Page 29 of Commanding Blood And Bonds
“He’s a stag.”
If I was going to magically transform into a creature, a deer would likely be my last pick. “Interesting choice.”
“I don’t know how much of a choice it is. I think it’s more of…a reflection of who he is at his core, if that makes sense. The qualities he possesses.”
“Virility?” I chuckled, reaching over to cup the back of her neck. She smirked at me.
“I meant like—the forest, the woods. They’re a Celtic symbol of nature and power. Kingsley has always been…close to the earth.”
“So we’re driving across the north, in the dead of winter, for a tree hugger?” From the moment we’d abandoned our coven, I’d been acutely aware of my inability to keep her safe. The readings were just an excruciating reminder of that fact. If this Commander wasn’t worth the risk, what were we doing here?
“Be nice.” She grinned, and I gave her neck a reassuring squeeze. “Kingsley is a warrior too. He’s just stayed closer to our roots.”
“Anything specific to expect?”
“They’re a very—um—structured hierarchy. They operate much more like a royal court than Aren does with Grayshell. Kingsley is their king.”
“Do you think he’ll help us?”
“With Adrastos, or getting to Grayshell?”
As though his name had been a summoning, Ally winced, and I yanked my shield up like a Roman shade.
Black leather gloves wrapped around a man’s jugular, slamming him against a wall. A snarled demand for a confession he couldn’t breathe deep enough to give. The echo of boots on concrete. An explosion of livid shadow fire, igniting fleeing men.
“Forgive them, Prince. They do not know our history.”
Blood splattered across leather boots.
Silence settled over the cab as we both stared at the winding road. Since the battle, her visions had been spotty, but when they came through clearly, they nearly always involved our enemy. But this wasn’t like normal visions. It was as if she was watching through his eyes rather than as the omniscient marvel she was.
“It’s getting worse,” I finally pointed out.
“I know,” she groused, massaging her temples. The glimpses into Adrastos’ world brought her intense, stabbing headaches. For me, they brought an indescribable sense of panic.
What if he could see through her eyes, too?
Was he using the connection to manipulate the war in his favor?
Why the fuck was he warning us when the tormentors were close?
What was the point in warning her to run if he was the one chasing us?
“How do we keep him out?” I pressed, panic spiraling in my chest.
“I don’t—” She clamped her jaw shut, sucking in a slow breath. “I don’t know,” she admitted, shaking her head. Staring out the passenger window, her eyes went distant, reaching past the mountains and into the other. “I’ve never exactly had an adversary on this plane.” Eyes refocusing, she studied me, then circled back to our conversation before our unwelcome preview of our enemy’s mind. “I think Kingsley will always ally with what is good—right. He’s like Aren in that way.”
The abrupt shift in topic had me scowling at the jagged peaks. Swallowing my protests, I cleared my throat. “But he’s playing hide-and-seek?”
“He doesn’t know it’s us, per se—but he will have sensed our power in his territory. He’s very in tune with his surroundings.”
“So where is he?” This was the first ‘ally’ making it this hard to find them. While our clash with the Renown wasn’t old news, it was certainly rippling through the hierarchies.
“Kingsley will leave when he feels our strength. He tells Rosaleigh he doesn’t know anyone that powerful. He doesn’t realize we’re a couple.” She laughed, shaking her head. “If we stay in the safe house, he’ll come to investigate—”
Her breath stopped mid-sentence.
No warning. Just silence.
