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“Thank you!” I whispered, ready to rush him, but he only held up his hands, bobbing his head in welcome.
“How do you know all this, anyway?” I asked, still whispering as I sunk into the seat beside him. “Is it because of Fa–” He slammed his hand over my mouth so fast that the coach rocked violently. The shroud shook as he peered around me to out the window. I tried to turn, but he held me there, his breathing coming in sharp spurts as we waited.
Then, without warning, his hand dropped and he slid away from me as though there was something seeping from me he was afraid of catching.
Turning, I saw nothing out the window, nothing but darkness and a few looming shapes of tents that I could only see because they cut into the stars.
There was nothing.
“Boy?” I asked, his head already shaking in answer, his voice silenced again.
I don’t know why, but that seemed to suck the air from the world and I sunk further into my seat, the carriage rocking slightly.
“I won’t tell,” I whispered, leaning in again, this time he shied away, shaking his head. “I won’t tell her you spoke, or that I know… about that. I won’t let her hurt you, or your mother.”
I said the words without thinking, the promise born of a hope that I could never deliver. I could have sworn I heard the scoff of disbelief as he shook his head, leaning even further back into the seat. It looked as though he was trying to move into it. He didn’t need to say anything for me to understand the regret that was there.
He shook his head, holding up his hands in dismissal as he had so many times before. I wanted to push it, but even I could tell it would get me nowhere.
“I will master this. I will find my strength.” I was firm, and he nodded and clicked in a hope that even I felt.
‘Then I will get us out of here.’ I wanted to say the words, but I already knew he would refuse.
Not that he would say anything more. He sat there, his shroud turned away from me even as I sat and worked to ignite the magic again.
I sat there, trying to focus on that waving ripple of heat and power that had lived underneath my skin the past few days, but for all my focus I got nothing more than sparks and waves of energy that left me shivering.
A few hours later, I was shivering for another reason. The carriage was so cold I couldn’t hope to fall asleep even if I had a blanket. I continually shifted in my seat, sending everything rocking. The Boy had lain on the padded seat opposite mine, his boots up against the wall as he made sounds that could have been snores. After my tenth, or maybe it was twentieth, shift that sent the carriage rocking, he sat up, that wide black mask turned to me.
I couldn’t tell if he was upset or not, but my temper was already rolling. No food, no blanket, and a mother whose hatred of me was growing, every day sending me over the edge.
“It’s not my fault I can’t sleep. It’s freezing in here,” I snapped.
“I couldn’t agree with that more.” I froze at the voice, the chattering female tones clearly not having come from him. More than that, they had come from the floorboards. The Boy stiffened, already on his feet with his sword half drawn.
I waved him off.
I knew that voice.
“Aeinya?” I hissed, dropping to my knees and speaking to the floor of the carriage as though she was part of the wood.
“Elara.” She hissed a taunt in return.
I didn’t even give the Boy a glance before throwing the door to the carriage open. I was actually surprised it wasn’t locked; I was even more surprised that there wasn’t a guard posted outside ready to glare me down and force me back inside. I supposed since we were in the middle of nowhere and Batian had placed fear and warnings in us of what would happen if we stepped out of line he didn’t think it was of much concern. The fool. That would make my escape that much easier. Now I just needed to convince the Boy, and possibly my father, to come with me. But later, right now I had a future Queen to worry about.
Dropping to the icy ground, I peered under the carriage to the shivering ball of flesh that was laying there. Aeinya was curled up on the frosted dirt; no blanket, no pallet, still wearing only that thin shift for clothing.
“Aeinya?” I gasped, slipping underneath the carriage in a panic and instantly throwing my cloak over her and trapping us against the tang of ice and soil. “By the Goddess! What are you doing under here?”
“Can’t you see?” The sound of her chuckle was swallowed by the sound of her chattering teeth. “I’m on my way to get married.” Any smile she attempted was lost in the chattering of her teeth.
“You’re joking right?” I wasn’t sure if she was nodding in agreement or not, her entire body was shaking violently.
“This isn’t part of the pilgrimage. This is ridiculous. You could be killed.” I was firm in my refusal that this was reality, but in my heart I knew it was. After all, why would any of these high bred families offer a woman showing her place among the paupers even so much as a bed roll.
“It is, unfortunately.” I barely heard the words through the chatter. “I am at the mercy of those around me.”
“None of them thought to give you room in their tent?” Not even Batian. I didn’t say that last part, although the sad smile she gave me made me sure that she had thought it as well.
