Noah exhaled.
“Am I annoying you? I tend to talk a lot.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Sorry,” I said weakly, then pressed my lips together.
Noah’s whiskey eyes shifted to me. “No reason to apologize. I agreed that you talked a lot, but I never said anything about you annoying me.”
My smile returned.
Buildings came into view, and a horse whinnied from nearby. A few steps later, we arrived at their encampment. It mostly looked like the one for the Second Order, apart from a slightly bigger stable. The barracks appeared smaller though. Probably because some of the knights, like Noah, lived in the castle. Their unit wasn’t as large as the other two orders either, since they were the elite among the knights.
Glorified bodyguards, really. But they wouldn’t be so revered if they weren’t the best of the best.
Once we reached the stable, a boy no older than sixteen exited with a saddled horse. A page boy maybe? Or squire. He seemed sweet, though, as he smiled at me and went on his way.
Noah helped me into the saddle and swung his leg over to sit behind me. Maddox would’ve been irritated if he’d seen us. He didn’t like me riding with anyone but him.
As Noah the Silent escorted me home, I took in the scenery of rolling green hills and the dense forest of trees. The sun heated the top of my head, and for a brief moment, I missed air conditioning. But the love and friendships I’d found in Bremloc was worth giving up those modern conveniences for. Once passing through a section of town, the cobblestone street transitioned to dirt as we turned down the narrow path that led to the cottage
A flicker of silver from the tree line caught my eye.
Lake.
I smiled. He’d probably sensed me as soon as we’d reached the path and came out to see me the rest of the way home. My stealthy protector.
Noah dismounted from the horse and then helped me down. “May I speak freely?”
“Sure.” It was a miracle he was even speaking at all.
He glanced toward the trees. “Be careful who you tell about him.”
I froze.
“Don’t worry,” Noah said, looking back at me. “I share the same views as my prince. However, there are many who would strike him down on sight and without provocation. Many knights among them.”
“I’ll be careful,” I said.
“See to it that he’s careful as well. He followed us all the way from the castle.”
“He did?”
And in the daylight? What was my wolf thinking? He could’ve been spotted!
“Yes,” Noah answered. “He’s light-footed and can mask his presence well, but I’m trained to detect even the smallest movement. Captain Maddox has had that same training, as have many other knights from the First and Second Orders. My advice is to tell him to stay behind next time.”
A weird ache gripped my sternum.
Noah stepped into the stirrup and swung his leg over the saddle, taking the reins. “Take care. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
As Noah guided the horse back down the path, I dashed toward the trees. Right as I became enclosed in them, Lake appeared in front of me, smelling like evergreen and a hint of something delicately sweet, like peaches. Hair silver like the moon and eyes like amethyst, he was beautiful and gentle. A shooting star people feared. A star they would shatter into dust if given the chance.
Heaviness pressed on my chest. “You followed me to the castle?”
“To make sure you were safe,” Lake said.
“You could’ve been seen by someone, Lake.” That weird ache dug in deeper. “Sir Noah sensed you.”
