Sev whistled low in appreciation. “Where can I get one of those?”
“Friend of Celina’s. Incredible, right?”
“I don’t know, Rodric, that seems like reason enough to embrace magic,” Sev teased as took the map. He caressed it with the admiration only hunters had for their maps, the same way warriors were with their weapons.
“We’re heading to the southeast border near Mountainview.” Rodric tapped the town Cass had indicated on the map. “But something happened last night… Made me think they were headed elsewhere. Did you overhear anything as you trailed them?”
“Not specific to location. Another day and they would have had to shift one direction or another.” Sev scratched the short bristles on his chin as he studied the map. “What makes you think they’re not in Mountainview?”
Rodric rubbed at the scar on his hand absently, tracing the white lines. “I don’t know exactly.”
“Something magic,” Sev said pointedly.
“Maybe.”
Sev looked at him, waiting. A silent offer of support when he was ready for it.
“Thank you. But… she deserves to hear it first, after everything.”
A slow smile spread across Sev’s face as he watched Rodric intently. “I told you!”
“What?”
“You caught a leopardess, my friend.”
Stunned silent for a moment, a laugh finally burst free from Rodric’s chest, loosening the tension that had crept in earlier. He wasn’t entirely sure about the leopard analogy, but Celina certainly was his. Sev joined him, and they both laughed until Cass strode into camp, giving them a raised eyebrow as she stalked past.
Sev followed her with his eyes, a hint of undisguised awe on his face.
“Careful, or you’re going to get clawed. She’s fiercer than that mama leopard that chased us out of her territory when you pissed her off,” Rodric gave his friend a friendly warning.
“Eh, that was you, remember?”
“Nope. My leopardess is much sweeter.”
Smacking his friend on the shoulder, he went to check on Celina.
Afterspendingsometimewatching over Celina while she slept, loud voices drew him back outside into the waning light. Cass and Sev stood near the banked fire, animatedly discussing their next step. Sev’s expression was a breath away from a grin, body language relaxed. Apparently, he was getting a rush out of arguing with the fearsome warrior.
“Calling for reinforcements is our best option,” Cass reiterated, glaring at Sev.
“I told you, I can take the boy to a safe place if it’s going to slow you down too much. No one knows what happened here, so he’ll be safe enough with me while you go after Brenna,” Sev argued.
“Stop, both of you.” Rodric waved a hand between them, visually breaking their eye contact as he would with two animals revving up for a fight. Or a mating. He didn’t really want to know which direction these two were headed. “Sev, I appreciate you trying to get us moving as quickly as possible to find Brenna, but if this group is indicative of the ones that took her, I’d rather have you with us. We could use you in a fight.”
“He’s not bad,” Cass allowed.
“But,” Rodric broke in before the two could start up again, “we do need to move quickly. Cass, how do you plan to get reinforcements to us? We can’t wait around forever, and it seems the boy is not up for traveling at the pace we need to go.”
Cass frowned at the surrounding trees. “I might have a way.”
“Let me guess, classified?”
“More like secretive… but yes.” Cass walked away from camp.
Rodric shrugged when Sev looked at him, completely baffled. He was curious to see how she planned to get a message out. She probably had a bird of prey following them, eager to do her bidding.
Coming to a stop at the forest edge, she cupped a hand over her mouth and let out a cross between a caw and a whoop. After a few more vocalizations, little feet scampered through the forest.
