Chapter 13

13

REYA

W e arrive at Brinwood in the late afternoon, and the warmth of the sun is fading. I eagerly take in the sights of the town as we travel through the gates and within its protective walls, deep into the heart of the bustling town.

"It's so much bigger than Terleigh," I say, straining my head to look beyond the market square.

"Your town is tiny in comparison. There are around two thousand residents here," Raegal informs me as we come to a stop outside a lively-looking inn. He halts his mare and swings down to his feet, placing his hands at my waist and lifts me down. "We'll stay here for the night and travel again tomorrow." He clears his throat and looks at the inn. "It gets rowdy here at night. You might want to keep to the sanctuary of the bedroom."

I snicker, and this earns me a questioning arch of his brow. "I worked in an inn. Trust me, I've seen plenty."

He doesn't get the chance to reply as a large man with a large round belly bursts through the inn doors and claps his hands together. "Lord Commander! We are honoured to have you stay with us," he exclaims as he reaches out for Raegal's hands and firmly shakes it.

"My troops will set up camp behind the inn. We are grateful for your hospitality. Where is your chief?"

The man nods his head enthusiastically. "He is caught up in a meeting, but he will be here to greet you soon."

Raegal nods his head and glances back my way. "Do you have a handmaid available who can escort Miss Lockwood to my room and prepare a bath for her?"

The Innkeepers' eyes flare in recognition when he spots my lilac eyes. "It is an honour to have a Shadow Kissed stay with us. I will fetch Nyra. She will attend to your every need during your stay, miss."

"I don't need a maid," I protest, frowning at Raegal. I offer an apologetic smile to the innkeeper.

"Nonsense. A Shadow Kissed female without a maid! Who heard of such absurdity! Nyra!" he bellows, rushing back inside the inn and barking out orders to his staff inside.

I wrinkle my brow in confusion. "Their Shadow Kissed have maids here?"

Raegal nods his head, watching my reaction. "As all chosen ones should."

"You said your room before." I fold my arms across my chest. "I refuse to sleep in the same room as you. It's inappropriate. People will talk."

He smirks in amusement and tilts his head. "Tell me, what will the people think?"

I flush red, annoyed, as he knows full well what I mean. "They will think you are bedding me!" I whisper-hiss, looking around to make sure no one can hear me.

He continues to smirk and steps into my personal space. "Firstly, I don't bed Asen's. Your kind doesn't appeal to me. And secondly, I'm a respected Lord Commander. No one would dare question my honour in my duty to protect and respect the dignity of a Shadow Kissed female."

I gulp, feeling unnerved by his closeness. His words cut through me. His dislike of Asen women is clear. "Oh, I see. Asen women aren't good enough for someone like you."

He smirks again and tugs gently on a lock of my unruly blonde curls. "Oh, little terror, none of your kind could cope with the demands of my shadows during sex."

My cheeks flush a deep crimson. I'm at a loss for words and search for some witty and sarcastic response.

"Cat got your tongue, little Asen." He grins wider and chuckles to himself as he walks away from me. I stand there and take in a steadying breath. Is it hot out here? Once I've got over the shock of his words and their implications, my anger returns. Anger at myself that I let him unnerve me and render me speechless.

N yra is a sweet girl around four years my junior, who does everything she can to serve me despite my protests. She prepares me a warm and inviting bath and I sink into the metal tub and close my eyes.

"Should I help you wash, miss?" she asks me, hovering by the side of the tub.

I open one eye to see her and shake my head. "No thank you, I'll be fine. I can bathe myself."

I watch as she bobs her head and disappears out of the room, informing me she'll fetch me food up from the kitchen.

I close my eyes again and enjoy the warmth of the water on my aching thighs and back. Riding horseback is tiring and my muscles ache in protest. I wash myself and pause when I run the cloth down my arm and over the small black mark. I rub at it, but it still won't budge. Frustrated, I rest my head on the tub and close my eyes. This is pure bliss after a day of travel. I sigh in contentment and smile when I feel a slither of warmth travel up my left leg. The warmth strokes up my body until it reaches my throat, and I gasp when it grips my neck, forcing my eyes to fly open. Black smoky shadows wind their way up my body and are holding me by my throat.

"Mine!" a sinister voice says. I duck my head under the water and when I come up, I look down at my body, expecting to see the shadows, but there is nothing here. I shake my head. Did I just imagine that? It felt so real. Clearly the day's travel has befuddled my brain and I'm seeing things that aren't there! I stand up in the tub and reach for the towel Nyra has left for me, wrapping it around my body. I walk over to the door and step into the small bedroom.

"Nyra, where are my clothes?"

I falter in my steps when I realise it's not Nyra in the room but Raegal. He's sitting in the large armchair by the fire. I gasp when I see him and for a moment, his eyes appear completely black.

"Oh, I didn't know you were in here," I say, flustered. Aware that I'm covered in nothing but a towel that only hits mid-thigh. His dark eyes trail down my body and it's as if his eyes scorch me as they make their journey.

"Nyra will be back soon. She has taken some clothing from your bag and left them there for you." He gestures with his head towards the bed. "How was your bath?" he asks me, his dark eyes glistening from the light of the fire.

"Warm and soothing. Shouldn't you be busy doing Lord Commander stuff or something?"

When he doesn't answer, I look over at him and find his eyes on me with a brow lifted. "Even Lord Commander's need downtime."

I scoff. "I thought you had vigorous stamina." I refer to his earlier gloating about his bedding skills.

"It's a dangerous thing to challenge a man regarding his stamina when standing by his bed in nothing but a towel," he warns, his voice laced with unspoken promises. I scuttle away from the bed, and he laughs. He has the audacity to laugh. Frowning, I watch him. I've never seen him laugh so freely before. It is both an unsettling and a pleasurable sight. I slam the bathroom door behind me, and he's still chuckling to himself. Damn him and his shadows!

Still cursing him, I get dressed and after my fifth attempt to fasten up my corset, I give up and fling it across the room. Nyra chooses this moment to enter, and she looks from me to my corset on the floor with uncertain eyes.

"Miss, is everything okay?"

I huff out a breath. Glancing into the room behind her. "Is he still out there?"

Nyra scrunches up her nose and looks behind her. "You mean the Lord Commander? No, Miss, he has gone to join the others downstairs for feasting and ale." She walks across the tiled floor and picks up my black corset. "Let's get you dressed, shall we?"

Relieved to know he isn't in the next room; I get to my feet and allow Nyra to pull the corset around me and fasten up the ribbons that hold it together. "I've brought your food up and a glass of mead."

"A glass?" I frown. I needed more than a damn glass tonight if I had to deal with him again later. "You can fetch me a jug up please once I'm dressed."

Nyra grimaces and looks away from me. "Pardon me, miss, but the commander said you were to be given one drink of ale."

My eyes narrow at her words, and I place my hands on my hips. "Oh, he did, did he? Well, I'll be the one who decides how much I have to drink. I'm a grown woman and he doesn't own me!" Nyra takes a step back and looks at me wide-eyed. "I'm not mad at you, Nyra, just that overbearing brute thinking he can tell me what to do."

Nyra sighs. "He is a sight to behold." I cock a brow in response, and she reddens in her cheeks. "Pardon me, miss, but he is very handsome."

"Handsome or not," I grumble, "he's still a controlling pain in my arse. I think I'll go down for food and mead tonight, Nyra." If he thinks I'm going to stay up here like a good little Asen he has another thing coming!

T aking the stairs down to the main parlour of the inn, I find it filled with a bustling crowd. A man plays a flute over by the window and another man beside him sings a cheery song about our goddess, Gaia. I notice there are a lot of women in here tonight. I wonder where Arkynn is? I haven't seen him since we left Terleigh. No doubt when we travelled here, he was somewhere at the back of the travelling procession with the other new Asen recruits. I miss my friend, but there's no point in dwelling on what we have lost. He made his choice, and it has made things between us irreparable. I scan the crowds and my eyes find Jasiel first. He's sitting at the centre of one of the long tables, a large tankard of krim in his hand and a buxom black-haired beauty sitting on his knee. I scan the room again and come up surprised when I don't spot the haughty lord commander anywhere.

I walk to the bar and order a large tankard of krim from the server. She pauses when she takes in my eyes, and I see the moment she realises what I am.

"It would be an honour to serve you, miss," she says, bobbing her head at me like I'm royalty, before hurrying off to pour my drink.

"What part of my suggestion to rest in our room did you not hear?" Two arms appear either side of me and I'm surrounded by the scent of leather and musk.

"The same part that doesn't have to do as you command. I'm not one of your soldiers, Lord Commander."

"Of that, I'm well aware. My soldiers rarely make me want to throttle or spank them."

I spin on my heels, facing him, and instantly regret my decision as it brings me inches from him. "I didn't realise you were into kinky stuff, Lord Commander. I'm afraid if you have an itch that needs scratching, you might have to lower yourself to choosing a lowly Asen female. There don't appear to be many shadow females here."

"Miss," The server behind me attempts to get my attention. Without taking my eyes off the brooding man in front of me, I reach out my hand behind me and she pushes the tankard into it.

I lift it to my lips and, smiling; I take a long drink, sighing when I have finished and wiping the back of my hand. "Ahh."

I jolt in surprise when he reaches out and wipes his thumb over the corner of my mouth, wiping away some froth off with his finger. He lifts it to it his mouth and sucks it off his thumb. My eyes trail his every move. "You don't behave very ladylike."

"I've never pretended to be a lady. I prefer swords to dresses, and daggers to flowers."

I don't miss how his gaze snakes down my body and lands on the small dagger tucked in the top of my right boot.

"Raegal, you're here." Jasiel comes up behind him and slaps him on the back, draping his arm over his shoulder. "Come join us." Jasiel grins down at me. "Reya. What have you done to upset him now?"

I smile up at Jasiel before returning to scowl at his superior. "Apparently, I should be more ladylike and remain in my bedroom."

Jasiel grins in response. "Is that so? What and miss out on all the fun!"

"Exactly," I reply. "It seems the Lord Commander doesn't believe in fun."

"Come join us. Have you ever played Trellim before?"

I snort in response. Have I ever played? I worked in an inn.

"I'm not sure I have," I reply, shaking my head. Jasiel grins rubbing his hands together, before pulling Raegal away from me towards their table. "Even better, I can teach you how to win."

After a few tankards of krim and mead and three games of Trellim later, I find myself several drecks richer. Jasiel eyes me from across the table. "Are you sure you've never played before?"

"Here's a lesson for you, Jasiel. Never make assumptions about a woman. I'll give you one last chance to beat me," I offer, waggling my brows at him.

"I'm done for the night. You have cleaned me out, Reya." He sighs, downing the last of his krim. He pulls the dark-haired woman who has been flirting with him all night under his arm. "What say we head to my room?" She grins in response, and he winks at me. "Sleep well."

I snort in response.

Just as Jasiel is about to make off with his woman for the night, one of their soldiers, who I recognise from the night they found me in the forest, strides into the inn and makes a beeline for Raegal. Throughout my card games with Jasiel, he sat silently with a tankard in his hand, watching us play. Despite his silence, I'm conscious of him the whole time.

Raegal frowns at whatever his soldier tells him and glances over at Jasiel, who has delayed going up to his room to see what is going on. "I'm afraid your lady friend will have to wait a while longer for your company, Captain."

Jasiel sighs, and then pulls the dark-haired beauty in and kisses her passionately. "Theres more of that if you want to wait in my room for me." His men at the table all jeer and make lude comments. I should be embarrassed, but I've been working in a similar environment for two years now. I'm fully aware of what men are like when they get together and have had a few drinks.

Raegal gestures with his head for Jasiel to follow him outside. Something's amiss and I'm determined to find out what.

Raegal sighs when he sees me come out behind Jasiel. "Eretreya, get back inside the inn," he orders me wearily and points at the now closed door.

I cross my arms over my chest and rest my hip on the wooden post of the inn porch. "No, I don't think I will. What's going on? Is it the mutts?"

His eyes narrow in suspicion. "What makes you think that?"

I shrug my shoulders, refusing to look away in case it makes me look guilty of something. "I don't know. You said they might be hunting me."

He continues to stare at me before he turns his attention to Jasiel. "Over a hundred of them are out there, on the forest's edge, surrounding the protected walls."

Jasiel swears under his breath, and I feel his watchful eyes land on me. "I don't know why you are both looking at me like that. I have no idea what's going on. Maybe I have tastier fears than others."

"Do you have many fears?" Jasiel asks me, turning his full attention to me.

I snort and look heavenward into the night sky. "What do you think? All my life I've known I'll have to leave my home and family. Taken by another realm to God only knows what fate! So yes, I have fears, many of them. The main one being I have no control over my life or my destiny."

They both stand there in stunned to silence. I refuse to meet their gaze and instead kick at the dirt with my boots.

"Put extra men around the walls. If we have any shadow dust in our supplies, place it around the perimeter of the town," Raegal orders his friend.

"And Reya?" Jasiel asks, flicking his eyes back to me.

Raegal pinches the bridge of his nose as he thinks. "I need to get her to Shadow Valley. The sooner the better. Our defences are stronger there, plus there are so many Shadow Borne it will hopefully mask her scent completely."

"I'll ensure we continue our journey and collect all the recruits."

"Wait, what? We're leaving for Shadow Valley? Just us two?" I push up from the post and rub my arms, feeling a chill.

Raegal smirks at my question. "Scared to be alone with me?"

I snicker and roll my eyes as if to say, ‘of course I'm not,' but inside I'm a ball of tension and anxiety. Raegal barks his orders out to Jasiel and then turns back to me. "Can you please go up to my room and stay there while I get things in order?"

I want to say no, just to defy him, but I nod my head. "Sure. I'll be the good little chosen one and go to my room!" I don't give him a chance to respond. I push the door open and head back inside the inn. A couple of Raegal's men call after me, challenging me to a game of cards, but I ignore them all, taking the stairs two at a time. I pace the room when I get there. Why are the mutts following me? What do they want with me? What am I to them? Raegal and Jasiel both look at me with suspicion and intrigue. My mother said I must never let them know who I am, but how can I do that when I don't know what she means?

In the end, I take a seat in the armchair and reach for the book I saw Raegal reading earlier. I blink in surprise when I read the book's title, the history of the realms. I open the book and flick through the pages until I come to the one he's folded over. ‘The history of the night realm.' Deciding there is nothing else for me to do. I settle down and read.

I jump in fright when the door opens. I'd been so lost in the book I hadn't even heard him climb the stairs. His grey eyes land on me and then on the book in my hand. "Learn anything?"

"Lots," I reply as I close the book and sit up in my seat. "Is everything okay? Have the mutts stayed back?"

He nods his head. "They remain at the edge of the forest, but they're agitated and restless. I've asked Nyra to come and pack your belongings. We'll be leaving soon."

I nod my head, watching him pick up some of his belongings and place them in his traveller's sack. "Is it wise us travelling ahead alone? No offense, I know you are the all-powerful Lord Commander, but two of us against hundreds of mutts doesn't seem like a good idea."

He looks up from his packing to frown at me. "We're not travelling on horseback. We will travel by shadow and be there in a matter of minutes."

"Travel by shadow. What exactly does that mean?" I ask him, pretty sure that I will not like the answer.

He bobs his shoulders like it's no big deal. "Those of us from the higher ranks can use our shadows to travel from one part of the realm to another."

I shake my head. I have never heard of this before. I feel like there is a lot I don't know about the Shadow Borne. I don't like the sound of this shadow travel method at all. "How does it work? Because, well, I'm Asen, I'm not born with shadow magic."

He fights a smile in response to my question and takes the seat opposite me in front of the warm fire. "You'll be perfectly safe. I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't suggest we travel this way if I had any doubts over whether it would be safe."

"Why should I trust you? Your kind aren't very trustworthy," I ask him.

He rolls his eyes and tuts in response. He leans forward in his seat towards me, resting his elbows on his knees. In response, I lean further back into my own seat. I like it better when there's a safe distance between us.

"Have I given you any reason since we met to suggest I would harm you?"

I shake my head, remaining silent. "Have any other Shadow Kissed arrived at the mansion?"

"Just you and one other female. Her father died, leaving her an orphan like you and she had nowhere to go, so we brought her to Shadow Valley."

I blink. An orphan. Like me. I pale at the realisation that I am an orphan. Both my parents are gone. The loss hits me hard in the chest. "Can I say farewell to Arkynn before I go?"

His jaw tenses and he flat out glares at me. "Of course. I'll escort you to him myself," he says, standing up and towering over me, waiting for me to rise.

"Oh, there's no need. I can just ask one of your men," I protest, as I also stand, shoving my hands in my trouser pockets.

"I insist. Your safety is of utmost importance to my people." He strides over to the door and holds it open, and gestures for me to exit.

We exit the inn's rear to reach the grounds behind it, where the men have set up their temporary camp. Asen soldiers sit around the fire pits drinking and sharing stories. Raegal leads us towards the back of the camp, and I frown when I find Arkynn and another guy from our town washing out the food bowls in a large barrel of water.

"Hard at work, I see," I say as we reach them and Arkynn glances up from his chores. His blue eyes fall on me, and he smiles, before they flick to Raegal's, and his face turns sour. I really need to speak to him about practicing his poker face. He wears his dislike for his commander all over his face.

Arkynn strides over to me, keeping his eyes on Raegal, and he pulls me into a hug. "Wondered when I might get to see you, sunshine. Everything okay?"

I pull back from him and slip my hands back into my pockets. It feels awkward standing here between them both. "I just wanted to come and say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Arkynn asks, his eyebrows flying up to his forehead. "What do you mean goodbye?"

I gesture with my head towards Raegal. "The Lord Commander has decided it's best if I'm transported straight to Shadow Valley tonight."

Arkynn's frown deepens, and he wipes at his forehead. "Why?"

Raegal clears his throat and steps closer to my side, addressing Arkynn with a look of irritation. "I have concerns for Eretreya's safety. I feel it best we get her where I can best protect her."

Arkynn continues to burn a hole in the side of his new commander's head. "For what reason does she need the Lord Commander's protection?"

"I have my reasons, which aren't for you to question, soldier. We need to get going, so…" He gestures with his hands at us both, urging our farewell on.

I clear my throat and glance at Arkynn. He grins at me and pulls me into his side and kisses the top of my head. "Take care, sunshine, okay? I'll be there with you soon."

I nod my head and as casually as I can; I step out of his hold. He is mistaken if he thinks we can go back to how things were before. Things will never be the same between us.

"I'll see you there. Safe travels." I take another step back and wave to him. "We should go," I say, turning on my heels and leaving Raegal to stride after me. I can feel Arkynn's eyes burning into my back as I walk away.

"He's the one who gave you that dagger," Raegal states as he catches up with me and we walk alongside each other. I frown. How did he conclude that from our brief encounter?

"He did," I confirm. "Arkynn knows me better than anyone. We were close. Once."

I feel his eyes studying me. "Once?"

If he thinks I'm going to explain any further, he's wasting his time. I nod and gaze across the camp. "Will Jasiel take over as commander in your absence?" I ask him, changing the subject. I have no desire to discuss my relationship with Arkynn with him.

"He will, and he's more than capable of taking charge. I trust him with my life," he informs me as we reach the back of the inn, and he holds the door open for me.

"Have you two worked together for a long time?"

"We've known each other since we were boys. No one knows me better than he does," Raegal replies, repeating my earlier words about Arkynn. "I need to make some last-minute arrangements, then we'll leave. Can you check if Nyra has packed all your belongings?"

I nod my head and leave him at the bottom of the stairs. I feel his eyes on me as I climb each step, and it causes a tingling down my spine.