While hunched over a map of the Galedral Forest, I glared at the door. “Is he even coming?”
“He’ll be here,” Weldan assured me, passing me a sanded stone to hold down the other corner of the paper that kept curling over my fingers. “But listen, Ivy, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. Zach comes off as irresponsible and hardheaded and rather…tactless, but he’s a good man.”
I remembered a similar conversation from the first day we’d met, at breakfast. “So you’ve told me.”
“Yes, well—”
The door banged open, and Zach strode in. “Couldn’t find the bloody room,” he said, before either Weldan or I had a chance to question him.
Zach studied the map I was looking at over my shoulder. “Why do we have to do this anyway? Don’t you know the way, Ivy?”
“Not by heart,” I said with a frown. “I’ll need a map until we get to the mountains. Then I’ll be close enough to use my Sense to guide us to the egg.”
The map was suddenly ripped out from under my nose. “Are you saying that if I still had my Sense I’d be able to find this dragon myself?” Zach’s voice was dangerously low.
Weldan sighed. “Zach—”
He threw up a hand to silence the Commander then glared at me, waiting for my answer.
Still remembering his reaction upon learning about his stolen Sense, I chose my words carefully. “You could’ve. But it would’ve taken you much longer. Now that I’ve absorbed yours, I’ll be more sensitive to it, and we’ll find the dragon’s egg faster.”
Zach tossed the map back onto the table, grumbling to himself.
“You would’ve known this if you’d ever had a partner,” I said under my breath.
Zach walked over to the other side of the table and sat down in one of the large armchairs. “Never really needed one.”
“You’re so arrogant.”
“Pot calling the kettle black, Highness.”
I almost chucked a paperweight at his head. “At least I don’t try to fight without a Kiss.” Then a thought struck me—a thought so ludicrous it hadn’t occurred to me before now. “Does this mean you’ve never been Kissed?”
Zach chuckled and kicked up his boots onto the table. “Oh, I didn’t say that.”
“Enough,” Weldan snapped, pulling out another map of the surrounding villages. “Let’s focus, shall we?”
I scowled at Zach, and he smirked right back.
Yes, Prince Weldan, tactless indeed.
…
Though it was late spring, the dark morning was cold enough to see our breath as we saddled our horses. The stables smelled of fresh hay and oranges.
Zach was already prepared. He had his steed—a deep chocolate horse I heard him call Vel—saddled, fed, and laden with packs from the cooks. Weldan stood with him, and they talked in low voices. Though I desperately wanted to hear what they were saying, I busied myself with checking my gear and prepping my own treasured horse, Lorena.
After rubbing down her dappled gray coat, I turned to Bromley. “All ready?”
“Yes, milady,” Bromley said, dressed finely in the dark green cloak I’d given him for his fourteenth birthday.
We took our horses by the reins and led them up to the front of the stables, joining Zach and Weldan.
“Good morning, Princess Ivy,” Weldan greeted warmly.
“Good morning, Commander Weldan. Thank you for seeing us off.”
He gave a nod. “Of course. I wish you the best of luck, and please be careful.”
“Thank you, Commander. We’ll be careful.”
It was then Zach noticed Bromley, and he grinned widely. “Ivy’s page is joining as well, then? What’s your name?”
“Bromley, sir.”
“Let’s see your weapon, Bromley.”
While Zach went to inspect Bromley’s crossbow, Weldan pulled me aside.
“Remember what I said. Zach is a good man. He’d never let anything happen to you. You have to believe that.” The way Weldan focused on me, his light eyes seemed to have been carved from stone.
I frowned. “It’s not really me I’m worried about. We have a mission—”
“Ivy.” A hand grabbed my upper arm, tugging me back.
I looked up. “Amias? What are you doing here?”
His expression was as serious as I’d ever seen it. “I have to talk to you.”
“I’m talking to the Commander.”
“No, we’re done,” Weldan said gruffly, his gaze on Zach, who was astride his horse and staring at the three of us.
“Commander—” I started, but he quickly headed out of the stables, following Zach and Brom. Feeling as if I’d been abandoned, I turned back to Amias, trying to keep my annoyance at bay.
“What is it, Amias?”
“Don’t go with him.” His hand on my arm tightened.
I blinked. “I have to.”
“You’re Ivy Myriana—you can do whatever you like.”
If only that were true. I raised my hand, showing Zach’s mark etched onto my skin. “He’s my partner.”
“But he doesn’t have to be. You can appeal to the Council. It could be us going off together on a”—his face twisted into a scowl—“secret mission.”
So his uncle didn’t tell him where Zach and I were going. Good.
“We’ve been through this.” I peeled his fingers off my arm. “And you’ve stepped aside as I’ve gotten other partners before. Why are you so adamant now?”
“I don’t trust him.”
I sighed. “Of course you don’t.”
“I’m serious. There’s something about him.”
“Don’t play the Romantica card again. It didn’t help you last time. It won’t help you this time, either. I have to go.”
“Ivy—” Amias’s fingers brushed my cheek.
“Let’s get going,” Zach’s voice broke in. “It’s almost dawn.”
I looked to the entrance of the stables to see Zach astride his horse, expression blank.
“Good-bye, Amias,” I said.
He dropped his hand as I turned and swung myself up onto Lorena.
We left Amias inside the stables as our horses clip-clopped over the stone, passing in front of the main steps to Myria Castle. A small crowd stood on the steps, watching us go. There were no trumpets or waving hands, just a solemn salute and farewell, as was customary on most mission departures.
Colette and Robin were standing with Minnow and Tulia, sporting brave smiles. I had told my younger sisters last night that I was leaving with Zach, but not about my true mission. I hadn’t wanted them to worry. Nor did I tell them that our mother had been here and had not even wanted to see them.
We made our way through the gates onto the cobbled stone of the town’s streets, with the sweet scent of willa blossom trees carried on the early morning breeze.
Chapter
Eleven
The Forbidden Topic
We had reached the outer gates of the Crown City at first light and now, almost to the end of the first day, we’d already been through two of the larger villages of Myria.
“Your kingdom is quite vast, princess,” Zach remarked as we passed yet another farm.
“Is Saevall much smaller?”
“In populace? About the same I guess. But in land we fall short. I have to hand it to you Myrians. You may need reinforcements, but it’s no wonder, with all this land you protect.”
“Well, we can’t ask our subjects to uproot their homes or livelihoods.”
“Your Legion has my respect,” he said, lifting his face skyward to watch a hawk circle above us.
I raised an eyebrow. “We didn’t have it before?”
“The idiot who interrupted my dinner left a bad taste in my mouth.”
Remembering Amias’s rude words, I said, “I am sorry about that. He shouldn’t have acted the way he did and…said what he said.”
Zach shrugged. “I’m used to that kind of talk.”
“It doesn’t irritate you?”
Zach patted his horse’s neck. “Once upon a time it did. But not anymore. Besides, he seemed more jealous than anything.”
That was true. “Amias has always wanted to be my partner. He craves the power that my Kiss brings him.”
Zach leaned closer to me from astride his horse. He smelled of fresh hay and shassa root tea. “You sure that’s the only thing he craves?”
My muscles locked up, remembering that night on the training grounds, with the torches and the change in Amias’s breathing when he kissed me. “What are you saying?”