Page 112 of Silverbow
“Try not to fall off your horse next time.”
Enya glared daggers at his back as he mounted Cle. “I was pushed.”
Oryn suddenly wanted to strangle someone all over again. “Now will you let me heal you?”
“All fixed.”
They all knew it to be a lie. She looked like she’d rolled through a briar patch. Colm gave her a leg up into her saddle and Oryn resorted to trying to goad her. “You aren’t too proud to accept his help. Only mine?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “He doesn’t have nearly as much blood on his hands.”
“How do you figure?” Colm had been at his back for every fight, every battle, and had lived over twice his lifespan.
She looked up at the sun and squinted at the rolling land. “Which way is the road?”
“The road’s not safe. That will have drawn attention,” Oryn answered. “We’ll cut across-” He let the rest of his plan go unspoken as she glanced to the sun again and turned south. “Where are you going?”
“None of your concern, Your Grace.”
Oryn bristled at the honorific he didn’t deserve and the venom that went straight to his heart. “This is her game, Enya. She’s trying to drive you to some end that serves her.”And away from me.
She halted and looked back over her shoulder, disdain plain on her face. “I think, where the witch is concerned, I won’t be taking any advice from you, Prince.”
“Enya-”
“On second thought, seeing the mess you’ve made of things, I don’t think I’ll be taking any advice at all. I can find my own way.”
Mess? What had Hylee shown her? “Where are you going?”
“That’s none of your concern!”
She was wrong on that count. What Hylee had whispered made it his concern, though now didn’t seem like the time to tell her. He could drag her to Drozia as he’d threatened, he shoulddefinitelydrag her to Drozia seeing who she really was, but enough damage had already been done.Hehad done enough damage. And she had a bargain to fulfill.
“Should we vote?” Aiden asked tentatively.
“You can do what you want,” he sighed. “I’m going with her.”
“Are you out of your bloody mind?” Bade growled.
Aiden shrugged. “That was my vote anyway. Excellent company royalty. Interesting, great listeners, always reasonable, especially where queens are concerned. What’s your vote, Colm?”
Tension bracketed Colm’s mouth, but he turned Lanta to trail after her. A voice in his head screamed they were riding the wrong way, but it was his own voice. It was his own instincts shouting that safety lay to the east behind the wards of Tuminzar. The gods had gone eerily silent. He’d felt nothing at all from them since she’d returned from wherever Hylee had sent her.
“A little indication of which way to go would be helpful,” Oryn muttered under his breath. He cocked his head, listening. His gifts did not stir, an unnatural breeze did not tug at his cloak, no gods’ songs howled in his ears. There was only that faint hum has he drew closer to her. “What exactly is your end of the bargain?” He called.What in the names of all five gods had Hylee shown her?She didn’t answer.
Aiden appeared at his side on his sleek gray. “I have to say Oryn, I am rather puzzled.”
Oryn scrubbed a hand down his face, waiting for what Aiden wouldn’t keep to himself.
“All that shame for bedding a Covwood witch. I was picturing something…well…monstrous.”
Bade barked a laugh. Oryn loosed a long sigh. Hylee was devastatingly beautiful, or perhaps, her dark magic was, but she was a monster and anyone who thought otherwise was a light blinded fool.
Aiden smirked. “Do you think she’d make me a bargain?”
“I wish she would,” Bade growled. “The spiders would make quick work of you, boy.”
Colm
