Page 67 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

Chapter Twenty-One

Aurelia

The sound of hooves echoed off the cobblestone courtyard as the horses were readied for the journey. Before me, two dozen soldiers busied themselves with preparations, talking and laughing as they did so. The noise set my teeth on edge. I hadn’t expected so many after only seeing Holt and Fletcher inside, but the rest of Callan’s unit had apparently camped out in the barn overnight.

The prince had failed to mention them to me.

An entire unit of men on my doorstep, and I hadn’t known. It was a stark reminder that, without the wards, the Summer Court didn’t stand a chance. I was doing the right thing by accepting Callan’s offer, though that didn’t make it any easier.

I listened as the whispers began. Word was spreading among them about the sleeping fae inside the castle’s walls. Fletcher and Holt had obviously been busy with their stories. I could feel their eyes on me already. Hear their speculation about what sort of magic had made them sleep—and left me awake.

I pretended not to notice.

A moment later, Callan appeared beside me. “Ready?”

I nodded.

My bag had been strapped to a cart that made up part of our caravan, but I was to ride as there was no carriage in their party. I was glad I wouldn’t be cooped up inside a box for the journey to Grey Oak, but I also couldn’t bring myself to admit how many years it had been since I’d ridden horseback.

The chickens we’d housed in the barn now roamed the grass nearby.

“We should bring them,” I said. “They won’t have anyone to feed them.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Callan asked.

“There are a few cages in the storage shed,” I said. “I used them for trapping game, but they’re empty now and could fit about four or five each.”

Callan snapped his fingers at one of the soldiers nearby. “Pack them up,” Callan told him.

The soldier handed his reins to another then hurried toward the shed.

“Done. Anything else?” Callan asked.

I hesitated, almost trying to come up with something to delay the inevitable. But in the end, I shook my head. “That’s it.”

I took Callan’s offered hand and swung myself up into the saddle.

The horse stomped its feet, spinning in a tight circle. Nervous, I pulled at the reins, earning a side-step from the horse that startled me. The beast beneath me was as restless as I was, its breath coming in short bursts of agitation.

I watched as Callan mounted his own horse with ease. He’d slid a silver breastplate on and buckled a sword at his hip. What sort of warrior could he possibly be if he’d left his blade outside while he’d attempted his grand rescue last night? Thenagain, he’d apparently assumed his kiss would be the most effective weapon.

The symbol etched into the center of his breastplate caught my eye—a great stag with a crown of leaves adorning its horns. The Autumn Court crest. It was missing the words that went with it, or at least the words I remembered from my life before.

Through Cunning, We Endurehad been the Autumn Court’s motto.Ku ryeko, wa ciroin the old tongue.

I hoped like Hel that last part was still true.

For seven years, I’d endured here alone. Now that I was leaving this place, the world outside felt more dangerous than ever.

Callan’s sharp golden eyes scanned his men—two dozen, maybe more, all armed to the teeth. It felt like we were preparing for war, not a trip across the Autumn countryside.

“We’ll head straight for the Emerald Forest,” he said, “You know the drill. Slow. Quiet. Stay alert. We’re probably not the only things in this land anymore.”

The men grunted in response, and then we were moving—a long, slow line marching away from the only home I’d never known. As we passed through the courtyard gates and onto the road beyond, Callan jerked his chin at me to join him at the front. I pressed my heels into the horse’s side, and it obeyed readily, speeding up to close the distance.

“Do they make you nervous?” Callan asked, guiding his horse closer to mine. “The soldiers, I mean.”

I shot him a sharp look. “You didn’t tell me you’d brought so many.”

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