Page 77 of Destiny Redeemed
“Stop!” I cried, practically throwing myself out of the carriage before it had fully halted.
I ran towards the riders, my heart in my throat. “Anderic!” I called, my voice carrying on the night air. “Anderic, wait!”
The group of two slowed, and a familiar figure turned his horse around. Even in the darkness, I could make out Anderic’s golden curls, glinting in the moonlight.
“Lya?” he called, surprise evident in his voice. “What are you doing here? At this hour.”
I stumbled to a halt beside his horse, breathless and disheveled. Looking up at him, I realized I had no idea how to begin. How could I possibly explain everything?
But as our eyes met, I knew I had to try. For him. For us. For the future I desperately wanted to change.
“I’m coming with you.” The words tumbled out before I could second-guess myself.
Anderic’s eyebrows shot up. “I beg your pardon?”
“You said I know everything, remember?” I squared my shoulders, trying to look confident despite my racing heart. “Well, you were right. And that’s why I need to go with you.”
Anderic’s face darkened. “You’re an idiot, Lya. I asked you to give me information, not accompany me on a dangerous mission to the northern borders.”
“I know it’s dangerous—”
“No, you don’t.” His voice cut through the night air like steel. “That place isn’t just dangerous—it’s a wasteland crawling with exiled murderers and thieves. There’s no law, no order. Just desperation and the kind of hunger that makes people do unspeakable things. You think you’ll be safe there?”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Believe me, I know better than anyone how dangerous it is.” The memory of starvation,humiliation, and death flashed behind my eyes. “But I’m still going. There are things I can show you in that place. Things I can’t just simply tell you.”
“Show me?” His incredulity would’ve been comical under different circumstances. “What could you possibly need to show me in a mining town filled with exiles and criminals?”
“Trust me,” I pleaded, hating the desperation in my voice. “If I could explain everything here and now, I would. But we don’t have time.”
Anderic opened his mouth to argue further, but Lennox, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat loudly.
“If you two are done with your lover’s spat,” he drawled, “we need to leave. Guard change happens in a few minutes, and I’d prefer not to attract the wrong kind of attention. We need to move. Now.”
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. “We’re not—”
“Fine,” Anderic sighed, rubbing his face with one gloved hand. His eyes, when they met mine again, held a mixture of resignation and something else I couldn’t quite name. “Since you’re so adamant, you’ll have to ride with me. We don’t have a spare horse.”
Before I could respond, he extended his hand. I hesitated for just a moment, then placed my palm in his. With a strength that surprised me, he grabbed my waist and lifted me onto his horse as if I weighed nothing at all.
“Oh!” I gasped, suddenly finding myself astride his mount.
“Scoot forward,” he instructed, his voice low and close to my ear.
I did as told, and then he swung up behind me in one fluid motion. Suddenly, I was enveloped in his warmth, his broad chest pressing against my back as his arms came around me to take the reins. My heart stuttered traitorously, and I found it difficult to breathe with our bodies so close.
“Hold onto the pommel,” he murmured, his breath stirring the hair near my temple.
I gripped the front of the saddle, acutely aware of how our thighs pressed together with each subtle movement of the horse. The night air seemed impossibly warm now.
“Ready?” Anderic’s voice was low in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
I nodded, not trusting my voice. As we prepared to set off, I caught sight of Laurel standing by the carriage, worry etched on her face.
“I’ll be back, Laurel,” I called, trying to sound reassuring for Laurel’s sake. I really didn’t want her to worry. “Take care of things until I return.”
“Please be safe, my lady,” she replied, wringing her hands. “I’ll pray for your safe return.”
I nodded, touched by her loyalty. Then Anderic clicked his tongue, and the horse began to move.
