“We should get going,” Emmeric said. “We don’t want to give anyone a chance to catch up to us.”
Altair silently stood, gathering his supplies. Iyana did the same, eating a small meal while doing so. Kaz shifted back, luckily keeping her clothes in place this time. But, Iyana realized, that would mean that previously she had shifted while she was naked, if her clothing had reappeared now. Then why had she been naked before?Iyana shook her head. The woman was a mystery, and not one Iyana would unravel in a few minutes.
Iyana climbed onto Pryn, Altair settling in behind her. She leaned into his warmth, and his arm snaked around her waist, holding her close. There was a bite to the air now, with autumn in full effect. Kaz joined Emmeric on his beautiful golden horse.
“Remind me why you can’t run as a leopard?” he asked.
Kaz pouted as she turned to him. “It makes my feet tired.” Iyana could almost sense Emmeric’s sigh of resignation, and it made her giggle.
Altair ran his nose up the shell of her ear until his lips were touching her skin. A shudder ran down her spine. “Careful, my star,” he said, so only she heard. “I’d hate to think you’re developing a soft spot for him.”
“What if I am?” she asked, breathless.
“Then I’d need to remedy that.”
Iyana’s heart beat faster, her lungs squeezing in anticipation. Licking her lips, she said, “Well, maybe I am, then.”
Altair pushed his forehead against the back of her head with a groan. “Are you trying to torture me, astalle?”
Thunder sounded in her ears, and she stiffened, her heart now pounding erratically. Panic creeped in at the edges of her vision, a black fog rolling in slowly, waiting to consume her. Her breathing quickened; her face tingled then went numb. The world disappeared around her, and she was right back in Uther’s dungeon with Azazel nearby, salivating at the idea of trying a new technique on her, to see how loudly he could make her scream.
Iyana flinched away from the feeling of a hand on her face, but it was warm. Large and firm. Not Azazel’s small, shriveled ones. Golden eyes pierced through the black, rolling fog, rooting her back in her body. Altair’s hand slid back into her hair, gently massaging her scalp. He took his time—letting her fall into herself once again. As her breathing stabilized and her pulse slowed, she recognized Altair’s calming magic pulsing through her veins, her own magic cowering in the dark recesses of her soul.
“I’m so sorry, astalle,” he murmured. “I’ll watch my choice of words more closely.” She nodded, numbly. “Can I kiss you?” His voice was strained, like he was punishing himself for her trauma. Iyana nodded again. His soft lips met hers gently,tenderly. This wasn’t his hungry kisses, when he took what he wanted instead of asking. This was an apology. Iyana kissed him back just as tenderly, conveying her forgiveness. In fact, there was nothing to forgive. There were bound to be various triggers she had yet to uncover.
As they broke apart, she noticed they were the only two left in the camp. “I sent them ahead,” Altair said. “I thought you might want some time to gather yourself without others around.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. Altair urged the black stallion into a slow trot, allowing her more time to recover from her anxiety attack before catching up to the rest of the group. Kaz and Tal were discussing something—it sounded like their favorite apples?
“I’m telling you, honeycrisp are the best…”
“You’re absolutely wrong. Granny smiths are unparalleled.”
Meanwhile, Emmeric attempted to keep as much space between himself and Kaz as possible. But she wasn’t making it easy, leaning back into him any chance she could or resting her hand on his inner thigh, all the while continuing her conversation with Talon seamlessly.
“Reds are better than greens!”
Iyana already enjoyed spending time with the shifter; she brought a fun energy and a levity that was needed. Talon was always good for a laugh or a word of encouragement, but it was nice to have the company of another woman. Iyana had never spent this much time around men and hadn’t quite realized how stinky they were without regular access to baths. Oh gods, did she smell terrible too? As inconspicuously as possible, she gave her armpit a sniff.
“You smell amazing, my star. Like lavender blooms in early summer.”
“Get out of my head.”
Altair only chuckled. Emmeric was looking at her with concern, but she wanted to avoid thinking about her earlier episode.
“Kaz, I have so many questions about shifting,” Iyana said, as a way to avoid the topic.
“Fire away, sweetcheeks.”
“Well, first, where are you from?” Iyana asked.
“Nyr,” answered Kaz.
“No shit, really?” Talon said. “I’ve never met anyone from Nyr.”
“Because the king and queen made it illegal to leave the borders. Anyone caught is jailed or put to death, and those who do manage to leave don’t come back. So over the years, people stopped leaving.” Kaz shrugged.
“That doesn’t seem fair,” said Emmeric.
