Chapter 13

Ishouldn't be as upset as I am. Despite Danielle doing her best to talk me down, explaining how my reaction is part culture clash, part Lesath being an overbearing ass, I'm furious.

Which makes absolutely no freakin' sense, because that means that I would have to have trusted him. What I feel, angry and hurt, is betrayed. Like a foot rub and a few kind words is all it would take to unravel my distaste for Lesath. A small breath huffs out of me at the thought, and Molmith turns to regard me, his brown eye fixed on mine for a moment before he gets back to trotting along.

My butt and thighs are ridiculously sore from riding, and my ankle throbs in time with my pulse, but I'm not about to complain. I'm not about to give Lesath an excuse to sweep me up in his arms and pretend like he cares, just so he can get some magical nookie.

I hold my head high, ignoring Lesath. Ignoring the bickering banter between Kaus and Gisele, who've decided to come along with us.

Good. Whatever. I don't care.

This is one situation that I can absolutely say the more the merrier and mean it one hundred and ten percent. The last thing I want is to spend more time alone with Lesath, where he can worm his way into my good graces only to fool me again.

"Inasgow is a full day's travel from here," Kaus is telling Dabin, walking side-by-side in his centaur form. "Unless we increase the pace, that is."

"I don't want to push the women past where they are comfortable."

A humorless laugh escapes me, and Lesath's spine stiffens. So much for ignoring him.

"We will be safer once we are in the mountains. The women will be safer. We should ride hard for Inasgow, collect the plant, and make for the mountains before nightfall."

According to Dabin, to make the magical curse-breaking tattoos, we need a special plant that only grows in Inasgow, some abandoned town. Magical curse-breaking tattoos. I nearly laugh at it. I can't help but wonder when this life will start feeling normal.

Probably not ever.

"The sooner we can get to the cover of the mountains and forest, the better," Kaus continues.

"If you are so worried, then perhaps you should not have joined us," Lesath all but snarls.

"We can handle a fast pace. We're not fragile little flowers, Lesath. We can also speak for ourselves." The words snap out of me before I can stop them.

"Yeah, you tell him, girlie," Gisele grins at me, somehow managing a thumbs up while steering her horse. "We can ride hard."

Kaus cranes over his shoulder, his tail twitching, lavishing her with a smile and a meaningful quirked eyebrow.

"In your dreams, horse boy." Gisele rolls her eyes, and I smile in spite of myself.

"Did Danielle tell you about that place?" Gisele asks quietly, pulling her horse alongside mine. There's a slight tremor in her voice. I cut my gaze to her, my determination not to speak suddenly overridden by concern.

Gisele dismembered vampires only a day ago. Dead vampires, but still. That takes a certain amount of… I furrow my brow. Honestly, I'm not sure what it takes. A strong gag reflex, I guess. Regardless, if Danielle told Gisele something that's got her freaked, then maybe I should listen to what she has to say. I blow out a breath. Not that I can defend myself or do much besides cheer on Molmith while he does his murder horse thing. I narrow my eyes at Lesath's broad back, straight and proud ahead of me.

"Well?" Gisele prompts. She's not one for patience. I like that about her.

"No, why?" I pull my gaze away from him, watching Gisele's lips twist up in contemplation. Her nearly black hair twists away from her face in a series of intricate braids, the bruises on her cheek and neck already fading. The morning sun glints off the smooth skin of her high cheekbones. There's something hard and ruthless about her face, something regal and fierce.

"Why? Because it's apparently super dangerous. She didn't want me to go with you guys, I could tell she thought I'd be safer at the camp. Or Fieldhouse. Whatever it is they called it."

A chill runs down my spine, and Molmith swings his head around again, staring at me with his big dark eye.

"Pay attention," I tell him, mostly because I'm not. I still don't have a clue what I'm doing on horseback. Molmith knows what's up, though. I blow out a breath, sounding like the damn horses.

"Okay." I drag out the sound. "So why did you come? I have to be here." I chuckle, but there's nothing funny about it.

She opens her mouth to say something, then pauses, shaking her head. Her coffee-brown eyes scan the horizon. I tilt my head. Gisele seems… guilty. She's acting like Lana used to when she'd sneak all the candy at Halloween, and then inevitably get caught because she didn't have the skills to hide her sugary indiscretions.

"Spill it." I say, and Molmith steps closer to her. Her horse whinnies in distress, and Molmith stretches his neck out, his lips curled back.

"Call your horse off. What the fuck? That shit is not normal," Gisele says, tugging her horse a safe distance away.

"Stop it," I tell him, then muddy the command with a rewarding pat on the neck. "If you told me why you look like the cat that ate the canary, then I wouldn't have to sic the horse on you."

"What is wrong with you? You can't sic a horse on someone."

"It's been a tense few weeks." I shrug a shoulder. I'm pretty sure Molmith would love to be sicced on someone, but I don't tell her that.

She sighs, rubbing the back of her hand against her forehead. Bees hum between the field of flowers, a strange bright pink that's totally otherworldly and nothing like home.

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Gisele." I can't help but laugh. "We're riding to find a magical plant with a centaur and a douche that turns into a scorpion so he can get a magical tattoo. Try me."

Lesath kicks his heels into his horse's sides, and the gray charger immediately takes off, his head low, tail held straight out, as he picks up speed. My heart clenches. He must've overheard me call him a douche. No way he knows what that word means, but my tone was probably clear enough.

I shouldn't feel like shit about it, but I do. Ugh.

"Fuck. I guess we're riding hard, then." I click my tongue like I heard the others do when they want to go faster, but Molmith keeps plodding along.

"I've dreamed about this place." Gisele's whispered admission keeps me from urging Molmith to pick up the pace.

"What, like with the vampires? I mean, I have nightmares nearly every night." Except last night… Last night, with Lesath at my side, I slept great. Amazing, even. I frown. Must have been the beer.

"No. For years. For as long as I can remember. It's like a piece of me has slotted into place. I think… I think I'm supposed to go with you. To Inasgow," she waves a hand in the air, pausing as Kaus takes off behind Lesath. "To the mountains. I can see the lake. I can smell the pine trees, see the way the moon glints off the water at night. I can hear the howling of wolves."

I don't really know what to say to that, but I try anyway.

"Well, they told me that we are coming home, you know, that this was our original home and Earth was just a place our people went when shit went down here. They didn't tell me what any of that meant, seeing as how Lesath is a toolbag and a half, but maybe it's just some kind of…" I trail off. I have no idea what it is.

"Genetic memory?" Giselle finishes.

I smile brightly at her. "Sure. Yes. Genetic memory. See? It's gonna be great."

That last part is a total lie. If things keep going the way they've been going for both of us, it's going to be totally fucked. I have no idea why she's been having dreams about Vraya for as long as she can remember. Goosebumps spread across my skin. The thing about this place is, none of the rules of Earth apply. No theories I have make any more sense than anything else.

"Thanks," she says, a little bit peppier.

"Yeah, of course. I got you. We're in this together." That much, at least, is true. It's really nice to have someone to talk to. Sadness balloons in my chest. I miss my sisters like crazy, but having Gisele along might be the next best thing. Maybe this will be great. Or we could die. Either or. I slouch in my saddle.

"We should probably get going." It's the only warning I get before her horse takes off, leaving me in the dust. Literally.

"All right Molmith, speed it up. Bite Lesath if you get the opportunity." An evil little laugh escapes my throat, the technicolor bumble bees the only thing around to hear it.

Molmith makes a horsey noise that's not quite a neigh in response. Before I can react, he takes off. For a moment, it's like I'm levitating in the saddle, and then I remember to squeeze my thighs around him, plastering myself against his mane like I saw Gisele do.

"Fucking shit!" The sound of my curse is muffled against horse mane as I lay low, holding on for dear life.