Suddenly released, the girl stumbled backward, quickly righting her footing and picking up the reins she’d dropped earlier. Glancing between the two soldiers, she hesitated, obviously afraid, before flicking her eyes to the fourth man.
“Come here,” Lieutenant Devryn instructed. He drew her to him, away from the other men.
Placing his large hand on her shoulder, he stilled her movement. The girl’s shoulders relaxed a little, hinting that this was routine treatment, preferable to the threat of violence the others emanated. Moving his hand, he tucked two fingers into her blue collar and tugged lightly until she moved a step closer to him. He kept her with him while he waited for the men to unlatch the saddlebags. The weight of his palm rested controllingly on her neck. Holding out his free hand to his companions, he collected the reins of the other two horses, presumably doing the girl a favor by not forcing her to get closer to the soldiers.
Fury heated Rodric’s nerves to boiling, his hand throbbing where it fisted his dagger. Making a concerted effort, he released the hilt, his fingers refusing to unfurl their gripping shape. The effortless and practiced way the soldiers manipulated the child’s behavior was the last match to light the undying fire in his soul.
Angling the girl to face him, Lieutenant Devryn leaned down slightly, voice quiet and engaging. “Do a good job with the horses, and I’ll make sure you have an extra blanket tonight.”
The little girl shivered slightly, as if she was imagining the dark coldness of the dungeon. When he tugged on her choker again, waiting for her response, she nodded quickly.
“Good girl. Go on, now. Behave.” He released her and handed over the reins, giving her a light push in the direction of the barn. The horses followed her amicably into the stable, heads dropped low to her level.
“Still won’t talk, huh?” one of the soldiers asked.
“Not a single word. But she’s compliant, so leave her be.”
“Hey, works for me. I sure don’t want to spend an hour grooming the horses of all that travel grime.” The soldier tipped his head at their captain. “What did we miss, besides a visit from the higher-ups? Any more breakout attempts by the little orange metal mage?”
Rodric’s heart exploded with a mix of fear and relief. No way they’d picked up two girls with Brenna’s ability and the ferocity of spirit to defy her captors. It had to be his soul-daughter.Orange.His little sunshine had no doubt been suffering for her courage. He was proud, yet equally terrified, that she’d drawn their attention with her escape attempts.
“Nothing significant,” Captain Darrett replied. “Seems we finally found the right incentive to get her to behave. Hayes will update you.”
The sneering soldier who’d originally dropped the boy spoke. “Too bad. Hopefully, Red has been mouthing off again and earned several punishments.”
“Sometimes, I think you like beating on them a little too much, Jack,” the other soldier said. The barest hint of reprimand laced his tone.
“Not all of us can be soft on them,” Jack said. He rocked back on his heels, clad in an unusual red leather. “Captain, let me be Red’s handler on the trip back. She’s bound to be enough trouble to warrant separation from the rest of them. That one needs aggressive handling to keep her controlled.”
“Fine, but be careful not to damage her permanently. The commander is displeased enough as it is.”
“And stay away from the little one,” Lieutenant Devryn added. “You’ll ruin her. The teen has enough fight to survive, at least.”
“Agreed. All six need to arrive in decent condition or we may as well not show up.” Captain Darrett gestured to the saddlebags on the ground. “Go check in and get packing orders from Hayes before you volunteer to take over whatever discipline the teen has earned. We need to be ready to depart in two days.”
“Too bad we’re not returning to this fortress. It’s much better equipped than our usual camps,” Jack said as he picked up his saddlebags.
The other soldier murmured in agreement as he grabbed the remaining bags and headed toward the keep with Jack. Turning, Captain Darrett scanned the crumbling wall with a speculative frown. His eyes stopped exactly at the area Rodric was hiding.
Holding his breath, Rodric waited until the man turned away, slowly following the path the commander had taken toward the guardhouse with an intentionality that made Rodric’s skin crawl.We’re here, Brenna, just hold on a little longer.
He lay still as the stones cut into his side, wanting to block out the conversation he’d just heard, yet knowing he couldn’t. They needed all the information they could get, and it had been disturbingly useful. His mind noted Jack’s red boots with a death sentence as he reviewed the information he needed to share with the team.
Chapter 24
FrigidwatersnappedatCelina’s fingers as she refilled the pile of waterskins. Six travelers took quite the upkeep. Though hopefully joyous, it was going to be a long journey shepherding the children back to Calderre once they pulled off this rescue.
Keeping one ear on the argument taking place nearby, she turned the other toward the stream. Focusing on the peaceful sound of the moving water, she let it wander through her mind, cooling and calming her against the tension in the air.
After riding a safe distance away from the fortress, they had finally stopped for a short break to eat, water the horses, and discuss the next step. They were generally in consensus that they needed to gather extra supplies from the nearby border town so that they were fully prepared to make a run to Calderre and hit the fortress as soon as possible. The timing was complicated by the extra men currently on-site with the commander, who would theoretically be departing soon. The debate had ensued about how, when, and who would accomplish those things.
Celina kept an internal eye on Rodric through their bond. His anxiety was high, and he resembled Zora champing at the bit and pawing the ground when she wanted to move. He must be practically vibrating apart inside with his need to free Brenna.
The soothing energy she tried to send him didn’t hit the mark. She frowned, wondering if he was blocking her instinctively because of the high emotions or if he was doing it purposely. His continued reticence to practice his magic made her anxious, but as he kept saying, they had more important things to worry about. True, yet her instincts jumped nervously at that conclusion, insisting that his acceptance of his magic was vital. Not only for their relationship, but for himself and for Brenna.
Icy water hit her face, making her sputter with laughter. Jed pounced at the water, splashing it all over the place at the stream’s bank. Balanced on his back legs, little red paws up in the air like he was going to surrender, he crashed down into the water, chortling in delight as he bounced in the circle of water raining around him.
A burst of lightheartedness buoyed her with soothing warmth. The little furball was surprisingly intuitive, and she was delighted Jed decided to continue traveling with them. He had stayed with her the entire time they were scouting the fortress, a silent shadow on their heels. As soon as they’d arrived at the meeting point, he had returned to his curious, playful self.
