Page 224 of When Sisters Collide
Velthur pushed his chair back, the soft scrape of wood against the floor making her flinch. “Eat and get some rest.” He adjusted the folds of his deep purple cloak. “My men are keeping watch outside. No one will bother you as long as you stay here. If you need anything, ask Lecne. Be ready to leave at first light.”
First light?
He turned for the exit, and Leywani’s heart pounded faster. “Wait!” She curled her hands into fists in her lap to keep them from trembling. “Where am I going?”
Velthur paused at the tent’s entrance. The torchlight flickered against the sharp planes of his face, casting shadows that made his expression impossible to read.
“Get some sleep,” he said over his shoulder. “You have a long journey ahead.”
And then he was gone.
Leywani didn’t seeVelthur again that night, but sleep was elusive. She tossed and turned, trying to banish the image of the Makhai and the echo screams from her mind. By the time the first sliver of dawn crept through the tent’s entrance, exhaustion clung to her bones.
She had just finished lacing her boots when the flap rustled and Velthur swept inside, his presence filling the space. In one hand, he carried a waterskin; in the other, a heavy cloak.
“Put this on,” he ordered. “The mornings are still cold.”
She took the cloak from him, the fabric thick and well-worn beneath her fingers. He left without another word, expecting her to follow.
Outside, the camp stirred with the slow rise of dawn—soldiers dousing dying fires, packing supplies, tightening the straps on their armour.
Two horses stood waiting, their breath visible in the crisp morning air, saddlebags secured at their sides. Lecne and Aulus were already mounted, watching their approach.
Velthur wasted no time. He strode to the same horse she’d ridden the previous day and, before she could react, lifted her onto the saddle as if she weighed nothing. The moment she settled, he swung onto his own mount with effortless grace.
They rode out of the camp, leaving behind the legion’s banners, the rows of tents, and the soldiers preparing for another day of war.
Leywani’s pulse thundered. She didn’t ask where they were going. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
Velthur had been true to his word since she’d arrived in Eluvia, and that unsettled her more than cruelty ever could have.The terrifying guard she had first encountered in Kisra—the one who’d beaten Katell and held a knife to her throat—was nowhere to be seen.
But she knew better than to let her guard down.
They rode in silence all morning, the steady rhythm of hooves their only companion. The land stretched open, hills rolling beneath a sky heavy with the threat of rain. Still, Velthur pressed them forward without pause.
By midday, they reached a river broad and deep enough to carry a fishing boat. Velthur finally drew his horse to a halt.
Leywani swallowed and tightened her grip on the reins. Her hands were stiff from the cold, her body aching from hours in the saddle. Yet discomfort wasn’t what tied her stomach in knots—it was Velthur’s stillness in the saddle and the loaded glances the other two soldiers traded.
Then, without looking at her, Velthur spoke. “Aulus, grab the girl.”
Leywani’s breath turned to ice.
“With pleasure,” Aulus said, his tone threaded with cruel amusement.
Panic surged. She kicked her leg over the saddle, scrambling to dismount—but before she could take a step, rough hands clamped around her arms.
Leywani screamed as Aulus yanked her back, his grip iron-tight, the stink of sweat and leather closing in on her.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment.” His hot breath scraped her cheek.
She thrashed, twisting in his hold, but he only laughed, his fingers biting into her flesh.
Terror clawed up her throat. She kicked wildly. “Let go of me!”
Aulus cursed, jerking her closer. “Feisty little?—”
The words died on his tongue as his body jolted, stiffened, then sagged heavily against her. Leywani buckled under his weight—until a strong arm caught her and pulled her free.
