Now I really wanted to know what they were up to. It was the first time I’d seen them tense with anticipation, and I was almost desperate to know why.
It was my turn to smile. Because, thanks to Lorian, I’d be able to do just that.
During his little game with the rope, I’d finally understood where my power lived. And I’d practiced with it over and over while we rode today, only able to achieve a couple of seconds at best while I focused on the terror I’d felt over and over since I’d fled my village.
I had no plans to tell the mercenaries I could now summon my magic until I absolutely had to.
Lorian had reminded me that the only person I could trust was myself. And if he’d known just how often I’d frozen time today, he wouldn’t be looking so calm and assured.
He glanced at me one last time, and his eyes narrowed. I attempted my best bored expression, but from the way he studied my face, I didn’t succeed.
“Watch her,” he told Galon.
Galon heaved a sigh but nodded, giving me a look that said he would not be tolerating any games.
I waited with Galon while the others disappeared down the trail. I had to time this carefully. Too soon, and Galon would know what I was doing. Too late, and I’d miss their little meeting.
Crossing my legs, I shuffled in place a few times, sighing occasionally. When Galon threw me an irritated look, I shrugged.
“I need to duck behind a bush.”
Galon hunched his shoulders. Of all the mercenaries, he was the most uncomfortable whenever he was reminded that I was a woman.
“Fine. Don’t take long.”
“It’ll take as long as it takes.”
His eyes widened, my cheeks heated, and we both glanced away.
I strode toward the slightly taller bushes near one of the strange, thin trees. My breath quickened, and I turned toward the trail Lorian and the others had continued down.
Glancing over my shoulder, I surveyed Galon. He was leaning over, checking his horse’s shoe.
I wasn’t going to get a better opportunity.
My sneaking skills hadn’t improved much since the night I’d found the mercenaries in their clearing. Perhaps I could convince one of them to teach me their skulking ways before we reached the city.
Once I was far enough away from Galon, the dense bushes made it easy to hide. I dropped to my hands and knees, wincing as I scraped them along sharp sticks and stones.
The trail climbed up a small hill, and I followed it until I heard voices.
My magic came to me easier than it ever had before. During the long day of travel, I’d discovered that finding and using my power wasn’t the challenging part. No, the part that felt almost impossible was holding the thread of my power in place for longer than a few seconds.
Taking a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders and pulled on the power inside me. My skin went hot, and the bird above my head froze in place, wings spread in preparation to fly.
I shuffled forward, well aware that this was where my control was the weakest. If I wasn’t careful, time would resume while I was still getting into place.
But I was lucky. I released my hold on my power, and when the bird trilled a few foot-spans behind me, I was perfectly positioned above the mercenaries, crouched behind a thick shrub. I peered down, my heart thudding harder in my chest.
Lorian, Rythos, and Marth were standing in a tight group, clearly waiting. Cavis stood a few foot-spans away, surveying their surroundings. I ducked my head.
But not before I caught movement.
I leaned around the bush once more. Two men were approaching, and Lorian’s rough growl reached my ears as he greeted the visitors. Both wore cloaks, their hoods covering their faces, and I frowned as one of them handed Lorian a glass vial. He slipped it into his cloak pocket with a nod.
Rythos said something that made one of the men laugh, and then they both turned. The cloak slipped off the stranger closest to me, and my lungs seized up.
His ears were pointed.
Fae.
A cold sweat broke out on my neck, and my vision speckled. The mercenaries were working with the fae.
Truthfully, I shouldn’t be surprised. The whole point of being a mercenary was doing not-very-nice things for the kind of people willing to pay in gold.
But…
Something broke in me at the thought of them working with the fae. The very creatures who’d terrorized our kingdom for so many centuries. The reason our king had to bargain with the gods in the first place.
If not for the fae, I might’ve grown up as a normal child. All of us villagers would’ve been able to keep our magic. There would be no Taking ceremony, no Gifting ceremony…