Page 113 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

“No. She didn’t.” He hesitated.

“Then why not take our time? The palace is still far away. It’ll take us all day to get there because we’ll need to ride along the river to get to the bridge. We may as well rest first.”

With a soft flapping of wings, Magnus circled through the trees above us, then landed on Voron’s shoulder.

“See?” I pointed at the bird with my chin, not letting go of the horse again. “Even Magnus is tired. We all need a break.”

Voron cut a glance at his pet.

“He’s just lazy,” he said fondly.

He seemed to consider my suggestion, though. I was getting through to him. Encouraged, I pushed just a little more.

“Please, Voron. A nap may give me just a few more hours to live.” I kept my tone light, despite the situation.

But he snapped his gaze to me, his expression turned stormy. “You won’t die.”

“I wish I could share your unwavering optimism.”

“We’ll stop,” he conceded, taking me off the horse. “Tomorrow will be a big day. We’ll need to be prepared and well rested.”

Personally, I just hoped to live long enough to even see tomorrow. But I didn’t say that out loud. He sounded like he was ready to go to battle for me when if he really cared, all he had to do was to let me go. Instead, he was delivering me straight to the queen.

I watched closely as he prepared a sleeping pallet. Behind a copse of nearby trees, he found a patch of the same large leaves he’d shown me how to make a water pouch from. Then, he pulled out a few large soft fern leaves and laid them on top.

It made sense. The flat glossy leaves were waterproof and would keep the ground moisture away from the sleeping person. Putting the soft fern leaves on top added warmth and comfort. Next, he spread his cloak over the ferns.

“Looks cozy,” I commented on his work.

He waved a hand at the pallet. “For you, my lady.”

I didn’t need to be asked twice. My head felt heavy and dizzy from exhaustion. To escape Voron, I needed a clear mind and all my strength. I climbed onto the pallet and lay down on one side of it.

Voron stood over me, looking uncertain.

“Come on.” I patted the other side of the pallet. “Don’t worry, High General. I won’t try to seduce you. I’m too tired to try being sexy right now.”

He sat on the edge of the cloak to take off his boots.

“As if you need to make any effort to be alluring,” he muttered under his breath.

Did he mean he found me effortlessly sexy? Warmth rushed to my cheeks.

“Wow, Voron. That sounds very much like a compliment, especially coming from you,” I teased.

He groaned. “Not a compliment. A complaint. Considering the circumstances.”

Stretching on the pallet next to me, he dragged my cloak over both of us and turned his back to me.

I scooted a little closer but made sure no part of my body touched any part of his. As tense as he already was, I feared he’d bolt if even a strand of my hair touched him.

“Is it safe for both of us to nap at the same time?” I asked. “What are the chances of anyone finding us here? Should I stay up and watch while you sleep?”

I really didn’t want to do that. I needed to sleep more than I needed to breathe right now. But I hoped I could fish out a few more useful answers from him before he passed out.

“We’ll be fine,” he assured me. “Magnus will watch.”

The bird seemed to take his task very seriously. He took his place on the saddle horn, scanning the area suspiciously with his black beady eyes. Voron didn’t even tie his horse, and I firmly believed Magnus wouldn’t let the horse wander off, either.

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