartwood.
I watch him go, his imposing figure shrinking with every step.
The tether breaks.
Reth
The Gathering has already started; I can hear them all just across the clearing from my tent. Ceira is snuggled under my arm as I lounge on the low bed, staring into the flames dancing in the stone fireplace across from me.
I’ve been like this since I got back from the training area—since that unwitting surge of my power in her presence, the feel of that tether I’ve only felt from one ofthem.
