Crude Intentions (The Chronicles of Crofea #2)

Chapter 1 Grave

GRAVE

My flight jacket might’ve been able to protect me from the chilly evening air, but it didn’t stand a chance of keeping away the ice Audryn threw my way. I’d expected her to be angry with Ryder, but hadn’t anticipated I would receive the same treatment.

We left Rivale and spent the first half of the trip in silence.

Unable to handle the quiet any further, I attempted to chisel away the frozen edge with commentary about our surroundings.

But when that tactic didn’t work, I resorted to asking questions.

Most of them she answered with a yes or no, while others she left entirely unacknowledged.

“Would you like my jacket?” I leaned in and spoke close to her ear to avoid shouting over the air rushing by. The sun had set, and I could feel her shivering against the front of me. It didn’t help that the wyvern we rode had cold, leathery skin that offered no warmth at all.

“No.” Audryn stared straight ahead.

I blew out a breath. “Seriously?”

“I’d rather freeze.” She scowled.

I chuckled. “Well, that might just happen.”

Audryn cleared her throat. “I can only hope.”

I shook my head and kept my eyes on the lush field in the distance. Even though we’d lost most of the daylight an hour earlier, I knew the area by memory.

“We’re staying over there.” I pointed to the empty field. “Have you been to Rynholm before?”

The kingdom was neutral ground, not only for Kuroden, but for every kingdom in Crofea. Esmond Castle hosted treaty negotiations for as long as I could remember, and the royals remained impartial even in the worst of times.

“Can’t you afford a room?” Audryn scoffed. “Or must I be treated like an animal?”

Though grateful for more than a one-word answer, the implication was vexing. “We can’t leave the wyverns unattended, they need rest.”

I directed Zalzre down to the pasture below that looked more like an abyss. In an emergency, Zalzre and Ralti could fly straight through, but there was no need to push them.

“Are they incapable of being on their own?”

Zalzre whipped his head around and sent a quick burst of air at Audryn. Moisture and drops of snot pelted us. The wyvern trilled, more satisfied by the woman’s gasp than he should’ve been.

“How about we avoid pissing off my mount until after we’ve landed and he’s had time to eat?” Audryn didn’t reply and instead used her shawl to wipe her face clean. “You and Amalee can go into town and eat,” I continued. “My sister knows what I like and will bring something back.”

“No,” she said flatly.

Zalzre quickly descended, and Audryn gripped the hand I’d kept around her stomach. She’d reached for me several other times throughout the trip. I considered forcing Zalzre into a series of dives and turns just to keep her skin gripped against my own, but thought better of it.

“Don’t you want to eat?” I asked.

“I don’t know her, or you for that matter.” Audryn huffed. “Fisher and I will stay with the wyverns.” She dropped my hand the moment Zalzre’s feet hit the ground.

“Amalee and Fisher can go, you and I will stay.” I dismounted and gestured her down. “Should I assume you’ll do this on your own, or would you like help this time?”

She glared, then swung her leg over and slid down the side of Zalzre’s neck. When she lost her footing, I moved to catch her.

“Stop it.” She batted my hands away.

“You were going to fall.”

“Then let me. I’d ask for your assistance if I wanted it.” She stomped over to where Ralti had landed.

Amalee and Fisher dismounted and were arguing about something, their conversation too low for me to hear. Fisher crossed his arms and gave my sister a stony stare. The wyvern watched, looking ready to snap off the guard’s head for merely having to transport him on her back.

“Highly doubt you would,” I said under my breath.

Audryn had been pushing me away from the moment I met her and, as far as I could tell, didn’t allow anyone else to get close either, aside from Ryder.

I ran a hand over Zalzre’s harness and unhooked the two bags from the clips; hers easily outweighed mine.

Against the hillside, the familiar cluster of boulders welcomed my return.

The area was within walking distance of the capital, but far enough away for our mounts to remain out of sight.

Aside from Rivale and Kuroden, all other kingdoms travelled by horse.

Seeing a wyvern was a constant reminder of the threats we all faced from the Oras, and it was best not to provoke panic among the locals.

“What’s the plan?” my sister called out as she approached. “Want me to grab dinner, or are you going to?”

My gaze rolled to Audryn, who was flailing her arms as she spoke with her escort.

Even with her back to me, it was easy to see the conversation was heated.

To his credit, Fisher stood unfazed and instead kept his sights on me.

I threw up a middle finger in his direction to be sure he knew his feelings were mutual.

“Doesn’t look like she’s leaving his side,” I said, blowing out a breath, “and I can’t really talk to her with him around.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t feel like entertaining him.” Amalee poked her bony finger into my chest. “You keep them occupied since this was your big plan.”

She moved at a brisk pace toward town; our favorite tavern was on the outskirts, so it wouldn’t take long for her to return. The food wasn’t fancy, and it certainly wasn’t served on golden trays like my newfound guests were used to, but it would have to do.

Fisher turned to stand at Audryn’s side, leaving their backs to me. The moon shone bright, but with the capital in the distance, their view was nothing more than shadows defining the area.

“Hey.” I tapped Audryn’s shoulder. She jumped away the moment the tips of my fingers brushed her shirt. “Sorry, I was just—”

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped. Fisher, the dutiful guard he pretended to be, pushed forward to stand between the woman and me.

I gave a humorless laugh. “Oh, I see. It’s fine when your prince puts his hands on her when he’s raging, but you have an issue when I’m only trying to get her attention.

Got it. Fucked up, but I guess we all make choices.

” I turned my attention back to her. “Amalee’s grabbing food, and I’m going to collect some wood for a fire.

I’d say to stay close to your guard, but I’m not sure he’ll even keep you safe. ”

“Thanks for the update.” Fisher’s jaw flexed. “We were very concerned to know your whereabouts.”

I climbed on top of Zalzre and we bolted into the sky. Not only did I have an ornery woman to contend with, but I had to put up with her shitty guard too. Maybe I should have insisted Fisher stay in Rivale, though I might’ve risked the entire deal falling through if I had.

Zalzre burst into a mid-air sprint, sending the wind whipping my hair back.

He dove into steep descents and ascended into nearly perpendicular inclines with Ralti shadowing every move.

Feeling my frustration, he did what he knew how to do best—scare me within inches of my death to help me forget the feelings that were getting the better of me.

Zalzre settled to the ground, and I dismounted.

I zipped up my jacket and walked into the wooded area, looking for any dropped branches to gather.

Even in summer, the nights were cool, especially as we proceeded north across the continent.

The warmth of the sun seemed to be better suited for the central and southern areas.

With the help of the wyverns tearing down branches, it didn’t take long to gather enough wood to keep the fire burning. Using their clawed feet, the creatures carried the firewood as we flew the short distance back to our overnight location.

Fisher and Audryn sat on the grassy hillside while I worked to build a fire in the stone circle near the boulders.

They were too far for me to hear anything more than a low rumble of voices.

The fire sparked, and the flames grew up the sides of the bark as I pushed the wood around with a long stick.

Zalzre and Ralti took to the sky to begin their evening hunt. It wasn’t uncommon for most wyverns to fly all day and feed later, especially the ones working at the oil seeps. With barrels of crude transported during the day, the evenings were left for food and sleep.

“I see she’s really warming up to you, Brother. Is that why you resorted to fire for warmth instead?” Amalee’s voice echoed from behind me. “Quite the impression you’ve made.”

She continued past me and took a seat on the log across from me. Reaching into the small basket, she pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich and tossed it over the flames at me.

“That was pretty risky,” I mused, unwrapping what I knew was hidden inside.

The spicy peppers landed on my senses the instant I’d caught the thick log of bread.

Thin cuts of meat, onions, and a creamy sauce accompanied green vegetables inside.

“You’d have to walk back and get me another if you missed. ”

Without needing to beckon them, Audryn and Fisher joined us. The woman was stunning with the glow of the flames bouncing off her round ivory cheeks. She looked over my sister’s shoulder at the basket’s contents.

“Fish sandwich.” I garbled through a mouthful of food and chuckled. “Your favorite, right? I made a special request.”

“Don’t be an ass, Col,” Amalee snapped and reached down. With a sandwich in both hands, she put up her right hand. “This one has meatballs with red sauce.” She threw her left hand up. “Chicken with tomato and some sort of herb spread.”

Audryn eyed the selection and looked to Fisher. “Which do you want?”

“Either is fine. I’ll eat whichever you don’t choose,” the guard said.

Her eyes were fixed on the meatball, but she weighed her options carefully, as if a wrong choice loomed. We hadn’t eaten all day; she had to be starving.