Page 20 of Blooms of Darkness

I glared at him, clenching my teeth. “I’m not weak.”

“I’ve never said you were. Not ever.” Ian’s voice cracked.

My mind constantly told me people saw me as weak. But Ian never did. Mostly because he lived through years of taking care of me as he dragged me from the darkness in my head. Through it all, he never once made me feel less than or weak. He worried then, as he worried now.

“I’m sorry,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. Finding my confidence again, I added, “I’m okay. I just didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

He nodded, holding out his hand to help me rise. “Everything is ready. Let’s help your people, Lan.”

Down our usual pathways, we snuck through the city. Once we slipped through the grate in the city walls, we only had a half a mile to walk before we met up with Corbin and Leif. They snuck out the carriage of supplies earlier, along with a horse for me and Ian.

“Your Highness.” Leif jumped down from the carriage and bowed his head. His brown curls fell slightly into his face at the motion.

“How many times will I have to tell you that the bowing isn’t necessary, Leif?” I asked. “Especially on drops where we’re co-conspirators?”

He grinned and the dimple Ian swore let him get away with anything appeared.

“No trouble, I hope?” I directed my question to Corbin, who approached with one of the two available horses.

For all the drops we coordinated together, it still seemed like he kept his distance. His emerald eyes met mine as he shook his head slightly, handing over the reins. “None at all.”

The two Fae, Georgina and Harold, who had made this request a few weeks ago, were from a fairly small border village. Even taking the small size into consideration, their request hadn’t included much, so we added extra coin and grain toit. Sometimes people requested so little it made this feel even worse. They weren’t willing to ask for more than the bare minimum.

After a few short miles, Ian inclined his head. He tugged the reins on his beautiful black stallion, flinging out his arm, signaling us to halt.

The horse scuffed his hoof on the ground twice, agitated by something only Ian and the horses could sense.

“Stay here,” he said. Ian jumped off his horse, tossing me the reins. He ran three steps before leaping, shifting instantly into his hawk form. He soared away toward our drop location.

“Surprised he doesn’t shift into a damn cat with his agility,” Corbin muttered behind me.

Leif stayed with the carriage, his gaze trained on the sky beyond.

Corbin rubbed at his stubble. “Go slowly, Hidden Henchman. We’ll maintain our distance but keep moving in case anything is amiss.”

Slipping on my hood and mask, I clicked my tongue at my horse, not needing to tug on Ian’s. He remained by my side just as Ian would have. We continued ahead, at a much slower pace than before.

A minute later, Ian reappeared in hawk form, plummeting to the ground, and shifting, landing on a knee. His clothes materialized around him as he rose.

“We’ve got trouble. They’ve been ambushed. Let’s go.”

He slung his leg over the side of his horse and grabbed my arm. “Stay here with the goods and?—”

“Don’t you dare,” I snarled as I yanked my arm from his grasp. “Leif, jump on,” I shouted over my shoulder. “You don’t get to tell me to stay behind,” I said to Ian, my glare hopefully communicating the finality of my decision.

He sighed but relented. Leif jumped onto the back of my horse, and in moments, Corbin had somehow unbridled the carriage horse.

We rode hard toward the drop spot, galloping to help the Fae who awaited us.

The metallic scent of blood hit my nostrils before I could discern the scene playing out in the clearing.

The assailants were exactly like the ones who had attacked in the forest earlier in the week.

They possessed that same unnatural jerky movement to their gazes, shifting and jumping from place to place like they had more energy than they knew what to do with. The air instantly turned hot as an electric current charged around the dark ones.

“No!” I screamed as one of their swords gutted Georgina in one quick movement. She fell to the ground in a heap and the four of us launched into an attack.

Ian went straight to assist Harold, fighting all who stood in his way.

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