Two horses were strapped up, one pawing at the ground as if anxious to set off.
Zylah jumped up onto the edge of the cart, leaving her feet dangling. Apparently, it had been universally agreed upon that she should rest during the first part of their journey. The female didn’t appear as if she wanted to, but Arianna had seen the way her hands had been shaking earlier. Even runes used the body’s energy reserves.
Gavin stood next to the wagon, Ellie’s ever-present shadow. Arianna’s heart tugged in sympathy at the way the male stared at her little sister. There was so much longing in those dark eyes. He’d seemed so boyish when she’d first met him in Ruadhán’s halls. He’d been uncomfortable, his cheeks tinted red after he’d witnessed … witnessed … Arianna furrowed her brow, then a sharp pain lanced through her temple. She grabbed the area, wincing. Zylah’s head snapped around, the female already bracing one hand to lift herself.
“I’m fine,” Arianna assured before Zylah could fully rise, but the words came out breathless. Gods, if she could just figure out what triggered the headaches, she could make them stop.
Her gaze returned to Gavin. He was the one who’d keep them hidden from Vairik’s spies. She hated that they needed his abilities, but also prayed his magic was strong enough.
Saoirse, to Arianna’s utmost surprise, sat at the front, taking the horses’ reins. She looked better. More color had risen to her cheeks. It hadn’t stopped Zylah from fussing over the female. Arianna knew they’d all tried not to overhear the conversation between the pair. An unfortunate impossibility. Still, it was nice to know the dynamic between the females was shifting, especially given everything they still had to face.
Talon and Raevina took up positions on either side of the wagon, both pointedly ignoring one another. Hopefully, they’d fix whatever was between them, too.
Gavin’s magic rose and expanded, blanketing everyone in a glamour that would blend them in with the landscape. Saoirse snapped the reins, the wagon lurched, and Arianna reached for her sister, bracing to ensure she didn’t fall over. And just like that, they were off.
Relief and trepidation flooded through her. She pushed her sister’s hair away from her face. A couple more days and Ellie would have healers who could tend to her properly.
Arianna sat back again and allowed her gaze to drift toward The Demon. He walked just behind the wagon, and for once, he wasn’t looking at her. It gave Arianna a moment to study the male.
He strode beside the wagon like a sentinel, his back straight, arms at his sides, and sand swirling at his feet. She hadn’t seen his magic at all inside the cabin. She hadn’t even smelled it.
The morning light spilled over his auburn hair, revealing threads of copper within the fiery strands. His skin held a slight golden hue, as if it carried warmth from the earth itself. Hisclothes hung neatly around his frame, neither too tight nor too loose.
He was every bit the warrior legends painted him to be. His sharp eyes roamed across the landscape, cataloging every minute detail. She found herself wondering about the inner workings of his mind. Was he searching for weapons? Hiding places? Where his magic might prove most effective? Talon had once told her water slowed his abilities. It was only slight, but perhaps that would be enough for her to use against him when the time came.
Arianna clenched her fists. She could beat him. She just needed to plan her escape carefully. And if the opportunity arose, she’d kill this creature and rid the world of another monster.
He turned his head again, looking at something closer to their wagon. She followed his gaze but couldn’t find whatever had caught his attention. But the way he’d turned—her lips parted. The sun illuminated the sharp features of his face. Breathtaking. The strong jaw. The cheekbones. His eyes. Arianna swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. His eyes—The Demon’s gaze snapped to hers, and Arianna quickly turned away, her cheeks burning. She could feel his stare boring into her. Arianna focused on the furs around her instead, rearranging things that didn’t need to be fixed in the slightest.
Her heart was hammering. She hated it. Hated this body that seemed to betray her at every turn.
But Ellie. He’d helped Ellie. Without him, Arianna wasn’t sure if or when Ellie might have eaten. She should be thanking him, but … she didn’t want to. Being in his presence was bad enough; thanking him after all the atrocities he’d committed? No way in hell.
She chewed her lip, her mind—no, heart—at war with itself. Did she hate him or not? Why was she being pulled in two different directions?
A dull ache lingered just behind her eyes as the day wore on. She watched the sun slowly fade, night descending far too quickly for her liking. They’d stopped a few times for the horses to rest, but Talon pushed their pace. She was secretly thankful for his urgency.
The mountains had slowly taken form in the distance, but they weren’t nearly close enough. Arianna fiddled with the edge of a blanket, glancing toward her sister who’d laid her head against a pillow. She wished they could push the animals faster, but these weren’t warhorses. They’d probably only ever taken the couple across short distances. Now their party was asking the poor creatures to carry them across half the continent.
The party fell silent as darkness crept across the landscape. They were just north of Ruadhán now, still deep in Pádraigín’s territory. Tierney had warned them about rumors of an increased number of Dark Fae prowling the land. Arianna wondered if Vairik had set them loose on purpose, or if the destruction of his stronghold had led to their release. She prayed Gavin’s glamour would hide them from such sinister creatures. It certainly hadn’t helped at the village.
An even darker fear surfaced. Had Vairik already enacted his plan to eliminate the Fae of the continent? Maybe he didn’t care about finding her now. What if, by destroying Ashling, she’d set off ten thousand years of rage?
Arianna chewed her lip and looked at Gavin, who was studying the surrounding trees just as intently as everyone else. Vairik didn’t even value his own family if they couldn’t reach a specific threshold of power. They were nothing more than a means to an end. A resource he could use and dispose of. She needed to get to Nàdair. Fast. They were about to go to war withthe oldest Fae on the continent. She’d need all the help she could get.
She studied Gavin a little closer. Niall had taken the young male to Ruadhán. He was strong enough that Niall and Vairik both had recognized something in him. Which meant the male had more power than he’d been letting on. Was he hiding it or simply not confident in his own abilities?
“We should stop here for the night,” Saoirse said, pulling on the reins. “The horses need to rest.” Arianna sat up on her knees to glance at the creatures whose heads hung low. They panted, one even coughing with the bit in its mouth. Empathy tugged at her heart, but they had to keep moving. Once they reached Nàdair, she’d make sure they’d never pull a cart again.Just get us there, please.
Arianna checked on Ellie before carefully climbing out of the wagon. Zylah watched her a moment, but Arianna gave the half-breed a reassuring smile before stretching her back. Her entire body had grown stiff from sitting so long. She looked at Ellie again, wondering if she could convince her sister to walk a short distance around the wagon just to keep her joints mobile.
She’d wait until the camp was set up first. Arianna strolled toward the horses. She loosened the reins of the first and led it away a few steps before running her hands down one of its strong legs.
The muscles were taut, its body trembling slightly. She wished they didn’t have to push them so hard tomorrow, but it was unavoidable. Maybe she’d try to walk a bit just to take some of their load off.
The Demon appeared next to the other horse. He stared at her a moment, then pulled the bit from the creature’s mouth. His callused hand stroked the animal’s thick neck, pulled it forward a few steps, then began massaging the horse’s legs.
Arianna watched him carefully, continuing her own task of caring for the animal before her. The Demon lifted his mare’s hooves, inspecting the area as if he knew exactly what he was looking for. He moved to the second, then the third, where the creature resisted. Arianna waited for his anger, but The Demon remained patient, tapping the horse’s leg until it finally relented. He pulled a knife from his side, balanced the foot between his knees and dug something out of the creature’s foot. The beast jumped and promptly stamped its hoof back to the ground, but he spoke to her in hushed tones, coaxing the leg up again.
