Page 11

Chapter 11

The Road Ahead

R aewyn

Peeking through the cottage’s front window, I saw it was not a battalion of mounted soldiers but a single horse I’d heard galloping up to our door.

It was enormous… and black as night…

I pulled open the door to find Pharis with his arm raised, about to knock.

“You’ve come back,” I said in surprise.

His hair was windblown, his face drawn tight. He looked down at me, and for a moment, his eyes warmed.

No, there’s no time.

As I heard the words in my mind, I watched those remarkable eyes turn icy and deadly serious.

“You have to leave—now. Soldiers are on their way here.”

I started to tell him I already knew, but he added a terrifying detail that stole my breath for a moment.

“My father is with them.”

“What?” I said finally. “The King himself is coming after me?”

“I told you he considers you a prize. Now come on, we’re leaving.”

Pharis reached out and took my hand, pulling me outside.

“No need to bring anything—I’ll buy whatever you need along the way.”

What? He was planning to put me on his horse and ride me out of here himself?

Digging in my heels, I yanked my hand from his.

“What about my family?” I asked.

I looked over my shoulder to see my sisters standing with my father, staring at the huge Elven man.

Pharis blew out a loud breath. “Go ahead and say your goodbyes if you must. But make it quick.”

I lifted my chin, doing my best to meet him eye to eye with our radical height difference.

“I’m not going to leave them.” My tone said the fact should have been obvious.

“You have no choice,” he said. “Did you not hear me?”

He gripped my shoulders, giving them a little shake. “The King and his soldiers are on their way right now . They’ve just left the next village over. They’ll be here any minute. You cannot stay, Raewyn.”

“That’s not what I meant. We are already packed and ready to go. They’re coming with me.”

Pharis’ head jerked back. “No. They’ll slow us down.”

“There is no us ,” I said. “Unless it includes them.”

“I only have the one horse,” he said. “We can’t all ride him, and going on foot with that crew…”

He waved toward the blind man and two small girls behind me. “...is a certain death sentence.”

“We’ll have to take our chances.” I turned to my family and motioned for them to follow me. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

Tindra and Turi each grabbed a handful of my father’s cloak, and the three of them walked toward the door, stepping out to stand beside me.

The girls’ eyes were as big as pies as they gaped up at Pharis and his incredible stallion.

Though this one had a similar glossy black coat and a long, flowing mane and tail, it wasn’t Dargan. Of course the Fae prince had more than one elite mount. He probably owned an entire herd.

“Who is this, Raewyn?” Papa asked.

I wasn’t sure how to explain Pharis, so I simply said, “A friend. He’s come to help us,” and gave Pharis a pointed look.

“Pharis, meet my father, Wyll Hennessey.”

Dropping his head back and looking toward the sky, he let out a frustrated-sounding growly noise.

“I swear you will be the death of me, woman.” His eyes narrowed, and his jaw hardened. “I should snatch you up and throw you over the saddle.”

“If you do, I will scream the entire way and alert the King’s troops to our location,” I vowed.

“You would, wouldn’t you? Right after you scratched my eyes out.”

Throwing his hands out to the sides, Pharis spun around, scanning the street.

A few houses down stood the Creegan’s house and behind it, Dardick’s new home that was still under construction. Corralled beside it was his horse, Ruby and two others belonging to his parents.

Pharis blew out an exasperated breath and started walking that way. “I’ll be right back.”

He went directly to the paddock, jumping the fence then saddling Ruby and leading her through the gate toward us.

All in broad daylight without hesitation.

The Elves really did believe they owned everyone and everything. Though I certainly had no love for Dardick, I was offended on behalf of the human race.

Pharis led Ruby to stop just in front of us. “This really is a nice horse,” he said.

My hands went to my hips. “And you just stole it.”

“Of course not. I’m not a horse thief,” he said, tipping his head back toward the Creegan’s place. “I left some coin there on the fencepost.”

Taking in my aghast expression, he added, “A generous amount. He doesn’t know how to ride properly anyway. He’d have ridden the poor animal into a ditch one night while he was in his cups.”

Placing his hands around my waist and obviously preparing to lift me onto his own horse, he said, “Now come on, unless you’re eager to be reunited with His Majesty King Pontus.”

I certainly was not, and I was even less eager to let the King get his hands on my family. We really had no choice.

But I had no intention of riding with Pharis again. I backed out of his clasp.

“I’ll ride Ruby with Papa. The girls will ride with you.”

“You don’t know how to ride,” Pharis argued.

“My father does. He’s blind, but I’ll alert him to any obstacles or change in direction.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Throwing his palms up in a surrender pose, Pharis said, “Very well. Let’s just get on with it.”

Looking down—far down—at my tiny sisters, he moved toward them then stopped.

“Do they scratch as well?” he asked me.

“They’re not kittens, they’re girls,” I said. “Meet Tindra and Turi. Girls, this is Pharis, my… friend from Merisola.”

He gave them a shallow bow.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured my sisters. “He’s ugly, but he’s not dangerous.”

Pharis’ shocked expression as he whipped his head toward me almost made me laugh. If we weren’t preparing to flee for our lives, it might have.

Neither of my sisters responded. They were either in awe or catatonic with fear.

In the past two weeks, I’d grown almost accustomed to the sight of Elven men, but they’d literally never seen one before.

“He’s going to lift you onto his horse, who’s called…” I waited for Pharis to supply the name.

“Cimmerian,” he said.

When Pharis bent, preparing to lift Turi, she scrambled back, clinging to my father’s leg. She started to cry.

“I want to ride with Papa.”

“I want to ride with Papa, too,” Tindra whined. “I can give him directions.”

Pharis shook his head then tipped his chin heavenward again, as if seeking strength from the Great Star. Clearly he had no experience with children.

Though Tindra was only eight, she was a capable girl and very smart. She was right. She could do it.

And when we weren’t traveling at a full gallop, it might be possible to lead their horse with the lead line.

“We’ve got to go. What do you want me to do?” Pharis was beginning to sound and look panicked.

I made a quick decision.

“Put the girls on Ruby with my father,” I said. “Papa, Pharis will help you mount.”

“It’s been a long time,” Papa said, “but I can ride. The girls and I will be fine.”

“Let’s hope so. We have no time for broken bones,” Pharis muttered.

He moved quickly, helping Papa then turning back to the girls.

Bending, he moved slowly toward Turi and put his hands around her waist. They spanned the entire circumference of it.

He gingerly placed the little girl in the front of the saddle then lifted Tindra and did the same. My father’s arms bracketed the girls in front of him. Pharis handed him the reins.

“Thank you,” Papa said. “It feels good to be on horseback again.”

Speaking to Turi in a softer voice than I’d ever heard him use, Pharis pointed to the saddle’s pommel.

“Hold on to this.”

She obeyed immediately, wrapping her little fingers around the hard protrusion at the front of the saddle.

To Tindra, who was taller and clearly older, he said, “Hold onto your sister and keep her safe. Guide your father well… you can do it.”

She nodded, looking a little scared but also excited to be on a horse for the first time.

In a move I was now accustomed to, Pharis lifted me onto Cimmerian.

Then he took a spare blanket from the saddle bag, folding it and tucking it behind me before mounting the horse himself.

He hadn’t done that when we rode Dargan together. It must have been because of the change in horse and saddle. Perhaps this one was larger?

I turned back to give him a questioning glance, but he didn’t even look at me, just stared straight ahead.

“Let’s move out.”

As we trotted down the road then broke into a gallop, I noticed several of my neighbors peeking from their windows, which was unfortunate.

One of them might be frightened enough to tell the King’s soldiers what they’d seen, but I couldn’t worry about that now.

Pharis seemed unworried himself. Though he was known throughout the land, he’d elected not to cast his shadows to avoid being recognized and reported to his father.

Sometime between now and when he’d left me at my door last night, he’d apparently decided to throw caution to the wind.

And he’d decided to come back and save me.

I couldn’t begin to imagine why he’d take the risk, even considering his loyalty to Stellon.

Leaning to the side and turning my head back, I took one last look at our cottage and my village receding into the distance.

And then I turned back around and focused on the road ahead, wondering where it might lead us.

Only Pharis knew the answer to that.