Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

T hey traveled for a week, camping in wooded areas far from any villages or towns they passed. Daris wouldn’t risk questions or prying eyes seeing their sizable group passing through.

After Croak had grumbled about a warm bath, Daris had told them to get used to their situation, for he wouldn’t let any of them be seen by someone who might take back word to their enemies.

He did, however, send Jason and Michael into one of the first villages they’d come across for provisions. Croak had tried to tag along, but was vetoed rather quickly by both men. When they’d returned with only the food and supplies Daris had sent them for, even Rydon and Gabriol had added their voices to Croak’s loud complaints about the lack of alcohol.

So the next town they’d neared, Croak had gone along with the others to bring back appropriate provisions.

They were a few days away from Thuria when Daris called a halt for the night. Jason and Rydon had gone off to scout for a suitable place to camp while the rest of them stretched their legs or sought privacy to see to their needs.

Terena let out a groan and rubbed at the back of her neck as she paced away, tugging Nyx along as they neared a small pond close to where they’d stopped. She crouched at the edge and cupped her hands into the cold water, lifting it to her face, and drank. Nyx dropped her head and lapped at the water beside Terena, sending gentle ripples across the still surface.

The moonlight cast a pretty glow over the pond and surrounding trees, a soft melody of night filling the silence. Terena lifted more water and splashed her face, sighing as the cold bit into her skin, waking her.

After that first night with Daris and his men, Terena had remained wary, unwilling to fully fall asleep.

“You’re exhausted.”

Terena stiffened, glancing over her shoulder to see Daris standing a few feet away to her left. Rising, she wiped her hands on her pants.

“We’re all exhausted,” she replied.

He shook his head once and took a few steps closer. Terena turned slightly toward him, her hands at her sides.

“Truth. But you haven’t been sleeping much.”

Terena lifted her shoulder. “I doubt any of us have been sleeping much.”

He looked at her a moment longer, his brow furrowed. “I’ve seen you. When you’re close to drifting off. It’s like… you will yourself to stay awake. At first, I thought maybe you were uncomfortable around me, around my men. Understandable. But we’ve been traveling for over a week now and you haven’t let down your guard.”

“Have you let down your guard?” Terena countered. It was bad enough he’d noticed. That he’d been watching her that closely. For him to try to figure out why was something she would not allow.

He lifted a corner of his mouth but said nothing.

Seconds passed, neither of them breaking the silence. Terena turned to leave, feeling awkward, when he spoke.

“I didn’t realize he was your brother,” Daris said.

Terena turned back with a frown. “Croak?”

“Aye,” he said. He took a couple steps closer and Terena braced herself. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking she was unnerved by him and wanted to keep as much distance as possible between them. The tension she’d experienced around him ever since the fiasco at the castle was unnerving.

“Well. He is. I mean… you know. He is, though.”

Terena cringed, hoping it was dark enough to hide her face.

Daris crossed his arms, his face guarded. “I had thought…”

The moment stretched while she waited for him to finish.

Then realization hit her.

A burst of laughter escaped her mouth before she could stop herself. She clapped a hand over her mouth but couldn’t hide the grin stretching her face to the point of pain.

“Sorry,” she said, her voice shaky with laughter. “Not laughing at you. Just…” She shook her head and gestured at him. “You thought he was my—you thought we were together?”

He shrugged, a small smile on his face.

Terena’s heart skipped.

“I wasn’t sure,” he said, his voice low. It rumbled through her. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking. “I didn’t think so when I first saw you. In Aurora. Thought maybe he was a colleague. Danilos didn’t bother to say, and I didn’t bother to ask.”

He raked a hand through his hair.

Terena watched him like a hawk.

“And in Sparta, when you were all out together; the way he’s always near you. Or how he touches you…”

“Oh gods, gross!” Terena cringed as the words escaped her mouth with such force she almost leaped toward him to stop them from coming out of his lips. “No, not a lover. Just my brother. We’re only a year apart, so we’re close.” She shook her head and loosed a sigh that was half laugh. “I’ll make sure he touches me less. Gods.”

Daris’s smile widened and he dipped his chin. “That’s good to know.”

Awareness filled her and her heartbeat ratcheted up. Terena’s pulse throbbed in her ears. “Why?” She cleared her throat. “Why is that good?”

His smile slipped but a look crossed his eyes that made her shiver .

A predator watching his prey.

“I’m curious about you,” he said, his voice almost a purr. He took another step closer. Right then, she wished so badly she didn’t reek of horse and sweat and a week’s worth of riding.

But she didn’t move away.

“Truly?”

He nodded.

“What,” she swallowed. “What would you like to know?”

He took another unhurried step closer.

She didn’t move.

Danger.

“What were you doing in Aurora?”

The fire in her blood winked away.

“I delivered something the duke had contracted me for,” Terena said, her voice cool. “Anything else?”

He eyed her for so long, buzzing roared in her ears and beneath her skin as his eyes narrowed on her.

“Was Prince Lerek your lover?”

Fuck. Fuck.

The words cut her like daggers. His name on Daris’s lips hitting her heart hard. It broke open as she struggled for air.

“Gods, what you must think of me,” she laughed sarcastically. “First, Croak. Now you ask me about Le?—”

Her lips clamped shut and she made to move past him when he shot his hand out and grasped her arm. His clear blue eyes searched hers, a look like sorrow or pity filling them before they flashed with something else.

Something that looked like guilt.

Terena had no desire to have him feeling anything for her. Especially not guilt.

But Terena was guilty herself. Because his presence had made her forget—every time—that she had lost Lerek. That she loved him. That she ached and mourned him, the guilt tearing at her whenever she stopped thinking about him.

And thought about the man in front of her, instead .

“Terena—”

Terena was cold, so cold she shook, the blood gone from her face, pooled low in her belly.

She became dizzy and sick. The bile rose in her throat and she turned, looking around wildly.

Her eyes landed on Nyx a split second before she jerked her arm from Daris’s grip and launched forward, grabbing hold of the bridle as she leaped onto the saddle and thundered off. Nyx’s head tossed back, her agitation matching Terena’s as she tried to distance herself from Daris and the guilt she couldn’t escape.

Terena thought she heard him shout out her name, but she did not stop.

They traveled in silence much of the following day. It had been awkward when they’d broken camp, Terena and her friends keeping separate from the Liodari, the battle lines drawn. When she happened to catch Jason’s eye, she only offered a tight smile before looking away.

As dusk settled around them, Croak broke the silence.

“Do you hear that?” he said, tilting his head as he slowed his horse to a stop.

Rydon turned to him, then looked over his shoulder.

“I hear it,” Gabriol said, his voice low.

They all stopped and listened.

Ahead of them, Michael glanced back and called out.

Rydon held up a hand for him and motioned for silence.

Michael whistled at Jason and Daris, and the three of them stopped and turned their mounts back when Michael gestured with his head.

A scream reached them just then.

“It’s coming from there!” Gabriol yelled out and rode off. The others were only a moment behind.

They reached a ravine and Terena leaped from Nyx, pulling her bow over her shoulder as another scream—pitched high like a child’s—pierced the quiet gloom around them.

Terena ran to the ravine edge and dropped to the ground to peer down.

Rydon and Gabriol crouched at her side. Croak cursed over her shoulder as they saw the boy at the bottom, his right leg at an unnatural angle. He was small—from this distance all Terena could tell was he was young, maybe five, and from his ragged screams he must have been down there awhile.

“Get the rope from my bag,” Terena called over her shoulder to Croak as Daris and the Liodari came up behind them. She made to put her bow back over her shoulder when Rydon gripped her wrist and motioned with his chin.

“Shit,” Jason said, as he looked down at the ravine at the same time Terena saw it.

Saw them .

Three wolves slunk toward the boy, their low growls making the boy’s cries more urgent. Desperate.

Terena’s heart raced. She bolted upright, pushing past Rydon and Gabriol as she ran along the edge of the ravine, her eyes on the wolves as she nocked an arrow.

The wolves turned their heads in unison when the men shouted after her. Terena’s mind cleared as she dropped. Pulling the bowstring tight, she loosed it on the wolf closest to the boy.

A second arrow was already in flight before the first reached its target. Swiftly flying through the air, the third arrow hit the back leg of the second wolf with a thud.

Terena heard more arrows and glanced back long enough to see Rydon and Michael with their bows raised, arrows flying at the wolves.

Croak ran to her with the rope coiled in his fist and flung it at her. Terena dropped the bow and wrapped one end of the rope around her waist, tossing the other end at Croak. She turned and looked over the edge again, trying to find a way down the ravine that wouldn’t kill her .

At last, she found a path and dropped down. Daris raced forward and dropped to his belly, grabbing the strap of her shoulder guard when she slipped. Terena’s eyes shot up and blinked up at his face, flushed red and tight as he clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing.

Terena exhaled roughly and looked around to find another spot for her hand to hold on to. She peered over her shoulder. Her right foot found a rock to support her as Daris released his hold on her.

She looked up again and saw he’d taken up the front spot of the rope Rydon and Gabriol held. Croak was on his belly, hanging over the edge as he watched her, terror in his eyes.

Terena reached the bottom, heart thudding painfully against her ribs. Untying the rope at her waist, she heard the others call down to her, Croak’s voice loud in protest.

Pushing back a lock of hair, Terena unsheathed her sword. She swallowed, glancing over to where the wolves had stood, two of them dead.

The third wolf was nowhere in sight.

As if sensing her thoughts, Gabriol called down. “He ran off. We’re watching for him, don’t worry. Get to the boy!”

Terena nodded, not bothering to look up. Holding her sword loosely at her side, she strode forward, the boy watching her through tear-filled eyes. His chin wobbled and his face was streaked with tears, dirt and blood from a cut on his temple.

“You’re so brave,” she crooned, hoping her voice sounded reassuring. She held out her free hand to him. “So brave, sweet boy. So brave. I’m going to help you. Is that all right?”

His small head bobbed once, and he whimpered.

“You’re okay now. I’m here. We’re all here to help you. Don’t you worry. You’ll be free soon.”

Terena glanced over her shoulder one more time before she sheathed her sword and dropped to the boy’s side. As she moved her hands closer to his broken leg, she asked, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

She touched the break at his shin, and he jerked it back, a small cry escaping his lips before he started sobbing again .

“You’re all right, you’re all right,” she whispered, moving her hands slowly over the rest of him to check for other breaks or sprains. “What’s your name, brave one?”

He winced when she glided her hand gently over his left hip, but didn’t cry out. “Nikos.”

“Nikos,” Terena said and flashed him a big smile as she moved closer. “That’s a fantastic name for such a brave boy.”

His only response was another whimper, but he tightened his tiny mouth, trying to stop the wobble of his chin.

“I need you to be brave for me again,” she said, moving her hands slowly under his body. “I need to pick you up, all right? But it might hurt. Only for a second, Nikos. And then I’ll carry you out of here. Can you be brave for me a bit longer?”

He nodded, shifting as she moved her hands under him and lifted him. He cried out sharply, his broken leg dropping as Terena pulled him up and close to her chest. She made to rise, crooning more soothing words at him when she heard the shouts from the top of the ravine. She turned and saw the wolf racing at her, dodging the arrows her friends were shooting at him.

Terena froze.

Her eyes widened, then she turned and ran, feet pounding against the uneven ravine floor as the wolf gained on them. She heard the shouts from above and more arrows zinging in the air.

She turned and saw the wolf leap. Terena dropped, intending to shield the boy with her body. Instead, a roar ripped from her chest as she fell to one knee. Her hand shot out and everything stilled.

No more shouts from her friends.

No wolf snarling.

No boy crying.

Just the deafening sound of silence.

Terena turned her head. It was heavy, as if she was underwater. The wolf was frozen mid-leap, close enough she could see the arrows protruding from his hide. His jaws were wide, saliva suspended from sharp fangs. Terena stretched forward and wrapped her hand around its throat and squeezed .

She blinked and exhaled. Sound returned in a rush and the wolf’s body dropped to the ground, Terena still gripping its throat.

The boy, Nikos, squirmed in her arms, trying to twist to see. She heaved another breath, looking at the wolf in horror.

Terena opened her hand. Flexing her fingers, the wolf’s head dropped against her ankle. Panting, she stared at the dead animal, its vacant eye glazed. She shifted and looked up at the ravine edge. Her friends stood hunched over, mouths agape as they stared back at her. Terena’s eyes snagged on Daris, his eyes wide in shock as he stared back.

Terena turned when Nikos moved, his small arms wrapped tight around her neck. She pulled at them to keep him from choking her. She whispered soft words to him again, letting him know they were safe, and rose.

Nikos squirmed against her chest. Terena took a step and her legs wobbled. She stood still for another minute, letting the adrenaline fade from her body long enough for the strength to return to her legs.

She started walking back toward the rope, stepping carefully around the dead wolf when she heard Nikos’s inhale.

“He’s so big,” the boy said, wonder filling his voice.

“Aye,” Terena said, her voice shaky. “Don’t look.”

“You killed him,” he said, pulling back to look at her face. She glanced at him with a tight smile, seeing the awe in his pretty brown eyes.

“See?” She gave him a wink. “I told you I’d help you, that you’d be all right.”

He said nothing as they reached the rope. Terena set him down carefully, leaning his weight against her side as she hunched down on one knee. She held his waist and used her right hand to pull the rope around his middle.

“I need you to be brave again, Nikos,” she said in a hard voice as she looked him in the eye. He nodded solemnly. “Do you see my friends up there?” Terena looked up at the others huddled above. Daris and Rydon crouched down, holding the rope, their faces tight.

The boy nodded. Terena turned back to him and said, “Those are the bravest men on the continent. That man there,” she lifted her chin at Daris, whose eyes never left hers, “He’s the Commander of the Liodari. In Sparta. Have you heard of them?”

Nikos’s eyes widened comically as he looked up at Daris with another nod, awe filling his face.

“Good. He’s going to pull you up now. And when you get to the top, they’re going to pull me up. All right? It’ll hurt, because your leg is broken and you’re bruised from falling, but I promise you, we’ll take care of you and take you to your family.”

The boy nodded again, his eyes never leaving Daris.

“Are you ready?” Terena didn’t wait for his nod this time before she looked up and motioned for the men to pull the boy up.

When he was halfway up, Terena rose and dropped her head back, her hands falling to her hips, and then she bent over, bracing her hands on her knees.

Fucking gods.

That was close.

That was so close.

Calm down. Calm down. Calm.

Terena looked up in time to see Daris grab Nikos’s arm and lift him up, wrapping a big hand around the boy as he hefted him up to his hip and rose. He moved back to put him on the ground where Terena could no longer see him.

The rope dropped back down and she grabbed it, climbing back up. When she neared the top she turned her face up. Daris was there, gazing down at her. He grabbed the rope and heaved, pulling her up so fast her legs fell away from the wall and she was suspended for a second before he hauled her up and wrapped her in his powerful arms.

She stiffened and pushed away. As she turned, Croak enveloped her in his arms, crushing her tightly and stealing her breath away. Terena clung to him fiercely, burying her face in his chest. He shook, and Terena squeezed him tighter, her eyes stinging.

He let her go at last and she stumbled a step before turning to see where Nikos was. Jason held the boy cradled in his lap on the ground .

When he turned his head and saw Terena, the boy held out his arms to her and she dropped to the ground to hug him.

“Fucking gods, Terena,” Croak said behind her, his voice shaking. “Does it have to be so fucking dramatic every gods damned time?”

“Language!” Terena hissed over her shoulder at him.

The others grumbled their agreement and Terena looked up to see Gabriol walk away, his hands on his head and Michael crouched on his haunches, his head bowed to the ground.

Rydon stood near the ravine edge, head tucked to his chest. Jason gathered up the rope, his lips tight; she caught the glance he shot at her and the wariness in his eyes.

Terena cradled the boy’s head and stood.

Croak jogged up to her, her bow in his hand. He walked to Nyx and attached it to the saddle. Terena handed him the boy, who moaned in protest, but went to Croak when she assured him he’d be riding with her.

She mounted, then reached down as Croak hefted Nikos into her arms and settled him in her lap, being careful of his leg. Michael came to her side, a piece of wood and cloth in his hand. Terena nodded when he caught her eye and he efficiently bound the boy’s leg, splinting it as best he could without hurting him.

Terena thanked him. He nodded once and strode off.

She looked up. The others stared at her for long seconds before they launched into motion, moving to their horses and mounting.

“All right, Nikos,” Terena said, her voice loud so the others could hear. “Now, do you know where your family is? Where we can find them?”

The boy thought for a few seconds before his brows shot up. “My father lives in a cave!”

Croak snorted behind her.

Terena looked down at Nikos with a smile. “He does? Do you know where it is?”

He nodded emphatically.

She smiled. “Brave boy. Can you show me how to get there?”

He nodded again and pointed to their right. Terena looked around at the others before prodding Nyx to walk, conscious of Nikos’s leg and the fading light. “Let’s go find him then!”