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As the day drifted on, the angle of the sun said they were continuing to head east. It was the next day, about midday, when they shifted southerly. From her rough calculations, that meant just one more day before they reached the river pathways that led to Vaticily. With another day to get to the foot of the mountain, the Sisterhood would reach Vaticily on the night of the bronze moon, precisely when Xiber would commune with Vatic.
Just one more day on the boat, maybe not even that, depending on where they were landing! And then, the Sisters would be gone. And there had been no chance to get Zosime alone. So far, the three soldiers had all tended to their steeds together.
Teigra wondered what she’d do if she had no opportunity to confront the princess before then. Would she disembark alongside the Sisters? Sneakily try to follow them on foot through unfamiliar forests—without supplies or steed? Surrounded by wolves and drakons and gorgons, just like Ms. Securia had described? Or would she just remain hidden and creep ashore wherever the boat eventually moored, never confronting the woman for her wickedness, and never likely to see her again?
As it happened, she needn’t have worried.
“Game of tali, Cap?” said Elexis, the three of them heading below deck around midafternoon.
“Hardly! Haven’t you both had your fill of my coin? I swear, Pik, you must be loading the knuckles.”
“Oh common,” said Elexis. “What’ve you got better to do? Going to fondle your stallion again?”
“Honestly, Captain, you treat that thing like a child. We all know how rare they are, but soon they’ll have more chance to stretch than they could ever want!”
“Oh just leave ’er, Pik. It makes up for not ’aving a man in ’er life! Got to be putting them fingers to use somewhere!”
“Now, now! We can’t all be as versed as you, El,” said Zosime with a wink. “Two you got at the Black Night Festival, wasn’t it?”
“Three, thank you very much.”
“Poor bastards never even stood a chance!” said Pikra.
Teigra peeked from the hay as the trio parted—the two junior Sisters heading toward the cabin, with Zosime entering the hold.
Her heart thundered. She’d never get a better chance than this.
Those nerves were joined by an apprehensive little voice.
Leave it. They haven’t found you yet. Just hide and disembark at the next city.
But her jaw set firm against that idea. She’d come this far. This was the woman who’d ruined everything. She had to do it!
Teigra pushed out from the hay pile, stepping into the barely lit hold on stiff legs.
Princess Zosime was kneeling by her pegasus, massaging its thighs while humming some little song. The powerful woman seemed totally oblivious to her presence.
Whatever happened, that was one victory at least. The trained scout, the trained tracker, outwitted by her.
“Well, Princess,” she said. “Fancy seeing you here.”
84
AURELIUS
Calix took Aurelius in with a mix of uncertainty and sadness. “Next? I don’t know. Will... you be leaving?”
“You did command me to. But... I could always stay. If you wanted?”
Calix blanched. “I don’t know. I don’t want to become that thing again, Aurelius. You knew how important it was to me, and you still forced me.”
Aurelius’s first instinct was to deflect. Of course he had done that. He was a siren! It was in his nature—a nature he was only now just understanding.
But that feeling was tempered by the memory of the cold morning after the night of primal heat. Of how utterly betrayed Calix had been.
He took the man’s hand, his palm dwarfed. “I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. I won’t put you in that position again. I promise.”
Calix’s hand closed around his, his touch tentative. “How can I believe that?”
