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Chapter Thirteen

Samara

“We can’t wait any longer.” Taivan sighed. “Vail will have to find us.”

“Are we sure he hasn’t gone back to Carmilla?” Desmond looked to me for an answer.

I didn’t have one, because while I didn’t think he would have, I clearly couldn’t trust myself when it came to Vail.

I’d learned that lesson the hard way. There was another way I could tell though, one that made no sense but was real all the same.

I concentrated on the thread between us, and it felt thinner now, strained.

Was that because of the physical distance? Or because of . . . everything else between us?

“South,” I breathed out. “He’s to the south of us.”

Taivan mulled it over. “The Sovereign House is north, and most of their search parties haven’t reached this far yet. If Vail is south of us, then it’s unlikely he’s met up with Carmilla or any of her rangers.”

“What if he runs into them while making his way back to us?” Absently, I rubbed the spot on my chest where I felt the bond. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I dropped my hand. “Vail’s a strong fighter, but he’d be outnumbered.”

Not to mention the fact that Carmilla would likely make an example out of him if he were captured. He was a traitorous asshole, but if he was truly on our side, Vail would be useful. Just because I was still hurting over his betrayal didn’t mean I’d waste such a valuable resource.

So pragmatic . I could practically hear Carmilla in my mind, and I shoved the thought away.

“Let’s go then. We’ll stick with the original plan and trust Vail to catch up.” I nodded at Taivan. “We’re following you.”

“This way.” He entered the tunnel outside the cavern we’d been resting in and went left.

“My parents are waiting topside for us. We’ll meet up with the Harker rangers—Adrienne, Emil, and Nyx—in a couple of miles.

The storm is going to hit any minute, and we’ll travel as far as we can.

There are a few safe houses we can use, depending on where we end up. ”

The tunnel split into two directions, but Taivan sliced his finger open on his fang and tapped a glyph on the wall. The compact dirt shimmered, revealing a door, which Taivan pulled open and stepped through.

I started to move towards it when Kieran placed a hand on my forearm, halting me. Gold wove through his brown eyes, a little of his bloodlust peeking through. Everyone except Alaric was riding their bloodlust to some extent because we needed any advantage we could get.

Traveling on a night like this was insane.

All kinds of wicked things prowled the Lunarian wilds after the sun set, and we were far from the top of the food chain, but we’d discussed it when Taivan and Desmond had returned and agreed it would be worth it.

The storm would cover our tracks better than we could ever manage.

With Carmilla and her rangers likely coming for us, I wanted to delay our reunion until I knew of some way to counteract the crown’s magic.

“You good, Sam?” Kieran’s lips quirked up into a lopsided grin as he tightened the cloak hanging around my neck. He and Draven had burst into the room after I’d formed the bond with Roth and Draven had felt the echoes of the new bond through his.

They’d both been happy for us, but I hadn’t missed the uncertainty in Kieran’s eyes.

I’d tried to explain that I hadn’t intentionally done it—not that I wasn’t absolutely thrilled to be bonded with Roth—but I still didn’t understand why this was happening.

I didn’t want Kieran to think I wasn’t choosing him.

Kieran had seen right through my hasty explanations and assured me he was fine, but then he’d smiled at me in a way that I knew was false. Draven had frowned at him when he’d done it because he clearly recognized that fake smile too.

Unfortunately, that was when Roth’s brothers had arrived, so I hadn’t been able to discuss it with Kieran anymore.

We’d barely had time to get dressed in the clothing Kieran and Draven had found and adorn ourselves with weapons, which was why I was wearing a shirt that was a little baggy and pants that were way too tight.

On the plus side, two wicked daggers were now strapped to my thighs, and I’d been able to quickly recreate the blood magic I’d had on my previous ones, so now I could recall these to my hands after I threw them.

I reached up to double-check Kieran’s cloak. “Absolutely. Who doesn’t love a little midnight stroll?”

“The woods are great this time of year,” Draven added, kneeling down to make sure the sheaths for my daggers were buckled to his satisfaction.

“Can’t beat the weather either,” Alaric said dryly as the crash of rainfall sounded from where Taivan had clearly opened another door.

“Definitely nothing else I’d rather be doing right now,” Roth grumbled from beneath three cloaks.

Apparently, their older brothers were very concerned about the cold.

At one point, they’d been eying my cloak, clearly thinking about snagging it to give to their younger sibling, but Roth had snarled in their faces and they’d stomped away.

I might have offered Rothie Bear my cloak after that, and they might have threatened something along the lines of you’ll get the edging of your lifetime when this is over .

Kieran booped me on the nose before darting up after Taivan and Desmond. Roth and Alaric both sighed before following, leaving me alone with Draven, who was still fiddling with the buckles on my thigh.

I chewed on my bottom lip. Vail was a good tracker, but the storm might make it more difficult for him to figure out where we’d gone.

I could sense where he was through the bond we shared, but I wasn’t sure if he could do it too.

Draven and I had done some testing with our bond; he could sense where I was just as I could him, and he was also able to tug on it to summon me.

But Draven and I were both part Fae. What if that impacted whatever this connection was and Vail couldn’t do the same? Not to mention the fact that the bond between us was stretched so thin . . .

My eyes dropped down to Draven. No. I couldn’t ask that of him, and it was stupid to even think it. Vail had made his decision, and he wasn’t my?—

“Yes.” Draven rose, his dark blue eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’ll go find your Marshal.”

“He’s not my anything.” I frowned and quickly scanned Draven.

Like me, he’d loaded up on weapons. No whip, but he had two swords strapped to his back and half a dozen daggers hidden on his person.

His black-and-silver hair was braided back, disappearing beneath his long black cloak. “And I didn’t ask you a question.”

“You thought it.” He kissed my forehead. “It’s okay to worry about him. Love’s complicated.”

“I’m only worried because Vail could be useful, and if he gets himself caught, we’ll lose a valuable asset,” I hissed.

Draven just gave me an infuriatingly patient look. “Of course.”

I thought about stabbing him, but the way he was grinning at me now suggested he’d like it.

Stupid, hot prince.

Kieran was . . . not pleased about Draven splitting off to retrieve Vail.

I didn’t blame him; I would have preferred for us all to stay together too.

The fact that it was my fault Vail had gone off on his own only added to my guilt.

I mean, I had every right to be angry with him, but he had helped us escape.

It didn’t mean I’d be inviting him back into my bed anytime soon.

Still . . . I could have let him down easier instead of slamming the door in his face.

It’d been satisfying but not entirely mature of me.

Draven had promised that he was used to traveling in the woods at night and that he could use his magic to find Vail.

I’d asked if he could feel Vail through the bond, but he’d said no, that he could only sense me. He was confident he’d be able to track Vail down quickly though, and then he could use his connection to me to find wherever we currently were.

I looked around the dark forest, which felt extra ominous tonight. I hoped Draven found him and dragged his ass back soon. It could just be my general anxiety about being in the wilds at night, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that had been building since we’d left the tunnels.

We’d been traveling for almost an hour, and it was slow going.

Severen and Celestina were in the front, Roth’s brothers were guarding our backs, and Adrienne, Emil, and Nyx had met up with us not long ago and were guarding our flanks—Emil to our left, and the other two to my right.

It felt good to see the rangers again and to have more backup in case some beastie tried to make a meal out of us.

Several times, one of the rangers or Roth’s kin sensed something and held up a hand for us all to stop. The first time, we’d quietly climbed up into the trees as an enormous horned bear lumbered past us.

Even on all fours, it would have towered over us.

The two horns that sprung from the top of its head before jutting forward brushed the leaves.

It was the first time I’d ever seen one in person, as the bears preferred the mountains in the far north of Lunaria.

The Velesians were used to dealing with them, since their realm bordered the mountain range, but the bears had only recently started coming into the Moroi realm.

Fortunately, they were usually easy to avoid and weren’t as vicious as many of the other predators. As long as you didn’t mess with them.