Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SAMARA
Istared at the castle walls as Buttercup trotted beneath me, my mind floating somewhere between exhausted relief and gnawing anxiety. The horses had found us in the middle of the night, Buttercup leading the way, and we’d set off early to the castle, our mission a partial failure.
My gaze drifted to the forest’s edge periodically, searching for any movement. The vacants had vanished as suddenly as they’d appeared, but their absence only intensified my unease.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were connected to Shadowmere’s emptiness. That had to be it because where had everyone gone? Bodies should have been everywhere if the vacants had attacked, but there hadn’t even been blood.
“I think we should take a hell serpent and toast their asses.” Val broke the uncomfortable silence, his horse matching pace with mine. “I’ll send ravens to call an emergency council meeting.”
None of us had acknowledged what happened last night, and tension hung in the air. I didn’t exactly regret it, but the aftermath left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Especially with Nico trailing so far behind us.
He hadn’t spoken a word or looked at me since last night. His face was a careful mask that revealed nothing of his thoughts. I wanted to fall back and ride beside him to bridge the distance that had formed but didn’t.
I’d betrayed him despite him not being mine to betray. The thought lodged in my chest like a splinter, impossible to ignore yet too painful to extract. Feeling guilty was ridiculous. We shared no vows or promises, but I’d be lying to myself if I couldn’t admit that something had shifted.
And now it was damaged by my actions that he had no claim over.
I returned my attention to the problem at hand, my fingers tightening on Buttercup’s reins.
“It shouldn’t take an entire day and a meeting to get approval on something necessary for survival.
Now that Tony and Miles have returned, they can have it done before the council members get here to approve it.
How many people will die in the time it takes? ”
Tony was a massive and intelligent hell serpent capable of producing flames hot enough to melt stone. His handler, Miles, had been bonded with him for as long as I’d been alive. Together, they could decimate an entire horde of vacants in minutes.
“You know the protocol.” Val’s tone suggested he didn’t like it either.
“But this is different.”
“The council will want to approve any mobilization. Without a king, there’s no one strong enough to stop this from turning into something bigger.”
I knew he was right, but during my centuries of exile, I’d almost forgotten how maddeningly slow governance could be. Without a ruler powerful enough to keep the factions from tearing each other apart, every decision carried the risk of igniting something far worse than vacants.
Val’s eyes softened slightly as he looked over at me and caught my pinched expression. “I don’t like it either. If it were me...” He left the thought unfinished, but I understood. Even with his family’s considerable influence, there were limits without the council’s support.
Still, every hour we delayed could mean death and potentially more empty villages. The image of red-eyed vacants descending upon unsuspecting demons sent a chill crawling down my spine.
The rest of the ride to the gates passed in a blur of aching muscles and dark thoughts. As the castle gates near the stables opened, some of the tension drained from my shoulders. The stone walls offered the illusion of safety, and that was exactly what I needed.
We dismounted, and stable hands rushed out to tend to the exhausted horses. Buttercup nuzzled my shoulder before allowing himself to be led away.
I looked back at Nico as we crossed the grounds toward the castle’s rear entrance. He lingered by his horse, taking longer than necessary to untie his pack. He clearly needed distance from me.
“I’ll have ravens sent immediately.” Val’s shoulder brushed mine as we walked. “The council members should arrive late tomorrow morning. Let’s hope we are all in agreement to decide without Winston present.”
Amari prowled alongside us, silent and watchful as always, though his demeanor was different. His eyes occasionally flicked to me with an intensity that made heat pool in my belly despite my exhaustion.
I glanced once more at Nico, my steps faltering. Even with the distance, I could trace the line of tension running from his neck down his spine.
“Let him be.” Val’s hand pressed gently against my lower back, urging me forward. “He’ll come around when he’s ready.”
The warmth of his touch sent an unwelcome tingle up my spine that I tried desperately to ignore. My body’s reactions to these men were becoming increasingly problematic. One night of passion had only made things worse, not better.
We entered through the staff entrance, the familiar stone hallways a welcome sight after days in the forest. The smells of baking bread and roasting meat wafted from the kitchen, making my stomach growl embarrassingly loud. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
Amari’s ears twitched at the sound, but his face remained impassive as we climbed the stairs. The silence grew heavier with each step.
“We should clean up and rest before meeting with anyone. I smell like a forest, sweat, and...” My voice trailed off as I realized what I’d been about to say.
Val smirked. “And what exactly, bruja?”
My cheeks burned hot enough to rival Tony’s flames. “Never mind.”
“Sex.” Amari’s deep voice in my ear startled me.
I stumbled on the next step, mortification washing over me. “That’s not… I wasn’t…”
We reached the hallway and, to my complete surprise, Amari’s mouth twitched upward at the corners, a smile almost breaking through his stony facade. The sight was so unexpected that I forgot my embarrassment for a moment and simply stared.
“What?” His features went neutral again, though amusement still flickered in his eyes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before.”
Val chuckled beside me. “It’s a rare phenomenon, like spotting a luminous monkey. Blink and you’ll miss it.”
I hesitated outside my door, suddenly unsure where to go. My room felt like the obvious choice, but the memory of what had transpired made me question if being alone was what I wanted.
I glanced between Amari and Val, my bottom lip caught between my teeth as memories from the previous night flashed through my mind. Their bodies moving together. The way Amari had felt inside me. Val’s tongue against me.
My body hummed at the thought of doing it again, but my heart twisted painfully as Nico entered the hall, his eyes fixed firmly on our door.
He glared at Val and Amari, his jaw so tight he could crack a nutshell. I stepped to the side as he opened the door without sparing me a glance.
With a tight smile and a nod to Val and Amari, I followed him inside, shutting the door behind me. He’d already dropped his bag haphazardly on the floor and yanked his shirt over his head as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door firmly behind him.
I let out a shaky sigh and went to my desk, which I’d left a mess, but now everything sat neatly. My bars of soap were placed in a new basket, and my carving instruments were sitting in a hand-painted cup.
Tomorrow, I’d find out which servant had kept my room and belongings preserved for so long. It was really a feat of powerful magic that my gowns didn’t show any deterioration.
I selected a bar of soap and rubbed my thumb across the surface. It was the perfect texture, and I smiled as I grabbed a carving knife.
I worked quickly at the carving, and it was done by the time Nico exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He picked up his bag and put it on the bed, opening it.
I stood and offered him the soap. He stared at it and then picked it up, examining it. Then he handed it back to me.
“It’s for you.” I’d carved the shape of an acorn into it, hoping it would lighten the mood. Apparently not.
“I already took my shower. I don’t need soap.” He pulled out a shirt and slipped it on.
“Nico…”
I put my hand on his when he started digging in his bag again.
His body tensed, and he didn’t move for a few breaths. Then he pulled his hand away. “I’m going back home. To the camp.”
My heart stopped, and my stomach churned. “What? Why?”
He pulled out a pair of pants. I was surprised they didn’t rip with the force he jammed his legs into them. “You don’t need me anymore.”
I released a pained laugh that morphed into a choked sound as I held in a sob. “I do need you. I can’t do this alone.”
“You aren’t alone.” He looked toward the door and didn’t need to say Val and Amari for me to know that’s who he was thinking about. “I need to get away from here. This life isn’t for me.”
“It’s not for me either, not anymore. What happened to wanting a spot on the council so we finally have representation for the nomads?”
He scoffed. “Do you really think they’ll allow that?”
I pulled his bag away from him as he tried to close it, the soap carving tumbling to the floor and landing with a soft thud. “I’m allowed to have sex, Nico.”
He narrowed his eyes and reached for his bag as I moved it farther away from him. His fingers flexed before he tried again, the corded muscles in his forearm tightening.
“It’s not because of that.” A crease formed between his eyebrows, and his breath grew heavier. “Give me the fucking bag, Samara.”
“It is because of that.” He kept trying to grab the bag, so I threw it over my shoulder, my knuckles turning white on the strap. “You’re acting like you weren’t the one who decided not to be with me.”
“You’re acting like a child.” He jabbed his fingers through his damp hair and then wrapped the tie from his wrist around it. “Are you going to give me my bag or not?”