Herez,” I commanded as I ran my hands over her wounds and tried my best to heal the damage I could see. Her skin was still cold as ice, but her breathing was stronger.
A shadow fell over me, and I looked up in fear. A strange man leaned down next to me until our faces almost touched as he leaned forward to inspect Herez.
It was Xander. Had he seen me heal her?
I froze as the moonlight shone off his copper hair. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up as he checked her pulse. His hands were gentle even as his jaw clenched, and I could see the silent fury he was hiding.
“What happened?
“I don’t know,” I lied. How could I explain that I dreamed of her death and then rushed out in the middle of the night to know exactly where she was?
“Did you see anything?” he asked.
“I thought I saw something.” I turned toward the woods but again wasn’t sure how to explain the shadow I had seen. “Maybe I imagined it.” I didn’t dare say any more.
A sharp whistle cut through the silent night, and I heard someone calling Xander’s name.
“Over here!” he yelled out and then waited for the group to find us.
The night was lit by torchlight as a group of ten men surrounded me, crossbows aimed, swords drawn, and torches held high. I drew Herez closer to me, my arms wrapped around her protectively. In the dark, the light blinded me and it was hard to see. One of the shadows separated from the pack, and I recognized Gaven with his dark bearskin cloak as he leaned down to check her pulse.
“What are you doing here?” Gaven asked accusingly.
My hand rose to my face. I’d forgotten I wasn’t wearing my veil. He thought I was the servant girl, Rose.
Before I could respond, Herez’s eyes flickered open, landing on Gaven’s furred cloak looming over her, brushing against her face, and she began to scream and flail. Her fingernails clawed at me as she struggled to get away, her terror making her ten times stronger and my face bearing the brunt of her attack.
Gaven held her arms down as she continued to kick and scream. “Calm down!” he growled out. “You’re safe!
Herez stilled, her eyes wild in fright as they darted around at the hunters, her body shaking like a twig in a storm. She saw me like I was the devil in the flesh, and I remembered that she knew I was a daughter of Eville. She looked at me and began pleading. “Please don’t harm me. I didn’t mean to. I—”
Panicking that she would reveal my real identity to the prince, I reached out and touched her forehead, whispering, “Somnus.”
Herez fell into a deep enchanted sleep, and I pretended to be surprised. “She must have fainted.”
Xander gave me an odd look, then lifted Herez out of my lap and handed her to a soldier. “Did she say anything at all? Who it was or what it was?” His voice was stern.
I shook my head, grateful Gobbersnot had disappeared into woods, though I was fearful that he was hurt or injured.
Gaven frowned and looked at the surrounding woods. “I will find this beast if it’s the last thing I do.” He waved his men on and they barged into the woods, creating enough ruckus that if the beast were there, it would hear them coming a mile away.
Xander reached out and offered me a hand up from the ground. “Come, let me make sure you get back safely.”
Nodding, I walked beside him as he led me out of the woods. One of the men brought over his horse. I recognized Nova and smiled when I saw her. Reaching out to touch her muzzle, I saw how dirty my hands were and curled them into fists, hiding them within my skirts.
“Why were you out here in the middle of the night?” His voice was soft. Not accusing, just curious. “Were you meeting someone?”
Ah, there it is. A hint of jealousy. “No.” I looked away and smiled. “Why are you out here?”
Xander held Nova’s reins and we walked slowly. “Because each night I hunt the beast that roams our lands.”
“I heard the servants talking about a beast. They said that’s why the fey don’t come here,” I said, pretending ignorance of the protection spell and wards or lack of ley lines.
“There are many reasons the fey stay away from our lands. The rumor of the beast is