so
publicly.
Chevelle saw me watching. “You wounded his
honor.”
“ It was right.”
He eyed me knowingly before returning his
gaze to the mountain. “I heard what Dagan said.”
I flinched. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t
wrong.”
He didn’t respond.
Leave it to Chevelle to stand up for him. It
was hardly the same thing.
It was my first outing since our return from
Asher’s lair. Any of the guard could have made this showing, but
I’d wanted to see the mountain myself. The dark rock had been my
home, these pathways my playground. I wanted to see what had
changed, what had been lost. I needed to know how I would be
received by the all, not just the clan leaders.
After the massacre, there had been no one in
control. It had been known Asher had lived and though he had been
in hiding, I supposed fear of his return had been heavy in the
minds of those who might take advantage. I, as his second, would
have been regent if not in a sort of hiding of my own. As it was,
neither of us ruling but neither confirmed dead, the goings-on
continued day by day. The staff cared for the castle, the grounds,
completed their tasks as usual. It was not as if anyone wanted to
lose their positions or honor, let alone their lives if Asher were
to reappear.
He might have been a harsh ruler, leading by
fear and control, but he was Lord. He was respected. He was obeyed.
Now that he was gone, his half-breed granddaughter who had never
wanted to rule didn’t quite strike fear into the hearts of her
people. And there was only one thing they hated more than fairies.
Humans.
Over the last few weeks, I’d realized it was
fortunate the way things had worked out. We could have died a
thousand ways by now, Chevelle and I, as we went for revenge in the
grasp of rage. Nothing short of losing every memory I had could
have kept me from settling scores. And nothing short of recovering
me could have kept him from doing the same. I had taken care of
Asher. Chevelle had seen me returned. Now one objective remained.
And I would stay alive long enough to see it through if it was the
last thing I did.
“ You look like you’re trying
to memorize something,” Chevelle said.
“ You look like a member of
the royal guard,” I retorted.
His eyes narrowed on me.
I shrugged.
And suddenly, we were flying through the air.
For half a second, I thought Chevelle had retaliated, but there was
nothing playful about the hit I’d taken. I hadn’t even seen him
come off his horse, but he’d slammed into me at full speed. We came
to an abrupt stop as we smashed into the rock beside the path.
Chevelle rolled smoothly into a crouch as I lay there, staring at
the sky. The impact had knocked the wind out of me. A screaming
pain in my side accompanied the return of my breath, but instinct
kicked in and I was on my feet again, crouched beside Chevelle.
Our horses were gone, the clatter of their
hooves shifting rock fading as I listened. Rhys and Grey were
across the path, a few lengths ahead, eyes scanning the mountain. I
had a feeling I’d missed something, and it didn’t look good. Beside
me, Chevelle was searching as well. I sank to my knees and closed
my eyes.
A falcon nested in the branches of a thorn
tree not far from where we hunkered. I set it to flight, ignoring
the metallic tinge of blood in my mouth.
Nothing. Everything looked right, normal.
Nothing out of place, no danger. I released the bird and opened my
eyes. I glanced over to find Grey and Chevelle in the middle of an
exchange of silent gestures across the distance. I’d clearly missed
most of it, but they had lost my attacker.
My head snapped up to Chevelle’s face. His
grim expression confirmed what I thought I’d seen pass between
them. I’d been attacked. Again.
In further explanation, his head tilted
toward the ground behind us. Several yards away lay what looked to
be a shard of glass.
“ No,” I hissed.
Chevelle nodded. There was
only one thing that created weapons like that.
publicly.
Chevelle saw me watching. “You wounded his
honor.”
“ It was right.”
He eyed me knowingly before returning his
gaze to the mountain. “I heard what Dagan said.”
I flinched. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t
wrong.”
He didn’t respond.
Leave it to Chevelle to stand up for him. It
was hardly the same thing.
It was my first outing since our return from
Asher’s lair. Any of the guard could have made this showing, but
I’d wanted to see the mountain myself. The dark rock had been my
home, these pathways my playground. I wanted to see what had
changed, what had been lost. I needed to know how I would be
received by the all, not just the clan leaders.
After the massacre, there had been no one in
control. It had been known Asher had lived and though he had been
in hiding, I supposed fear of his return had been heavy in the
minds of those who might take advantage. I, as his second, would
have been regent if not in a sort of hiding of my own. As it was,
neither of us ruling but neither confirmed dead, the goings-on
continued day by day. The staff cared for the castle, the grounds,
completed their tasks as usual. It was not as if anyone wanted to
lose their positions or honor, let alone their lives if Asher were
to reappear.
He might have been a harsh ruler, leading by
fear and control, but he was Lord. He was respected. He was obeyed.
Now that he was gone, his half-breed granddaughter who had never
wanted to rule didn’t quite strike fear into the hearts of her
people. And there was only one thing they hated more than fairies.
Humans.
Over the last few weeks, I’d realized it was
fortunate the way things had worked out. We could have died a
thousand ways by now, Chevelle and I, as we went for revenge in the
grasp of rage. Nothing short of losing every memory I had could
have kept me from settling scores. And nothing short of recovering
me could have kept him from doing the same. I had taken care of
Asher. Chevelle had seen me returned. Now one objective remained.
And I would stay alive long enough to see it through if it was the
last thing I did.
“ You look like you’re trying
to memorize something,” Chevelle said.
“ You look like a member of
the royal guard,” I retorted.
His eyes narrowed on me.
I shrugged.
And suddenly, we were flying through the air.
For half a second, I thought Chevelle had retaliated, but there was
nothing playful about the hit I’d taken. I hadn’t even seen him
come off his horse, but he’d slammed into me at full speed. We came
to an abrupt stop as we smashed into the rock beside the path.
Chevelle rolled smoothly into a crouch as I lay there, staring at
the sky. The impact had knocked the wind out of me. A screaming
pain in my side accompanied the return of my breath, but instinct
kicked in and I was on my feet again, crouched beside Chevelle.
Our horses were gone, the clatter of their
hooves shifting rock fading as I listened. Rhys and Grey were
across the path, a few lengths ahead, eyes scanning the mountain. I
had a feeling I’d missed something, and it didn’t look good. Beside
me, Chevelle was searching as well. I sank to my knees and closed
my eyes.
A falcon nested in the branches of a thorn
tree not far from where we hunkered. I set it to flight, ignoring
the metallic tinge of blood in my mouth.
Nothing. Everything looked right, normal.
Nothing out of place, no danger. I released the bird and opened my
eyes. I glanced over to find Grey and Chevelle in the middle of an
exchange of silent gestures across the distance. I’d clearly missed
most of it, but they had lost my attacker.
My head snapped up to Chevelle’s face. His
grim expression confirmed what I thought I’d seen pass between
them. I’d been attacked. Again.
In further explanation, his head tilted
toward the ground behind us. Several yards away lay what looked to
be a shard of glass.
“ No,” I hissed.
Chevelle nodded. There was
only one thing that created weapons like that.
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