Dyna charged forward, and Zev sprinted after her.
She leaped up and shoved her blade through the neck of another troll. Dark blood sprayed, and it fell backward with her on its chest. She landed as Zev bounded past her with a snarl and leaped on the back of a ten-foot troll.
Running for a tree, Dyna leaped off its trunk, and she lifted her blade as her body arced for them. Steel flashed in a rapid slash through the troll’s throat and the head landed by her feet.
Zev stared at her a moment, shocked by how deftly she moved. How swiftly she killed them. No hesitation at all.
Dyna turned around, her face speckled with blood like war paint. Her hard green eyes scanned the area for any more beasts, but the others had already finished them off.
He couldn’t have been prouder.
But disquiet hovered around Lucenna and Rawn as theyexchanged a look.
“Well done, lass,” Klyde said with a low whistle. “But let’s not take any further risks, aye? Best to leave the trolls to those who have experience in disposing of them.”
Dyna rolled her eyes. “I had no trouble taking them down, Captain. If I need your aid, I will let you know.”
She flicked the blood off her blade and sheathed it as she marched on, Zev following behind. Only confidence radiated off her petite frame, layered in leather armor.
The mercenaries watched her pass warily.
Lord Norrlen called his name under his breath. Zev met his gaze and was made to step aside with him and Lucenna.
“The captain means well,” Rawn said quietly, enough for only them to hear. “There is no need for Lady Dyna to take unnecessary risks when we have employed the mercenaries to escort us.”
Zev sat on his haunches and yawned. He was finished with overprotecting her. Dyna was strong enough to defend herself now, and they had all seen to it through months of training. He wasn’t about to let others disparage her abilities.
Lucenna narrowed her eyes. “You don’t agree.”
He watched the mercenaries make sure the trolls were all dead by stabbing through their skulls.
“Zev.” Lucenna stomped her foot. “This is a serious matter. Dyna has been pushing herself more and more, and we’re worried about her.”
There was no need to be.
It only bothered them because she didn’t need their protection anymore. They had to accept it like he did. Of course, Zev would always stand by her side, but she could finally stand on her own. They should commend her for that.
“She’s not sleeping. Haven’t you noticed?”
Zev blinked at Lucenna. No, he hadn’t.
Once Dyna no longer woke up screaming from her nightmares, she told him he could go back to staying in his own room again.
Rawn nodded in confirmation, his expression grave.
“Sometimes I hear her speaking late at night,” Lucenna continued. “Whenever I ask her about it, she merely explains it away. She’s unraveling, Zev. You know what I mean. It’s easy to shroud ourselves in lies while hiding the truth we ignore inside.”
He knew exactly what that was like.
The impression of the Madness was still there, like the grooves of an old scar. It showed how deeply ingrained it had been a part of him for all the years he had tried to hide how wrong he was. Zev had not had the time to think about who he was now without it. All his attention had been on Dyna.
On making her stronger. Better.
Had he underestimated how deep her scars went?
Zev scanned the camp for her, but she was nowhere in sight. Springing up on his paws, he sniffed the air. He swiftly caught Dyna’s scent. He turned to go after her but growled at Rawn and Lucenna in annoyance when they tried to follow.
They stayed behind with the mercenaries as Zev ambled through the bushes. The scents of the forest were strong beneath the damp coating of rain from last night and the arrival of spring. He noticed the faint tracks of her boots in the mud, and they led him a few yards away from camp until he heard her faint voice.
