Page 155 of Faeling
He nodded absently. “If it was known that an heir of royal blood lived, you wouldn’t march alone.” Turning the weight of his gaze onto Ravenna, he said, “The fae live in fear of her. All understand Amaranthe’s tyranny but have nowhere else to turn. If given another path, most would choose to walk it.”
Ravenna’s heart lurched painfully, but she refused toentertain true hope. Such hope had already cost her far too much.
“I’ll be honest—the fate of the faelands means little to me. My only wish is to free myazai.”
“I understand. Your loyalties are to your orc.” Allarion smiled sadly. “Mine too are with my Molly and our home in Eirea. And yet…” he sighed, striding over to stand before Leita and kneel at her cot, “not all hope is lost for the faelands.”
Leita leaned as far back into her cot as she could. “I want no part in your plans. I escaped there once—my luck won’t hold for a second time.”
“A great destiny is something to fear, it’s true. But it will come, one way or another. There must be a reason you escaped the slaughter.”
Leita bared her fangs. “That reason was my mother and sister. They died so I might live.”
“And what will you do with such a gift?”
“They wanted me tolive,and so I have done,” she spat. “To do anything else would insult their sacrifice.”
“Insult—or honor?”
“Falling intoherhands is exactly what they died to prevent.”
“So don’t fall,” Allarion said. “Rise.”
Leita’s face darkened in a glower, and she turned away from him.
When it was clear she had nothing else to say, Allarion rose. He turned to find Ravenna gone pale.
They died so I might live.
Her stomach rolled ominously.
Allarion reached out to touch her shoulder gently. “If you canbuy me a little time and get me across the water, we may just have a chance.”
Much later, after a long day of discussions and planning, Allarion and Bellarand boarded a barge to sail across the strait under the cover of darkness. As the rowers took up their oars, Allarion turned round and lifted his hand, waving farewell to Ravenna.
She waved back, heart in her throat.Goddesses go with you. And the fates, too.
Ravenna kept nothing for herself except the hope that her aim this time would be true.
37
So many plans were in motion, it made Ravenna sick. Another night with hardly any sleep passed interminably slow, the tenuous bond inside her strained and dim. The smell of him in their bed only brought silent tears, and so when the camp roused for breakfast, Ravenna was quick to flee the soft place where her mate had lain.
There was only more waiting to do today.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was one final important thing she needed to take care of.
Carrying two bowls of porridge, mixed with nuts and berries, Ravenna reentered the tent. Leita watched her approach from her place in the corner, gaze as wary as ever.
Taking a seat beside the cot, Ravenna handed Leita her bowl. The fae regarded her suspiciously, her indigo eyes nearly black in the deep shadows of the tent.
Ravenna got a few bites into her, needing the warm reinforcement, before beginning.
“I suspect we’ll receive word today, and move out soon after,” she said.
“I see.”
“I’ll need your help to kill her.”
