Page 19 of When Ashes Fall

I stifled a chuckle at Gizzi’s disgruntled tone and rubbed his head. He leaned into my touch as Toric tilted his head quizzically. The voice I heard in the woods must have been another animal I couldn’t see.

“Can I talk to you both at the same time?” I pondered.

Before I could figure out the answer, Knox stepped onto the porch. The set of his jaw told me he was far from happy.

Every inch of him remained on full display, something the women in the contingent openly enjoyed. I’d gladly tear their ogling eyes from their skulls if I could.

His head instantly swiveled toward me. The shifter’s superior sense of smell had given us away before his eyes latched onto me.

Panic thrummed through me as my eyes darted around. Was I going back to my mother? Or would I be trapped here with a man who didn’t trust me and who would have handed me over to her?

Neither option was exactly ideal, but I’d prefer to stay here, even if Knox hated me.

Devnair rested his hand on the small of my back. “Be the thorn, Briar.”

I didn’t want to be the thorn. I wanted to be the one running down the road, plunging into the woods, and racing toward… anywhere else. I had no control over my life, and I hated it.

The cyclops strode toward their mounts as Caspian and three other merfolk emerged from the building. Knox descended the stairs and stalked toward us. When his gaze landed on Devnair, he bared his fangs.

Devnair lowered his hand and stepped away from me as Knox drew closer. Gizzi tensed like he was about to spring, and for a second, I almost turned and ran.

I had no chance of evading the shifters, but attempting to flee was a far better option than standing here and waiting to meet whatever doomed fate I faced. Judging by the look on his face, I couldn’t tell if I was being handed back to my mother or taken back to the castle.

Over Knox’s shoulder, I saw my mother emerge from the building with her shoulders back and her jaw locked. When her gaze settled on me, hatred hardened her beautiful features. Knox must have seen something on my face as his head turned toward her. He stopped walking to stare at my mother until her loathing-filled gaze shifted to him.

Tension emanated between them, and in that moment, I heard their unspoken vow to destroy each other. I gulped as Gizzi rose onto his hind legs to perch on my shoulder.

“Things are about to get far more interesting,” Devnair murmured.

“I think you mean deadly,” I whispered back.

“Let’s hope not.”

We could hope, but I doubted it would do us any good.

Knox shifted his gaze back to me as Cozameal stepped out of the building and strode forward to stand beside my mother. I couldn’t hear what he said, but she scowled at him before striding down the steps toward us.

My heart lodged in my throat while I waited to hear my fate. I couldn’t look at the others as Knox stopped before me.

I despised myself for it, but I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. Clasping them before me, I squeezed as I tried to maintain some semblance of control.

“Let’s go,” Knox said.

I gulped my heart back down before speaking. “Where?”

“To the castle.”

“I don’t… I don’t have to go with… her?”

The harshness of his features eased a little, and, for a second, I thought he might hug me. “No.”

When he spoke again, his tone was nowhere near as ruthless. While my life in Wildwood was far from free, it was much better than in Nightshade. I didn’t doubt they’d still use me as a pawn between the kingdoms; my future remained uncertain, but at least, for now, I was somewhat safer.

I had to escape this place and take control of my fate, but I would make it to Terra. I didn’t care what I had to do to make it there.

“It was good seeing you again, Briar,” Devnair said.

“It was good seeing you too, Devnair,” I murmured.