Page 177 of Blood of the Stars

Then he asked Larkos to do it for him, but the older man laughed and backed away, refusing to take part in breaking something so sacred in case Calia found out and had his hide for it. Said it was something Gaeren had to do for himself for the right reason.

In the end, he left it alone. By now everyone in Elanesse had all written him off as a traitor, and the cowardly side of him couldn’t help hoping that Lenda might cut out the bond mark herself.

The Valley of Krahn was just over the next hill when the brown blur of Gullet’s feathers came into view. He soared through the sky before landing on Riveran’s arm with an irritated squawk.

“I thought he was going to stay with Aeliana until we caught up,” Gaeren said.

Riveran snorted. “He’s a hawk, not a person. Sometimes our communication isn’t perfect.” He held up his arm, squinting at Gullet’s leg. “Wait, there’s a message.”

Gaeren tensed as Riveran unrolled the parchment, the back revealing the message Gaeren had written to Daisy.

Riveran’s face paled, and his eyes met Gaeren’s. “They met up with the troops, but they were attacked by Durriken. They had to keep moving toward the fortress.” He passed over the note. “She’s asking us to try to catch up. Says they’ll have extra horses in the woods southeast of the valley where the wounded are recovering.”

Gaeren scanned the message, wanting it to hold more details. Still, a part of him relaxed. At least Daisy was safe. But what about the others?

To the pirates’ credit, they didn’t even grumble when Gaeren demanded they pick up their pace. A few even gave whoops of excitement at the news of the dragon. But once they crested the hill and the valley came into view, the mood shifted. They skirted the remains of the camp as if it were filled with the diseased instead of the dead. Blackened bodies were grouped in piles, holes started and abandoned as if someone had attempted to take care of the dead but realized the task was too large.

“If we ride hard, we’ll catch up with her before the Sun’s sleep,” Riveran said.

The words comforted Gaeren, who fought against his starlock’s pull to seek out the memories around him, knowing he couldn’t bear watching everyone slaughtered once again. What would happen when they reached Mayvus’ fortress? How could they expect to save Emeris when Mayvus had a dragon once more?

Between the cries of pain and the stench of unwashed bodies, the soldiers were easy to find—too easy, considering Durriken could return. But he wasn’t likely to set the entire forest aflame when it led into Mayvus’ woods. Those who had stayed to care for the injured were quick to give Gaeren and his men the horses they would need, reassuring them that they were only half a day behind.

Despite pushing the horses farther with his starlock’s power, the ride seemed impossibly long, and it was soon after the Sun disappeared behind the treetops that Gaeren finally heard the distant murmur of travelers.

He urged his horse on until he was stopped by sentries, who eventually let him pass. By this point, his nerves couldn’t take it any longer, so he dismounted, tossing the reins to Riveran.

“Am I your stableboy now?” Riveran called after him with a laugh.

Gaeren scanned the troops for the long waves of brown hair that would give her away. He supposed he should be grateful that so many lived, but eventually he grew impatient, nosing his way in by a campfire.

“Where’s Aeliana?”

The men all pointed east, closer to the front lines. Gaeren picked up his pace, repeating the question as he half ran, half walked down the line of troops.

“Gaeren?”

He turned, tempted to close his eyes in relief but too eager to see her face. She stood, halfway out from a poorly constructed tent, one hand holding open the flap and the other gripping a lantern to reveal that she was wholly intact.

“You’re here.” Daisy’s face bloomed into a smile, and his heart raced, knowing that smile was only for him.

“I wasn’t the one fending off dragons.” He rushed to her side, ready to wrap his arms around her, to verify the truth for himself that she was unharmed. But their friendship had been tenuous before he left, and they’d been apart for almost a moon. He hesitated, and in that space of time Lukai stepped out behind her. Embracing her felt like crossing a line in front of her bondmate.

“Neither was I.” Her gaze dropped, her rueful words falling flat. Lukai awkwardly patted her back, and she stiffened, the change almost imperceptible.

“As long as you’re safe.” Gaeren’s face heated when the words came out more desperate than he intended. “Your people will need you safe,” he rushed to add.

“My people?” she scoffed.

Gaeren clenched his jaw to hold back the words threatening to tumble out. This wasn’t the time or place to explain he’d had a lot of time on Starspeed to think about their families’ histories. Especially when so much of his thoughts went back to his parents’ role in her kidnapping. If he explained all that had changed for him, he’d have to reveal their part in it. He wasn’t ready for that.

Lukai’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to Daisy. “How did you get here? And who else did you bring?”

“My crew helped me escape—well, really they helped me commit treason. I’ve brought men to fight. Recreants from Elanesse who don’t want Mayvus enthroned any more than they want my sister as queen.”

As he spoke, Riveran and Larkos caught up, with dozens of his other men following. The offering felt pitiful compared to the hordes of men camped out before him, but in light of the damage he’d seen at the Valley of Krahn, every extra fighting hand would count.

Daisy’s face broke into a grin, and she set down her lantern so she could embrace Riveran and then Marnok, an easiness to her greetings that left Gaeren regretting his earlier hesitation. He glanced at Lukai, but the other man seemed unperturbed, which only made Gaeren more irritated. He shouldn’t be more jealous than her bondmate. He scratched the mark on his palm, then shoved his hands in his pockets, not wanting the extra reminder of his unbroken bond.

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