Page 110 of Of Fate So Dark

Up ahead, Lars’s mount danced a bit and Clay poked fun at him in a brotherly way. The others chuckled as if trying to let the brief levity ease their own tension, even if it couldn’t dispel it entirely.

I smiled at them all, but the amusement was accompanied by a small ache in my chest. Even now, something inside couldn’t let me forget that nothing about this was as simple as I wished. These men were good and strong and kind. Gwyneira loved them, and given time, I suspected I could do the same.

But I wondered if it had yet occurred to my vampiric Aneiran beauty that, because of what she’d become, she would outlive them all.

“Creek up ahead,” Clay called back. “We stopping?”

Dex nodded. “Just long enough to let the horses drink. I don’t want to waste daylight if we can avoid it.”

The others offered their agreement, and when Dex glanced back, I nodded, keeping any trace of my thoughts from my expression. Sharp-eyed leader that he was, he still paused, waiting a moment longer as if to confirm I was fine before turning once again to face the prairie.

There was much to like about that man, and not just that he’d proven to be a fine partner in bed. It hurt to think he too would be gone someday.

I let out a breath, attempting to push the pain aside. I would be there for Gwyneira at that hopefully far-off time when the last of her other lovers drifted into their eternal sleep. Until then, I’d support and defend them all however I could, not only because they were worthy of it, but because of how much she loved them and they loved her.

And because maybe, after all it had taken from me, life had provided me a place to belong again, even if only for a while.

The creek came into view and sounds of relief arose among the men ahead of me. More than a few stumbled when they clambered down from their mounts, their legs undoubtedly aching and wobbly after so long on horseback with no prior experience.

I swung off the horse and began leading it toward the water. Several of the others tried to do the same, only to struggle when their animals balked. “Look where you want to go, not at the horse,” I called.

Questioning expressions met my words, but in short order the men were having more success than before.

“Is the water okay?” Dex asked Clay.

The blond giant extended his hand over the creek and then nodded.

With that confirmed, I changed my grip on the reins, letting the horse drink. The water in the narrow creek drifted along quietly, slow enough that the horses could likely cross it with ease. It would not stop us for long.

The plodding sound of hoofs and boots came from behind me, and a moment later Ozias appeared, leading his horse to the water as well. “Thank you,” he murmured without looking my way.

I knew he wasn’t solely referring to the advice about the horses.

“Of course,” I replied just as softly.

Dex came up beside us. For a long moment, he didn’t speak, his attention on his horse.

Discomfort flashed across Ozias’s face. Without a word, he started to lead his animal elsewhere.

“I trust you’ll tell me what the hell is up soon,” Dex said to the bearded giant, giving me a short glance to include me in the statement. “We’ve had too many surprises to keep hiding things from one another.”

Ozias stopped, not quite looking at his friend. Silence hung between us all, broken only by the sounds of the others still struggling with their horses several yards away.

“I would not presume to know your friends better than you,” I said to him. “But I would imagine if these men can accept me, they can accept anything—and that they possess enough compassion to know not everyone would do what Roan has done.”

Ozias’s gaze landed on me. I couldn’t hope to guess what decisions raced behind his eyes.

“I… am not fully Erenlian either,” he admitted to his friend, his voice tight and low.

Dex tensed but didn’t say a word.

Ozias pressed onward, almost as if forcing himself to continue speaking. “But I am not like Roan.”

Slowly, Dex nodded. “What are you?”

Ozias closed his eyes briefly, his expression tense like he was bracing himself for something. “I?—”

He cut off, his attention snapping to the horizon beyond the creek.

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