While he continued to smile, he wasn’t laughing. Not at all.
“Velga is not the reason you don’t want to travel with the clan. You are too fearless for that.”
He was right.
“Now that you’ve tried to distract me from my cause, tell me why you don’t want to go with them to the Vale.”
Lifting my chin higher, proving that I was indeed fearless, I admitted, “Because I feel safer when I’m with you.”
He went silent. His smile slipped entirely. A chilly wind gusted by, blowing a lock of my hair across my face. He gave a soft grunt and pushed the stray hair away.
“Go get your bed bundle you slept on last night. You’re coming with me.”
Chapter 11
JESSAMINE
Hellamir was not far from Vanglosa. It was the only light fae town on this side of the Bluevale River, the main divide between Northgall and Lumeria. The Borderlands divided the light and dark fae territories, even though both kingdoms were now ruled as one by King Gollaya and his new queen.
Though we had a light fae queen and a dark fae king, that did not unite faekind. Hellamir might have some open-minded merchants willing to trade and do business with the beast clan, but the giant, horned fae would not be welcome in the town.
That, along with the fact that I actually did feel safer with Redvyr, was a big reason I’d wanted to go with them. Tessa would also be safer if I was with her. But now, having traveled half a day on the back of Wolf with Redvyr’s broad chest and thick thighs pressing against me, I was rethinking my choices.
Before we’d left the rest of the clan who set out in the opposite direction, Sorka came to me with new boots. I hadn’t understood why the leather was so long at first. The top of the boots reached my lower thighs. Then Sorka pointed out that I would need to loosen the side-slit laces of my dress to ride Wolf.The boots covered my skin for warmth when the slits were open, riding high for comfort.
I’d been uncharacteristically silent on this journey to Hellamir, my gaze dropping to Redvyr’s leather-clad thighs pressed against mine. The temperatures had plummeted, snow dusting the trees and the trail, and yet I was sweating.
Redvyr and I had ridden mostly in silence, while our companions spoke easily in hushed tones to one another. Bezaliel and Tessa rode behind us, their daughter cradled between them. The sprite Hallizel who seemed enraptured by Saralyn, never too far from her, was buzzing through the branches over our heads. Occasionally, she would zip down and ride upon their wolf Mishka’s head. The wolf didn’t seem to mind.
The other two warriors—Dayn and Leifkyn—took up the rear. They were both tall and lean but well-muscled with the same feline-shaped orange eyes. Leifkyn wore his long hair in a braided tail, while Dayn let his hang loosely which reached well past his shoulders. From what I could tell, they seemed to be close friends, whispering and laughing to one another almost the entire time.
Every once in a while, I’d hear the two warriors or Tessa and Bezaliel behind us laugh about something. But Redvyr and I hadn’t spoken much at all.
I jumped when he finally did speak, asking me, “Why didn’t you use your magick against the man who attacked you?”
Back to the conversation of the day before. And that was an excellent question.
“I don’t know. I panicked and was terrified and just reacted, using what self-defense my brother had taught me.”
I didn’t think of it until later, that I must prepare myself to be ready to use my magick at a moment’s notice, to summon the syrenskyn whenever I needed it.
“If your brother is so protective of you, why did he not convince your father not to marry you off to the Mevianlord?” He said the last word with utter disdain.
“He couldn’t.”
“Why? He is afraid of your father?”
“No. He always stood up to him when he was alive. But my brother is dead.”
His fingers at my waist tensed. “When?”
“Last year. Though my father tried to prevent it, Draydyn set out with a small army to fight in the Northgall wars against King Xakiel’s men.”
King Xakiel had been King Gollaya’s father before him. Xakiel was brutal in his attacks on innocent towns and villages.
“Draydyn had heard of the things Xakiel’s army was doing to the wood fae of Myrkovir Forest. He could not stand by and do nothing. And he died for his efforts.”
We wound our way out of the woods, and the sun setting over the rooftops of Hellamir came into view in the distance. Redvyr remained quiet for a while before commenting again.
