Saskaya huffed. “Have you two ever considered not fighting for five minutes? Agree on a plan, and execute it?”
“Where’s the fun in that, Sas?” I winked, but she’s right. Lorcan and I have never really been on the same page. As I keep reminding myself, the foundation of our relationship has never been solid enough to build upon.
“Must keep the sex exciting,” Saskaya muttered.
I arranged my face into careful neutrality. How to even start explaining what’s (not) happening there? I walked away from an advantageous engagement to be with him. We shared a house for weeks. Of course, everyone thinks we’re together that way. Hopefully soon, we finally will be. Otherwise, my succession plan is doomed to fail.
Another sex-related failure might break me for good.
For propriety’s sake—ridiculous, considering Lorcan and I have been cohabiting for weeks and are publicly betrothed—Lorcan stayed at Cata’s empty house with Tovian and Keryn. I missed sleeping next to him.
In what I chose to interpret as cosmic approval of my succession plan, that night, I got my first cycle in months. I’ve tipped the scale far enough into a healthy weight range to resume menstruating. Yay, I guess.
Now it’s a matter of convincing my temporary boyfriend to do his part.
Judging from the way Lorcan has been transparently campaigning to seduce me for weeks, that doesn’t sound too difficult.
See? We can plan, or at least I can. All that’s left is the execution.
* * *
Saskaya roused me before dawn to stuff me full of eggs, toast, fruit and cheese. She also stuffed my pockets and packed them with snacks.
“No backsliding,” she warned.
“This recovery thing is tedious.”
“You’re telling me? Seriously, let’s get you healthy so I can get back to my real work. I’m a scientist, not a nurse.”
I flung my arms around her. “Keep my box hidden until I can get it to the Treasury.”
“Please. This is Covari Village. We don’t have crime.” Saskaya held me by the shoulders. “Your box is safe. Lorcan is under orders to keep feeding you.”
“You give him orders?”
“He takes direction well.” Sas grinned. “Try it sometime.”
Except when it comes to rescuing spoiled princesses, apparently. I’m trying not to hold that against him, but part of me will never quite forgive him for leaving me until the very last possible moment.
“Oh, and Tahra is coming with you.”
I blinked at Sas for a minute. It’s too early for this. The sun has barely cracked over the horizon. “Why?”
Saskaya tilted her head and gave me a lopsided smile. “Why do you think?”
I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful.”
“She’s young, bored, and a good fighter. Tahra volunteered immediately. Give her a chance, Zosia.”
To do what? Fuck Lorcan? That’s supposed to be my job. I get him until October, and then let women fight over him. That was the deal. It was on the tip of my tongue to say it, but then I would have to explain things I prefer keeping to myself, so I didn’t.
We mounted and set off, haphazardly. Keryn’s huge gelding dwarfed the rest of our horses. Seventeen hands tall, the spirited animal didn’t like Tovian’s mount, a dark chestnut stallion with blond mane, tail, and fetlocks. Therefore, I rode in the middle. Lorcan led, with Keryn in between us, Tahra behind me, and Tovian bringing up the rear, to his mount’s profound frustration. We picked our way down the mountainside. It’s an excruciatingly slow process. Keryn’s charger hated the slow downward trudge and kept trying to pass Lorcan’s bay mare. Tovian had his hands full trying to keep his horse in the back.
By the time we came down the pass into Marsh Hollow, everyone was hot and grouchy. I was the only one who seemed bothered by this cursed place—and then I remembered why. Lorcan has been past the site of his near-death many times since his recovery.
Stopping in the marshes didn’t appeal, so it was early afternoon before we took a break near a stream at the edge of the Great Central River.
“Is that my horse?” I gestured to a large white stallion surrounded by a cluster of mares. “It is. It’s Sky.”
