been a bastard to Eva that first night.
Brave man to be an ass to the one person who might care about his fate. Not so brave now, when faced with the general's full attention.
Vincent looked away, saying something to the man behind him who shot a surprised glance their way before they both went back to work, trying to appear absorbed in what they were doing.
Sending them back was best for all involved. No one wanted people they couldn't trust at their back out here.
"Keep me informed if the situation changes." Darius guided his horse around as he rejoined the group.
"You'll be the second to know after me," Caden called.
"I wouldn't expect any less of the Warlord's Sword," Darius said, not bothering to hide his smile. "You know, another man might take umbrage with you having that title and think he deserved it more."
"Good thing they're not in your position." Caden slid the general a look. "Otherwise, they might lose their head."
"The monster clad in human skin," Darius observed as his horse carried him away. "I feel pity for the poor woman if she actually has caught your attention."
Caden's lip curled. He was one to talk. Women flocked to him thinking his genial smile and razor-sharp humor made him safe, while never seeing the monster Darius concealed inside.
All three of them carried scars that had warped them from a young age. Fallon, the Warlord, Darius, his general, and Caden, his sword and the one who protected them all from the more insidious threats. Three sides. Three different ways of dealing with those scars.
Caden settled in to watch the woman approach, putting Darius and his subtle jabs out of his mind as he settled into his role of protector.
The person he was protecting might have changed, but the end result was the same. Shielding her safeguarded the people who mattered most. Sometimes you had to step outside yourself and your own self-interests to see the bigger picture.
Something inside Caden told him Eva was the lynchpin on which the next phase of Fallon's plans rested. He aimed to make sure they came to fruition, no matter the toll or who got hurt in the process.
*
"A river. Just what we needed, more water," Jason growled several days later with a disgusted expression.
"Look on the bright side. At least we can't get any more wet," Fiona said with a grin. The Trateri warrior was annoyingly chipper despite the miserable conditions.
Eva wasn't sure how bright a side it was as she huddled into her oversized jacket, one of the strange gifts that kept appearing in her pack. Whoever had left it and the others was being quiet about it.
Ollie denied being responsible for the jacket or the flint set she’d found two days ago, or the berries she’d found the day before that. He couldn’t tell her who had left them either.
It was a puzzle that she still hadn’t solved, but she found herself grudgingly grateful for its presence since it was waterproof and helped ward off some of the chill. Not all of it, but enough so she wasn't as miserable as some of those around her.
"We're lucky," Laurell said, coming up to stand beside Eva who controlled her start. She hadn't heard the warrior approach. "This isn't really a river so much as a small lake. The current doesn't look fast. Otherwise we'd have problems."
Eva couldn't conceal her shiver. She wasn't the strongest of swimmers. Her village had gotten their water from wells and what they could catch in rain barrels. Most of what she'd learned she'd taught herself in those weeks she'd survived on her own. She could wade with the best of them but the moment the water got above her head it was only her thrashing that kept her afloat.
A small movement in the water pulled Eva's attention. She leaned closer, edging toward the bank as she crouched down for a better look at the water’s dark depths. It was impossible to see more than the barest glimpses of what resided below.
Eva thought she caught a glimpse of scales and floating strands of something. Then it was gone.
Feet appeared beside her and she glanced up to find Reece staring pensively down at the water.
"This isn’t right. This shouldn’t be this far south," he murmured.
"What do you mean?" Eva asked.
He shook himself as if coming out of a long dream. "Nothing. I need to speak with Darius. Stay away from the water until then."
Her gaze was solemn as she took in