Chapter 17 #3
‘Yeah.’ Ruben shrugs with his trademark grin. ‘What’s new?’
We leave the slums with significantly less than we rode in with, but my heart is lighter too, and for that I’m grateful.
‘The horses could do with a couple of hours’ rest,’ Ruben says on a yawn a few hours later when we reach an area of sparse trees that shelter us from the worst of the wind.
The stars are fading, and only the brightest continue to show against the brightening sky.
In a few hours, dawn will be upon us, and we’ll need to keep going.
‘We can take turns keeping watch. I don’t mind going first,’ he offers.
‘Sounds good,’ I agree, ready to curl up and catch some much-needed sleep.
The excitement of leaving Wrohelm has faded like the stars, and all that is left is a bone-aching tiredness and a fair bit of hunger.
But I don’t regret giving our rations away, not even when my stomach lets out a grumble and Benny’s tummy gives an answering groan.
‘Just so we’re clear,’ he says as he lays his roll mat on the ground. ‘It’s your fault I’m hungry.’
‘You think not having one meal makes you hungry?’ I scoff. ‘That’s how you know you’re a future duke,’ I shoot back.
He responds with a huff as I stretch out onto my mat with him on one side and Caz on the other. Ruben moves a little further away, presumably to get some higher ground and watch over us.
Almost immediately, Caz begins to snore.
‘They were so thin,’ Benny whispers into the night. ‘No child should ever be so thin.’
‘I know,’ I murmur back. The words feel useless and small against the memory of hollow cheeks and wrists thin enough to be snapped like twigs.
I close my eyes as if darkness might erase it and sink into the hard ground, letting sleep drag me under.
When I wake, an unexpected aroma fills my nostrils.
‘What’s cooking?’ I ask as I sit up, noting the fire and the plumes of smoke spiralling into the air from roasted meat. Ruben continues snoring lightly next to me.
‘Caz caught a couple of rabbits,’ Benny whispers happily, trying not to disturb Ruben.
‘Caz?’ I say in complete surprise.
She grins. ‘Not just a pretty face.’
‘Never thought you were,’ I say before realising how my comment sounded. ‘I mean, I never thought you were just a pretty face. Not that I never thought you were a pretty face.’
She laughs, waving my babbling away. ‘I got it. While we’re eating, I thought we should have a look at the maps. Make sure we’re still on track.’
I snort. ‘We can’t have gone wrong already; we’ve barely done a few hours’ travel.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ she says drily. She gets out her maps and fusses over them while Benny and I share a rabbit. When we’re all done, we wake Ruben so he has time to eat before we get on the road again.
‘How did everyone sleep?’ he asks as he stands up and stretches. ‘Anyone want a warm hug?’
Benny looks amused. ‘What?’
‘Ruben’s a furnace,’ I explain. ‘He can heat his body to nice and warm. It’s lovely, especially when you’ve been lying on the cold, hard ground all night in freezing temperatures.’
‘Say no more,’ Benny says. ‘Hot man with hot hugs? I’m in.’
Ruben grins, not offended in the slightest by Benny’s flirting. The others each have a warm hug with Ruben while I tamp down the fire and make sure the horses have all been watered. Then, when the camp is cleared, I go in for my own cuddle.
It seems strange, hugging him for warmth again.
Sure, I hugged him when he first turned up at my house, but that was different.
I didn’t need it then. I just wanted to.
This is somewhere in between. Having his friendship back in my life is a gift I won’t take for granted, and I already know his power is going to be a lifesaver on this trip, especially as we get further north.
As I stand with my head against his chest, a happy sigh escapes my lungs as the cold of the night is swept away in his arms.
‘Watch out!’ Benny yells, and without any form of warning the horses explode into panicked whinnies, rearing high and fighting their ropes.
As adrenaline surges, I reach for my blade, determined not to fall victim to whatever has them so spooked, only for one of the horses to pull free of its tether and bolt towards us.
‘Fuck!’ Ruben cries, yanking me back into him as it gallops past.
‘Fucking hell!’
‘What the fuck caused that?’ Benny calls to us as he holds the reins of two of the remaining horses, which are continuing to rear against their restraints. The sound of the hammering hooves of the escaped horse fades with distance.
‘I don’t know …’ I start to say, still sprawled against Ruben.
A reaction like that feels worthy of Mortidem himself, and yet as I stare through the trees a static prickle rises on the back of my spine.
Hot.
Familiar.
And utterly unwelcome.
I know exactly who I’m going to see before he even steps into the light.
Not Mortidem.
Worse than Mortidem.
Kyor fucking Knavin.
His eyes meet mine, and they are hard and angry. ‘Well, Rose, it doesn’t look like your heart stayed broken for long.’