"I still wonder about it," I said.
His brow furrowed, eyes searching my expression. "Wonder about what?"
"Whether you're the villain in my story."
~~~~~~~
Mara Monroe is at the center of a war she wanted no part in.
But with her new throne she fac...
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"You're frowning," Cedric said.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know. This job is going to give me wrinkles."
He shot me an amused sidelong look as we walked through the woods together back to where I left Thea. The three of them— four, including Brighid— made it through the portal and Maeve assured us that she would send them a message for us. While she also assured us that the woods were free of Cenred's soldiers, Cedric and I still walked with our swords in hand.
Thea said that maintaining a portal by herself was too draining, and she wasn't capable of keeping one open for too long, so neither of us had much hope that we could return to them that way. But Cedric and I had money, we would take an airplane if we had to. The idea of such a human form of transportation made me want to laugh.
The sudden waft of blood in the air made the urge quickly die.
"Is that—"
"My father's men," Cedric answered, "I think so."
A mixture of horror and relief washed through me. Maeve was right, there were no soldiers in these woods. At least, not any that had blood left in their veins. The scent of it was thick in the air, so thick that I almost gagged.
Cedric winced, barely, almost imperceptibly. I wondered if he knew those men. I wondered if that's what he was thinking.
"It's not," he said, "at least, it wasn't."
I frowned. "You're able to access my head a lot better than I can access yours."
"You feel everything very... intensely," he said.
"And," I prodded.
"And it's like turning the volume up on the connection we share. Every time your emotions starting running rampant, I can hear you clearer and louder."
"So," I coughed, "the other night..."
Cedric grinned. "Oh, yes, Mara love. Every. Single. Thought."
My face burned red from pure embarrassment and I turned from him as we retraced our steps. Trying very hard not to think about the implications of what he just confirmed, I tried to stay alert as we walked. Cenred knew that we came here. He knew that we were traveling together. I couldn't help but feel like we were sitting ducks in the woods. Or walking ducks. Whatever.
The walk away from the Horde, needless to say, was just as anxiety-riddled as the walk toward it. Cedric tried to reach the others through the burner phone he purchased, but the other that he gave to Andras was dead. He tried again. For the fourth time.
Patience was not a strong suit of Cedric's either.
"Damn it," he groaned as the same busy tone played. "Mortal technology is the worst."
I rolled my eyes. "Right. Because traveling by horse and lighting a castle with lanterns is so much better."
