Page 157 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

Allowing the Spring King to come here would not go unnoticed by Rian. It would undoubtedly be perceived as an act of opposition and may carry swift repercussions. Hopefully, the Sylvan Elves would have insight into how to defend against the Autumn Prince’s retaliation.

We will get answers from the Sylvan Elves tomorrow.“We will not bring the Spring King here until we are ready for Rian,” I added quietly aloud.

I just hope we have time,Riordan answered.

Helena unleashed a vicious snarl and slapped her hand over the back of her neck again. I heard a tiny spurt of maniacal laughter speeding away as a sprite flitted up into the branches of the tree overhead.

“That fucker bit me!” Helena yelled in outrage.

“Stop shouting. You will bring a troll down upon us,” Orion chastised her from the front of our line.

“Trolls out in the daylight,” Helena retorted under her breath in dismissal.

“I told you not to antagonize them,” Riordan reminded her with amusement. The ones all over his wings thought it was funny to pull out a couple of his feathers, but he was careful not to react. Reacting only encouraged them which was why they were targeting Helena so much.

“I don’t like things crawling all over me. Why do they have to crawl on me?” Helena demanded in disgust.

“The gate is close now,” Riordan tried to reassure her, but my guardian merely snorted.

We had been walking for the better part of an hour now through the thick underbrush of a swampy woodland in the heart of the Silver Moor. The rest of the breathtaking moorland was characterized by a silver bracken that was undoubtedly the namesake of the territory since it covered the craggy hills and meadows. But of course, thisswampwas where the envoy found the gate to the Sylvan Elves. And although the trees covered in swaths of silvery moss were still eerily beautiful, it would be dark soon. And I suspected their beauty would quickly turn into something a little more sinister after sunset.

To make matters even more frustrating, the gate was not a stationary destination. Our envoy had written a very detailed report of her experience here, so we knew the gate would appear when the elves were ready to receive us as their guests. And untilthen, all we could do was keep moving in the direction Pen had gone.

“Bleeding sprites,” Helena growled and glowered at the tiny creatures that gave tinkling laughs in the trees.

“I think they are cute,” I admitted, smiling up at the tiny humanoid creatures that were made of pure sunlight. They seemed rather wary of me in spite of my best efforts to get them to land on my hand. Perhaps they recognized a witch from the time when my kind hunted fey.

“Everyone quiet!” hissed Orion, and I turned forward to frown at his back. I was absolutely in no mood to be hushed by him.

While I might be able to keep up with Riordan’s frantic pace in the moment, I paid very dearly for it the next day. Whereas my demigod mate seemed to possess more than enough stamina to fuck me all night and then go traipsing through an overgrown swampland. And I definitely was not mad about that, although I would have preferred to be cuddling in bed with him today rather than tripping over my own feet in this underbrush with no sleep.

I think I can feel the gate. It is getting closer to us, Riordan explained, and I realized that was why Orion was trying to keep us quiet. So Riordan could concentrate.Sorry, he added when I realized I had been too distracted to even notice that he had lifted the shields between us. But he had only been compelled to check on me when he felt my ire spiking to make sure I was alright.

No, thank you,I assured him, because I did not want to find reasons to be annoyed with Orion.

It occurred to me that it might even be convenient to have that three-way bond between us all, since I probably would not get as annoyed with Orion if I understood him. Having Riordan translate him for me had already proven useful a couple times. We had not yet discussed what my mate had realized the daybefore about how I was no longer completely disinterested in hisskiá. He knew I was hesitant to delve into it just yet and was prepared to leave it alone for now, but I knew it pleased him.

Pleased him immensely.

But before I could get very far into wondering if it was possible to have a non-romantic bond, and whether that was something that I could ever consider, I remembered the hate in Orion’s eyes when he told me I wasnothing. And then I realized howstupidit was to imagine inviting someone like that into my mind where he could prey on all my weaknesses. He might not be like Riordan who gave me privacy and enforced boundaries when I was not yet able to. Orion might rip me apart instead.

Amira, are you alright?Riordan checked on me again, once more having sensed my melancholy.

It’s complicated. And I’m sorry! You need to focus.

I would like to talk about Orion when you are ready,Riordan insisted, and I sighed out loud.

There isn’t much to say really. I have no idea why I had that reaction yesterday when he has been… unpleasant.

There is no shame in it. It is normal for griffin mates to feel an inclination toward their partner’sskiá. I actually thought… you might be feeling an attraction to him even before we were mated,Riordan admitted, shocking me.There was already another bond between us which might also extend to him as well.

Right, a bond which had allowed me to use Riordan’s magic in a time of great need. We still didn’t know what it was or how it worked, but Riordan could be right…

You think I might already be bonded to him?I verified. There was no denying that I had been at least a little drawn to Orion right from the start, and that intrigue had only grown as I started to see more of his true character.

It is entirely possible,Riordan advised me soothingly.What would that mean to you, Amira?

I… don’t know. He has a lot to learn about managing his emotions and communicating with me,I stated firmly.And besides, you are forgetting the most important part which is that hehatesme.

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