Page 54 of White Horse Black Nights

Struggling with the onslaught of confused emotions, I run a shaky hand along my temple. “The message . . . It doesn’t matter. I—I just can’t believe you’re here. The inn catching on fire . . . ” I swallow around a lump in my throat. “What are the chances?”

He barks a laugh, shaking his head. “I wasn’t about to leave anything to chance when it came to you.”

It dawns on me what he means. “Youstarted the fire?”

“An associate. I needed a distraction to give you a chance to get away from your guard. I knew you’d run to Myst the moment you escaped him.”

My thoughts still can’t catch up to reality. Let me get this straight . . . He thinks I fled from Basten, not that Basten sent me here to escape the dangerous inferno. Holy gods, this is going to be a mess to sort out.

Basten.

Oh, no. Basten will be here at any moment. What will he do when he finds Adan and me together? He’s spent the last eighteen days slamming his fists into men’s jaws for merely catcalling Lord Rian’s future bride. And Adan intends torun away with me.

Basten will kill him. Really, truly, kill him. I don’t think he’ll use a knife, either—he’ll want to use his fists to get the job done in the most painful, punishing way possible.

“It isn’t safe here,” I say in a rasping voice, grabbing Adan’s sleeves.

He nods in grave agreement. “I know. My brothers are waiting for us at the docks. They have a boat at the ready. We can take the river downstream, to a safe place I know.”

I stare at him as my thoughts stumble and stumble. He expects me to leave with him. And why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t know about my first, catastrophic escape attempt, or my message calling off our future together.

Blinking, I stutter, “Adan—”

He continues urgently, “We’ll have to leave Myst here, but I promise, it won’t be for long. She’s too recognizable, and we can’t take a horse by boat, anyway. We’ll come back for her. I swear.”

“N—no,” I stutter. “You don’t understand.”

He cups my face, gazing into my eyes. “What don’t I understand, my love?”

Once more, words don’t come. How can I tell him we were fools to think we loved each other after a single day? By the gods, maybe heisjust as saintly as I first thought. After all, he upheld his end of our promise. He’s here. He moved heaven and earth to rescue me. Even his brothers are risking their lives to get me to safety.

I’mthe one who was going to break our pact.

What am I supposed to tell him, that I’ve developed some kind of twisted entanglement with the guard meant to deliver me to Lord Rian?

I’d sound crazy.

Maybe Iamcrazy.

I’ve barely spent more time with Basten than I have with Adan. There’s still so much I don’t know about him, even if his grumpy, endearing growls do make my heart stumble. Am I being as foolish now, thinking this thing with Basten means something?

No. It isn’t the same. What I have with Basten—it’s unmatched.

Regardless, the truth is that it doesn’t matter. Whatever I feel for Basten, whatever we could become to each other in the future, it isn’t Basten Bowborn’s name on my engagement certificate. I’m to wed Lord Rian, not Basten. There was never a world in which Basten and I could be together. I’m betrothed to his master, and his asinine sense of loyalty isn’t going to let him break that oath. I’d hoped to earn his devotion so that he’d help me escape, but the chances of that were always slim.

Just look at the present moment. Where is Basten? Risking his life to help an old friend, that’s where. Not here.

“Sabine, come on.”

Gripping my hand, Adan makes for the exit. Torn, I throw a desperate look back at Myst, who kicks her front hoof against the stall.

Don’t go,she says.Don’t go!

I have just enough time to touch her velvety muzzle for all too brief a moment before Adan pulls me away.

I’m sorry, my brave girl, I say as I stumble along with him.I’ll come back for you. I promise. This is the only way I can escape my marriage.

She puffs angrily and continues kicking the stall. I’m vaguely aware my cheeks are wet with tears. My heart aches to be torn away from her, though it was always the plan to separate and then buy her later under a false name. In the meantime, Basten will find her—he’ll take care of her for me.

---