Against the hillside, the familiar cluster of boulders welcomed my return. The area was within walking distance of the capital, but far enough away for our mounts to remain out of sight. Aside from Rivale and Kuroden, all other kingdoms travelled by horse. Seeing a wyvern was a constant reminder of the threats we all faced from the Oras, and it was best not to provoke panic among the locals.
“What’s the plan?” my sister called out as she approached. “Want me to grab dinner, or are you going to?”
My gaze rolled to Audryn, who was flailing her arms as she spoke with her escort. Even with her back to me, it was easy to see the conversation was heated. To his credit, Fisher stood unfazed and instead kept his sights on me. I threw up a middle finger in his direction to be sure he knew his feelings were mutual.
“Doesn’t look like she’s leaving his side,” I said, blowing out a breath, “and I can’t really talk to her with him around.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t feel like entertaining him.” Amalee poked her bony finger into my chest. “You keep them occupied since this wasyourbig plan.”
She moved at a brisk pace toward town; our favorite tavern was on the outskirts, so it wouldn’t take long for her to return. The food wasn’t fancy, and it certainly wasn’t served on golden trays like my newfound guests were used to, but it would have to do.
Fisher turned to stand at Audryn’s side, leaving their backs to me. The moon shone bright, but with the capital in the distance, their view was nothing more than shadows defining the area.
“Hey.” I tapped Audryn’s shoulder. She jumped away the moment the tips of my fingers brushed her shirt. “Sorry, I was just?—”
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped. Fisher, the dutiful guard he pretended to be, pushed forward to stand between the woman and me.
I gave a humorless laugh. “Oh, I see. It’s fine when your prince puts his hands on her when he’s raging, but you have an issue when I’m only trying to get her attention. Got it. Fucked up, but I guess we all make choices.” I turned my attention back to her. “Amalee’s grabbing food, and I’m going to collect some wood for a fire. I’d say to stay close to your guard, but I’m not sure he’ll even keep you safe.”
“Thanks for the update.” Fisher’s jaw flexed. “We wereveryconcerned to know your whereabouts.”
I climbed on top of Zalzre and we bolted into the sky. Not only did I have an ornery woman to contend with, but I had to put up with her shitty guard too. Maybe I should have insisted Fisher stay in Rivale, though I might’ve risked the entire deal falling through if I had.
Zalzre burst into a mid-air sprint, sending the wind whipping my hair back. He dove into steep descents and ascended into nearly perpendicular inclines with Ralti shadowing every move. Feeling my frustration, he did what he knew how to do best—scare me within inches of my death to help me forget the feelings that were getting the better of me.
Zalzre settled to the ground, and I dismounted. I zipped up my jacket and walked into the wooded area, looking for any dropped branches to gather. Even in summer, the nights were cool, especially as we proceeded north across the continent. The warmth of the sun seemed to be better suited for the central and southern areas.
With the help of the wyverns tearing down branches, it didn’t take long to gather enough wood to keep the fire burning. Using their clawed feet, the creatures carried the firewood as we flew the short distance back to our overnight location.
Fisher and Audryn sat on the grassy hillside while I worked to build a fire in the stone circle near the boulders. They were too far for me to hear anything more than a low rumble of voices. The fire sparked, and the flames grew up the sides of the bark as I pushed the wood around with a long stick.
Zalzre and Ralti took to the sky to begin their evening hunt. It wasn’t uncommon for most wyverns to fly all day and feed later, especially the ones working at the oil seeps. With barrels of crude transported during the day, the evenings were left for food and sleep.
“I see she’s really warming up to you, Brother. Is that whyyou resorted to fire for warmth instead?” Amalee’s voice echoed from behind me. “Quite the impression you’ve made.”
She continued past me and took a seat on the log across from me. Reaching into the small basket, she pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich and tossed it over the flames at me.
“That was pretty risky,” I mused, unwrapping what I knew was hidden inside. The spicy peppers landed on my senses the instant I’d caught the thick log of bread. Thin cuts of meat, onions, and a creamy sauce accompanied green vegetables inside. “You’d have to walk back and get me another if you missed.”
Without needing to beckon them, Audryn and Fisher joined us. The woman was stunning with the glow of the flames bouncing off her round ivory cheeks. She looked over my sister’s shoulder at the basket’s contents.
“Fish sandwich.” I garbled through a mouthful of food and chuckled. “Your favorite, right? I made a special request.”
“Don’t be an ass, Col,” Amalee snapped and reached down. With a sandwich in both hands, she put up her right hand. “This one has meatballs with red sauce.” She threw her left hand up. “Chicken with tomato and some sort of herb spread.”
Audryn eyed the selection and looked to Fisher. “Which do you want?”
“Either is fine. I’ll eat whichever you don’t choose,” the guard said.
Her eyes were fixed on the meatball, but she weighed her options carefully, as if a wrong choice loomed. We hadn’t eaten all day; she had to be starving.
“No, I think you should pick first,” Audryn offered once more. “Considering you’ve been dragged into this, you should at least eat something you like.”
“For fuck’s sake, my arms are tired. Just pick one.” Amalee blew out a breath. Patience was never her strong suit, especially when she was antsy to get home.
Audryn grabbed the meatball sandwich and plopped down on a vacant log. Fisher followed suit and sat beside her. With eyes remaining down, they stayed quiet and unwrapped dinner, likely disappointed with the meal.
“So, Audryn, tell us about yourself.” My eyes darted from the woman and landed on Fisher. “Unless you’d like to talk aboutyourendeavors first? Possibly elaborate on why you cannot keep those around you safe despite your position?”
