closing the distance between them. My heart goes out to her. She was obviously close with him before he was captured, and I can’t imagine how it must feel to see him like this.
“Yes, he’s gravely injured, but now that we have him back, the healers should be able to fix him,” the general informs her, and she freezes before turning to face him, placing a hand on his chest to stop him mid-pace.
“Wait, he’s still alive?”
I’m not sure why, but the way she says it rattles something within me, or perhaps it’s the flash of fear in her eyes before a gentle smile is plastered on her face. I also get the feeling that if we were in private, her expression would be something altogether different. Why do I instantly distrust her? I have no evidence to say she is anything other than a fair ruler, I just need to stay on my toes and keep out of trouble.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I thought you would want to see him before we took him to the healers,” the general responds, and I realise he’s done it this way on purpose. With the public procession through the city, everyone has seen the fallen elf, and in front of everyone, she can’t turn him away. She pauses as she runs her eyes over his body, her regal, perfect mask in place, but I can tell this has taken her by surprise.
“You were right, General, as usual,” she says, and she turns to face him before looking over her shoulder at the small group of people who had been waiting with her. “Yes, take him to the healers immediately.”
I study her entourage. They all follow her, but at a careful distance, and are now waiting for instruction. Two are clearly ladies in waiting, wearing hooded cloaks the same colour as the queen’s dress, their heads bowed and hands clasped in front of them. Two older elves stand behind her, who I assume are advisers of some type. A young male elf, who is clearly related to the queen, stands with a carefully blank expression as he watches the proceedings. His gaze suddenly falls on me, and I freeze as his eyes narrow, a smile curling up one side of his lips. Five armed guards stand in a semi-circle behind them, their spears shining in the sunlight, but for some reason, it’s the smiling elf who makes me more nervous.
At the queen’s order, the four elves who had been carrying Vaeril with their horses quickly detach his pallet from the procession and hurry away. Without even realising what I’m doing, I take a step forward as if I’m going to follow, the bond stretching and telling me I need to be with him, to make sure he’s safe. I don’t trust the queen not to harm him. It’s a gut instinct.
A hand reaches out and stops me from going any farther. “Don’t,” Elier mutters through clenched teeth, but the movement has caught attention.
“Why is there a human in my city?” The queen’s voice has turned dark, and although she doesn’t raise her voice, I can hear her fury. The hairs on my arm stand on end and my skin starts to tingle in warning, and as I glance down, I see my Goddess mark is glowing brightly.
Elier gasps and lets go of me like I’m on fire. I look up and see everyone is staring at me, but the queen’s gaze is on my glowing mark, and an interested expression crosses her face, one I can’t quite figure out, but it puts me on edge.
“She is the one who brought Vaeril here,” the general explains, and I let out a small sigh of relief as the queen pulls her gaze from me to look at him, a perplexed eyebrow raised. “She took him to the lake, which is where we found the two of them. We bound her to bring her here, but she has caused us no problems.” His voice softens, and I get the impression he is trying to make me seem like less of a threat.
That can’t be a good sign, I muse. Why would he be trying to convince her of that? Surely she can see I’m not a threat. I’m smaller, less powerful, and all skin and bones. I’d just started to put some weight back on thanks to Grayson, but my escape with Vaeril has only made me lose it again.
“She claims they escaped together, that they’re friends,”