Page 38 of Demon Bound

“That must be your brother,” Raiya said.

Jai nodded, rolling her eyes. “Don’t worry about him. He glares at everyone like that.”

“I can relate,” Raiya said, giving Azreth a sidelong glance. He glared back, apparently not noticing the irony.

Jai stopped by the road, turning to them. “Are you sure you want to go so soon? You could stay another day or two, if you want. I wanted to invite you to the campfire last night, but Fu-lon told me not to bother you.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Raiya said sadly, warmed by the girl’s interest in them. “But we’ve got something urgent to attend to, I’m afraid.”

“Is there someone chasing you?” Jai asked bluntly.

“Was it that obvious?”

The girl shrugged. “A lot of people end up with the Roamers when they’re running from something. For me and Madira, it was bounty hunters and Paladins. The Queen of Ardani still has a bounty on night elves, and Paladins hate us. The Roamers don’t let those types into the camps, so we’re safe here.”

“I’m glad.”

“So what are you running from?”

Raiya hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to reveal. In the end, she decided it would be useful to know if anyone had seen Nirlan nearby. “A man. He’s Uulantaavan, like me. A little older than I am. Long hair. Slender and tall, though not as tall as my companion. Have you seen anyone like that pass by?”

Jai shrugged again. “Maybe. There are a lot of Uulantaavans around.”

Raiya pursed her lips. “His name is Nirlan. He would have been wearing expensive clothes and riding a big horse.”

Jai brightened. “The lord, you mean? Some people were just talking about him last night. They say the castle’s been abandoned. The lord left in a hurry in the middle of the night.”

“Has he been seen on the road, then?”

“I’ve got no idea.” If possible, Jai looked even more intensely curious about them than before. “They say something awful happened at the castle. I heard something about dark magic.”

Raiya shifted away from her, fussing with her hair. “That sounds terrible. I can only hope we don’t encounter anything like that.”

Jai nodded, still eyeing them closely. “Yeah. Me too.”

Chapter 13

They had been walking for several hours when Azreth suddenly pulled Raiya toward the side of the road. She followed his gaze, and far in the distance, she could just make out a few mounted figures in gleaming silver armor. She let him pull her to a rocky ridge beside the road, out of view of passersby. They crouched there, watching the figures approach.

More Paladins. It appeared that they hadn’t seen Azreth, because they passed by without stopping.

Raiya glanced up at Azreth. She was surprised he was hiding rather than attacking. There were only five of them. He could have killed them if he’d wanted to. Perhaps he was growing more patient. Or perhaps there was something else stopping him.

He still looked tired. Earlier that day, she’d seen him stumble over a rock in the road. It had been bizarre, like seeing a mountain cat trip. Creatures as strong and graceful as Azreth didn’t stumble.

They waited for the Paladins to move out of sight, then she confronted him. “What’s wrong, Azreth?”

He looked over at her, scowling.

“You’re unwell,” she said. “And if something is wrong with you, it affects me, too. I am not threatening you. I’m stating a fact. So don’t take out your frustration on me.”

“I am half bound to your husband, and I would like not to be,” he growled.

“There’s something else. You’re ill. Is it the binding? Is it hurting you?”

“No.”

“Then what is it? Ash and blood. We’re allies, aren’t we? We need to be able to trust each other at least a little bit. Otherwise, what use are we to each other?”

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