who wanted to live forever. Whatever she did, it would never be enough.
"Very tired," said Jes, rocking her slightly. "Shh. Don't cry."
She wanted to turn and bury herself in his arms. They were strong arms, which managed to make her feel safer than she could ever remember feeling. Only Jes. She loved the smell of woods and earth that clung to his skin. She loved...
She didn't want to hurt Jes.
She pulled away and turned to face him. "I'm not crying. It's started to rain."
He tilted his head then held out his hand to let a few sparse drops land on his palm. He gave her a gentle smile. "My father would know you are lying."
Impatiently, Hennea wiped her face. "It's a good thing that you are not your father then, isn't it?"
His smile widened further as he nodded. "Especially since my mother would be upset if you felt about my father the way you felt about me while I held you."
Empath. How could she have forgotten?
She didn't know what showed on her face, but it made him laugh. Even as her face burned, part of her observed that Jes's laughter warmed her cold center. It made her want to touch him.
"Look at that," said Tier pointing at a mountaintop. "See that peak? I'd know it anywhere. We're closer to home than I thought."
"Skew's been walking faster for an hour or so," Seraph told him, just as the first drops of rain began to fall. "I think that we're no more than an hour's walk from home. Maybe less. I've only been over this road once."
She glanced up at her husband and smiled to herself at the intent look on his face. It had been autumn when he'd seen Rinnie last, more than half a year ago.
From somewhere on the side of the trail came Jes's too-loud boisterous laugh. Branches rustled and shook, and Hennea burst onto the path, looking uncharacteristically disturbed.
She marched up to Seraph and shook her finger at her. "You tell that boy of yours that he is too young for me. I don't take babes fresh from their mother's milk."
"She likes me, Mother," said Jes, following Hennea with a wide grin.
"I can see that," said Tier. "But take it from me, son. It's time to let her settle her feathers."
Hennea shifted her hot gaze to Tier. "You will not encourage him."
Seraph had never heard of a Guardian stable enough to contemplate a romantic entanglement. There were any number of problems. Even simple touching was difficult - when the Guardian slept, its Order Bearer, who was always an empath, was too raw to allow anyone to touch him. When the Guardian was in control, the nameless dread that accompanied his presence was more than enough to cool the ardor of the most heated lover.
But Hennea's training as a Raven gave her enormous control that seemed to protect Jes from her emotions so that he could enjoy her touch. And as for the Guardian, Hennea didn't appear to be intimidated by him in the slightest.
It gave Seraph hope.
As Tier and Hennea exchanged a few words, sharp on her part and teasing on his, Seraph watched Jes, enjoying his laughter until it abruptly stopped. Amusement died in his eyes first, but quickly faded altogether, leaving a face that looked as if it had never smiled.
Before she could ask what was wrong, Lehr emerged from the forest on their left with Gura. "Papa, Mother, something - "
He was interrupted by the shrill scream of a stallion. Skew answered, half-rearing.
"Easy," soothed Tier, and Skew, his warning given, allowed himself to be gentled. "What's wrong?"
The storm chose that moment to turn from a gentle rain into a downpour; Seraph ducked her head involuntarily. When she looked up, there was a horse facing them in the middle of the path.
It was pale as death - a dirty off-white that darkened to yellow on the ends of his ragged tail. It looked cadaverous, with a full fingerspace between each rib and great hollows behind its sunken eyes.
"What's wrong?" said Jes, and at first Seraph thought he was just repeating Tier.
But then the horse spoke in a voice as rough and terrible as the storm.
"Come," it said, then dashed into the trees.
Both boys and the dog disappeared behind it. Skew took a bounce forward before Tier stopped him and looked at Seraph and Hennea.
"It's the forest king," said Seraph as soon as she realized it herself. "Go ahead. Hennea and I'll catch up."
He didn't wait for