Page 200 of Of Blood and Banes
My body shakes, and when I open my eyes again, we’re back on the ground. Daeja’s snorts blow hot air against my abdomen as she begins to nibble on the belts strapping me to the saddle.
“What are you doing?”
“Get off. Or I’ll chew through all these straps and you’ll have to ride me without a belt for the rest of your life.”
Palming her snout away from me, I grumble as I undo my belt and slide down off her back. She grabs the back of my jacket and drags me until my spine hits her solid, warm muscled ribs. She shifts one of her wings over me to cut out the bitter night chill.
“Rest,”she demands.“This time I’m not asking.”
CHAPTER 63
AN APPETITE
Daeja and I catch up to the rest of the group outside of the dreary, gray-washed city of Millton. I’ve reread my father’s journal entries multiple times during the daylight, unable to pinpoint exactly what he was telling me. When we meet up with the group in the outskirts of Millton, Melaina looks to be anything but positive as she heads in our direction.
“You didn’t find him…did you?” she mutters.
I shake my head, hugging my arms closer to my chest as a cutting wind picks up and blasts me nearly sideways before it disappears.
Melaina sighs and stops a few steps away. “We haven’t had much luck, either. The council refuses any meetings with us about the King’s letter. They’re saying they need time to deliberate without our outside interference.”
“We don’t have a few days.”
“I know. Which is why I informed them of the deadline the King gave and stressed we need soldiers. And we need them now.”
“And that didn’t change their minds?”
She breaks our eye contact, already preparing me for what I suspect. “No. They’re still deliberating. But they offered us to stay while they decide. The vote must be unanimous. Some of them already side with us, but others need a bit of convincing. Many don’t feel the need to risk the lives of so many soldiers for someone as…I’m sorry, I swear these are their words not mine…dispensable as Cole.”
I clench my teeth. “How long is it supposed to take until we get a decision? By the time they finish their‘deliberating’we might not have any time left in the King’s three-week deadline.”
She sighs and asks sincerely, “What do you propose, then?”
“No news from the dragon riders, I presume?”
She shakes her head.
I scan the skies like it’ll tell me something I’m not thinking of. The bright sunlight causes me to squint. I dip my head and run a hand through my hair as I squeeze my eyes shut. “Gods-fucking-damnit…I don’t know…”
“Hey…” She jolts forward and grabs my forearm. “Listen, it’s okay if you don’t know what to do. But maybe you sleep on it.”
“That’s just a waste of time,” I growl, pulling out of her grasp.
She holds up her hands to me. “I’d argue a strategic plan from a well-rested mind is better than a last-minute, reactionary one. One night. That’s all I’m asking. I can work with Archie on some ideas while you rest. Even if you only take tonight to rest on it, you will still have enough time to fly back if you have to.”
“She’s got a point. And your eye bags are looking real bad,”Daeja chirps from behind me.
I throw her a quick glare before deciding against jokingly chucking my father’s journal at her.
“What?”Daeja chuckles.“You’re not your best when you’re exhausted. And you’ve hardly slept over the last few days of travel. Plus, you’ve pulled and gone to The White.”
“Fine…” I grumble, dragging my attention back to Melaina. “One night.”
“Kill her!” a haggard old woman screams, pointing her crooked finger at me from the sidewalk.
“End this now, coward!” another middle-aged man calls from the other side of the street as Melaina walks me and Daeja through Millton.
More shouts of protest and disgust rise from around us, melting into a chorus of anger the farther we get into Millton. Something hits me on the side of the jaw before it splatters to the ground.
