Page 61

Chapter

Fifty-Eight

A demanding knock on the corridor door woke her, and Lessia yawned as she wrapped a thick blanket around herself against the freezing air in the room and made her way over to open it.

No light trickled in through the large windows as she unlocked the hatch, but Loche was fully dressed in dark clothing, with a thick fur-lined cloak clasped atop his chest, a satchel slung over his shoulder, and a grin gracing his face.

“I heard you were free to go.”

A wrinkle formed over her brows as she tried to smooth out the hair she was sure was tangled around her face. “How?”

Loche grinned wider. “I’ve told you before; I get what I want.”

Her frown deepened.

With a wink, Loche gently nudged her backward, opening the door farther. “I might have had Zaddock pay your guard a visit while we were spending time in the library.”

Lessia shot a look at the door leading into Merrick’s room .

Had he known all along Loche asked her to leave?

She glanced from Loche to the darkness outside her windows. “Is it even morning?”

Chuckling, Loche walked into her room. “No. But I’d prefer not to have anyone see us or try to stop us. Now get dressed, and let’s leave.”

She was already dressed in her usual tunic and breeches, so Lessia laced up her worn leather boots and made her way to the bathing chamber. A shiver danced across her shoulders when Loche’s hand brushed hers as she passed him.

She threw him a glare, but he only chuckled again, his eyes glittering in the dim light.

Closing the door behind her, she drew a deep breath.

Nerves tangled in her stomach, and she wished she’d had time to speak to Amalise or Ardow before leaving.

Not that she had never been alone with a man before, but Loche…

There was something about him that unsettled her, shook her to her core.

And she couldn’t help but worry what would happen once they were alone again. She’d nearly gotten carried away yesterday. Had almost forgotten about what she kept hidden beneath her long sleeves.

Lessia splashed some cold water on her face and picked up a brush to try to tame her unruly hair. The amber eyes looking back at her in the scuffed mirror as she worked were wide, and there was a rosiness in her cheeks she couldn’t attribute to the cold.

She groaned to herself.

He was just a man.

Straightening her dark tunic, securing the sleeve over the silver snake, she shook her head and walked out into the room again .

Loche stood in the same spot, his eyes immediately finding hers. When he offered her her cloak, she let him place it on her shoulders and clasp it shut.

His fingers lingered by her neck, and when she glanced at them and then back up at him, he grinned at her. “All ready?”

“Where are we going?”

Gesturing for her to walk ahead, he said, “You’ll see.”

She still wondered whether this was a good idea as she walked out the door into the brightly lit corridor.

Especially when there wasn’t a single guard in sight.

Loche’s eyes followed hers, and he whispered, “Zaddock is creating a little diversion.”

She frowned. “I thought he wasn’t supportive.”

“He was only looking out for us. But after last night…” Loche’s eyes hardened for a moment. “There’s no point in hiding now. Not when they already know.”

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her with him down a corridor she hadn’t been before and lifted aside a dusty tapestry, revealing a rickety staircase that looked like it had been placed there temporarily and then forgotten about.

When she hesitated, Loche walked ahead, confidently gripping the rusty railing and stepping onto the first creaking stair.

“It leads to the stables. It used to be a stable boy entrance, but since we don’t force the people who work here to live at the castle anymore, it hasn’t been in use in a long time. Come on. They’ll be back any second, and while this might be a secret passage, this staircase is loud.”

Lessia scowled at him, but Loche only raised his brows and started down the stairs. As she reluctantly followed him, she was grateful he’d grabbed a lantern off the wall. And when he made sure to remain close to her, never allowing the darkness to creep in, her shoulders lowered another inch .

Loche was right about it being loud.

For every step Lessia took, the staircase creaked and whined—as if it might fall into a heap of dust at any moment. But soon enough, more light trickled over their boots, and the comforting smell of horses and hay washed over them.

When their feet finally found solid ground, they stepped right into the pen of an already saddled horse. It was a beautiful gray stallion, the coat’s color eerily similar to Loche’s eyes, with a long, almost pearly mane.

“This is Reks. Reks, meet Lessia.”

The horse neighed softly when Loche approached, and when he urged Lessia forward, she lifted her hand to stroke Reks’s head. Reks nudged her hand with his muzzle, and she giggled when his wet lips nipped at her in search of a treat.

“I may have spoiled him, but he’s a good horse. And he’ll easily carry us both, even in winter.” Loche patted the horse before reaching for her as if to lift her up.

She shifted away, placing her foot in the stirrup and pulling herself up.

“He may be tall, but so am I.” She grinned.

Loche’s eyes glinted as he mounted the horse, pulling her body flush against his and reaching around her to grab the reins. “That you are.”

His lips brushed her cheek. “But I’ve come to like throwing you around, so please refrain from denying me the pleasure in the future.”

Goose bumps rose in the wake of his warm breath, and she had to stifle a groan when her cheeks heated. “I’ll be deciding when and if you’re bestowed that pleasure, thank you very much,” she grumbled when she gained control over her features again.

A snort whispered over her skin. “I’m well aware.”

Fabric rustled behind her .

“Pull up your hood. We’ve probably been loud enough to alert every guard in the courtyard, so we’ll need to ride fast. The gates will be open, but they’ll try to stop us.”

As she pulled up her hood, she glanced over her shoulder at Loche’s covered face. “Aren’t you still regent? I assume you have the authority to do as you please.”

His arms tightened around her. “But this is much more fun, don’t you think?”

She raised a brow, and as if he could see her expression even with the hood covering her face, he continued. “We have a lead on the spies in the castle, but I am not sure if they are working alone. I’d prefer no one sees us.”

Facing forward again, she nodded.

But as Loche urged the horse forward and a low laugh rang under his hood as the stallion’s heavy steps launched into a gallop even before they burst out of the open stable doors, she couldn’t help but think he also enjoyed this.

Shouts sounded around them, mingling with Reks’s hooves crunching the snow, and she kept her face down, fingers tangling in Reks’s long mane to hold steady as he increased his speed.

The gates—as Loche promised—were open, but her stomach surged when the guards called for horses.

As Lessia tried to turn around, Loche’s arms held her in place.

“I hid the saddles and reins.” He laughed, unconcerned, as they passed a few more guards stationed outside the castle walls.

Reks’s gait increased further, and Loche steered him toward the woods, the sound of the guards fading with each stride.

When the sound vanished completely and only the wind and crackling snow whistled around them, Reks slowed but still kept a steady gallop, each step keeping to a narrow path, far away from the cliffs to their left.

Lessia released a breath, her eyes following the white puff, and allowed herself to lean into Loche’s warm chest. Even with the layers of clothing between them, the heat from his body cloaked her, and electricity pulsed through her when Loche’s breathing deepened.

They rode quietly beside the forest for a while, but as Loche steered the horse onto another path, even slimmer than the previous, she stiffened.

Loche had left the lantern in the stable, and until now, the light from the town had illuminated their path, but the direction in which Reks now set off was entirely cast in shadows.

Loche rested his chin on her shoulder as he pulled on the reins until the stallion came to a full stop.

“I have something for you.”

He gently pulled off her hood, and as she turned her head over her shoulder, a gasp left her.

Loche smiled as he weighed the sparkling stone in his hand.

Luminous, silvery light burst out of the hand-sized rock, casting a glow that radiated like millions of tiny diamonds, brightening the snow beneath them in a wide circle.

“What is this?” she whispered as he offered it to her.

When she didn’t immediately take it, Loche’s hand gripped hers, gently opening her palm and placing the rock in it.

As her fingers wrapped around it, she realized it was warm, as if the glow somehow not only shone like the sun but also provided the same warmth as a beautiful spring day.

His mouth lifted in a one-sided smile. “I found it in the regents’ vault. Apparently, not all treasures were distributed amongst the people. I gave away everything else, but somehow I couldn’t make myself get rid of this. Now, I’m glad I didn’t.”

She stared at the stone in her hand, extending it toward him. “I can’t take this. It belongs to Ellow.”

Loche’s large hand wrapped around hers, closing her fingers over it.

“It belongs to the Fae. I don’t know how it ended up here, but that is no stone of Ellow.

From what I’ve understood, King Rioner has enough riches for a million lifetimes.

You, on the other hand, need something bright to light up the darkness. ”

Swallowing, she traced the smooth rock with her fingers.

She’d never seen anything like it.

But she hadn’t seen much of Vastala either. Being hidden away in her youth and then living in squalor on the streets didn’t allow her much insight into whatever treasures the Fae kept.

When Loche wouldn’t budge, she sighed, promising herself she’d give it back once they returned.

But for now…

She held on to the stone the entire ride through the woods, not once losing her breath within the thick darkness.