Page 59 of Kingdom of Chains

She watched the flap of the tent fall back into place before sinking to the ground.

CHAPTER 18

The defenders waited amid the tall conifers for Ita to return. She had needed to get Rabbit to a medic as quickly as possible, and since she was not permitted to reveal the location of their camp, she told them to wait for her there and she would return with the leader of the St Clare group. The defenders had some questions about the group’s plans to free the people in the camp.

Tatum was standing beside his horse, repeatedly throwing a rock into the air and catching it. Blackmane was leaning against a trunk, growing increasingly agitated. He had no idea whether Hodge was treating Isabel like a queen or completely losing his mind over what had transpired. ‘I shouldn’t have let her go with him.’

‘You didn’t have a choice.’

‘I should have kept her with me.’

‘And done what with her? You’re a defender of Chadora. She’s the woman Lord Hodge has selected to be his wife.’ Tatum threw the rock at Blackmane, who caught it. ‘Now, I’m the first to admit theirs isn’t the healthiest of relationships, but show me a noble match that is.’

Blackmane pushed off the tree, turning the rock in his hand. ‘She deserves better than him.’

‘I agree.’

‘She deserves to feel safe.’

‘Every woman does.’ Tatum watched him closely. ‘You’ve caught feelings for her. It’s natural to want to tear off the head of the man she shares a bed with.’

‘She doesn’t—’ He began pacing. ‘You lot always say I’m incapable of feelings.’

‘Well, clearly something’s changed. Maybe Lady Isabel was placed in your path to remind you that thereiswarmth outside the cold shell you’ve built around yourself.’

Blackmane pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Or to torture me.’

Tatum studied him. ‘Did something happen between you two last night?’

‘No.’ Blackmane stilled, hesitated. ‘She was cold—’

‘Ah. And you warmed her up.’ Tatum smirked. ‘That’s rather intimate. Don’t you normally just bend your lovers over a bed and tell them not to look at you?’

Blackmane threw the rock back at Tatum—hard—hitting him square on the forehead.

‘Fuck,’ Tatum grunted, a hand pressed to his head. ‘That really hurt.’

The snap of debris underfoot had them both reaching for their weapons.

Ita appeared and raised her hands. ‘Only me.’

She had brought the group’s leader with her as promised. The man stopped a safe distance from the defenders.

Tatum looked him up and down. ‘I suppose introductions are a bit pointless since you all use aliases.’

The man studied him a moment. ‘You can call me Thorn.’

Tatum’s eyebrows rose slightly. ‘Is there a prickly backstory to that one?’

Thorn stared, not reacting in the slightest.

‘Right, well, you can simply address me as Commander,’ Tatum said, then gestured to Blackmane. ‘And this is Cottontail.’

Blackmane shook his head.

‘Twitch here tells me you’re trustworthy,’ Thorn said.

Tatum quirked a brow. ‘Twitch?’ Then, realising that was Ita’s alias, he added, ‘Oh,Twitch. Yes, trustworthy.’