by T. A. White
The hope that had started to wither, bloomed again. They were willing to listen. It would have to be enough for now. All that mattered was saving Caden; everything else could wait.
Darius sighed, looking up at the sky before shaking his head. "Bring them into the camp. We'll see what they have to say."
Drake and Jane took Eva from Roscoe’s hold, their jaws clenched and expressions impassive.
Eva might have instilled doubt into them about her role in events, but she wasn’t in the clear yet.
They released her, allowing her to walk ahead of them, confident they could easily capture her if she tried to flee. Eva wrapped her arms around herself, feeling more alone than she had since making the Trateri her home.
Being suspected of betrayal hurt—more than she liked to admit. She'd thought she'd kept her distance from people, enough so their actions wouldn’t hold the power to hurt her. She'd been wrong. Seeing the distrust in their faces hurt worse than learning she'd been selected as the sacrifice.
Her spine straightened. What did she care what the Trateri thought of her? She had Sebastian and Caia and countless others. If need be, she'd make her way alone. It wouldn't be the first time.
She'd do her duty to Caden, and then she was gone. Better to be on her own, than to be a loner clinging to the fringes of their community because that’s all people would give her.
The camp stirred as they walked into it, hostility on some faces, confusion on the rest. Some wore bandages, others had skin that was blistered on their arms and faces.
Eva kept her chin up and her shoulders back. She refused to be cowed. She’d focus on what needed doing. It was the only way to survive.
Jason's expression was reassuring when her gaze caught on him. She pressed her lips together to smother the rough laugh that wanted to escape. Figures her lone pillar of support was a man who until now had only shown dislike to her.
The last speck of hope she carried with her flitted away. Fine. So be it. She had her path. She simply needed to walk it.
Darius stopped in the middle of camp and gestured imperiously. "Speak."
Eva took a deep breath. "What do you want me to say?"
He lifted an eyebrow. "An interesting defense."
"It seems you have already judged me in my absence," Eva said. "Any words I use would be a pointless waste of time."
Darius's smile was cruel as he watched her. "You don't deny you were working with the outsiders to steal the Kyren?"
Eva's mouth dropped open in true amazement. Of all the accusations she expected him to level on her—cowardice, dereliction of duty, abandoning them when their need was great—that was the last thing she expected.
She gestured at Sebastian incredulously. "That Kyren? The one standing right there? Yes, because it makes sense to return him after successfully stealing him." She shook her head, her gaze traveling over those assembled. "Is that what you all truly believe? That I conspired to take something I already had?"
Their lack of faith hurt. Fiona, Hanna, Laurell, women who'd gone out of their way to befriend her. People she’d thought could, maybe just maybe, mean something to her.
If Ollie was here, she knew she'd have a vocal defender, but he wasn't. He'd been hurt. Another failure that could be laid at her feet.
"Perhaps you had a falling-out with your co-conspirators and thought you could come back," someone suggested.
Eva rolled her eyes. That was perhaps the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. Return to the very people she'd betrayed? Did they really think her that stupid?
"They have a confession," Jason warned.
"From who? The people who attacked us?" Eva snapped. "Because they would never lie to the people who were going to end their miserable existences."
"They knew things about you," Darius said, his expression reserved. "About all of us that they shouldn't have. It can only point to a traitor among our ranks."
Eva looked at him. "And because I'm not one of you, it has to be me."
Tiredness dragged at her. It always came down to the same thing. It didn't matter how hard she fought, she doubted she'd ever conquer this obstacle. Truthfully, she didn't even know if she wanted to anymore.
"I would have thought you'd address that weakness by now," she told Darius in a harsh voice. "This wouldn't be the first time one of your own turned on you."
He observed her, his expression grave.
There was a shout of surprise as a dark shape dropped into the midst of those holding Sebastian.
Sharp claws flashed out, cutting the net and scattering the Kyren’s captors. Sebastian screamed, his wings flaring now that they were free.
"Furthermore, I couldn’t have stolen the Kyren from you, simply because he was not yours to begin with," she hissed, emotion making her reckless. "He’s free to do as he wills, whether that means abandoning the battle halfway through, or carrying a herd mistress back to you so she can warn you of the danger to one of your own."
Ajari straightened, moving into the light of the campfire as he lifted his clawed hand to his lips to lick the blood off it.
The men who had held Sebastian captive were alive, but hadn’t escaped unscathed. Claw marks were visible on various parts of their bodies.
"Well said, little caller," Ajari said, his dark eyes coming to rest on Eva. Approval shown in them.
"Believe me or not, I really don't care at this point," Eva told Darius. "But at least send people to check where I left Caden. He, at least, doesn't deserve to be abandoned."
Hanna stepped up beside Darius, her face tense as she glanced over the rest of them. She was silent as they waited for Darius's response.
Eva knew that despite Ajari's timely arrival, they stood little chance of surviving if Darius decided to end them.
Eva struggled to think of a way to defuse the situation. Thinking of the unfairness of it was unproductive. The world was a cold place. You made your own way through your own power.
Losing time to self-pity was a waste and wouldn't help anyone—including herself.
An arm dropped onto her head as Ajari propped his chin on it. Eva strained to remain straight and tall.
"It's the way of the world, little caller. We are always leery of those who are different from us. Accept it. Use it to your advantage," he advised.
Eva sighed. He was only telling her what she already knew.
She met Darius's waiting gaze. "Are you going to help me or not?"
If he wasn't, she'd have to figure out another way to save Caden. Maybe Ajari would help her.
Though relying on the fickle mythological wasn't her first choice.
"We will go," Darius said finally. "You'd best pray he's there and still breathing. You won't like what we do to you if he's not."
Eva jerked her chin down. It was a fair deal. She'd take it.
"What should we do about the Kyren?" Laurell asked.
Darius studied Sebastian with a thoughtful expression. "Much as it pains me to admit it, she's right. We don't own him. He is free to come and go as he pleases."
A few of the Trateri looked at Sebastian with disappointment.
Sebastian's neck reared back in satisfaction as he moved toward Eva. Darius gestured and the Anateri at her back moved to intercept him.
"While we cannot enforce our will on you, Kyren, the same cannot be said of her. She's one of us and she'll keep her distance from you until such time when the question of her honor has been satisfied," Darius said, speaking to the Kyren as if he was a visiting dignitary.
Sebastian shook his head, the expression on his face dissatisfied.
Not one of them. One of us. Kyren, he insisted.
He gave Eva an expectant glance as if expecting her to translate. She kept her mouth closed. She was in enough trouble already without stirring the pot further.
"Sebastian says his people no longer consider Eva human, but Kyren," Ajari said cheerfully.
"Is that so?" Darius said, slanting a glance Eva's way.
She
couldn't help the mildly guilty look that crossed her face.
"You get more and more interesting every day, herd mistress," he said in a velvety voice. Despite the softness, Eva sensed the menace behind it. To the men behind her, "Watch her carefully tonight. We'll leave before sunrise."
Eva stepped forward, shaking her head. "We have to go now. He may not survive that long."
Darius cocked his head. "Are you really trying to give me orders?"
Eva gulped, realizing too late that ordering a general around was probably not the best idea.
"Because that would be a very grave mistake," he finished when she didn't speak.
"I told him I would come back for him. I won't break my promise," Eva said, gathering her courage.
Desperation could push you to do crazy things, like challenge a Trateri general who had already indicated he didn't trust you. His patience was dangling by a thread, but Eva couldn't make herself leave this matter alone.
"I thought you, of all people, wouldn't abandon him considering your history together," she said.
Darius's face darkened as he stepped forward. "What would you know of that?"
"He said you were all childhood friends, bound by tragedy from a young age. He counts you as brother," she said, not backing down.
Darius stared at her for several long seconds, thoughts moving behind his eyes.
Hanna looked intrigued and she gave Eva a nod of approval.
Eva sensed a shift in Darius as he looked away from her, his gaze distant.
That hope was dashed in the next moment when he faced her again. "How long did you fly? Can you tell me what lies between us and him?"
Reece had stopped on the edge of the small group, unnoticed until Darius gestured toward him.
"Pathfinder, what dangers await us out there in the dark?" Darius ordered.
Reece folded his arms in front of him as his forehead creased. "Most times I would say the danger was minimal, but as the lake and the water sprites have demonstrated, things are not as easy as they once were. Your safety would depend on the distance we need to travel. There are bluffs and cliffs, treacherous terrain is likely. To say nothing of beasts or mythologicals. I would be hesitant to take people unfamiliar with the area on a hunting expedition without more information."
"Would you have me put the lives of everyone here, including yourself, in danger for one man?" Darius asked her.
"The Trateri put their lives in danger for much less every day," Eva shot back. "It's what you do—run straight toward danger while the sane run from it. It's how you've conquered so much, how you've come to be here. Why is this any different?"
He nodded slowly. "And if you could tell me what I would be walking into, I'd consider it. Can you tell me how many men we'll face? How far we'll need to ride? The obstacles between us and him?”
He stepped closer. Eva wasn't small but Darius loomed over her.
He bent down, saying in a low voice meant only for her ears. "Don't think you're the only one who cares. I'd like nothing more than to ride out and find him now, rather than wait." He straightened. "But I have a duty to all those under my command. Neglecting that duty, even for my oldest friend, would make me unfit as a leader."
He held her eyes for several minutes, hammering home her defeat. It galled, but he was right. She'd known it before she started arguing, even as she'd hoped for a miracle.
"Settle in for the night," he said, dropping a hand on her shoulder. The look on his face was understanding but implacable. "The wait will not be a short one."
With that, he walked away.
Failure threatened to choke Eva as she watched him go.
Hanna stepped close. "Don't feel too bad. Leaders have to think differently than you or me. He believes you, even if it doesn't seem like it, but his concerns are not what ours would be."
When Eva didn't respond, Hanna took her arm. "Come, let's get you settled. I expect you've had a difficult couple of days."
Eva went reluctantly. Resisting or arguing would only end in a loss of dignity. Probably hers.
"What happened while I was gone?" Eva asked, looking around.
"We defeated the creatures attacking us, but it came at a cost," Hanna said, hands clasped behind her back.
Eva saw the cost when she looked around. Few of the Trateri had escaped unscathed.
Even the horses carried wounds and there were fewer of them than when they had started. Eva felt regret clench around her heart. She’d feel the loss of every one of those mounts when she had time to grieve.
Hanna stopped on the outskirts of camp, reaching into a pack and withdrawing a small blanket which she handed to Eva. Next, she dragged out a water bladder and a small pouch with nuts and fruit in it. Both of which she pressed into Eva's hands.
Eva's stomach growled. It had been hours since the meager meal she'd shared with Caden, and even then, she hadn't eaten much.
"Most of us survived. A few did not," Hanna said as Eva slowly dug into the pouch and chewed. "We didn't realize the outsiders had infiltrated until you and the Kyren flew off."
Eva lifted her head. She'd wondered about that.
"Did they escape?" she asked.
"Yes, most of them. We caught two and interrogated them," Hanna said. "You have already experienced the fallout from that interrogation. They said they got directions from a woman fitting your description. Vincent claimed he saw you interact with them in a way that suggested you were working with them. It was enough to convince most of your guilt."
Eva snorted in derision.
Hanna lifted a shoulder. "It's easy to cast blame when the person being blamed isn't here to defend themselves."
Eva lowered the handful of nuts she'd been about to eat, her expression grim. "It probably didn't help my case that I appeared to abandon the battle halfway through."
Hanna inclined her head in agreement.
Eva sighed. Faced with those facts, she might have come to the same conclusions.
"I didn't mean to leave," she said, staring at the ground, feeling guilty again. "It was either get on Sebastian's back or drown. Once I was on him, I thought we'd ride the water sprites down, instead I found myself flying away from camp and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop him."
Hanna's hand was gentle as she patted Eva's bent head. "I know what it's like to have unfounded suspicions cast your way, to be looked at like you're the enemy when you've done nothing to deserve it."
The woman's gaze was faraway, sadness touching her face as she recalled painful things. Her eyes lowered to meet Eva's. "You're not as alone as you might seem. You still have allies and friends. Remember that when things seem lost."
Eva had forgotten Hanna was part of the snake clan. Rumors of the clan abounded, and its members were treated with stiff-armed hesitance.
It was worse after their clan leader betrayed Fallon and tried to assassinate him.
Hanna had most likely faced worse than what Eva was going through when her clan fell.
"How badly was Ollie hurt?" Eva forced herself to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind. Jason had said he was alright, but he wasn't always the most reliable of sources.
"He'll live," Hanna said. "He'll have scars, but he should heal."
Thank all the gods. She didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't made it. He was a kind soul in a world that was often cruel. It would have been a darker place without him in it.
"I'll take you to him," Hanna said.
"Really?" Eva was almost afraid to hope.
Hanna's smile was fleeting, but it was there. "Yeah, follow me."
Hanna led her to where several Trateri were lying flat, limbs bandaged, a few with burned skin open to the air.
"Ollie, look who I found wandering around," Hanna said.
On a narrow pallet at the very edge, lay Ollie, pale, his arm and leg looking three times their normal size, wrapped in bandages with a splint around them.
At Hanna's words, he tried to heave hi
mself to sitting, only making it part of the way up before lowering back down with a groan.
"I told you not to move," a strident voice said from where the healer knelt next to another patient. "If you can't listen, I'll tell these two to take themselves away until you're healed."
"I'm not moving. See. Look." Ollie made a show of putting his head back down.
The healer watched him with narrowed eyes before shaking his head. "See that you don't. Or else."
"Mad man on a power trip," Ollie muttered.
"I heard that."
"You were meant to!" Ollie growled.
Eva fell to her knees on the ground beside him. Relief coursed through her. The tears that had been absent through everything so far, finally found an outlet as she bowed her head, trying to keep the others from seeing. The last thing she wanted was for them to think she was weak after the welcome she'd received.
Ollie's hand found its way to the top of her head. "Enough of that now. I'm still alive."
"I'm sorry I left you," she said.
"That's not exactly how I remember it," Ollie said in a wry voice. Eva could still hear the pain he was hiding, below the surface. "You saved me. If you hadn't attacked that water sprite, I would have been pulled under and likely drowned."
Eva dipped her head in assent. Maybe so, but if she had remained, maybe she could have prevented his other injuries.
Ollie laid his head back down on his pillow. "Guilt is a useless emotion. You do what you can in the moment and hope it's enough. You did what you had to; no shame in that."
"Everyone thinks I betrayed them," she said in a soft voice.
Ollie snorted. "Then they’re fools and it’s a good thing we know different."
Her smile was tremulous and waterlogged.
"I'm going to be laid out for a couple of days."
"Weeks," the healer interjected.
Ollie rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "You and Jason will need to work together to take care of everything."
Her smile slipped and she couldn't help her grimace.
"None of that now. He's actually not so bad. If you'd give him half a chance, you'd see that," Ollie advised.
Eva, pressed her lips together, not wanting to argue with her friend but also not agreeing.
