longer, but if we hurry we may be there before the darkness returns.”
My heart sped up. I would meet my mother, and see my father and Liam again…I hoped. I nodded quickly in response.
Once we were done packing up, I decided to try and be brave and climb on the horse all by my lonesome. I placed my foot in the stirrup and grabbed onto the saddle for leverage, pushing up. I tried a few times unsuccessfully, and on my fourth try, strong hands grasped my hips and lifted me easily the rest of the way.
When he touched me, I felt that same strange and pleasant twisting inside my chest and my stomach did a tiny flip as the sparks danced upon my skin once more. I turned to look at him once I was seated safely in the saddle. My eyes met his and I was instantly trapped, sinking into their depths. He pulled himself up onto the saddle behind me, his gaze never leaving my eyes.
I followed suit, even turning my head to look over my shoulder at him once he was in the saddle. I realized I’d been holding my breath and when I exhaled, he blinked in rapid succession and then looked out into the trees toward our intended path. “Are you ready?” he asked, a hint of unsteadiness coloring his tone.
Turning my head toward the front I exhaled heavily again. “Yes.”
He leaned up, and I reluctantly turned to meet his gaze. That mischievous grin was spread across his face again, and all traces of unsteadiness gone. “You should hold on.” With that, he snapped the reigns and the horse lurched forward, effectively throwing me back against him. And his golden laugh rang through the forest as we sped away.
Chapter 14
Since my arrival in Avenlore, the weather had been near perfect. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. A light breeze blew occasionally and the nights were only marginally cooler than the days. The sun cast warm and golden rays toward the earth and I was beginning to think the weather was persistently perfect here.
That was an incorrect assumption.
While this day had started out a little overcast, the sun was still making regular appearances and the temperature only felt maybe a few degrees cooler.
By midday, all of that changed. The light breeze morphed into a wind, driving thick gray clouds across the sky, effectively cloaking the sun. The air dampened and the temperature had to have dropped by twenty degrees. Chills sprang up over my arms and my legs and I thought I’d have to get my hands on a razor soon. That, or braid the hair that was growing on my legs. Or maybe sell them as Christmas trees. Then I looked to the skies and remembered where hairy legs fell in the scheme of things.
The clouds loomed overhead, threatening to drench us at any given moment. We had ridden out of what cover the trees could provide and were making our way over a flat expanse of golden wheat fields. We kept to a sparse path, no doubt used by those who tended the land. My eyes alternated between scanning the clouds above for the start of rain and the fields of wheat for something far worse.
I felt like we were sitting ducks in multiple ways. Far in the distance, the flat land gave way to rolling hills again, spotted with trees. But, for the moment, there was nowhere to hide, not from rain or Black Knights.
We trotted across the fields at a steady pace and I listened as birds sang somewhere close by. I shivered as a cold wind beat against us. Nikolas pulled the reigns taught and his feet hit the ground before the horse had come to a complete stop. In response, my heart rate kicked up and my eyes darted around to all corners of the wide fields.
“What is it?” I asked around the lump in my throat, eyes still shifting uneasily.
Nikolas was already hauling himself up behind me again. “It’s cool, I did not want you to be uncomfortable.” He said as he wrapped the thick gray
My heart sped up. I would meet my mother, and see my father and Liam again…I hoped. I nodded quickly in response.
Once we were done packing up, I decided to try and be brave and climb on the horse all by my lonesome. I placed my foot in the stirrup and grabbed onto the saddle for leverage, pushing up. I tried a few times unsuccessfully, and on my fourth try, strong hands grasped my hips and lifted me easily the rest of the way.
When he touched me, I felt that same strange and pleasant twisting inside my chest and my stomach did a tiny flip as the sparks danced upon my skin once more. I turned to look at him once I was seated safely in the saddle. My eyes met his and I was instantly trapped, sinking into their depths. He pulled himself up onto the saddle behind me, his gaze never leaving my eyes.
I followed suit, even turning my head to look over my shoulder at him once he was in the saddle. I realized I’d been holding my breath and when I exhaled, he blinked in rapid succession and then looked out into the trees toward our intended path. “Are you ready?” he asked, a hint of unsteadiness coloring his tone.
Turning my head toward the front I exhaled heavily again. “Yes.”
He leaned up, and I reluctantly turned to meet his gaze. That mischievous grin was spread across his face again, and all traces of unsteadiness gone. “You should hold on.” With that, he snapped the reigns and the horse lurched forward, effectively throwing me back against him. And his golden laugh rang through the forest as we sped away.
Chapter 14
Since my arrival in Avenlore, the weather had been near perfect. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. A light breeze blew occasionally and the nights were only marginally cooler than the days. The sun cast warm and golden rays toward the earth and I was beginning to think the weather was persistently perfect here.
That was an incorrect assumption.
While this day had started out a little overcast, the sun was still making regular appearances and the temperature only felt maybe a few degrees cooler.
By midday, all of that changed. The light breeze morphed into a wind, driving thick gray clouds across the sky, effectively cloaking the sun. The air dampened and the temperature had to have dropped by twenty degrees. Chills sprang up over my arms and my legs and I thought I’d have to get my hands on a razor soon. That, or braid the hair that was growing on my legs. Or maybe sell them as Christmas trees. Then I looked to the skies and remembered where hairy legs fell in the scheme of things.
The clouds loomed overhead, threatening to drench us at any given moment. We had ridden out of what cover the trees could provide and were making our way over a flat expanse of golden wheat fields. We kept to a sparse path, no doubt used by those who tended the land. My eyes alternated between scanning the clouds above for the start of rain and the fields of wheat for something far worse.
I felt like we were sitting ducks in multiple ways. Far in the distance, the flat land gave way to rolling hills again, spotted with trees. But, for the moment, there was nowhere to hide, not from rain or Black Knights.
We trotted across the fields at a steady pace and I listened as birds sang somewhere close by. I shivered as a cold wind beat against us. Nikolas pulled the reigns taught and his feet hit the ground before the horse had come to a complete stop. In response, my heart rate kicked up and my eyes darted around to all corners of the wide fields.
“What is it?” I asked around the lump in my throat, eyes still shifting uneasily.
Nikolas was already hauling himself up behind me again. “It’s cool, I did not want you to be uncomfortable.” He said as he wrapped the thick gray
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