And I stopped. What the Saints was I thinking? I couldn’t ride a horse. I couldn’t even get on a horse. Even if I was completely healthy and my back didn’t have gaping wounds, this would be a near impossible task.
Plus, I would just slow us down.
“Something wrong, princess?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, shut up,” I scoffed, brushing his shoulder with my own as I walked past him to the horse that he had claimed as his own.
Malachi laughed quietly. “It’s not a bad thing to admit you need some help,” he teased.
“Perhaps you should take your own advice.”
Malachi ignored my comment but gripped my waist lightly, helping me onto the saddle. His hands lingered for a moment as I settled in, adjusting the seat, before he hauled himself on the saddle behind me.
“Remind me why we can’t just fly there with all of your wings and magic?” I asked.
“It’s a three-day trip, and we might need all of our strength when we get to Fearford. We have no idea what’s waiting for us there. Plus, Adeline’s wings aren’t as strong as ours. We’ll be faster on horses.”
I pretended not to notice the feeling of our bodies pressed together. Malachi was my husband. This shouldn’t be weird…right? He had likely done this before with dozens of people. This was nothing.
My body was stiff. I tried to keep as much distance between our bodies as possible, but as soon as the horse started moving toward Serefin and Adeline, my back couldn’t take it.
“I don’t bite,” Malachi whispered in my ear. He was close enough to feel the chill that jolted down my spine, but he didn’t acknowledge that.
Normally, I would have fought him. But I was exhausted. And in pain. Plus, Malachi was a warm, safe surface behind me.
So, I let myself relax with every step of the horse.
“We’re getting out of here, princess,” Malachi whispered after a few minutes. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or to himself. “And let’s pray we don’t have to come back.”
CHAPTER 29
Malachi
Jade fought to stay awake. She didn’t have to say it. I could feel her body needing more and more support as we rode in silence for hours.
“We need a break,” I announced to Ser and Adeline. “Jade won’t be able to ride much longer.”
She attempted to lift her head when she heard her name, but quickly let it fall back on my shoulder.
“This should be a good enough spot for the night,” Serefin said. “As long as we stay away from the main path and keep alert.”
Adeline agreed, and the three of us steered our horses through a small clearing in the thick forest.
It eased my mind that there were so many dangers out here. It would stop any spies from following us.
The ones that wanted to live, anyway.
“Where are we?” Jade asked as soon as the horse stopped moving.
“We’re stopping here for the night. You need rest, and Adeline can check your wounds.”
Adeline jumped off her horse and hurried over to us so she could help Jade. She grumbled something of a response, but we ignored her as she slid off the saddle.
“You really think this is a good idea?” Adeline whispered.
I shrugged. “If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears.”
My sister stared at me for a second before helping Jade to a small log. Serefin was already busy with a fire. It was risky, and he knew that. But Jade wasn’t going to make the journey if she was injured, hungry, and freezing.
JADE
Tessa held my hand as we walked through the field of flowers.
“You’re leaving me?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Never, bug. I’ll never leave you. You know that.”
She smiled and kicked the tall grass ahead of her. “Good. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
My sister was beautiful. She had always been the better looking of us two. Her long brown hair stopped at her waist, and her tan skin glistened under the sun as she knelt down to pick up a flower.
“You know he’s coming for you, right?” she asked.
I eyed my sister carefully. “Who is, Tessa? What do you mean?”
“You don’t have much time.”
“What are you talking about?”
She stood up to hand me the flower that she had plucked from the ground.
But she wasn’t holding a flower.
Her hands were cupped in front of her, and they were covered in blood.
“Tessa!” I yelled. I closed the gap between us as she dropped to her knees. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”