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I nod. “Thank you,” I add to our hosts then wait for Carleah to walk past me before falling into step beside her, grabbing the saddlebags as I go. I seat them on Shadow’s back then wait as Carleah climbs on before getting on directly behind her.
She settles back against my chest, waves at Kira and William, then says, “Up.”
* * *
By the time nightfall hits, my stomach has twisted with hunger. Shadow’s feet hit the ground with a bit of a jolt, showing his exhaustion as well. We climb off quickly, and he immediately begins grazing on the soft grass beneath our feet.
“I’ll gather firewood,” I tell her.
“I’ll refill the water.” Carleah withdraws the leather skin and heads for the water’s edge. We remained close to the bay so we could avoid any chance that we’ll be surrounded. At least, this way, we have the water route to take should our path cross with that of any Tenebris.
The woods are quiet as I gather some branches and carry them back to our camp. Carleah has already set out some dried meat and a hunk of bread, using the wrappings as a barrier between it and the ground overlooking the water.
I set my haul down but do not start a fire. Instead, I cross over and take my seat beside Carleah as we watch the water crash into jagged rocks that prevent any ship from docking on this side. “Are we doing the right thing by not risking Nemoregno?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fort.” She turns to me. “If you were plotting for battle and needed to get to Dead Man’s Land as quickly as possible—”
“I would go through Nemoregno,” he replies. “With an army. There’s not a damned thing you can say that will push me to take you through there myself. In case you’ve forgotten, I did a terrible job of protecting you the last time.”
She leans into me, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Then Soreno it is. Though that has its own problems.”
“Not necessarily. We stick to the bay side, and with Shadow, we’re likely far ahead of Patrick’s army as they march back with your brother.”
Carleah sits up and takes a piece of dried meat before offering me another. “We have so much ground to cover, and this is only the beginning of our fight. How do you not feel so overwhelmed?”
“When we took a ship to Soreno to aid them in the fight against their rebellion, I remember feeling like the day would never come when I would return home. The idea of returning to Navalis seemed like little more than a dream.”
“You were gone for months,” she recalls. “Nearly a year.”
“You remember? You were—what—eleven at the time?”
“About. You and Alex had left with Father, and the castle had felt so empty without you all. Much like it did when you and Alex left for the meeting with—” She trails off. “The odds are stacked against us.”
“Are they?” I question. After swallowing a bite of meat, I continue, “We have the elves. We’re going to get the dwarves. Soreno will help us whether they want to or not—”
“We have what’s left of the elves,” Carleah corrects. “And it’s entirely possible that Patrick may still require my hand in order to aid us. He could easily insist that we hold up our end of the bargain just as we expect them to honor theirs.”
The mere idea of Carleah marrying Patrick drives me to want to kill something, but I bite it back. I will not ask her to choose between me and her home. And even though I said I could never watch her marry another, I also know that I will follow her to the ends of the realm, even if it means having to do so at a distance. “We have to hope it doesn’t come down to it.”
“And if it does?” she asks. “If I have to marry him, what will you do?”
“Are you asking if I will leave?”
She nods.
Taking her hand, I turn it over and press my lips to her palm. “I will never leave you. And if you must marry Patrick to ensure the security of your home, then I will do my best to understand.”
Her eyes fill, but she looks away. “It’s not fair to ask you to stay. To be honest, Fort, I don’t know if I could live in another reality where I could see you each and every day and not have you.”
“Then we’re in agreement. We don’t settle for anything but everything. Victory and our eternity together.”
She smiles and leans against me again. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Who knows,” I say then kiss the top of her head. “Perhaps luck will be on our side this time.” But even as I speak the words, a darkness creeps into the recesses of my mind. A feeling that, before this is all over, I will have lost the most important thing in the world to me.
Chapter 10
