“Sounds like a pleasant trip.” Grave smirked. “Amalee and I will accompany you. I need to check on our wyverns anyhow.”
I gasped, “You have wyverns?”
“They’re resting along the cliffs for the duration of our stay,” Grave replied, his tone light.
“Beasts from the Alden Islands.” Ryder poured more wine into his glass for the third time that morning. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll make sure they don’t harm you.”
I’d read about the leathery, onyx creatures in my father’s book once. They weren’t native to the continent but accompanied those with dark magic—Macabre magic. The beasts had two legs and two large wings flanking either side of them. With barbed tails, they were a nightmare in the air. Though not as large as dragons, they used their size to their advantage, making them more responsive and agile.
“I’ve never seen a wyvern before,” I mused, recalling the sketch I’d seen.
“And you’re not going to,” Ryder snapped. “There’s no reason for them to get anywhere near you.”
“Why do you detest our creatures so much but embrace your own?” Grave asked.
“They’re incomparable,” Ryder hissed. “The gryphons are born from the land, while the creatures you mount come from the dark magic of the witches. They are evil incarnate.”
Ryder placed his hand on mine, and Grave’s jaw ticked watching the movement. His words had clearly insulted the king’s mounts, but he wasn’t done.
“I suppose it would be difficult for you to understand, considering your father’s heritage.” Ryder forced a smile andtook a long drink. “You yourself bear nothing but the darkness?—”
“Yes, yes,” Leanna interrupted and deflected. “Enough with trying to prove or disprove who has the best mode of transportation. We could sit all day and compare the two, maybe retrieve a measuring stick to settle the issue.”
Amalee let out a chuckle but immediately covered her mouth with her hand, abandoning the serious facade she so dutifully kept on her face.
“I’ll speak to my husband, and we will all take a ride along the cliffs,” Leanna said, standing as if she were the one who had the ultimate say and her brother didn’t outrank her.
21
RYDER
If I’d wanted to spend my day with Grave, I would’ve invited him. He justhadto intrude on my time with Audryn. His intrigue with her was exhausting, but I wasn’t about to let him ruin the day. I completed a secondary check of the cinch—partly for safety, but mostly because I couldn’t stand being near his arrogance.
My gaze caught on Audryn following Leanna toward the stables. She’d asked to change after breakfast, and though I’d seen her at least a half dozen times, it was as if I were seeing her for the first time. Her pants hugged her hips perfectly, and the shirt she’d chosen showed off just enough of her chest.
Leanna mounted her mare, while the others were already seated in the saddle and waiting to leave. Grave and Amalee spoke quietly, likely conspiring against me.
“Which one’s mine?” Audryn looked over the horses.
“You’ll be with me.” I gestured her to Ollie. He was the best horse of them all, despite the childish name he bore.
A faint frown tugged at the corner of her lips. “I don’t get my own?”
“The cliffs are tricky.” I tapped the saddle. “It’s better if you’re seated, with me at the reins.”
I resisted the urge to snap at her. I wanted just one day without her objecting to my every decision, though I should have known better than to be so optimistic.
“I’ve ridden my entire life, probably since before I could even walk,” she argued. “I’ll be safe.”
“Great Divine, Ryder! Just let her have her own horse,” Leanna called out. “We’re all waiting for you.”
I shot a glare at Leanna—not just for addressing me without title, but for her sudden change in attitude. Not long ago, she begged me to send Audryn home, yet now she wished to cater to her every whim. I’d asked her to give the woman a chance, not to become her best friend.
I turned to the stable hand. “Secure another horse. Audryn will ride Ollie.”
“You don’t have to do that, I can take any available horse.” She frowned up at me. “I wasn't trying to create an issue.”
She was, though. I knew it, and she knew it.
