His stoic face betrayed just enough emotion to answer for him. Embarrassment flooded me.
“Wolfkin hearing is very good,” he said. “Kaelric is lucky to have a loyal mate like you.”
Loyal mate.
I’d never considered myself that, not really.
But hearing it spoken aloud settled strangely warm inside me.
Back at the white mare, I slid my belongings into the saddlebag. After three failed attempts to mount her, each more awkward than the last, I huffed.
“I… could use some help,” I admitted.
Godric nodded once, stepped beside me, and lifted me by the waist as though I weighed nothing. I landed gracefully in the saddle, breath catching in surprise.
I laughed. “Thanks.”
He dipped his chin, then turned his gaze to my house. Something softened in his expression, quiet longing, maybe remembrance, as if he were saying goodbye.
“Have you been here before today?” I asked.
His eyes flicked to Valkaryn at my hip, then back to me. “I grew up here. Valkaryn was my little sister.”
The air punched out of my lungs.
This must be the man from Kaelric’s letter, the one who’d trained Val, the king’s third-in-command. Kaelric’s uncle. Did that make him…?
“Are you Elia’s dad?” I blurted.
A rare smile tugged at his lips. “I am not. She is my niece, though.”
No wonder she embraced him!
I brightened. “Do you want to stay the night? Spend more time with her and see the house? We could leave first thing in the morning.”
His expression tightened. “I would like that very much, but Kaelric needs you. It’s quite urgent, and I’m sure Elia would agree.”
My stomach dropped.
Urgent.Elia would agree.
“Let’s go,” I said, my voice barely steady.
With that, we turned east toward Loroc, toward war, toward Kaelric, with a growing pit in my stomach and Valkaryn thrumming with power at my hip.
The forest swallowed us, and home slipped quietly behind.
Chapter Two
The Fenmyr countryside was absolutely beautiful. The trees grew thick and close together, their branches overhead weaving ribbons of light on the ground. Moss covered the forest floor in soft cushions, and ferns unfurled like green feathers wherever I looked. Every now and then, I’d catch the distant rush of a waterfall hidden among the rocks. Behind them, the mountains cut a sharp line against the sky.
Just one day of riding and I’d already seen more beauty than I could have ever dreamed.
Godric padded beside me in his wolf form, silent and alert, a large gray shadow gliding through the trees. I took comfort in his presence. The quiet rhythm of hooves against earth and the soft rustle of leaves gave me time to think, which was both a blessing and a curse.
He’d asked to put his sword in my saddlebags, but wore his clothes when shifting. I’d learned that most powerful wolfkin had the ability to suspend their clothes magically into their shift and wear them when they were human again.
My hand drifted to the sword at my waist. Valkaryn rested there, completely silent the way I’d asked her to be these past three months. A pinch of guilt found its way into my chest. CouldI really blame a mother for doing whatever it took to protect her son? Even if her decision had denied me magic and caused Kaelric to lose trust in me and leave me.
