“Why?”
“She comes to see me occasionally.” Yavi pulled away, giving him an edgy smile. At his frown, she huffed. “She’s becoming a woman. Who else is she to discuss such things with?”
Von grimaced, not wanting any further explanation. He’d always thought of Len as a child, but she was a couple of years older than the lads. Other than Yavi, there were no other women in the camp. “She speaks to you?”
“In a way.”
“Hmm. Well, come and eat. You missed breakfast this morn.” He guided Yavi to sit at the table, but she took one whiff of the mutton stew and ran out of the tent. She heaved and gagged over some shrubs, trying her hardest not to spew. Von held back from going to her, wary of anyone who might be watching. “Yavi?”
“Oh, don’t fret about it.” She waved him off, breathing in deep gulps of air. “I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”
“Let it out. I’ll ask Sorren if he has anything to settle your stomach.”
“No,” she blurted. “I’m fine. No need for fuss. Will you take the food out of the tent, please? I can’t stand the smell.”
Von frowned but did as she asked. Only then did Yavi go into their tent again and lay down in a cot. “Will you stay with me for a while?”
He pretended to grouse, although there was little he would deny her. “How could I refuse such a fair lady?”
She laughed and held out a hand to him. Von laid down beside her she curled against his chest. He traced patterns on her back, inhaling the floral scent of her hair. He could spare a few minutes before he needed to resume his role as commander.
“Why must the camp move so soon?” Yavi asked. “We’ve only arrived yesterday.”
“We encountered Rangers.”
“Oh.” She studied his frown. “But there is something else, isn’t there?”
Von sighed. If he had never gone to Landcaster, would it have made a difference? “We found the Maiden.”
Yavi’s eyes widened. “God of Urn, you found her?”
“Aye, her name is Dyna. She is only a wee lamb. Innocent and much too trusting. Tarn will tear her apart should he get his hands on her.”
It had been five years since Tarn received the divination about the ‘Maiden with the key’. He had hoped it was all a ruse, and that they would never reach Mount Ida where the Unending laid. That hope shattered when he met Dyna. Now she was in danger, and he couldn’t protect her this time, not from his master.
“He hasn’t captured her yet?”
“No, we are to observe her and her companions for now.”
Yavi squealed with delight. “Companions? She’s gathered the Guardians already?”
Von chuckled at her excitement. “There are two young men with her, but I’m uncertain if they are the foretold Guardians. Elon has gone to confirm.”
“What do they look like?”
“One is a werewolf—”
“The moon dweller!”
“Aye …” Which Von found rather concerning. A werewolf meant trouble. He supposed they would be fine, as long as they didn’t confront him at night. “The other didn’t seem as capable. Too refined and pretty.”
“Pretty?” Yavi giggled. “You mustn’t assume. One never knows what a divination truly means. They tend to be particular in that manner.”
Von tightened his hold around her. He had refused to believe the Faery Seer for she had given him a divination of his own. Prophetic words he had ignored but couldn’t forget.“Only when she burns will she be free …”
“Von? What is it?”
He debated whether he should tell her his greatest fear. The promised future he had refused to believe. But it was coming. He sensed it barreling toward him faster than he could run. “I had hoped it had all been a lie.”
