Page 3 of A Clash of Embers

He chuckled, “It’s not every day you find a goddess lying in the pile of a castle’s rubble, you know?” He smirked, and his golden eyes went wild when they glanced back at me.

I smiled at him as we continued our walk toward the horses with the platoon of men. I guess I shouldn’t use the term ‘men’; they werecreaturesof some kind.

I had heard stories and read about people like them in Carondelet, something calledFae.Powerful beings with different abilities aligned with their original creator, but I couldn’t look it up again because I lost that damn book,The Stories of the Conservator, after being captured thesecondtime.

“Here, you will ride on this horse with me to Port Avellino before we travel to Monowi.”

I nodded at Leo and looked around at the Fae we were with, and they were looking at me like I was some kind of spectacle.

When I looked down at my clothes, I realized why. My clothes were shredded, splattered with blood and mud. I looked like an absolute mess. Getting cleaned up didn’t sound too bad, and I was interested in what the port city was. I’d never heard of it.

Leo hoisted me onto his horse, and I realized he would be riding behind me, and my heart fluttered with anticipation. The last man I was this close to was my husband—aside from kissing Madok.

Sadness overwhelmed me at the thought, and my heart ached for Evander.

What if he hadn’t survived? My marriage bond was gone, but I felt my inamorato marking was still there.

I couldn’t help but try and tap into Leo’s thoughts earlier, and I heard him talk about carrying the mark no matter what happens to your mate. I felt the lump in my throat forming, preparing for tears to fall, when I felt Leo’s chest press against my back, and I somehow felt calmed at that moment.

The familiar scent of citrus warmed my skin and filled my head. It was a paralyzing feeling to be comforted in that way. I didn’t want to move or think. I just wanted to be held.

My thoughts ran rapidly through my head with memories of my father and mother. I wondered how my mother felt and if her heart was as crushed as mine. I thought about my friends and where they might be or even if theyrememberedme. I knew I had to stop thinking about my life in the big picture because I would never accomplish what I needed to do if I did.Though I had no fucking clue what that even was.

My father’s note was vague and full of questions that I needed to answer. I could only have those questions answered if I found Colette. I knew I had to keep my memories and thoughts at bay as much as possible to accomplish it. I would need to compartmentalize my vast amount of feelings. That’s the only way that I could get through this.

Leo spoke up behind me, sending chills down my arms. “It’s only a two-day trip to the city we’re going to. If you need to rest, please feel free to sleep if you can. I don’t mind it.”

I could feel his tenderness seep into me. I wanted to share my story, but what if this guy Leo would take me to someone who would kill me? I knew it was wild speculation, but at this point, anything could happen.

After a few hours of riding, the horses started to slow down, and my eyes were starting to feel the heaviness of my worries.

“You know, you can talk to me about your feelings. My friends tell me I am a great listener.”

I heard a chuckle from Leo’s second-in-command riding beside us.

“Callan, you know that it’s true, don’t laugh,” Leo snarled.

“Oh, Prince Leo. I’m not laughing at you for being honest about being a great listener. I’m only laughing because it’s true. You’re a softie, which is why you putmein charge. Someone has to be tough.”

“Thanks for that, Cal.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. Their relationship reminded me of Griffin and Evander’s. The banter of true friendship will always surpass any conversation.

“Yes, I am a sensitive man, and that’s okay. I am completely confident in myself, so yes, I am such a ‘softie’.”

Cal huffed a laugh and rode ahead, leaving us trailing the rest of the group. I looked around at the trees, which seemed familiar, but I sensed I had never been there before. The pine trees were undeniably large and canopied the entire forest. Someone would easily get lost here. I also noticed the peculiar browning of the pine needles. Come to think of it, I had never seen anything like that in my life. It was bright and sunny every year during my twenty-one years in Carondelet.

I felt Leo’s body adjust behind me, pressing his hard chest into my back as he cleared his throat. “Seriously, Clara…I amallears,” Leo said.

“Eh. It’s really a lot to unpack here emotionally, and I don’t think you’ll want to hear it.”

His hand moved to my hip, a coolness at his touch. A portion of me was screaming to push him off this horse because I didn’t know if my mate was alive and how disrespectful of me to let some man affect me like this.

“I’d like to know, but if you don’t want to share, that’s fine. I understand.”

I breathed out a sigh as I said, “It’s too painful to talk about it.”

His chest pressed into my back as he breathed, probably trying to find the right words. Many parts of me wanted him to know about Evander, but saying it out loud would make it permanent, and I didn’t want it to be.

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