Page 56 of Where Darkness Falls

Maeva pushes a few strands of her messy waves from her face. Now that she’s bathed and doesn’t smell like a bloody swamp urchin, she’s quite breathtaking—annoyingly so. “If I ride on Danté, what will you ride?” she asks, looking around. “I see no other horses. Are you planning to climb on with one of your cadre?”

Riordan disguises a chuckle as a cough.

My eyes close to slits.

She knows exactly how to push my buttons.

“On Danté,” I say tersely. “I’ll ride on Danté with you.”

Her round eyes widen. “Not in all the powers of Celestae willthathappen,” she scoffs. “Youwillconjure another beast for me.”

“No,” I say, matter-of-factly.

Her jaw is slack as she rolls her eyes.

“Yes,” she snaps back, stomping her foot.

She really thinks she will get her way with that kind of behavior?

Siorai, spare me!

“Are you now resorting back into adolescence?” I ask.

“If that means I won’t have to ride on a horse with you, then yes,” she replies.

“We do not have time for this,” I groan. “I won’t summon another horse for you because that isn’t possible. There’s only one horse per signet, but I suppose you wouldn’t know that. Besides, for all I know, you’ll try to flee, and I can’t allow that to happen. So, either you can allow me to be a gentleman and gracefully help you onto Danté’s back… or I can make you. The choice is yours, Rosey.”

As expected, the nickname causes her cheeks to redden. “My name is Maeva,” she bites out, clenching her hands into fists.

“I don’t care if your bloody name’s Petunia,” I quip back. “You’re going to get on Danté, so we can at least make it somewhere safe before nightfall. Unless you’d rather take your chances with the beasts in the woods,Rosey.”

Her features are so tight I could probably fit two silver coins between her eyebrows and they’d stay. “At this point, I think the woodland creatures might be more welcoming,” she replies.

I can’t begin to explain the satisfaction it brings me to know I’ve gotten under her skin, but alas, this game must end.

“Get. On. The. Bloody. Horse,” I say, my jaw clenched tightly.

“General,” Riordan interrupts, “perhaps we?—”

“She’s riding with me,” I snap at my third commander, cutting off what I’m sure was his kind offer to allow her to ride with him. “End of discussion.”

Her dark eyes bear into mine as her lips twitch just a fraction. “No,” she whispers.

Well, I tried.

I’m done waiting for her to be reasonable.

If she wants a fight… So be it.

It only takes a few steps for me to reach her. Though she’s tiny in stature compared to me, she has a way of looking down at me over the bridge of her nose. She must truly believe I will just accommodate her.

Oh, how sweet. Rosey seems to always underestimate me.

I lean down, barely a breath away. “I tried to warn you,” I say.

Then, before she can register my words, I wink and haul her over one shoulder. She flails around like a trapped pixie, cursing and demanding to be released. My lips tip up ever so slightly. Thankfully, my helmet keeps my features hidden, so no one knows just how amused I am by her antics. “My, my. Do you always use such colorful language?” I ask.

“Put me down this instant,” she demands, slamming her hands against the back of my armor. Her attempts are quite humorous. I might’ve allowed her to continue on her rampage if I had more time or patience—however, I’m out of both. We need to make it to Delereauh before nightfall if we want to escape the possibility of running into the demons that roam at night.