a tent with a divider, so the little ahren had some privacy. Mave and her males used one big tent. Emerian had a small one for himself, made for one Andinna.
They had grown proficient over the trip, building and breaking down camp every day. As Mave and her males put up their tent, Alchan and Rain handled the other. Lilliana was helpful, starting the fire for everyone and prepping dinner. She did it faster than Mave or her males ever could, a hidden skill.
By the time everyone was finished setting up sleeping spots, the food was cooking.
“Another road stew?” Mave asked, trying to be kind to the only other female on their journey.
“Yes,” the little noble female answered, not that she acted much like a noble.
“Thank you. These always warm me up.” Mave smiled and was happy to see a smile in return. Now that she was accustomed to her reaction to the ahren, she controlled it with masterful skill. There was no reason to behave that way, and Mave wouldn’t tolerate it from herself or anyone else.
“Let’s sit down,” Mat said softly, touching her back. Poor Mat. Mave knew he would follow her on this mission and would never say anything to her otherwise, but she knew it scared him. It scared all of her husbands. It scared her.
She nestled in next to him on the ground, and Zayden took her other side. Across the fire, Alchan and Rain sat down. Rain forced Lilliana to sit on his free side once she backed away from the fire, so the stew could cook undisturbed. Mave watched intently as Lilliana looked around Rain and blushed deeply, then tried to cover the lower half of her face with a scarf. Emerian sat by himself, watching the fire. He did every night, and she didn’t know how to reconnect with him.
There’s so much to say to him, and I…don’t yet know how to say them. I don’t want to do it with everyone around, either. It would be unfair to him.
“We had a message earlier today, but I didn’t read it yet,” Bryn announced, sitting closer to the fire. She knew he needed the light. He gave them updates whenever they came, but they weren’t frequent. Mave and Alchan both knew Luykas didn’t want to send bad news.
“I wonder what weird news he has for us this time,” the king said with a chuckle. “What was it last time?”
“Hogs escaping into the single male barracks or something, which I don’t believe,” Mave answered, rolling her eyes. “Bryn?”
Bryn was still reading, his eyes going wider and wider.
“Bryn?” Zayden asked.
Bryn looked up at her, then back down to the little blood magic book they sent messages in.
“We’ve had another casualty to the Elvasi forces embedded in the village…”
The story Bryn painted for them was a terrible one. Two friends, working late, another coming to help, and bringing a gift. One friend went to bed early. The other, no one would ever know.
He had been taken and killed.
Not just killed. Some sick monster tortured him until his body gave out.
Mave didn’t know she was crying until Mat reached out and wiped her tears.
“Dave wasn’t the only casualty,” Bryn said softly, reading in the light. “Vahn, the gryphon Trevan used as his mount, also met his end. Currently, the theory is the intruder who took Dave poisoned the beast with a snack. The gryphon died in its sleep.”
“Oh, no,” Zayden groaned. “Fuck. We should be there.”
Mave purposefully chose to ignore Zayden’s words. She didn’t need to acknowledge them. Her guilt was already threatening to consume her.
“I should have been better to him,” she whispered.
“You were wonderful to him,” Mat said, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s okay. Luykas is going to find out who did this.”
Mave shook her head.
“I’m the one who should feel guilty,” Bryn said, slamming the book closed. He tossed it to Alchan, who caught it. “I had a feeling there was a spy, and I didn’t say anything because I…didn’t trust my own instincts. I should have. I should have said something the moment I suspected.”
“We can’t change the past,” Alchan snapped. “Don’t beat yourself up. Who would be the spy? Hm? Do you have any new thoughts? We live in a village of freed slaves and Andinna warriors who lost their freedom. Who would hate us in that village so much, they would do this to our people? Let’s be honest here. If we were going to have a spy, Dave and