“Sure.” Aren grabbed Cas’s wrist. “Lend me this for a minute.”
Cas looked at him in confusion, but Aren was already focused on the hunters. They flew through the air, landing in a big clump at Jovita’s feet.
“Hmm.” Aren frowned at where his fingers were wrapped around Cas’s wrist. “That’s disturbing.”
“What?”
Aren let go of his wrist. “Nothing. Let’s get out of here. Unless …” He gestured at Jovita. “Do you need to take care of anything before we go?”
Cas shielded the sun from his eyes as he looked at Jovita. She seemed frozen in place, her expression more shocked than furious. He unsheathed his sword but kept it pointed at the ground as he strode toward her. She didn’t have a weapon, and her eyes darted from the sword to Cas’s face.
He stopped in front of her. “Did you poison me?”
“I told you I didn’t.”
“Are you lying?”
Her lip curled. “Why bother asking me if you’re just going to assume I’m lying?” She glanced at his sword. “What? Are you going to stab me if I don’t tell the truth?”
“I may stab you either way.”
She leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. “Do it. If you’re so sure I poisoned you, kill me in front of everyone. Prove you’re as strong as your father was.”
He took in a sharp breath. One side of Jovita’s mouth lifted, like her words had hit exactly where she’d aimed them.
He stepped away from her and sheathed his sword. “Maybe I told Emelina I’d kill you to save you.” He laughed. “I don’t think I even realized that’s what I was doing.”
She blinked. “You did what?”
“I told her I’d kill you.” He spread his arms out and shrugged. “Guess I’m not as strong as my father.”
He turned away from her and walked in the direction of his army. He clapped Aren on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Em was moving. Where was she going?
Her eyes felt like they were glued together, but she managed to tear them open. Daylight. Warriors. She was in the carriage without horses again. Her head was against someone’s shoulder.
She jerked up to a sitting position. Her left side screamed in protest. Her jacket had been ripped at the shoulder, and bandages covered her arm. The pain radiated through the limb, down her side, and across her back. She blinked away tears.
“You’re awake!”
She squinted at the warrior next to her. He was young, and unfamiliar.
“How do you feel?” he asked. He leaned closer, squinting at her forehead. “I was worried that bump to the head was worse than we thought.”
She gingerly touched her forehead to find a large lump next to her hairline. The pain from the burns almost overshadowed the throbbing in her head, but now that she was focused on it, she felt sick.
“Where are we going?”
“Lera. King August ordered us to bring you across the border.”
“He what?” King August? She turned her head too quickly, making the world tilt sideways. “What about the Ruined? Where did they go?”
“They retreated around dawn.”
“Were they …” Em swallowed. Was her sister even still alive? “Why did they retreat? Did they suffer loses?”
“Some. Not as many as us.” The carriage came to a screeching stop, and the warrior stood, stretching his arms above his head. He looked down at her, his gaze hard. “Your sister was still alive, last I saw. She ordered the Ruined out after they’d taken heavy fire.”
Olivia had left her? She’d just retreated and left Em to the warriors? Tears pricked her eyes again.
“Prince—King—August told me to take care of you personally. Said to patch up your wounds and deliver you over the border, unharmed.”
Em blinked, bewildered. Maybe she’d hit her head harder than she thought.
“Come on. Can you walk? Never mind.” The warrior leaned down, sweeping her up into his arms. She bit back a moan as the movement sent a fresh wave of pain down her body.
The warrior walked to a horse-drawn carriage near the tracks. “We’re going to Gallego City. You are welcome to go all the way with us, or you can leave early. It’s up to you.” He stopped at the back of the carriage, gently placing her inside. “And August asked me to pass along a message.”
“What message?”
“He said he’s sorry for forcing you into Olso. And you’re never welcome here again.”
Em looked past the warrior to the mountains behind him. Even if she’d had the strength to fight him, she couldn’t be bothered. Maybe Olivia was still in Olso, but Em certainly wasn’t running after her again.
“I want to go to Fort Victorra,” she said to the warrior.
“Fine. We’ll pass by it on the way, so I can drop you.”
“Why are you going to Gallego City?” she asked, but he ignored her, turning to walk to the horses at the front of the carriage.
She scooted back, leaning her head against the wood. A few other people joined her in the carriage, and she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to talk to them.
She slept on and off as they traveled, the carriage moving at such a fast pace she felt ill at times. The warriors took very few breaks, so she sat up straight when the carriage came to a stop.
The carriage door swung open, revealing the warrior from before. He crooked a finger at Em.
She scooted forward and planted her feet on the ground. Her legs were weak, but she managed to stand.
“This is your stop,” he said.
She surveyed the lush trees around them. She had no idea where she was.
“What do you mean?” a man in the carriage asked. He crawled forward, looking between Em and the warrior. “Why are you dumping her here?”
“It’s fine,” Em said quietly. No one in the carriage knew who she was, it seemed.
“The path that leads to the fortress is that way,” the warrior said, pointing. “It’s barely an hour’s walk from here.”
“What?” The man grabbed the warrior’s wrist. “You can’t just leave—” He stopped talking as the warrior leaned down and said something in his ear. He gasped.
The man shot out of the carriage. His sword was pointed at Em’s neck before she even realized he had a blade.
Her fingers instinctively went to her waist, but there was nothing there. Even if she’d had a sword, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to wield it.
“The king ordered her unharmed,” the warrior said. He sounded almost bored, and he made no move to stop the man. August might have ordered Em unharmed, but he probably wouldn’t shed any tears if it turned out differently. And the warriors knew it.
“My family was in the castle,” the man said, ignoring the warrior. His whole body shook.
She’d had nothing to do with the raid on the Olso castle. She hadn’t killed his family. She’d tried to stop Olivia.
But none of that seemed to matter now. She knew that wild expression. Recognized the vengeful glint in his eye. He wasn’t entirely wrong to point the sword in her direction.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.