Page 33 of Burn Bright
"Don't worry, it won't happen again," I muttered, and knew he heardme.
* * *
"I didn't meanit like that," Cas murmured, stealing a moment when we stopped to water thehorses.
My stomach jumped, doing a nervous little dance. A quick glance showed nobody was watching. "What do youmean?"
"I'm wolvren, Neva. I'm a virtual slave. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I can have it." He leaned against his horse, his amber eyes lighting on mine as he stroked herflank.
"Momentary loss of concentration," I muttered, looking anywhere for help. Thiswasn'thappening. "On both of ourbehalf."
"Not for me. I was hoping to kiss you from the start," he said, and led his horse up the hill, leaving me with thosewords.
Words I didn't know what to dowith.
I'd once known what I was doing with my life—I was going to follow in my father's footsteps. Hunting was all I knew, and the only place I felt at ease was in the forest. There'd been a kiss once. A mercenary's nephew who'd been close to my age, and full of empty flirtation, while his uncle dealt with my father. It had been quick and confusing, a single moment behind the inn when father wasn't looking, and I hadn't precisely thought of it eversince.
Ellie was the one who was going to get married. Averill was far too cynical, and I'd never dreamed those dreams before. Every sense I owned had been focused on seeing my father through his illness, and keeping us fed. I didn't have time fordreams.
I still didn't have time fordreams.
And if I did, did they involve a hulking brute of a wolvren, whose scowls were surly, but who looked at me as if his eyes could swallow mewhole?
My breath caught in my chest, and I swiftly capped my own water skin. Thoughts like that could get me killed. We were in Gravenwold, and I needed all my wits aboutme.
"All right," Hussar called, drawing the attention of everyone gathered. "We're in the heart of the forest now. That firebird's got to be here somewhere. You. Girl. How do we trackit?"
Over a dozen sets of eyes turned to lock onme.
"How would I know?" I replied. "My job was to get youhere."
"You're the mighty huntress." He spat on the ground. "You're the one who keeps babbling about monsters, and woogity-boos, and soon."
The men laughed, and my cheeks heated. I knew what he was about. Anything to kick me down a few rungs on the ladder. I could seriously develop a personal vendetta againstHussar.
I hope one of my monsters eats you, I said with myeyes.
Hussar crossed his arms over his chestsmugly.
"I'm sure a firebird is outside the realm of experience of anyone gathered here," Prince Evaron said diplomatically. "Its not precisely commonplace, hence my father's obsession with it. So I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. Why don't we splitup?"
Precisely the last thing we should do. "We rode in here with twenty men," I pointed out. "We're down to sixteen, and we just made it into the most dangerous part of the forest. Everything that's happened so far has been the forest warning us. It's about to get serious. If we separate into smaller groups, we leave ourselvesvulnerable."
"Girl's afraid of her own monsters," saidHussar.
"Remind me how many times you actually hit the volgur?" I replied, with a smile that had too many teeth in it. "Oh, that's right. None. At least I sunk an arrow in its eye. I'm fairly certain I didn't see you standing in itsway."
Hussar's face blackened and he took a step towardme...
"That's enough," Evaron snapped, holding his hand out. He transferred his glare from Hussar to me. "Both ofyou."
He began pacing. "Neva has a point though. We've already lost four men. I would prefer to return victorious, with every man left in this company" —the men cheered— "and splitting up makes it easier to pick us off. We'll send out small scouting parties, ahead of the main group but within easy earshot.Cas?"
Cas nodded. "Aye."
"You'll be my head scout. You and Neva, as she knows these woods. We keep an eye out for anything that might lead us to the firebird, and we make our scouting methodical so we're not doubling back on ourselves. Every man needs to be on guard and ready for anything." His gaze returned to Cas. "As much as I understand your need to protect me, I think a two man guard will be best. Jur and Helmick, you two can take the first shift. If we're attacked, the pair of you will fall back to me. The rest of the group must work together to repel the creature. Think like wolves, and use each other to distract and hamstring. Anyquestions?"
"What are we looking for?" One man called, raising ahand.
