Page 78 of Destiny Redeemed
“Ready?” he asked, his voice vibrating through my body.
“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to ignore how perfectly I seemed to fit against him.
As we rode away, I felt a pang of guilt for leaving her behind. But I pushed it aside, focusing on the task ahead. I had to change the future, protect my family’s fate, and now, keep Anderic safe, no matter the cost.
The city gates loomed before us, tall and imposing in the moonlight. Two guards stood at attention, their armor glinting as they surveyed the empty road with bored expressions. My heart hammered against my ribs as we approached—then veered sharply left.
“What are you—” I started to whisper, but Anderic’s hand clamped over my mouth.
“Quiet,” he breathed against my ear, so close I could feel his lips brush my skin. “I’ll answer everything later.”
I nodded against his hand, and he slowly released me. We skirted the main road, guiding the horses through a narrow path that wound behind a cluster of abandoned storehouses. The shadows swallowed us whole as Anderic led us deeper into what appeared to be a long-forgotten section of the outer wall.
Why all this secrecy?I wondered, clinging to Anderic as the horse picked its way through the darkness. In my previous life, I’d never known the prince to sneak around like a common thief. He was the Crown Prince—he could come and go as he pleased.
Unless…
Unless he suspected someone was watching. Someone who shouldn’t know about his movements.
The realization sent a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with the night air. This wasn’t just about avoiding gossip or circumventing protocol. Anderic was hiding this mission from someone he didn’t trust.
We reached a section of wall where the stones appeared looser, more weathered than the rest. Lennox dismounted in one fluid motion and pushed at what looked like a solid wall. To my surprise, a narrow gap appeared—just wide enough for a horse to pass through sideways.
“Ancient smuggler’s route,” Anderic murmured, answering my unasked question. “Hasn’t been used in decades. The palace guards think they sealed them all, but my grandfather showed me this one before he died.”
Lennox went through first, leading his horse by the reins. Then it was our turn. Anderic guided our mount through the gap with expert precision, his body pressed against mine as we navigated the tight space. I held my breath, certain we’d be caught at any moment, but we emerged on the other side without incident.
We rode hard for what felt like hours, staying off the main roads and keeping to the shadows. I didn’t dare make a sound,though questions burned on my tongue like fire. The tension in Anderic’s body was palpable, his muscles coiled tight against my back as he scanned our surroundings with hypervigilance.
Finally, when the city lights had long faded behind us and the forest had grown thick on either side, I felt Anderic relax. The change in him was subtle—a slight loosening of his shoulders, a deeper breath that expanded his chest against my back. Lennox, too, seemed less rigid in his saddle.
Our pace slowed to a gentle trot. The path before us, narrow and winding, was bathed in silver moonlight that filtered through the canopy of leaves above. The full moon hung like a pendant in the velvet sky, casting an ethereal glow over everything it touched. Fireflies danced between the trees, their tiny lights blinking like earthbound stars.
It was breathtakingly beautiful—romantic, even—if I could forget we were riding toward the very place where my family and I had suffered and died.
“Why the secrecy?” I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You suspect someone, don’t you? That’s why we snuck out like thieves.”
Anderic was quiet for so long I thought he might not answer. Then, “Yes. Several ones, in fact.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but he remained frustratingly silent. The urge to press him for details clawed at me—whodid he suspect? What did he know? How did this relate to my family’s fate?—but I forced myself to bite my tongue. Trust had to be earned, and I’d done nothing yet to deserve his.
Instead, I focused on the rhythm of the horse beneath us and the warmth of Anderic at my back, trying to ignore the dread pooling in my stomach as we rode deeper into the night.
We rode in silence for a while, the steady rhythm of hoofbeats and Anderic’s warm presence at my back lulling me into a contemplative state. His arms encircled me as he held thereins, creating a strangely intimate cage I found myself reluctant to escape.
“Are you alright?” His voice came soft against my ear, his breath stirring wisps of my hair. “After last night, I mean.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Last night?”
“You seemed… troubled. When I asked about Northern mines,” his chest rumbled against my back as he spoke. “Even when you were sleeping, you kept tossing and turning.”
“Oh.” So that’s what he was talking about. “I’m fine.”
His arms tightened slightly around me. “Are you? Because I can think of several ways to help you sleep better tonight.” The suggestive undertone in his voice made my pulse quicken.
“Your Highness, if you haven’t noticed, it’s already night, and we’re riding on a horse.”
“Eric,” he corrected, his lips brushing my ear deliberately. “When we’re alone like this, I want to hear my name on your lips, Lya. As for the night, Lennox has prepared a discreet accommodation for us. We’ll reach there soon.”
