Page 8 of Trial of Bronze and Blood
Ovi squints past Dru’s head, recognition and surprise drawing up her brow. “Marcus Scaevola, as I live and breathe.”
Dru recognizes the grin in his voice. “Ovidia Faustus.”
He holds out his hand for her to grasp it. But Ovi doesn’t move, not to take his hand or put away her weapon.
Her gaze narrows.Stellae, this can’t be good.“You have a lot to explain. After what you did to my friend?—”
“Ovi,” Dru whispers sharply. “We don’t have time for this. We need to go, now.”
For the length of a slow breath, she stares Marcus down. Dru and Ovi have spoken about this man at length, and Dru’s worried she’s going to say something they’ll all regret. Ovi never regrets anything she says, but it can—and has—hurt other people.
At last, she puts away her dagger.
She points to the occupied stalls beside her. “These two horses are already saddled.”
Dru immediately heads for the closest one, opening the gate and reaching for the horse’s reins. But the beast rears its head and screams, backing away from her.
“Senseless creatures,” she grumbles.
“You have to know how to approach them.” Marcus starts forward, purposefully turning his head to avoid eye contact as he advances on the second horse. He places his hand unhurriedly on the beast’s cheek. “Aequanimitas, amica.”Calmness, friend.
Despite training with them for years, Dru doesn’t have much luck with animals. Not like Marcus.Fortunate for us.Though she won’t admit it aloud, she’s comforted he remembers the ways of the Faithless. Even if there’s still a chance he’s forsaken them.
“He hasn’t lost his touch,” Ovi whispers beside her. Dru swats her away.
With a bit of coaxing, the horse follows Marcus out of the stall.
He guides him toward Dru, holding out the reins for her. “Think you can handle watching this one?”
She smirks. “I’ll manage.”
He gives her a long look of apprehension before going back for the first horse. Once he’s turned his back, she repeats the words Marcus said. To her dismay, the beast leans into her open palm. The corded muscle beneath his soft, downy hair ebbs along her hand, and he huffs again.You’re awfully sweet for a war horse.
“Touching.”
Dru flinches, hoping she doesn’t startle her horse. Marcus remains stoic, while Ovi looks on in amusement.
Certain she hears hard footfalls heading their way, she glances outside the stables—nothing moves in the flickering firelight. When she turns back, she finds Marcus gripping the reins of the first horse. He leaps onto the saddle with infuriating ease and pulls him around.
Dru clears her throat. “Let’s get out of here before the soldiers come for their horses and find us stealingthem.”
Marcus nods. “Besides, the Namican army is likely past the river by now.”
“No shit,” Dru mutters. Using a nearby crate, she helps herself onto her horse much less gracefully. Ovi follows after her, both of their bodies on the saddle making for a tight fit. But they’ll make it work—they always do.
Holding tight to his reins, Marcus trots along the other horse stalls and undoes their latches.
“What are you doing?” Dru asks as the rest of the horses sprint out of the stable at Marcus’s verbal command, galloping wildly into the night.
“Creating a distraction,” he reasons. “They’d look into two horses being stolen, but an unconscious stable hand and a full stable of missing horses would be blamed on the Namicans.”
I hate that he’s right.Swallowing an indignant grunt, she grips the reins of her horse and leads him out of the stables.
Galloping down the opposite way of the pit in silence, Marcus right behind them, she strains to hear any movement from the streets around her. But only the far-off sounds of war cries and clashing swords keeps them company. Not a single soul dares so much as breathe?—
“Wait!”
A slim figure leaps out from the shadows and into their path. Dru and Ovi’s horse rears up, throwing Ovi from the saddle; she lands hard on her back, rolling out of the way of his hooves. Marcus, however, keeps complete control over his beast, maneuvering him behind the person and trapping him between them.
