She arched a pale brow. “Destiny’s champion is not a nursemaid.”
“I do not let innocent children die when I can save them.”
The woman’s ice-chip eyes flickered with something that might have been … approval? But the expression vanished so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it. “What is one child weighed against fate’s plans for you?”
“Everything.” If Gladys and her minion would sacrifice Grace—my gaze flicked to Remy’s strong back—then we were at odds. “My destiny does not include allowing a baby to die from starvation.”
“One life to save many.” The woman riding next to me was as cold as her ice-chip eyes.
“I understand the math—the pragmatism—but if it were your child, would you make that trade?”
“The babe is not yours.”
“Funny how you dodge questions when they get uncomfortable. Almost like you know I’m right.”
A pale blush colored her snowy cheeks. “It would make the decision more difficult, but the argument stands. One life or many?”
I stared straight ahead.
She tapped her fingers against the pommel of her saddle, then sighed. “The child is not yours.”
“You already said that. Her mother is dead. Someone needs to fight for her. Obviously, it won’t be Gladys.”
“You’re needed in Talin.”
“Why?” I demanded. “What’s so important in Talin?”
“Your guards ride that way. If you’re not there when they arrive, they may not survive.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. The thought of them captured, hurt, or worse made my stomach twist painfully. I forced myself to remain calm. “They are grown men, fully capable of taking care of themselves.”
“They are also enemy soldiers. If they are caught …” The surrounding temperature seemed to drop. Frost began forming on Buttercup’s mane.
I swallowed the dread rising in my throat and shrugged. “That’s their choice.”
“They are bound to you by fate!” Her voice turned sharp, slicing through the wind like a blade.
Grace let out a soft cry as if sensing the tension in the air. Immediately, Remy’s posture shifted—his shoulders curving protectively around the baby. “Shh, sweetheart. You’re safe.”
The woman’s lips curved in a knowing smile. “You don’t want him?”
Gods help me, when he behaved like this, I was forced to reconsider my opinions. “No.”
She lifted her brows in disbelief. “And your handsome guards? You don’t want them either?”
Despite everything they’d done, I did want them. I hated that truth. Heat flooded my cheeks, and my hand itched to slap the smirk off her face. “Those four? They blew their chance when they let Drake whip me. Next question.”
“You’ve seen what they can mean to you?”
“Vividly.” Gladys’s vision pool didn’t pull any punches.
“They displease you?” Her tone was silk wrapped around steel. “Your heart races when I mention them. Your breath catches. Your body betrays you.”
Somehow, this stranger could see straight through me, and it made me want to scream. “They stood by while I was tortured.”
“They had their reasons, and they’ve tried to make amends.”
“Have they?” The words were bitter on my tongue.
