Page 5 of Obsidian Throne
“What are you doing?” the new soldier demanded. “We are supposed to be inspecting them, not joking--”
“And we did,” the first man cut him off. “Idid. They can go now.”
I waited for him to argue again, to step closer to examine me or call me out. With each breath I took, my fingers inched closer and closer to the false pocket in my skirts that would allow me to access my dagger.
The two men looked us over once again, and the smallest spark of recognition glinted in the former Elk soldier’s eye. His lips parted as he tilted his head curiously in my direction.
Stars-blasted everything.
Thankfully, before he could say anything, the fates chose to side with me and a stray strand of my infernal red hair flew directly into his mouth.
He pulled it away, cursing as realization dawned on him of what it was. After that, there was a lot of gasping and gagging and practically running away from us as they tried to ward off our evil.
Cray and Sai laughed outright, and even the corner of Callum’s mouth twitched in amusement as they ordered us back into our carriages and to leave as quickly as possible.
It wasn’t until we rode away that I allowed my shoulders to sag in relief. My head was spinning with how close I had come to being caught, how close I had come tonotreturning to my husband.
Sai let out a low huff of laughter, patting me on the back. “Well done, little one! If things don’t work out here, you always have a home with us in the Thieves’ Forest.”
I shook my head, letting out a laugh of my own. “Yes, Da’ would be so proud.”
Cray erupted into a long spiel about why Da’ didn’t have a leg to stand on, listing stories from their past while Sai swooned over Mamá and lamented that my father stole her from him.
Callum all the while sat back against his spot on the bench, closing his eyes in an attempt to tune out the men.
But I wasn’t bothered by their banter in the slightest. With each mile we put between us and Iiro’s soldiers, I felt like I could breathe a little more. And eventually the tightness in my chest even began to ease.
Because once again, we were on the road to Bear.
To Evander.
CHAPTER THREE
ROWAN
The next few days were a blur of traveling through the Socairan countryside, stopping only to camp for the night and picking right back up again before dawn.
There were a few tense moments where we passed even more of the Unclanned than I was used to seeing, but we avoided any actual incidents.
The minutes and hours and days crept by with interminable slowness until we were finally driving up the all-too-familiar road to Bear estate. There was no controlling my frantic heart as we passed through the familiar village, winding up and through the same small mountains I remembered all too well.
Finally, when the domed spires of the black and white castle came into view, a hesitant smile stretched across my face. This was still dangerous, a tenuous game we were playing until our vows had been said, but Evander was waiting for me on the other side of those walls.
That was all that mattered.
And I could reluctantly admit that this subterfuge had been necessary. At least, I could admit it in my head. Not out loud to Evander, of course.
His ego would become intolerable.
A slow grin stretched over my lips at the memory of the cocky smirk on his ridiculously attractive face.
Warmth crept into my neck, and I pushed the images of Evander away as we pulled around to the servants’ entrance at the back of the castle. Callum moved aside to set my trunk on the floor of our carriage floor before we came to a full stop.
It was small, and rather cramped, with only a single item inside. The ominous box Rayan had given me.
Pins and needles danced along my spine, like the warning I got before a storm, but this one was different and far more intense.
Most of my things had been sent ahead with the first wave of caravans, but the long, flat rectangular box sat against the wall of the trunk, with just enough room for me to climb in next to it.