Page 52 of A Thieving Curse

Gareth straightened and tossed a bone into the fire. His face was drawn, like he had hardly slept in days.

“Gareth…” Father started, but Gareth strode away from the fire. He walked toward them, and Alexander’s grip tightened.

The thought of breaking her promise, of calling out or trying to run, crossed Raelyn’s mind. But the tips of his claws pushed on her shoulders. Intentionally or not, he’d likely scratch or even impale her shoulders if she tried to move.

Alexander bent lower as Gareth approached them and pulled her down with him. His breath was hot against her ear as he spoke so quietly, she barely heard. “You promised.”

She nodded.I did.And princesses didn’t break promises.

More importantly, she couldn’t do that to Alexander. She wouldn’t put him in danger by trying to escape with so many knights so close, or risk word getting to Henry about the dragon prince’s whereabouts.

Gareth walked until he was among the trees, no more than five paces from where they knelt. She peered through the branches of the bush, glad its leaves were young and small and didn’t completely obscure her line of sight. Gareth’s shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the ground. A bandage wrapped the top of his left arm, but she didn’t notice any blood.

“I’ll come back,” Gareth murmured. She had to strain to hear him. “I’ll find you. I know you’re not dead.” He looked up at the sky, and his tense, sorrowful countenance wrenched her heart. “I’d know. I’d feel it.” He clenched his fists at his sides. “As soon as I can get away, I’ll come find you, Rae. Something took you, and I’ll rescue you.” He kicked at the dirt, a sad smile twisting his face. “Unless you kill the monster first. Right, Raelyn?” A tear raced down her brother’s cheek, and Raelyn bit her knuckle to prevent herself from sobbing.

“Gareth!” Mother called. “Come back. Please stay close!” Gareth ground his teeth and huffed.

“If I’m right,” he said in a menacing tone completely unlike her brother, “whatever took you better hope you kill it before I find it.”

Gareth turned and headed back to camp. He didn’t say anything to Father or Mother or so much as look at them before he entered his tent.

Raelyn trembled from unshed tears.Goodbye.

Alexander raised to a half crouch, but she couldn’t seem to get her legs to straighten. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. She followed numbly as he guided her through the trees, away from the camp. Away from her parents and brother. When they reached the trail, he picked her up and took to the air. She held on to his neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and cried.

19

IF THE FLIGHT back only felt longer, or if Alexander did set a gentler pace, Raelyn wasn’t sure. She didn’t watch the scenery; her eyes closed as she cried into his shirt. Seeing her family without getting to speak to them, to explain or say goodbye, offered less closure than she had hoped. She let herself mourn their separation and rage against the manticore for scaring her horse, Alexander for not letting her go, and Henry Carbrey for causing this mess by being a curse-casting, power-hungry murderer. Then she focused on composing herself before they landed, and she would have to face Alexander or any of the others.

By the time they reached the cave, her tears had dried. Alexander set her down and stepped back. She stood still, staring at the unbroken blackness of the entrance.

She felt off center. Unmoored. Exhausted.

“You must think me heartless,” he whispered, his shoulders curved inward. He hung his head like a guilty puppy. In fact, his tail curled around one of his ankles, reminding her of how her father’s hounds would tuck their tails when they got in trouble. The comparison of the tall, strong man with horns and wings with a puppy made her snort. He furrowed his brow and glanced up, looking equally confused and offended.

“Sorry.” She smiled, grateful for the distraction. “You just…reminded me of a puppy.”

“A puppy?”

“You know, a baby dog. Little, furry, cute—”

Alexander rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen a puppy.” He frowned. “But I’m not a baby, a dog, little, furry, or cute.”

She watched him, amused. “Maybe, but you ducked your head and tucked your tail like a puppy.”

“I’m not a puppy.” He crossed his arms. “What are you doing?”

“What?” Raelyn fidgeted, unsure she was ready to discuss what had happened.

“I expected you to…yell at me. Storm off. Refuse to speak to me. Something. I didn’t expect…whatever this teasing is.” He turned his head toward the trees. “Did that help at all? Or are you avoiding it because you hate me more now?”

She considered, shifting through her complex thoughts and emotions from the flight back. Two things stood out above the others. She hated that Gareth was hurting. And she hated Henry Carbrey.

“It hurt,” she said at last. “I’m angry my family thinks I’m dead. But I would’ve had to say goodbye to them, anyway. And Gareth wasn’t happy about me marrying Tristan. If they didn’t get along, he still would have been furious to leave me behind. It would be different,” she admitted, “but it was always going to be hard for both of us.” She hoped Mother and Father would keep a close eye on Gareth. If he got killed by an actual monster while trying to find her, shewouldresent Alexander. But she wasn’t about to say that to his face. “It breaks my heart to see him like that. Mourning and enraged.”

His tail curled and uncurled around his ankle. “Will you try to kill me?” he asked softly.

Raelyn’s eyes widened. “No!”

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