Page 17 of Randall
Chapter 12
Randall
I glided my fingertips along Darvon’s shoulder, arm, and back soothingly. The soft sounds he made eased my worries for the moment, but I knew this peaceful feeling wouldn’t last. Jarrah, Valter, and the rest of our companions would be on the road soon, if not already on their way. Darvon and I would have very little time to bond with our mate before we’d have to take on whatever next “step” was in the goddess’ plan.
Had they had time, Randall would have confronted Jarrah about these vague steps. Five sets of mates, all connected, needed to break the “supposed curse,” and they were the third. If Sylvan andmaybea vampire were the fourth, then only the fifth set needed to meet, and that dragon shifter in Darvon’s vision had to be part of it.
Of greater concern, though, was the rising tide of evil that appeared to be crisscrossing Obrusa. Where would it strike next? Who would be affected? Who killed? I grieved for my mate’s clan. An entire village wiped out. There might have beenmore survivors than just our mate, but I doubted it. Our shifter had been in the right place during that wrong time, and that was the only reason he had survived.
When all was said and done, and we prevailed—because, by the gods, we had to—Darvon and I would take him home, bury the dead, and search for any who might have lived. I couldn’t think about the distant future. Not now. Not when I had the present breathing down my neck.
Time rolled by, quiet except for the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves, the rumble and squeak of the turning carriage wheels, the occasional hooting of owls, and the soft twittering of other nightly creatures. I let the sounds wash over me, picking out those I recognized. Soon, dawn would awaken the early birds, and they would begin singing their morning songs. The sun would rise, giving life to the trees, shrubs, and flowers. Its rays would warm the earth, encouraging the plants to grow.
In the daylight, we’d search for and find our mate. We’d ensure his well-being, and the day would end with us nestled together in a bed in Riverside… or so I hoped. This carriage could very well be our sleeping space for the days to come. I prayed it was comfortable and imagined it must be if Darvon had ridden in it. I couldn’t imagine my prince roughing it, but then again, I wasn’t one for it either.
I used the time Darvon slept to merge with a sleepy raven and coax him awake to scout for me. Bribery with offers of nuts and dried fruit worked well with the curious avians. His flight along the roadway showed where the river bisected our path, and I made a mental plan to stop there to rest and water the horses before bringing the raven back to me for his reward.
The first tendrils of dawn had brightened the sky when Darvon roused. He breathed deeply, a sleepy smile blooming across his face. He blinked a few times and then his eyes shot open.
“You didn’t wake me,” he groused, pushing up to stare at me, poking me in the side, making me squirm and laugh.
“It hasn’t been that long,” I replied, for truly it hadn’t. The brawl at the tavern had been well near midnight, and by the time we’d packed and started, we were closer to sunrise than sunset.
He huffed, then frowned. “I need to use the back of a tree.”
I nodded toward the horses and hauled gently on the reins, bringing the carriage to a full stop. “They could use a short rest, too.”
We took off in separate directions to relieve ourselves. When I returned, I brought out water and food for us while the horses contentedly grazed on the tall grass growing along the roadside. The path they traveled ran at an angle to the Stormur River, which split in Riverside. One tributary turned toward the southern edge of Onamond; the other turned southwest toward Haling Cove, the home of my clan.
I gave the horses a few handfuls of grain and used a shallow bowl to offer them some water until we reached the place I’d seen through the raven’s eyes. Speaking of ravens…
A throatycaw-cawcalled out.
“Hello, good morrow,” I murmured to my feathered friend as he alighted on my shoulder. “I hope I didn’t disrupt your slumber too much.”
The raven shook his head, his small body shuddering, feathers ruffling, before he stepped closer to my ear and settled, leaning his tiny head against mine. Taking the hint, I closed my eyes and plucked his memory free.
A large cat inched from under a thick shrub, pausing in the bright morning sunlight to stretch. A wide yawn showed off his sharp canines and pink tongue. His coat of black spots on a mottled field of gray would allow him to blend in with the blacks and browns of the forest’s undergrowth, but not so much with the way he sat out in the open in a patch of tall grass. Hetipped his head up, eyes closed, and looked ready to fall back asleep.
“What do you see?” Darvon whispered. I smiled and held out my hand, showing him what the raven offered me. “He’s beautiful.”
“He is. We are close to the first spot where the road meets the river. I want to stop there and let the horses rest more before we move on. We’ll keep our eyes on the water after that… just in case.”
“Can your raven offer us a better vantage point? Maybe even keep watch over our mate?”
I smiled at Darvon and hooked an arm around his waist. Gazing into his sapphire eyes, pinpointed with the Fae starburst, my heart swelled. “Brilliant. I supposed I would have eventually thought of that, but I love that you thought of it first. It’s a wonderful idea.” One I immediately asked of the raven. Receiving confirmation, he took flight, circling higher until he flew off toward Riverside.
With a nudge, I steered Darvon to the side of the carriage and gave him a boost into the seat. When I stifled a yawn behind my hand, Darvon blocked me from joining him up front. I stared up at him, slightly shocked.
“You rest. I’ll take over.” He pointed to the carriage door and shooed me off.
I hovered by the door, my hand on the latch. “You’re sure?” Darvon blew out his lips, scoffing at me like I was an idiot. Maybe, but he was a prince, so I wasn’t sure if he even knew how to handle the horses and carriage.
“Regardless of what you think, because I see your hesitation, I have driven a horse and coach before. It’s been a while, but I assure you, I can handle it.” Darvon stuck his nose in the air and faced forward, done with me and my false assumptions.
I just smiled and shook my head, surprise and delight equally filling my heart. I popped inside and sat before telling him I was ready. The snap of reins and the lurch of the carriage before it settled into a steady roll were my only answer. Curling up on the cushioned seat, I closed my eyes and linked with the raven as he flew over the river. I wanted to stay awake and keep watch, but the steady rocking of the carriage and my mate’s low song knocked me out.
The carriage’s abrupt stop jarred me awake, as did Darvon’s voice. “We’ve arrived at the place you wanted to stop. Take your time. I’ll unhook the horses.”
