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17

THE TASTE OF TRUST

W e reached the peak of the next ridge and found the sun coming up on our right. The endless night was behind us. Despite the blue dragon, we had been granted another day.

I asked Nogel if he knew where we were.

"Three days’ walk from Ristat. Half a day less if we cross through the Queevnar.” He pointed to the range of mountains rising up to the northwest. “If we keep to the valleys between, we won’t climb too high. But of course, if we can find other transportation, we can arrive much sooner." Nogel held up his hands. "I say the ladies decide. Through the mountains will be hardest on them.”

Minkin rolled her eyes, then looked at me. "Through," we said, in unison.

Besides the two of us, none of our party was well rested, but I heard no complaints as we set off toward the Queevnar—the guardians of the king’s city. The boots I’d taken from the Semels made the journey easier, but holding my skirts up wasn’t conducive to keeping my balance. We hadn’t gone far before I asked for rope and made a belt so I could bunch up the purple cloth and walk with my hands free.

Luckily for me, princesses were not expected to carry their own satchels and water.

In the afternoon, when we stopped to rest beside a small creek, Morrow agreed that we could take a few hours to sleep. With our glow stones, we could travel into the night to make up for it.

Tearloch wandered in my direction, and I made a point of moving to the other side of the clearing. He understood immediately that I wasn’t interested in a repeat of what happened the night before, on the shore, and he veered into the tree line before settling on the ground. His pinched brow said he didn’t know why I was avoiding him, but he didn’t ask.

“I’ll take the watch,” I said. “I’m not at all tired. And I promise to make a lot of noise if I see anything.”

No one argued. I sat in the direct sun so I could warm my bones. Tearloch had been right. I’d been shocked by the change in climate, but it looked like I was the only one. Since our nightcoats had been primarily for wind, and they were far too heavy to carry for the sake of warmth, we’d left them behind.

One of the guards delivered my satchel, and as I kept watch, everyone produced some sort of food before stretching out to sleep. Lady Edeen had provided me with a few pieces of fruit and dried meat for the journey, which I shared with Minkin before she joined Tearloch and Sweetie inside the tree line and used the latter’s arm for a pillow.

Ten minutes later, nine people were sound asleep, trusting that I would keep them safe. It was a small thing, really, but it was a taste, and it warmed me from the inside.

* * *

Tearloch woke from a deep and dreamless sleep to the echo of Sweetie’s snort. The man would be horrified to know the animal noises he made when he wasn’t aware.

Minkin’s eyes met Tearloch’s across a five-foot span of wispy grass. He’d been eager to ask her something, and it might be his only chance for a private word for a long while.

“Something amiss?” she whispered.

He kept his voice low. “Do you suppose…is there a chance…Yora lied to me?”

“About what? She loved you. That was no lie.”

“Did she lie about us being heartbound?”

“Tearloch,” she hissed. “You mean you couldn’t tell? You took her word for it?”

He bit his lips together and lowered his eyes, too embarrassed to admit it, regretting he’d mentioned it. When he had the courage to look at Minkin again, her shock was gone and only pity remained.

“Yes. I think it’s possible she lied. And if you couldn’t tell, I’d say it’s probable.”

Sweetie snorted again and neither of them spoke until his breathing resumed its rhythm.

Minkin pointed at his gloved hands. “Are you thinking of taking those off?”

“I don’t know,” he hedged. “What is the point if we are to die soon anyway?”

“You know, if you’d really kissed her, you would already know.”

He didn’t bother pretending not to know what she was talking about.

“If someone hadn’t interrupted…” He shook his head against his arm. “Doesn’t matter. She’s not fond of me today.”

“It’s no wonder.”

“Why? What do you know?”

“I heard you last night. Something you said on the dragon, just as we left the lake.”

“What did I say?”

She shook her head and closed her eyes again. A vague smile brought out the dimples in her brown cheeks. If he demanded more, it would wake the others, so he lay still and searched his memory…but all he could recall was the terror of falling out of the sky, his heart in his throat while he tried to keep his hold on Asper. He thought what a pity it would be for her life to end so soon after escaping the prison of that canyon.

That there was a whole world she had only read about in books. A whole world he wanted to see again…through her eyes.

Curse the Fates!

What else had he said? That she was going to freeze when they got to Ristat. Nothing more.

Before they set out again, he removed his gloves and washed his hands in the creek. He considered “forgetting” them, but out of habit, he tugged them on again. Minkin watched him closely, then mouthed the word “coward” before she turned away, laughing.

* * *

Asper…

The beauty of the canyon kept me well entertained to the point where the day passed quickly. I had never seen such lush growth, such heavy-laden branches, such colorful celebrations of the abundance of water. Minkin had so many blossoms in her hair and in her hands—red, pink, blue, purple, and white—that Sweetie gave up picking them. But I could tell it went against his instincts to pass the flowers by.

I was loathe to see the sun setting for the simple fact that I wanted to see more.

Tearloch was so distracted with his thoughts, I didn’t have to worry about him pulling me aside for a private moment. He rarely glanced my way, and yet again, I felt forgotten. Minkin, on the other hand, studied me often, though she didn’t seem inclined to talk.

Morrow and Nogel led the way, watching me closely and setting the pace according to mine. But of necessity, we slowed as the light faded. Glow stones could only do so much. Even my bright one.

I delayed removing mine from my pocket because its uncommon brightness was a reminder that Tearloch still believed I was more than an Uncast, that he still couldn’t take me at my word. Even the dragon’s attention had increased his suspicion, when it was obvious the creature reacted to the way others were treating me, like a princess.

After an hour of plodding through the dark, along our narrow trail, I was surprised that my energy was already wearing thin. Then I remembered that I had shared my heartstone stores with the dragon. The energy that now moved me was my own, and it was waning fast.

Thankfully, we soon reached a summit and were able to pause to catch our breath. My minor wound stung once more, and I shook my head. “I need to rest. I can’t… I just need to rest.”

The others were content to do the same, so I lowered myself to the ground. Minkin came to stand beside me. She freed a leather skin from around her shoulders and took a drink. After my breathing calmed, the place was eerily quiet with nary a chirp from the insects, which was odd considering the dark hour.

In fact, it was too quiet.

The men noticed it as well. Those who had chosen to sit suddenly got to their feet again and freed their weapons. Tearloch, Sweetie, and the brothers were already crouched and ready for an attack. I listened, but all I could hear were the staccato beats of my own heart. Steady. Monotonous.

It came from the sky. Dark blue in color, it blended perfectly with the night. A large, faceless bird with a wingspan the length of a tall man. By the time we saw it, it was already reaching for Minkin.

I threw myself at her legs, wrapping my arms around her to weigh her down. She screamed as the bird's claws sank into her shoulders. The bird screeched, over and over, when it couldn't lift her.

All I could do was hold tight as her feet slowly left the ground?—

Sweetie's roar startled me so much I nearly let go. I fell back to the ground, bringing Minkin with me, and we ended in a heap. We rolled over to find Sweetie fighting with the angry creature that was foolish enough to think it might take Sweetie instead. Its claws clamped around his horns and gave it a try, then chose to punish the big man for interfering, but it couldn’t reach past the twisting horns to get to his face.

Sweetie spun away and swung his long dagger over his head, piercing the feathered body just as Tearloch's longsword sliced the creature in half. The screeching ended abruptly, followed by a rain of feathers and blood. And while we caught our breath again, the insects announced the all clear.

Sweetie hurried to Minkin and helped her sit. She held her torn gown against her while he examined her shoulders. He ripped a section of cloth from her skirts to press against her bleeding wounds, which were many.

"We'll stay put until the bleeding stops," he told her. "We can catch up?—"

"We're not leaving you," Tearloch said. He grabbed the claws of the bird carcass and flung the pieces away from her. "But we need shelter."

"And we need very hot water," I said. "A bird's claws will cause fever if her wounds are not cleaned properly. I assume that was a moon stalker?"

"It was."

"And it was blue."

"Yes."

"I don't suppose the people who saw the blue dragon were mistaken?"

"By a moon stalker? No.” Bain reached down to squeeze Minkin’s hand in sympathy. “As you saw, they’re the color of night. The dragon was sighted in the day.”

"Not a chance of it," Morrow said, watching the sky for another attack. "It was seen by Guardian Riders. They chased it off the planet, and it got away. Moon stalkers can't survive off planet. And our dragons won't last long out there."

" Our dragons? What other dragons are there?"

"The colored ones ridden by the DeNoy. They were created specifically to fly out there .” Morrow gestured to the stars. "Beyond Hestia."

Minkin groaned faintly when Tearloch scooped her into his arms. "Come on," he said. “We must find shelter and make a fire.”

Sweetie walked beside and watched Tearloch closely from behind. At a curve in the path, he reached out and arm to hold me back.

“You can help her heal? Maybe with your dragon sand?”

“Yes.”

He relaxed a little. “Good. You see, she doesn’t yet realize it, but we are heartbound, Minkin and I. And I need her well.”

I bit my lips together and nodded.

“You mustn’t tell her. She must learn it for herself. I won’t have her doubting me.”

I nodded again, determined to keep both their secrets.