Page 12 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

Chapter eleven

Elora

T he carriage bumps along the road, and I stare out into the trees, trying to stop myself from reliving last night. It’s hard not to think about it, someone tried to kill me. Waking up with some strange man’s hands around my throat, choking the life out of me, isn’t something I’ll easily forget.

I’ve never experienced anything so terrifying in my life. Nobody has told me anything about him. Where is he now? Will he come after me again? Why did he want to kill me? The questions bounce around my head with no answers.

My thoughts drift to this morning. I was more than shocked when I woke up lying against Draven, of all people, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

When he woke and saw the position we were in, he practically threw me off him and bolted from the room.

Last night is a little foggy, but I think I asked him to stay with me.

Lord, he probably hates me now for forcing him to lie beside me all night.

I shake my head at my own actions as I remember the conversation after breakfast. Ranger apologized profusely for the attack, promising it would never happen again, and that someone would always be stationed outside my door from now on.

That didn’t exactly ease my fears. But I told him I was fine, that it wasn’t their fault, because it wasn’t, and I pretended to be my normal, bubbly self.

The problem is, I don’t feel like myself.

For the first time since arriving here, I feel scared.

Worried. They keep telling me how dangerous this world is, but I never really understood how serious they were, until now.

Well, as they say, fake it ‘til you make it. I’ll just keep pretending I’m not terrified for my life… and maybe eventually, I’ll believe it.

We’ve been on the road all day, only stopping briefly for lunch, so when the carriage finally slows and stops in what looks like a small clearing, I feel both relief for the break and dread at having to put my game face back on.

I take a deep breath and plaster on a smile as I wait for one of them to open the door, like I promised Ranger I would.

He doesn’t make me wait long. When he opens the door and offers his hand, I take it and climb down to the forest floor, looking around.

I try to focus on the beauty of the forest, but my eyes keep drifting back to the four gorgeous knights, now decked out in full armor.

Another thing that has me on edge. They’re expecting trouble.

Why else would they be dressed like that?

I have to admit, they look delectable. They’re wearing long shirts of thin chainmail, with the Silverthorn crest, a horse’s head in blue and white, displayed prominently on the front.

The crest is echoed in the blue edging around their necklines, sleeves, and hems, all paired with matching blue trousers.

Their black leather boots lace partway up their calves.

I can’t remember ever reading a romance book about knights, but I was definitely craving one now. If only one of their horses was white...

“Princess, you should stretch your legs,” Blaze says, snapping me out of my daydream.

Right. Stretch my legs. I nod and step further into the clearing, eyeing his giant sword sheathed at his side.

All of them have swords on their hips and shields strapped to their backs, except for Arrow.

He has a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder, which makes me wonder if “Arrow” is just a nickname.

Draven, on the other hand, is absolutely bristling with weapons.

He’s wearing so many, I can’t even see the crest on his chest. Thick straps across his torso are filled with daggers, and he looks more like he’s preparing for war than visiting some lords.

Are they planning to stay dressed like this for the entire trip? They must be really worried.

“Come on, Princess, let’s stretch those little legs of yours while the others set up camp,” Arrow says, motioning for me to join him. He leads me around the edge of the clearing, his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.

That does not make me feel any better. In fact, it makes me feel jittery and tense. What’s out there? Are there more men trying to kill me? Dangerous animals like bears? I hate not knowing what they’re watching for. Pretending to be okay is making everything even harder.

I wanted to talk to Arrow about something else, to distract myself, but he seems just as distracted as I am, and I can’t find the words to speak, so I stay silent.

Eventually, I’m led to the campfire, where I sit beside Blaze as he tends to the flames. Arrow disappears for a while, returning with a small, skinned animal. A rabbit, perhaps?

Nobody talks, and the silence only adds to my anxiety.

I know it will take us a few more days to reach Carlington, but at this rate, I’m going to arrive as a ball of nerves and stress.

I hate feeling like this. It’s not like me.

But I don’t know how to shake it. Maybe if I knew more about the attack, it would help calm me. The unknown definitely isn’t helping.

“What happened to the man who attacked me?” I finally blurt out.

Four sets of surprised eyes snap to my face, but it’s Ranger who answers.

“We took care of him.”

“Yes, but how? ”

“Princess, you don’t need to know that,” he says, turning back to the fire.

“But I do. I want to know if I need to worry about him coming back,” I explain, trying to keep my voice steady.

“He won’t be coming back.”

I drop my head into my hands. That is so not helpful, but it’s clear I won’t be getting an explanation, hence my current state of mind.

I eat numbly, my thoughts spiraling with all the possibilities behind Ranger’s vague words.

Eventually, I’m shown to my bed, which is a pile of blankets on the ground near the fire.

Blaze and Ranger settle around the campfire as well, preparing to sleep, while Arrow and Draven remain sitting. They must be standing guard.

The thought should comfort me. It doesn’t.

Instead, my imagination runs wild with all the dangers lurking out here. I lie awake for hours, growing more and more anxious as the night drags on. At one point, I feel Arrow’s gaze on me, so I roll over to face away from everyone. The problem is that the dark forest is now directly in my view.

My wide eyes stare into the shadows, every sound and flicker of movement sending my heart pounding in my chest. At some point, I hear the knights switch shifts as Ranger and Blaze get up to take their turn.

I wish I could sleep. But I can’t even keep my eyes closed for more than a few seconds.

Every tiny noise makes them shoot open, terrified I’ll see a man charging out of the forest toward me.

Eventually, the sky starts to lighten, and I hear hushed whispers as Arrow and Draven begin to stir.

“Is she still sleeping?” Arrow asks.

“Yes. She hasn’t moved once. She must have been exhausted,” Blaze replies.

If he only knew how exhausted I really am.

“She was quiet yesterday,” Arrow says softly.

“We all were. Can’t fault her for it.”

“I know. I’m just worried about her,” Arrow murmurs, the concern in his voice unmistakable.

He’s worried about me?

“She’s fine. She slept the whole night without a nightmare, I’d say that shows how resilient she is,” Ranger says, making me feel both pleased and crappy all at once.

He thinks I’m strong, but he’s wrong. I didn’t sleep a wink.

If he knew that, he’d think I’m weak. Frail.

And I don’t want him to see me that way.

So, I put on my best acting face, stretch loudly, and let out a yawn as I roll over and sit up.

“Good morning,” I say, pretending to blink my eyes like they hadn’t been wide open the entire night. Given how sleep-deprived I am, I’m probably pulling off the tired look without even trying.

“Morning, princess. Sleep well?” Blaze asks.

“Mmm-hmm,” I hum, nodding as I move to stand .

“I’ll get your trunk down so you can change,” Draven offers, already rising to help.

“Oh, don’t bother with that. If we’re going to be on the road, I’d rather not get multiple dresses dirty.”

He frowns, but it’s Ranger who speaks up. “You don’t want to wear a different dress every day?”

“Ah—is that wrong? I mean, I’ll definitely do that when we’re staying at someone’s home, but while we’re on the road, it just seems wasteful. Doesn’t it?”

“It’s not wrong… just unheard of for someone of your wealth.”

I shrug and glance back at the fire, unsure if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult.

Someone hands me a piece of leftover cooked meat for breakfast, and soon we’re on the road again.

I try to sleep in the carriage. I even lie down across the bench seat at one point, but between my worry and the relentless bumpiness of the ride, I manage only a few seconds of dozing here and there. Eventually, I give up and just let my unfocused gaze drift toward the passing forest.

It all looks the same after a while. We stop for lunch, and then again for the night. I’m exhausted. So when I finally curl up beside the campfire and my head hits the pillow, I close my eyes and sigh with relief. At last—sleep.

Except… I can’t .

I lie there with my eyes shut, but sleep evades me.

I’m so tired, why can’t I sleep? I turn to face the forest again so they can’t see my struggle, and the same thoughts plague my mind.

Is the man following us? Are there others out there?

What if we’ve stopped in the middle of some large animal’s home and it returns to find us here?

Silent tears roll down my cheeks, frustration bubbling at my inability to shut out the noise and sleep. Once again, I hear the changing of the guards halfway through the night, and when the sun starts to rise, I internally groan.

How long can I go on like this?

I quietly wipe my face and try to school my expression, but I know I must look terrible.

Using my hair as a shield, letting it hang in front of my face, I sit up and keep my head turned away as I croak, “Good morning.” I stretch my arms overhead and then stand, facing away from them as I stretch the rest of my body.

“Morning, Princess. Everything okay?” Blaze asks.

“Yep. Everything’s peachy.” Peachy? Ugh.

“Come have some breakfast,” Arrow offers.

The thought of food makes my stomach churn, so I quickly shake my head, still avoiding their gaze.

“I’m not hungry yet. I’ll have a snack in a few hours. I’m just going to stretch my legs before we leave,” I add quickly, already moving toward the outskirts of the camp with my arms wrapped around myself .

Luckily, no one follows. After a quiet lap around the camp, I realize there’s nowhere else to go but back to them, and the thought makes me panic a little.

I don’t want them to see my face. I’m sure they’ll instantly know something’s wrong, and I’d rather they think I’m acting strange than think I’m weak.

So I mumble something about waiting in the carriage and rush to it, climbing in and making sure my hair stays in front of my face in case they glance my way.

I have to figure out a way to get some sleep.

I’m not sure I can survive another night like this.