Page 51 of Burn Bright
12
Our arrival back in Densby felt like stepping into another world. Villagers turned out in their droves—almost the entire village, breathless and searching for the prince amongus.
"He's alive!" My neighbor Hatti cried, spotting Evaron's golden head in the middle of the tiredriders.
Evaron gave them a weary wave, and a princely smile. The more I came to know him, the more I could see the role heplayed.
We’d lost almost ninety percent of the company, and most of the horses, but the prince was alive—the country’s precious, perfect Crown Prince. And he had to play the part theyexpected.
Only Cas and I were aware of how close we’d come to bringing home his corpse. We'd spent two days resting in the forest, simply allowing the prince to regain hisstrength.
The ride through the forest had been a great deal less exciting on the return. No brambles marked our path, and the trees no longer loomed. I could sense the forest’s watchfulness, though it didn’t seem to consider us intruders or enemies anymore. Gravenwold was a living entity, every tree somehow connected with the others, and it regarded the prince and his men as though it had formed some sort of wary truce withthem.
Or maybe it was my presence among them that held it atbay.
I could feel the fire within me, and my sense of affinity with the forest had grown in ways I knew I hadn’t fully explored yet. It felt alive; it felt like it wasmine.
But possession worked bothways.
I belonged to the foresttoo.
Even leaving its boundaries felt like someone had muffled my sight and hearing; as if a piece of me hadvanished.
"Are you all right?" Cas murmured, glancing back over hisshoulder.
I sat behind him on the horse, having lost the argument to walk. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have made it very far anyway. Whatever strength the Well of Tears had granted me for the fight with the Darkness, I’d long since succumbed toweariness.
"Tired," I admitted, slumping against his back in the borrowed shirt and breeches I wore. I’d woken up drooling on his shoulder barely an hour ago, and was too exhausted to care. It felt like too much had happened. Everything was moving too fast, and I didn’t know where my futurelay.
I washome.
It didn’t feelreal.
"Your sisters will be glad to seeyou."
And Ithem.
My arms tightened around his waist as he drew his horse to a halt. Cas’s breathing stilled, and his eyes hooded. If I looked up, just a touch, I could make out the soft outline of his mouth, and the harsh slant of his nose. How long had we been gone? Six days?Five?
Everything hadchanged.
"Your kingdom will be pleased to see its prince returned to court," Iwhispered.
For where Evaron went, so too did his Hound. My gaze caught on the collar around his throat. It wasn’tfair.
"You could come to court," Cas murmured, offering me his arm to help me dismount. "Evaron owes you a debt, and he dislikes having such things held over his head. He could name you Master—or Mistress—of theHunt."
And what about him? "Cas—"
"He would pay well. You could feed your father and sisters. Keep a roof over theirheads."
"I can’t." A shiver ran through me, translating through my arms. He felt it. Galina had warned of the price to pay for her gift. I hadn’t understood it then. "Even now I can feel the forest calling to me," I whispered. "I don’t think I can stay here, even in Densby. It itches too much. And I can’t— TheDarkness—"
"I understand." His hand slid over mine, pressing lightly, and yet there were a thousand things left unspoken in that single touch. Then he offered me his arm again, to help me down from the back of his horse. "Your sisters have seenyou."
What? I looked up, hearing my name echoing through the village green. Averill’s tight halo of spiraled curls came into view, along with their summer-kissedfaces.
Averill and Eloya shoved their way through the crowd of villagers, skirts flapping around their legs. Ellie slammed into me as I hit the ground, nearly driving me off my feet, and then Avie was there... I was surrounded by a crush of warm bodies that smelled likehome.
