Page 51 of A Cruel Kindness

“Seems to be exactly like him,” I finished, watching as Shadow seemed to barely tolerate Sky’s attentions. They were well-matched. Ford always had a slightly irritated air about him that could either skew endearing or terrifying.

Though when Sky turned with Ford on her back to avoid a nip from Shadow, I watched him smile. My eyes flicked over to Esme, who was watching Ford, though her expression looked rather haunted.

“Esme!” I called, if not to try to make that expression go away.

She turned toward me, a smile brightening her face again. With a soft pull on the reins, she guided Sky over to me. “I see you’re already getting along well with sweet Clover here,” she said, smiling down at the horse underneath me.

“I feel like she’s my child,” I said as I ran my hand down her neck in a caress.

Esme laughed as she fixed an errant strand of hair coming loose from the plait she’d braided Sky’s hair into. “That is very accurate. This little guy has carried me through a lot.”

There was something heavy in her words, a promise of a deeper story that she was keeping quiet for now. Instead of pushing it, I asked, “What am I in for tonight?”

Esme laughed in the back of her throat. “It’s known as Pax. It’s the town closest to the Bridge. Instead of fleeing further into Muli for safety, they declared it a neutral zone, open to both planets. No fighting, no allegiance. They are very well compensated for it.”

I had to laugh at that. “I’m sure the owner of that bar is rolling in money.”

Esme nodded slowly. “Nothing like alcohol to keep the peace. Not to mention the healthy black market he’s running out of the store room.”

“How do you even—well, I guess you of all people would know that.” Esme seemed to hold secrets that not even the most trusted captains on Vir were privy to.

“Muli loves their jewels and gold,” Esme said, a secret smile on her lips. “If I happen to take a cut of some of the merchandise passing through that bar in exchange for turning a blind eye or offering a bit of information, then…”

“I like rubies and emeralds the best.” I couldn’t bring anything that represented any sort of personality with me, but I’d be damned if that stopped me from regaining some of it.

Esme laughed so loud Sky poked his head up from chewing grass on the ground to see what the ruckus was about. “Oh, I have a few things for you. Don’t you worry.”

Personally, I like rings. Especially on other people. You should tell Soren to wear one on his fourth finger, the Bond decided to chime in.

Possessive freak, I shot back at it. Though the image of Soren wearing a wedding ring did seem compelling, especially where his Mark wasn’t enough to warn others a way. For all I knew, he was well known in Pax for having a Match that he wasn’t in a romantic relationship with.

I followed Esme’s lead, turning Clover to follow Sky, though I looked considerably less entertained then she did. I recognized a few faces that were following us, though I hovered close to Soren, Esme, and Ford.

Ford was actually the one to take the lead, nodding once at the group once he seemed satisfied with the company and nudging Shadow forward with a soft kick to her side. There was a clear path carved into the grass and wildflowers, heading into the open field at the base of the camp for a while before curving up and over into the forest.

I’d wager our path took us right over the lip of the mountain caging in the camp and further into Muli territory.

The path was wide enough for two horses to fall into line next to each other, which made sense for the quirks of the equin. To them, it was probably like holding hands on a leisurely stroll with their mate.

I tried to stay focused on learning Clover’s intricacies as she trotted happily along the path next to Lucky, but my focus kept getting pulled in by the scenery. It was half interest and half necessity.

If I had to sneak off in the middle of the night, I needed to know where I was going.

I was surveying the line of trees when I saw a horse as white as snow come barreling across the landscape, carrying a rider with flowing red hair on top.

Freya.

I’d wondered where she was. I hadn’t seen her since we’d arrived and now here she was blasting into the woods on her own. She had a wide brim hat obscuring her face, but there was no mistaking the vibrant tone of her hair.

“Soren,” I said in question, tipping my chin towards Freya.

It was Esme who answered for him. “She does whatever she wants. Including going for hour long trail runs alone that scare the shit out of me.”

Esme turned forward after she was done explaining, perfectly timed with my thankful smile dropping. My gut had always been rather loud, but since the Bond woke up and started shrieking in my head at all times, I hadn’t been as in tune with my instincts.

But with Freya … there was something there.

If Esme was scared by her absconding off into the woods by herself … why the hell had her Match let her go?