Page 84 of Royal Hunt
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for him,” I managed, struggling to meet her eyes. Viana gave me a wistful smile. “Finally figured it out, did you?”
I went red, and she gave a small snort. “I mean it. Don’t die. Don’t let him die. We’ll sort out this mess while you’re gone.”
“Thank you,” I said again.
She laughed. “Don’t thank me. You’ve got a much bigger mess to sort.” She turned to Ellis. “Rumors are it’s toward the north. Way north. I packed as best I could.”
Ellis gave Viana a nod, and kicked his horse’s side. I clicked my heels as well, giving her a mild wave as we raced into the woods around the back of the palace, heading north.
Twenty Seven
Iassumed Viana had some knowledge we didn’t, because Ellis seemed to know where to go even though ‘north’ hardly seemed specific. The towns were sparse up here, and we didn’t bother stopping since we were full up on supplies, and needed to keep our absence a secret. We kept riding, until the small villages turned into only a farm here and there, and then absolutely nothing as the cold grew and grew.
The silence between Ellis and I stretched on, and though I wanted badly to break it, I didn’t know what to say. Thanks for abandoning your kingdom to come with me? Sorry about being a bringer of death and chaos in your dreams, but I’m sure it’s not that serious? Nothing I could come up with seemed right, so I said nothing, and neither did he.
I’d been so relieved and full of joy when Ellis said he’d accompany me, but then he hadn’t spoken another word except for now. Was he regretting his choice to come with me? Did guilt eat at him for abandoning his people? Something was different.
I wasn’t more important than an entire kingdom.
It was his choice,I told myself firmly.I don’t control anyone. All I have a say over is my own actions.
Ellis glared at the approaching darkness like it was a personal enemy of his.
This wasn’t going to be fun.
“Let’s stop and bundle up a bit,” Ellis called over his shoulder, the first words we’d said to each other all day. The sky was darkening as the sun set, and the woods around us were thinning out the further north we traveled. Thank the gods he’d finally said something, because the air was turning wicked; into a frigid, crawling hand that sliced through the cloak and layers I was already wearing. It howled through the trees, and my shiver was all due to the drop in temperature. Twin plumes of steam came from my horse's nose as he too noticed the sudden drop in the atmosphere.
We stopped by a large tree, and I barely could feel Ellis’s hands on me as he helped me dismount, and then set about going through the massive packs on our horses, who were already huddling together for warmth. “There should be a heavy cloak in each, along with a scarf, gloves, and everything.”
We both tore through the packs, dressing in silence. I sighed in relief as the thick fur covered my shoulders, eager to get my frozen hands covered as well. Both Ellis and I were busy dressing, our attention only on our packs and horses.
That was our fatal error.
WHUMPF.
Ellis went down hard. I barely turned to reach for him before hands came around me, pinning my arms to my side and putting a dagger at my throat.
Ferar.
“They were exactly where she said they’d be,” Cassus bragged, wiping his bloody knuckles on the back of Ellis’s tunic.
Panic and alarm swam in my brain. “What are you—”
“I already told you, stupid girl,” Cassus replied, taking rope fromourhorse’s bag and binding Ellis’s hands and feet. He picked Ellis up like he was no heavier than a large dog and threw him over his horse, tying him down. It broke my heart to see him trussed up like a recent kill.
The silence around seemed heavy and oppressive. The wind had died out completely, as well as the sound of any birds. Did the fae have something to do with that?
Sweat dripped down my back despite the chill. I had to do something, and fast. Ferar grabbed my left arm and I let him, allowing my right to drift casually down to my waist and my sheaths.
“I am not dying here,” Cassus spat vehemently, sounding half-possessed. “I am going home. We need magick to do that. Your new little king has plenty. Do I need to continue to elucidate or does your feeble brain understand?”
Ferar grabbed my free hand, making my plan to grab a knife go out the window. Time for a new one, then. I went limp against Ferar, then savagely brought my left leg up behind me as hard as I could, nailing the red-headed fae in the privates. He made a squawking, high-pitched noise, then fell to the ground. I guess that area hurt just as much for fae as it did for human men.
I withdrew a knife from my belt and lunged at Cassus, who side-stepped me with ease. The fae were slower without their magick, but still much faster than me.
Instead of turning to face me, he sighed and withdrew his own dagger, which was more like a longsword than anything else. He held it to the back of Ellis’s neck.
“Cease your dramatics.”
