My people, I kept reminding myself, still in disbelief.
“What happened to your mother?”
I froze at his question, not expecting it but also unsure if I wanted to share what little I had of her with him. I focused on my task.
“She died,” I said.
“A while ago?” he pried.
“When I was born.”
Adrian was silent, and I moved on from cleaning my hands to my arms, my chest and stomach. I felt his gaze on all parts of me, even as he asked these serious questions. “What do you miss most about her?”
His question shocked me, and I hated being shocked by him. It was both curious and sincere, and I had an answer.
“I miss her potential,” I answered, staring at him. “I miss what could have been with her as my mother.”
He seemed strangely thoughtful. I assumed the questions were over and had returned to my task when he continued. “Who taught you to ride?”
I paused a beat, my frustration growing. “My father.”
“Who taught you to fight?”
“My commanders.”
“Alec Killian?”
Once again, I halted my task, and this time, I turned to face him fully. My eyes roamed from his face to his powerful shoulders to his cock, which strained against the fabric of his clothes.
“Jealous, King Adrian?” I taunted.
He tilted his head up, mouth and body tightening.
“I am just trying to ascertain what is left for me to teach.”
His words inspired heat to blossom in my stomach, and I wanted to tremble, but I tightened my muscles to keep from showing weakness.
“I don’t know there is much you can teach me, Adrian, except hate.”
A smile curved his lips, and then he rose to his feet. As he did, the edges of his clothing brushed my skin, and the shiver I’d fought so hard to keep at bay shook me. I bent my head back to hold his gaze as he towered over me.
“Sparrow,” he murmured, lifting his hand to hold my jaw, thumb brushing my cheek as he’d done earlier. “I think you are right.”
I felt his lips brush mine as he spoke, and I thought he would kiss me, but instead, he dropped his hand and slipped from his place between me and his chair, leaving the tent.
As soon as he was gone, I realized how much I’d wanted him to kiss me, because I’d wanted the pleasure he promised. I’d wanted to get lost in him so I could forget my reality.
It was good he’d left me alone.
I turned back to the basin and finished washing up. After, I curled into the furs covering Adrian’s bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, my mind racing with my recent past. It followed as the dark descended, and all I heard was the clash of metal and the screams of my people.
Nine
Those screams continued, but when I woke up, it was to silence. The only thing that clung to me was a feeling of dread that had settled deep in my chest. Beside me, Adrian was asleep. He was naked and lay atop the covers. The low light from the brazier reflected off his lean and hard muscles. The curve of his erection drew my eyes, and I wondered if he was ever not aroused. I considered that he was too trusting to fall asleep beside me like this, and yet I did nothing but slip from bed and dress, stepping into the fading day. All around, the woods looked as if they were burning, set aflame by the sun.
The camp was quiet, eerie, and I did not feel as safe as I expected, given that I was still within the borders of my home. Even outside the tent, the icy feeling in the pit of my stomach remained, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something horrible was about to happen.
A high-pitched mewling drew my attention, and I turned in the direction of the sound. Between the dead boughs of the trees, I saw buzzards circling. Again, that strange dread overcame me, sharper this time. They’re looking for food, I thought and hoped Adrian kept his promise to bury my people.
A chill wind swept from behind me, dragging my hair into my face and carrying the distinct smell of death, but we were too far from those who had perished last night, and this smell was strong, indicating days of decay. Another cry erupted from the vultures, and I watched as one peeled away from the volt. As it did, the others followed.
And so did I.
I cut through the trees, following the birds in the fading daylight. I started moving at a walk, but my pace increased. As I went, tree limbs caught my hair and thorns gripped my clothes and scratched my skin, but I was urged on by a sense of alarm that turned my stomach, despite a growing fear of what I would find.
The trees began to thin, and I came upon a village that was surrounded by a tightly woven wooden fence. In Lara, most of the villages were given the name of the family who founded them. In this case, a carved sign indicated the name to be Vaida.