Lark let out an exaggerated yawn. “I hate to admit this, but I’mexhausted.I don’t think I can Shadow us both to the South Corridor. Can Mayra carry two?”
There was a glint of mischief in my niece’s eye.
Sneaky brat...
I couldn’t say no, because she knew well that Mayra could carry two riders, so I simply said, “Of course.”
Emmerick’s brow pinched as he assessed the beast and glanced between us, missing the exasperated expression I threw at Lark over his head.
“I don’t want to tire Lark or Mayra,” he said. “I can travel by horse if needed until we reach an Egress.”
“No, no—that will take far too long,” Lark argued. Emmerick rubbed the back of his neck.
I’d need to be careful. Lark would soon have him wrapped around her finger like the rest of us were.
“Go on ahead, Lark,” I said. The Sheffields would receive her kindly. Unlike Bringham. “Meet us in two hours at the gates.”
“You got it,” Lark replied. It didn’t sound convincing.
“No wandering. Straight to Eros,” I reminded her. It would be nightfall by the time we arrived, and we’d stay there in safer territory. While Egresses made travel easier, staying in a Corridor still marked a sign of collaboration.
“Yes, yes,” she said.
I kicked one foot out of my stirrup and leaned forward so Em could use it to mount behind me. “Climb on up, puppy.”
Lark called out, “I’ve just got abriefstop before reaching Eros. Meet you there.” She Shadowed away before I could object or ask where.
Emmerick awkwardly lifted his foot into the stirrup and held the pommel of the saddle between my thighs. I bit my lower lip, thinking about how close his hand was to my center. Violating every agreement we’d come to this morning crossed my mind. Once he’d settled behind me, his arms awkwardly hung at his sides.
“You’ll want to hold on,” I encouraged him.
The pace of his breath on the top of my head increased as he scooted closer. As his arms circled my waist, his front pressed to my back. I fought the urge to wiggle into him. Instead, I loosenedthe reins, giving Mayra room to extend her neck as her wings beat the air.
Emmerick’s grip around me tightened, and as we lifted from the ground, his embrace dulled my worries about affairs with the West Corridor.
His hands splayed over my stomach as we reached a height just below the clouds, soaring over the vast plains. I wished his touch would wander lower.Damn our self-imposed boundaries.
He leaned forward and said into my ear, “When we return home, I have something important to tell you.”
Home.Was that Helos or Lamoreaux?
“That sounds foreboding,” I said. The wind blew me back, further melding my body to his.
“It isn’t… Not truly. Just don’t make any decisions until then.” His tone turned pleading. “Don’t marry that pig, El. There’s another way.”
My curiosity burned, but I nodded. “I won’t, puppy.”
I’d held my ground for decades, and with Em awake, selfishly, it gave me more reason to refuse Brigham’s terms.
In his arms, I found more positive thoughts. Like the next time I’d get to watch him cook me dinner or sip mulled wine beside me by the parlor fire.
It was the strangest thing to look forward to such small moments.
Chapter 45
Emmerick
Elsedora sighed when we swooped down toward the gates of Eros Palace and Lark wasn’t awaiting us there.
