Situated in a less populated area of Erzan, just between the larger inn and a nearbydyaan, the road would begin and would run south, cutting through a portion of Stellara, running between the twin peaks of Vakaan Pass, the forests of the Lorin just beyond. A new bridge would be constructed over the Black River, where a contingent of builders were already working, before the road would join up with the North Road, leading from Kaldur’s province of Vyaan.
Just before the Vakaan Pass, I would build the village of Sorn, a half day’s flight from Erzos.
Lingering on the edge of my vision, I saw Marr. Saw her speaking with other onlookers, though she didn’t dare approach me. As a whole, the commotion was drawing quite the crowd. The energy was a mixture of excitement, trepidation, and thunderous disappointment.
When I finally came over to Marr, she said, “Congratulations,Kyzaire. Your project has been the talk of Erzos. Did you hear that a raiding party took the North Road straight into Vyaan two days ago? Paved it for them, didn’t you and your brother? Four villagers were injured in the attack.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You heard wrong, Marr,” I informed her. “There was an attack on the builders. Far from Vyaan. They never reached any village.”
She harrumphed, but it didn’t matter. Nothing I said would sway her opinion. “Doesn’t mean they won’t. A road will only make it easier for them to reach the villages. I wouldn’t want to live where a road ends.”
Over her shoulder, I stilled when I saw Millie pushing her way through the crowd, curiosity obviously spiking her interest. She’d known I’d be here today. She’d known today was when the road would break ground, and yet she shouldn’t have beenhere. I’d dropped her off at the cottage this morning, bright and early, as she’d requested. After my morning feeding, of course, one that had had her gasping and squirming in my hold, one that had had me thrusting against her covered cunt, the scent of her arousal and blood filling my senses until I’d thought I’d drown happily in both.
My pulse jumped at the mere sight of her, venom flooding over my tongue in anticipation. Even as irritation made my gaze narrow on her. If she was in Erzan, it meant she’d trekked through Stellara again. And she knew I didn’t like her roaming about in the forest, even if mostlyvinswere sleeping in their dens this time of day and stayed far away from the bustling activity of Erzos.
I would have to arrange for a keeper stay with her throughout the days, I realized. If she needed to journey to the village for supplies, at least a keeper would be there to act as her guard and escort. At least then I would have the peace of mind that she was safe.
“Good afternoon,Kyzaire,” Millie greeted when she saw me, flashing that secretive, knowing smile that made me want to find the nearest private spot so I could kiss it right off her. Madness. This female would be my downfall—I already knew it. I could alreadyfeelit, and she’d only been within my keep for a week. What damage could she do to me before the next moon winds?
If I was being truthful, it was terrifying to think about.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone stern.
“Seeing what all the excitement is about,” she replied, her smile never leaving her face. “And to get some jars of paint.”
For the walls in the upstairs room at the cottage, I knew. She wanted to paint them a light blue, her father’s favorite color.
“Hello, Marr,” she greeted, turning to the Kylorr female I hadn’t realized she knew.
“Millicent,” Marr said, sniffing, nodding stiffly. Though she still held a stern glare in her gaze for me, it softened when she turned to Millie. “How did thegaanyelpaste work out for you? Did you get the fungus off whatever you needed it for?”
“Yes,” Millie replied, reaching out a hand to squeeze the older female’s shoulder. “Thank you. I never would’ve thought about using that, but it worked perfectly. You saved me so much time and effort.”
Marr grinned, obviously pleased. “Good. It was a trick my mother taught me. Growing up, we used to live in a little cottage by the coast. The sea fungus grew on everything. My mother discoveredgaanyelafter we’d tried everything else. We were constantly mashing it up to make a paste.”
“Well, your mother must’ve been a genius.”
“I certainly tell her so at the shrine every moon winds,” Marr said. Her eyes returned to me, and the spark in them dropped. “It’s a good thing she cannot see what’s happening to Erzos.”
“What worries you about the road, Marr?” Millie asked, cocking her head to the side. “Roads are good things, you know. Throughout all species and cultures, they’re the mark of civilization. It will make it easier and safer for the outer villages to access Erzan and Raana. TheKyzaireplaced stretches of road out to them in the plans,” she said, turning to me, “did you not?”
“I did,” I answered coolly.
“Erzos has always been a quiet province,” Marr said next, her voice rising, obviously upset. “We take pride in our fields, in our cliffs, our forests, our mountains…our sea. To cut through them with machinery, with metals, with noise and pollutants and people…it will change them forever.”
“Machinery and metal and noise and pollutants and people made the province you love so much, Marr,” Millie pointed out softly.
“The road will not cut through the coast,” I informed her, a thought occurring to me. She was worried for the village where she’d grown up, a village she still lived in to this very day. “It runs through Stellara and comes out near Vakaan Pass. It never even gets close to the cliffs, to Savina. None of the existing villages will be within its path or even remotely near it.”
Marr sniffed but said nothing.
“I admire your tenacity, you know,” Millie said, grinning, a hand reaching out to squeeze the other female’s shoulder again. “Wherever did you learn it?”
“My father,” Marr grumbled, though I could see the little flicker of brightness Millie’s compliment brought to her. “He always said I could rival his hard head.”
“I believe it,” Millie said. “Look, Marr, I think it’s fair to say that the South Road will be built regardless, don’t you think? But maybe your tenacity and determination can be used to help it rather than hinder it.”
I cut her a sharp look, brow raising, wondering what she would offer.
