Page 121 of Death of a Mortal

We rode on,slowing to a walk for a while to give the horses a break and eat some of the food we’d packed from the ship. The sun had risen to its peak in the sky and was on its afternoon descent before I spoke again.

“Will we arrive tonight?” I asked.

“We will, but it will be late,” Drayce responded, no hint in his tone of our earlier exchange.

So we still had several hours to go, and my entire body was already growing sore.

Bramick came up beside us on his chestnut mare as Aerie swooped down from her scouting above and landed on our other side to walk beside the horse Drayce and I rode.

“All clear, Dray. No sign of anyone following. And Noxie is hunting, he’ll catch up soon.” I nodded my thanks to her.

“I can’t detect anyone either. No vibrations or tremors,” said Bramick.

I wondered what any of that meant. I wanted to ask everyone what their abilities were and what they could do, but it felt rude to do so.

Drayce just nodded and kept the horses walking.

By the time the sun was setting, glowing bugs lazily buzzed over the tall grass, casting a golden-yellow shimmer across the endless sea of green. Stars were winking into existence in the purple sky, and a faint breeze picked up, smelling of sweet flowers, while Noxie and Aerie circled overhead.

I was blissfully content out here, thinking about what base would be like. Would there be magical and physical training? Would it be like school but for fae? How many rebels were there? Was it a small house or a whole compound? Was this the only base…

Would these cuffs come off tonight? This was my most burning question of them all. I wanted to talk to Noxie again and acquaint myself with magic and being fae. And if I were being honest, I also wanted to know what I could do. It was terrifying, yes, but also a little exciting.

Maybe one day I’d get to exact my revenge on Aemilia, fae to fae. But Cassius, what in the world would I do with mortal Cassius if I ever saw him again?

I almost preferred that I didn’t.

As night descended, I grew tired and contemplated actually taking a nap, but I didn’t want to miss the first view of base. So I kept my eye peeled, awaiting any sign we were close, that there was anything but endless green hills around.

“You’re not going to see it until we pass the wards,” Drayce said from behind me.

My head had been on a swivel. He must’ve known what I was looking for.

“Can you tell me about the wards?”

“Not until we’re behind them.”

Figures. “Is there anything youcantell me while I wait? About anything?” I was beyond frustrated at the lack of information. That had been the story of my life since the moment I left Briarstead.

He thought for a moment before saying, “No.”

“Oh, come on, we’ve been traveling together for weeks now, and you haven’t told me anything.”

“Rhyven.”

“Huh?” I had no idea what that meant.

“Rhyven. It’s my last name.”

I thought maybe he would tell me something about magic or fae or the continent’s politics here, but he had told me about himself. It was…nice. “Okay, Drayce Rhyven. What else?”

I heard the trace of a smile in his voice when he spoke again. “What do you want to know? Other than where we’re going and what we’re doing there.”

“Do you have a…a mate or whatever?” I couldn’t believe that was the first question about him that came to mind. Tension aside, I was curious about the whole mate thing.

He went rigid behind me.

Shit, I shouldn’t have asked that. It was personal, and we barely knew each other. The question now felt so stupid to ask.