Page 96 of Ruin of Revenants

Owen approached more slowly, clearing his throat. “I, uh, I trust you too, Isoria,” he said, his voice quieter, more cautious.

I met his gaze over Lily’s shoulder and smiled, blinking back my tears. “Thank you,” I breathed.

Cliff paused from attaching the reins to his jaguars and hitching them to his specially crafted carriage. His toothy grin was friendly and open. “You’ve fought alongside us. If Prince Archer trusts you, we trust you.”

The lump in my throat only grew. I didn’t care about the murderous glances that the king’s guards threw my way, not when I had the sweet relief of knowing that Archer’s friends were still my friends, that they accepted me for who I was.

“Your father gave express orders to hurry,” the tallest of the guards called to Archer, not bothering to conceal his sneer when his eyes landed on me.

“Very well,” Archer snapped. “I hope Cliff doesn’t relax his influence on his jaguars and let them tear out your throats.”

Could he? I asked Archer hesitantly through our bond.

Archer’s shoulders slumped as he approached the first carriage with Princess and Gorgeous pawing impatiently at the dirt. He could, but it’s an empty threat. The guards will remain close to you so they can make their move if we try anything. One would slit your throat before we could kill them all off, especially while confined in the carriage. And Cliff would never risk the life of a friend.

While three of the guards, including the female, entered the second carriage, Cliff called to a young male who looked barely out of his youth. “Clay! You ready?”

The male named Clay raced out of a far corner of the building, his curly mop of hair and freckled face only adding to his young appearance. “Yes, sir!” he exclaimed, climbing into the driver’s seat of the second carriage, his expression all eagerness.

“Clay is pretty talented with earth magic and animal influence,” Cliff explained for my benefit. “He’s been my apprentice for the past six months. This is the first time he’ll drive a carriage on his own.” He smiled like a proud uncle from the young male to the pair of jaguars hitched to the other carriage. “He’ll handle Fluffy and Chase all right.”

As Cliff climbed into the driver’s seat of the first carriage, I followed Archer, Lily, and Owen inside.

“Off we go to break a blood bond,” Lily announced cheerfully, as if it were going to be a joy ride through the city proper.

The grumpy, sneering guard crowded inside with us, sitting far too close to me for my comfort. When he leaned into me, shoving his elbow into my side and tapping his large hand against my knee, Archer seized my waist and set me in his lap. “Keep your hands off my fiancée,” he snapped, shooting daggers at the guard, who merely chuckled, a low, rumbling sound.

Chills skittered down my spine, but those were swiftly replaced by the warmth of Archer’s arms around me. I was overly conscious of his chest against my back, the thud of his heartbeat, the planes of his muscles.

Sorry, he sent into my mind, but I don’t want him touching you. His presence alone is already making you uncomfortable, and I hate that you have to bear that.

The remark was so simple, so sincere, it warmed me even as confusion chased it. If we were going to break our blood bond, shouldn’t Archer have been excited to be rid of me? I didn’t think so badly of him as to expect him to want me dead, but I wasn’t so delusional as to imagine he cared beyond our reluctantly forged alliance.

Does your father really think that once we break the bond, these guards will be enough to force us back to the capital for my execution?

Father thinks once the bond breaks, your manipulation on me will end and I’ll want to drag you back myself. He can’t comprehend anything else. But once the bond is broken, you’ll be free to go back home, and we’re going to help you escape.

A strange ache settled in my chest at the proclamation. Vithenna had spoken of answers, which gave me hope that I might find a cure for Mama, Brook, Aunt Aurora, and others like Zinnia. But the way Archer said go back home reminded me that I’d be making a permanent return.

How odd that the one thing I’d longed for when first trapped in this bond with Archer now filled me with a sharp pang I didn’t want to consider too deeply. There was no returning to Rainsong without King Wystan and his ilk killing me, but I hated to think that this meant I’d probably never see Archer, Lily, Owen, Cliff, or Orchid again. All these new friends I’d made—the unlikely connection I’d forged with the prince—and I’d have to say goodbye forever. I wouldn’t be helping Emberglade by taking a stand against the revenants any longer. I’d be restricted once again to my own little town of Everhaven, a place that was once my peace now sounding more like my prison.

After a long pause, Archer spoke into my mind again. Mortius told me something. It turns out, I was wrong about the blood bond. If you were to kill me, you’d die too, just like we thought. But if someone else kills either of us…the bond will break and the other lives on.

There was a long pause as I digested his words. You could have told your father and let him execute me. I kept my next thoughts to myself, still trying to sort through the emotions flooding me. He chose to protect me, when he could have been rid of a hated phoenix shifter that easily. And yet…that narrative no longer rang true. I’d seen how Archer interacted with my people in Everhaven. How he looked at me, treated me. I could feel his emotions.

He didn’t hate me anymore. He didn’t hate any of us.

I’d never do that, Feathers. Though the nickname was teasing, his tone was full of sincerity. Not anymore. You’re safe with me. I promise. Even with my father’s guard dogs breathing down our necks and our magic stifled, I’ll protect you.

Too overcome to respond, I just nodded, accepting this gift from the one person who should have been most motivated to destroy me.

As the carriages rode onward and we suffered the unwanted presence of the king’s guard, a stifling silence settled over our group. Rain had started to fall in driving sheets, pounding against the roof and cloaking the world outside our window in mistiness that obscured the night. Owen began using his magic to influence the water around us, frowning in concentration as he worked to push water away from the front of the carriages so Cliff and Clay had a clear view.

“We might have to stop soon.” Lily glanced toward Owen and then out the window again. “This has the threat of a monsoon written all over it. Even if the roads don’t start flooding, the mud is going to trap us before long.” She swallowed. “Better to wait it out in Rainsong than be trapped beyond the barrier and…whatever could find us vulnerable out there.”

Archer scrubbed a hand down his face. We’d likely only been on the road for a half hour at most. “We’ll find an inn where we can wait out the rain,” he muttered.

Knocking on the roof, Archer signaled for Cliff to pause. With Owen directing rain away from the carriage, Archer stepped out to converse in low tones with the driver. Soon after, he ducked back into the carriage, settling beside me. “We’re a few minutes away from The Crown and Dagger. We can stay there for the night and hope the roads are clear enough tomorrow. Or we can take horses and ride the rest of the journey.”