“I’m all right. So go on.”
“You’re not all right. You’re upset.”
I took a deep breath to calm down. Normally, I wasn’t an angry person. Anger was a useless emotion, for the most part. It only served to ruin your day and cloud your judgment. But even though I’d been trying to brush it all aside, I was still furious.
Furious at myself for falling for Kalyll’s act, for finding pleasure in the idea that someone likehimseemed enthralled by me. Livid that somehow I also seemed to buy into the idea of how great the Fae were when they were exactly or worse than everyone else.
“Upset?” I asked. “What would give you that impression? I’m peachy.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Dani.”
“I suppose you’re right. That’s more Kryn’s specialty, I suppose.”
“Kalyll is not a bad person.”
“He doesn’t need defending, Arabis. He has all the power, while I have none.” I turned away, blinking rapidly to stave off the tears.
“He is deeply sorry. You may never know how much.”
I said nothing, afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from crying. To my relief, Arabis rode away and let me be.
When we broke through the trees, I was dismayed to find that The Sunder Mountains didn’t appear much closer. Two more weeks. I had to endure two more weeks. I could do it, and after that, I would demand an expedited trip back.
CHAPTER 30
Onthefifteenthdayafter leaving Imbermore, I was tiredly riding away from the group as it had become my habit when we reached a narrow mountain pass that would take us to the other side of the range. We had finally reached the mountains, but I could hardly feel excited about it. The last two weeks had been torturous, enduring everyone’s animosity and trying to avoid Kalyll’s entreating glances while I served as his nurse.
Though we’d gained some altitude as we traveled, the pass cut between two very steep mountains and would save us a lot of time, for which I could only be grateful.
I kept checking the pocket watch, apprehensive about noontime. I dreaded administering the elixir each day and—
A sound like the hiss of a snake cut through the air.
“Take cover,” Silver shouted, urging his horse toward a tall outcrop.
My heart went into overdrive. There was anotherhiss, and an arrow embedded itself in the ground, right next to Dandelion’s front legs.
“Shit!”
Panicked, I guided the mare toward Silver and his horse, wishing there was somewhere else to hide, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. There were more outcrops, which the others were hurrying to, but this was the closest one. When I was nearly there, I hopped off the mare’s back and pulled on her reins until she was fully hidden. She snorted nervously, her eyes wide. Ishushedher.
“It’s going to be all right, Dee.”
Silver unsheathed his sword and rushed back out. “Watch my horse.”
Asshole!What was I? His groom? Except I would hate for anything to happen to the animal. Silver could get an arrow up his ass, for all I cared.
Heart booming in my ears, I grabbed both horses’ reins in one hand to keep them from fleeing, crouched, and peeked around the outcrop. Arrows were raining from the sides of both mountains. They bounced off rocks or embedded themselves into the ground one after the other. How many people were up there? Were they thieves?
An arrow zipped in front of my nose. I yelped and reared back. Praying, I sat tight for a moment. Metallic sounds started reverberating all around, bouncing off the rocks that walled us in. Curiosity got the best of me, and I looked around the boulder again. Kalyll was out in the open, his sword knocking arrows directly from the air.
But of course!
An arrow flew straight toward his head. I held my breath, but I shouldn’t have worried because he moved like the wind and cut it in half. In the next instant, he ran up the side of the mountain, headed straight toward the source of the arrow he’d just avoided.
Kryn followed right after, watching his back, deflecting the projectiles coming from behind. Working in tandem and leaping like a couple of professional mountain climbers with goat complexes, they made it to the spot where one of the attackers was hiding. Finding himself assailed, the male jumped out, abandoning his bow and arrow for a sword. He slashed at Kalyll, but the prince easily leaned to one side, avoiding injury and lopping his foe’s head off with one swift hit.
I gasped as the head flew through the air, hit the side of the mountain, and rolled onto the path, long red hair tumbling and whipping about. The head finally came to a stop, its open, lifeless eyes staring straight at me.