“Possibly. I’d rather not risk your life.”
“Then fight, Tovian. Help us.”
Our success is fragile. It could be fleeting.
He squeezes my hand once. “I have been.” An unreadable look. “The Ansi might be willing to participate if you came to make the case yourself.”
“And leave the Oceanside team just when we had a major victory?” When I suspect we’re going to be attacked at any minute, but convincing Ephram to move camp when we have injured fighters to treat and prisoners to guard will be nigh on impossible? “I can’t do that.”
Tovian’s smile is tinged with disappointment.
“When you’re ready, Sunshine.”
I watch his back as he strides toward the campfire. Ducking into my tent, I have the feeling I’ve made a huge mistake.
Sure enough, Tovian doesn’t follow.
When I crawl out of bed the next morning, he’s gone.
August
Chapter 10
“What’s happening?”
I’ve just finished checking on Ephram’s now-healed eye when the emergency horn bleats.
“The pirates didn’t take kindly to being attacked and us taking their cargo.” Luza chuckles mirthlessly. “Let’s get to the lookout point.”
Emboldened, after our success with the bridge, we’ve started daring to conceal fighters along the edges of the Boscage, high in trees where we can pick off targets as they came trundling up the rough road. A ground unit uses ropes to trip the quicker motorbikes, which we confiscate after disabling the drivers.
The invaders are furious
“Any word from your mystery man?” Luza asks without lowering her binoculars.
“Tovian? No. Haven’t seen him since the bridge collapse.”
Something clenched inside my chest. I messed things up, the last time I saw him. I wish he hadn’t left, so I could straighten things out. I’mnotin love with Lorcan. I should never have said that.
But you do love him,my heart whispered.
As a longtime friend, yes. But not in a romantic sense. Not anymore. He belongs with Zosia. It’s so obvious.
In holding out for Lorcan for so long, I’ve passed up every chance of finding love with someone else. For years. I feel like a rank fool.
Part of me doesn’t believe I deserve Tovian’s interest. Even if the whole royalty-of-different-tribes thing wasn’t a factor. Or the war.
“Hey,” Luza nudges me with her elbow and offers the binoculars. “What’s that?”
It takes me a minute to adjust them to my face. “A traveler.”
“Nobody travels these days.”
The slim figure makes slow but steady progress down the dusty road. It’s been weeks since the last rain, and the pirates with their horrible bikes have ripped deep ruts into the unpaved surface. As the figure comes closer, I can make out dark hair and brown trousers, with a beige top that might have been white at one point. A woman. She limps slightly with every step—
I drop the binoculars carelessly and dart down the hillside, skidding on rocks, ignoring Luza’s yelp of surprise.
“Orisa!” I yell, heedless of the danger. “Orisa, you’re all right!”
