Warrior (Princesses of Myth #2)

She wore a familiar wicked smirk. Yep, a second later, she and her ride disappeared, teleporting away.

“You don’t change,” I said, although she wasn’t there to hear me.

I petted the horse’s neck, my hair whipping around my face as I rode low and fast. “We’ll catch her up.”

A half hour later, the familiar cluster of bush trees bordering the closest water source to our homestead came into view. Goldie crouched before the watering hole. Her mare munched on a small patch of dry grass growing along its shallow bank.

With a frown, I jumped down beside the dry creek bed. Our animals needed to drink when we passed through here. “The levels are low.”

She ran her palms down her legs, and stood. “Maslin needs to see this. I wonder if he can drive the water further inland from the river during the controlled river releases. Some of his magic needs should be performed here.”

I removed my Stetson, and the breeze lifted sweaty strands of hair from my forehead. Oooh, so nice. I shielded my eyes against the bright ball of raging sunlight. Not so nice.

The sun’s rays baked the earth wherever one looked.

“I think if he could get any water this far from the river, he would have done so.” Maslin’s water skill was a rare one. I had studied what he did, but his ability didn’t run at full strength since he hadn’t been born of the mated bond, not as I now knew Faith had. I wish I was skilled, but not all were. At times, brothers and sisters born to the same parents differed. One might have multiple skills and the other some, or even none at all.

Plopping my hat on my head, I bent at the creek’s dry edge. Deep cracks sucked at the remaining water.

My horse snickered, pushing his muzzle into my back and tipping me onto my knees. “I know, boy. I’ll get you some water.” I pulled him back and removed the water flask from my saddlebags. Setting my palm under his muzzle, I poured out a handful.

A whinny of pleasure, and he lapped at the clear drinking water.

“What about barrels of water, Goldie? We could get some of our warriors to set them under the trees at each hole. That might work.”

She flapped her Stetson in front of her face. “Maybe. We could at least try.”

I put the flask away. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Uh-huh.” Holding out a handful, she gave her horse water.

Taking a deep breath, I came around to stand before her. “I met the protector.”

“What? Why didn’t you say?”

“I just did, but you’re going to hate this.” Best to get straight to it. “Silas Carver is my mate.”

Plugging a finger in her ear, Goldie twisted it. “Ah, I must have heard you wrong. I thought you just said the protector was your mate.”

“I did.” I rolled my shoulders and a bead of sweat slithered down the center of my back. “He’s also Davio Loveria’s cousin, and as Dad said, he knows Faith.”

“So, I’m not hearing things? Why did Alexo not tell us this?”

I blew out a breath. “I imagine you would have been on hand to kill him first, and ask questions later.”

“He’s a protector. Of course, I’d kill him. Alexo needn’t have been so vague.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Silas said Faith’s ability to mind-merge means her life is tied to Loveria’s. They’d just discovered her skill is a deadly one if she’s kept from his cousin for more than three days. He told me she only survived the ordeal by mere minutes upon her return to Loveria from Dralion. Without the mind-merge, her body shut down. Her lungs filled with blood and she almost bled to death before his eyes. I’ve never heard of such a deathly skill.”

Pacing, Goldie rubbed her chin with her thumb. “This puts a new spin on things. Did the protector speak of anything else?”

“He knew no more.”

She stopped in front of me. “Perhaps this information is all you’ll need from him.”

“I hope so, because he insisted we end things, but I’ve struck a deal with him first. He wants me to release him from the bond and I said I would, provided he returns Tawson Rivera to us.”

“Oh.” Her gaze lit. “Will it be done?”

“He speaks to Carlisio. It’ll be one man’s release for another’s.”

She took her horse’s leads. “Perfect. Let’s hope you have all the information you need to seek what you must.” She hoisted herself into her saddle. “Let’s head to the river. We’ll speak to Maslin about the barrels.”

I mounted and we rode, our conversation of Silas not set from my mind.

He was my mated one, the man soul-bound to me, and he’d told me to find another, that it’d be his pleasure to see me do so. My heartbeat thumped, heavy and hard. Once I gave him my acceptance, our lives would forever change. No more would he be mine.

What was I thinking? Huh, stupid bond.