“That isn’t it, I…” I exhaled through my nose. “I’ve never been to this place before. I know you've risked it all…” I bit my lip. “I trusted you. Now I want you to trust me.”
The muscles in Silas's jaw feathered, but he conceded, nodding while his eyes went to the ground. I grasped his hand, and he froze.
“Thank you,” I murmured as my eyes bounced between his. “For everything. Once we are there, we will come up with a plan.”
He looked back towards the dancing fires in the distance. “If you really don’t know where the rest of your people are, we should go to the southeast territories.” His gaze shifted to mine. “The sooner the better, before word gets out of my betrayal and there’s a bounty on my head.”
“I agree.”
He nodded, and my hand slipped away as we silently made our way back to camp.
After a couple of hours and very little sleep, we continued onward, marching for a few hours at a time and then resting. Each stop a handful of Mages were released from their cuffs, and I stood by to ensure no one hurt Silas or his friends.
Silas smuggled as much food as he could carry, and my people had eaten just before we escaped. Still, with rations so short, my people were growing hungry. Once we reached Mount Rozavar, Silas would give my people enough coin to feed themselves and feed them well.
By the evening of the following day, everyone was spent. “How long until we reach this place?” Roland asked as he helped me off our horse at our resting site.
“Hopefully, by tomorrow.” I stretched, and he nodded. “Why don’t you guys stay by us?”
Roland raised a brow, that infuriating but sexy grin forming on his face.
I punched his arm. “I’d feel better knowing you all were near in case someone decides not to follow my orders. They’ve done well enough so far, but still.”
“You won’t find me complaining about sleeping near you,” he winked.
I rolled my eyes, the corners of my lips raising as I strolled to Silas. He agreed with my plan, and we all set up around the same campfire just as the sun began to set.
Merrick and Silas agreed they would take the first shift and stay awake while the rest of our group slept. I drifted to sleep watching Silas stare off into the forest, the flames giving me an intoxicating view of his beautiful, tanned face.
Chapter Forty-Seven
SILAS
Lenawascurledupin her bedroll, one of the few we were able to smuggle, resting soundly. I kept trying to keep my eyes off of her as Merrick continually glared at me from across the fire.
I don’t blame him for being skeptical of me, but he was pissing me off.
“Are you going to be glaring at me all night?”
“I’d be a fool to let you out of my sight.” His eyes swirled dark, and I shifted in my seat. He wasn’t the only one. Various Mages across the campsite were staring at me warily.
I laughed through my nose and twirled the dagger I held, admiring the sapphire in its hilt.
“Why’d you do it?” he asked in a low voice.
I raised my eyes, then continued to look down at my dagger.
That was tricky. I certainly didn’t want him to think I was lying. This “gift” of his was going to be a pain in my ass.
“Do what?” I asked.
“Why did you do all of this? What is therealreason?”
I raised my head, frowning. “As I told Lena, I wish to take the throne.”
Not a lie.
Merrick narrowed his nearly black eyes, the various piercings in his pointed ears glinting off the firelight as he tied back is white hair. “What if our people don’t accept you? What if we fight back? Certainly, you would do everything in your power to end us.”
