SAMARA
Istared at the castle walls as Buttercup trotted beneath me, my mind floating somewhere between exhausted relief and gnawing anxiety. The horses had found us in the middle of the night, Buttercup leading the way, and we’d set off early to the castle, our mission a partial failure.
My gaze drifted to the forest’s edge periodically, searching for any movement. The vacants had vanished as suddenly as they’d appeared, but their absence only intensified my unease.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were connected to Shadowmere’s emptiness. That had to be it because where had everyone gone? Bodies should have been everywhere if the vacants had attacked, but there hadn’t even been blood.
“I think we should take a hell serpent and toast their asses.” Val broke the uncomfortable silence, his horse matching pace with mine. “I’ll send ravens to call an emergency council meeting.”
None of us had acknowledged what happened last night,and tension hung in the air. I didn’t exactly regret it, but the aftermath left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Especially with Nico trailing so far behind us.
He hadn’t spoken a word or looked at me since last night. His face was a careful mask that revealed nothing of his thoughts. I wanted to fall back and ride beside him to bridge the distance that had formed but didn’t.
I’d betrayed him despite him not being mine to betray. The thought lodged in my chest like a splinter, impossible to ignore yet too painful to extract. Feeling guilty was ridiculous. We shared no vows or promises, but I’d be lying to myself if I couldn’t admit that something had shifted.
And now it was damaged by my actions that he had no claim over.
I returned my attention to the problem at hand, my fingers tightening on Buttercup’s reins. “It shouldn’t take an entire day and a meeting to get approval on something necessary for survival. Now that Tony and Miles have returned, they can have it done before the council members get here to approve it. How many people will die in the time it takes?”
Tony was a massive and intelligent hell serpent capable of producing flames hot enough to melt stone. His handler, Miles, had been bonded with him for as long as I’d been alive. Together, they could decimate an entire horde of vacants in minutes.
“You know the protocol.” Val’s tone suggested he didn’t like it either.
“But this is different.”
“The council will want to approve any mobilization. Without a king, there’s no one strong enough to stop this from turning into something bigger.”
I knew he was right, but during my centuries of exile, I’d almost forgotten how maddeningly slow governancecould be. Without a ruler powerful enough to keep the factions from tearing each other apart, every decision carried the risk of igniting something far worse than vacants.
Val’s eyes softened slightly as he looked over at me and caught my pinched expression. “I don’t like it either. If it were me...” He left the thought unfinished, but I understood. Even with his family’s considerable influence, there were limits without the council’s support.
Still, every hour we delayed could mean death and potentially more empty villages. The image of red-eyed vacants descending upon unsuspecting demons sent a chill crawling down my spine.
The rest of the ride to the gates passed in a blur of aching muscles and dark thoughts. As the castle gates near the stables opened, some of the tension drained from my shoulders. The stone walls offered the illusion of safety, and that was exactly what I needed.
We dismounted, and stable hands rushed out to tend to the exhausted horses. Buttercup nuzzled my shoulder before allowing himself to be led away.
I looked back at Nico as we crossed the grounds toward the castle’s rear entrance. He lingered by his horse, taking longer than necessary to untie his pack. He clearly needed distance from me.
“I’ll have ravens sent immediately.” Val’s shoulder brushed mine as we walked. “The council members should arrive late tomorrow morning. Let’s hope we are all in agreement to decide without Winston present.”
Amari prowled alongside us, silent and watchful as always, though his demeanor was different. His eyes occasionally flicked to me with an intensity that made heat pool in my belly despite my exhaustion.
I glanced once more at Nico, my steps faltering. Evenwith the distance, I could trace the line of tension running from his neck down his spine.
“Let him be.” Val’s hand pressed gently against my lower back, urging me forward. “He’ll come around when he’s ready.”
The warmth of his touch sent an unwelcome tingle up my spine that I tried desperately to ignore. My body’s reactions to these men were becoming increasingly problematic. One night of passion had only made things worse, not better.
We entered through the staff entrance, the familiar stone hallways a welcome sight after days in the forest. The smells of baking bread and roasting meat wafted from the kitchen, making my stomach growl embarrassingly loud. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
Amari’s ears twitched at the sound, but his face remained impassive as we climbed the stairs. The silence grew heavier with each step.
“We should clean up and rest before meeting with anyone. I smell like a forest, sweat, and...” My voice trailed off as I realized what I’d been about to say.
Val smirked. “And what exactly, bruja?”
