Page 27 of Broken Lands

My tablet dinged again, and I assumed it was General Brand, calling me out for being late. I pushed myself to my feet, dusting my hands off on my skirt as I stared at the ground for a long moment, silently promising to come back and fix the damage I had caused once I figured out how.

Grabbing my bag, I slung it back over my shoulder and started a slow jog through the small forest, out the gates and across to the stables.

General Brand was waiting for me outside, two horses saddled and ready behind him, their reins tied to the fence. As I drew closer, I realized one of them was Annie. I couldn’t help the elated grin as it spread across my face at the sight of her. She’d been on my mind, some invisible thread between us making me want to know she was fine. Bypassing General Brand, I made a beeline for her, scratching her behind the ear and stroking my hand down her nose.

General Brand made his way over to us, the smile on his face disarming, causing my breath to catch in my throat. The effect made him look younger, lighter than he had before.

“I thought you might like to see her again. You seemed quite taken with her on the journey here.” He was wearing a white button-down shirt and dark navy jeans today. He looked even better in this than in his Army uniform—not that I’d ever complain about his uniform. He looked hot in that too. There really was something about a man in uniform that did things to a girl.

“Thank you. I’ve been meaning to come see her. I just haven’t made it outside the gates of the Academy until now.” I said, looking up at him, my gaze catching on his full lips and the shadow along his jaw. Noticing him watching me, I averted my gaze quickly, looking back to the mare in front of me. “Why did you want to meet here, General? Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me how to wield fire?”

He didn’t answer me right away, and I glanced back up at him to find he was still grinning at me. It was a little unnerving, such a far cry from his usual serious, stoic demeanor.

“Please, call me Colin. I’m not here in a professional capacity, more as a favor to a friend.” My brow rose in question. “Professor Darmon. He’s…. done a lot for my sister and I.” That made sense, I thought, nodding my agreement. It was Professor Darmon who had determined I required extra tutoring.

“I have some patrols to complete outside of Danann, along the edge of the dead forest, and I need to check in with our B station. I thought you could accompany me and, on the way back, we could use the fields outside Danann to unleash your fire element at full capacity without risk of damage. Really see what we’re working with.”

I looked at Annie, and the other horse, all saddled up, and gulped as the realization hit me. He expected me torideher! I’d never ridden a horse, never even met one before I ascended. My heart started to beat wildly in my chest. How did you even climb into a saddle, for goodness’s sake?

I continued to stare at him, completely dumbfounded that he just assumed I could ride. Anger bubbled in my stomach, his assumption a sharp reminder of the inequality between the way the fae and humans lived.

“Your entitlement is showing,Colin.” I said, emphasizing the use of his name.

He raised an eyebrow at my snarky tone. Ignoring him, I continued, letting my frustration boil as I gave him a piece of my mind.

“Why would you assume I can accompany you? What gave you the impression that I know how toride a freaking horse?” My voice rose, shaking as my temper rose, injustice fueling the anger coursing through my veins. Heat flooded my palms, and I stilled.

I was never this volatile back home. I don’t think I’d ever had an angry outburst, or spoken to anyone rudely, or lost control of myself. Everyone kept telling me it was normal to lose control of my elements when I was feeling emotional. But my temperament seemed to be changing too. I was never an overly emotional person until I stepped foot inside Danann. Now every little thing got a rise out of me.

Deep breaths, Riley.

Colin chuckled as I actively focused on my breathing, feeling the heat slowly recede from my hands. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he reached past me, untying Annie’s reins and leading her away from the fence. He clipped a long rope to her halter as he walked, turning and facing me again.

“Lead rope,” He said, gesturing to Annie. “Come here, I’ll help you up. All you have to do is sit; Annie will do the rest. Trust her.” Funnily enough, I did trust her. Danann was new to me, Annie was new to me, these men were all new to me. But somehow I was tied to all of them. There were invisible threads connecting me to them, and I didn’t know what that meant for me, for my future. It was unsettling, but not something I’d be able to figure out right away. This journey would take me where it would. For now, I’d have to hold on for the ride.

Colin was still smiling at me, and despite myself, I was entranced. I walked toward him, without having consciously decided I was going to do this. He moved aside, untying her reins and allowing me room to move right up to Annie. From the wall, he grabbed a mounting block, sliding it in front of me.

“Here,” he said, handing me a helmet. “Put that on, then reach for the horn. Yes, there at the front of the saddle.” He moved behind me, placing a hand on the small of my back, his fingers skimming the waistband of my skirt as he lifted me, his touch burning where it traced along my bare skin, waves of heat radiating through my body at the contact.

“Put your left foot in the stirrup, palm on the seat and push yourself up, swinging your leg over.” I did as he said, the movement feeling more natural than I had expected. “That’s it. Well done.” Gods, if he kept smiling at me like that, I might just spontaneously combust.

I straightened my skirt, trying to cover some of my bare thighs as he turned and strode toward his own horse. If I’d had any inclination this is what we’d be doing, I would have changed. Before I knew it, he was mounted and had clipped Annie’s lead to his saddle. With a click of his tongue, Annie lurched forward, and I tightened my hold on the horn, grappling for her reigns too as we moved toward the intimidating gates of Danann.

Colin waved at the guards as we approached. They recognized him instantly, and the gates opened, allowing us to leave. Annie moved up, trotting next to Colin and his mare of her own accord, her lead rope slack.

It dawned on me as the gates opened and Colin led us through them that I was willingly leaving the safety of the walls surrounding Danann. I hadn’t even questioned it. This man, the General of the fae, Mr Hot and Cold, made me feel so safe that I’d jumped on a horse for the first time and let him lead me outside the gates of Danann, despite the fact that we were attacked last time we were outside.

“Is it safe to be out here? Will The Resistance attack again?” I asked Colin, as we crossed the barren fields toward the tree line. Could you call it a tree line if it was just a bunch of dead trunks and stumps?

He was quiet for a minute. A contemplative silence where I could almost see his thoughts as he considered my question. A gentle breeze rolled over us, masking the silence and leaving a slight briny tang to the air. I inhaled deeply, a fleeting sense of peace falling over me.

“I wouldn’t knowingly put you in danger, Riley. You are too important. I know that you might not believe it, but you belong here, with us. I hope you will accept that in time.” He answered softly, his low tone reassuring in a way that sent shivers down my spine. His words caused my heart to leap in my chest so violently it could almost have broken free entirely.

“I’m important? In what way?” I asked. To him? Or to the fae?

“Your power is immense. I think you might be what we’ve been missing. That you might hold the key to help us return home, to our own lands, to Faerie.”

My stomach clenched, and I winced, disappointment spiking through me. So, not important to him. Why did that bother me so much? I squared my shoulders and straightened my spine. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need to be important to him. My worth was not defined by any man.So why do I feel so disappointed?

---