“Don’t come back.” Miya’s whisper came out strained.
“What?” His expression fell as his eyes followed a tear that slid down her face and dropped from her chin.
Miya swallowed hard. “Please don’t come back with me. Take Hakym and that little family… Take them as far away from here as you can.”
He walked up to her. “If you want us to leave, then you should too.”
She shook her head. Another tear dropped. “I have work to do.”
“I’ve kept quiet.” He slid his hand over her own and lowered it to her side before touching the faded bruises. “I gave you space. That doesn’t mean I forgot what happened.”
“Lance—”
“I can send them away. I can do whatever I need to do, but I'm not leaving.”
Miya pushed his hand away. “Just go. Get the hell out of here, you big idiot.”
“I’m not so good at this. I’m aimless and in over my head. I get that. But I’m here, and I’m the only person in the world who can say that.” Lance shrugged. “It means something to not be alone. Everyone needs someone, even you.”
Miya grabbed both his hands, forcing his attention. “None of that matters. I'll leave, but you go first. I can’t do what I need to do and worry about saving your skin. If you care about me, go.”
He looked down to where they touched. “You’re trying to manipulate me again.”
“Listen to me—”
“This is it. This is all I get. No one, not even you, gets to tell me what I spend my life on. You don't need to save me. I'll save myself.”
Miya pushed her hair back and held the back of her neck. Once she returned to Krowe's, everything started. Ashantae would pass on the message to the United. They'd surveil Bale and her boss, then catch them communicating and meeting. And Miya couldn't run until she knew her family was safe. If Lance stuck around, he might get detained by either side after working with Bale and Krowe.
Lance backed up toward the cows and dropped his bucket on top of the barrel, like nothing happened. “You coming or not? The horses are something to see. Strong. Stubborn. Stunning.” A grin crawled up the right side of his mouth like he knew better than to smile at her now but couldn’t help himself. “You’d get along very well.”
“Stop trying to cheer me up by being cheesy.”
Lance winked. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Even if Miya convinced them to run, what then? This empire wasn't safe. What if they ended up somewhere even worse?
Fear swirled through her while she followed Lance across a field to a long fence. Horses dotted the land, looking small as they trotted in the distance. Near the door, a tall brown mare with swaths of white stood, her head turned toward them. Miya stared into her black eyes, remembering riding as a girl.
Lance climbed over the fence. “Don’t open the door with her nearby. She’ll take off.” He stepped onto the bottom board and reached over to help her.
Miya scaled it on her own and went to the horse, working her hands into the knots of her mane. The mare snorted, stomping her feet into the ground.
“You don’t like being penned in either, do you? They catch you every time you break free. One day, it won’t matter if the door is open or closed. You’ll stop trying.” Pulling back, she smiled. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t trample any son of a bitch who hops your fence and comes for your horses.”
No one needed to wait for Bale and her boss to incriminate themselves if the United knew who Miya really was. In the few days or weeks it would take for them to intervene, the danger would only get worse. Especially for Lance and his people. The Phaedra didn't just send a captain with a seal. He sent the High General's son. He was serious about conquering Caspador.
There was only one way for Miya to ensure this village stayed safe. That no harm came to Lance. That people stopped being defined by their marks, and those in power didn't go unchecked. That wasn't by running away when the kingdom was safe from this threat.
Her heart broke as she buried her face in the horse's mane.
Miya knew what she needed to do. She'd always known.
“I'm going home,” she whispered to the mare. “I'll make sure no one touches yours.”
Turning, she found Lance watching, concern clear in his eyes.
Things would be different for him soon. She'd make sure of that. Because if she were returning to the palace, she wouldn't go back to how it was last time.
