falls of an approaching enemy—he could be surrounded and never know it.
Hunter skills were worthless when an arrow went through your neck.
Tybolt’s nerves twitched and sizzled beneath his skin. He listened for any sound that seemed out of place and kept one hand on the hilt of his sword. Time crawled by as Widow Maker plodded forward into a section of the woods he wasn’t familiar with.
The trees suddenly gave way to a clearing and a mountain lake. Tybolt gently pulled Widow Maker to a stop.
Auriella sat on the ground not far from him, her arms wrapped around her legs and her horse grazing nearby. The back of her dress had been torn almost completely open, and the moonlight gleamed off her bare skin.
Tybolt pulled his cloak off the saddle and dismounted. He stepped loudly enough to make sure he didn’t frighten her and knelt down, gently wrapping the cloak around her.
Auriella grabbed the fabric and pulled it tight around her neck. “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy, but you left a piece of your dress on a tree.” He sat down and looked out at the small cabin across the lake. “Where are we?”
“It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not?”
Auriella took a deep breath. “I…I want to trust you, but…” She turned to look at him, and the sight of her face made Tybolt’s heart constrict. Her eye was black and swollen, and there was a red lump on her temple. She was splattered with blood, and Tybolt wasn’t sure if it was hers or not.
“What happened?” He wanted to take her face between his hands but knew better.
“Tybolt, I’m so confused.”
“Trust me, talk to me,” he pleaded.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then…” He hesitated. “Trust yourself and follow what your heart tells you.”
She was silent for a while, staring at the house in the clearing. “What does my heart tell me?”
She’d murmured the question to herself, that much was obvious, but he answered anyway. “I was hoping it said I was worth trusting.”
Auriella closed her eyes and pulled the cloak tighter. “I swore I would keep him safe. I never come here, never . I can’t believe I was stupid enough to leave a trail for you to follow. I shouldn’t have come. I just…I didn’t know where else…I haven’t been here in so many years. I miss him.”
Tybolt understood. “Your father?”
“Yes.”
“You told me your father lived just outside the wall.”
“I lied.” She jerked to her feet like she’d been bitten. “I shouldn’t be here.”
Tybolt looked up at her. “Where are you going?”
Her face went slack as she turned back to look at the darkened windows of the cabin. She looked so lost, her face half lit in the moonlight. “I don’t know.”
“Then—” Tybolt pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “Come with me.”
Auriella slowly put her hand in his. “Where?”
“Maybe it’s time I trust you too, Auriella Doshire.”
The King sat on his throne, waiting. Terric finally jerked the door open and walked in.
“Did you take a nap before you answered my summons?”
“I didn’t think you’d want me dripping blood on your royal rugs.” Terric turned his head and motioned to his cheek.
The servant had stitched it up as well as could be expected, but it still looked dreadful. It would scar, and horribly. That was certain.
“Auriella dealt with your dark intentions quite thoroughly, I see.”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Don’t bother with your pathetic denials, Terric, you weren’t exactly subtle. There were several witnesses. One of which felt obligated to inform me that my future bride was being assaulted in an alleyway. ”
Terric had the decency to drop into a bow. “My apologies, Your Highness.”
“My bride seems to have left the city as a result of your actions. I need you to bring her back.”
“My king.” Terric looked up, startled. “Auriella knows the woods better than anyone.”
“So I’m
Hunter skills were worthless when an arrow went through your neck.
Tybolt’s nerves twitched and sizzled beneath his skin. He listened for any sound that seemed out of place and kept one hand on the hilt of his sword. Time crawled by as Widow Maker plodded forward into a section of the woods he wasn’t familiar with.
The trees suddenly gave way to a clearing and a mountain lake. Tybolt gently pulled Widow Maker to a stop.
Auriella sat on the ground not far from him, her arms wrapped around her legs and her horse grazing nearby. The back of her dress had been torn almost completely open, and the moonlight gleamed off her bare skin.
Tybolt pulled his cloak off the saddle and dismounted. He stepped loudly enough to make sure he didn’t frighten her and knelt down, gently wrapping the cloak around her.
Auriella grabbed the fabric and pulled it tight around her neck. “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy, but you left a piece of your dress on a tree.” He sat down and looked out at the small cabin across the lake. “Where are we?”
“It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not?”
Auriella took a deep breath. “I…I want to trust you, but…” She turned to look at him, and the sight of her face made Tybolt’s heart constrict. Her eye was black and swollen, and there was a red lump on her temple. She was splattered with blood, and Tybolt wasn’t sure if it was hers or not.
“What happened?” He wanted to take her face between his hands but knew better.
“Tybolt, I’m so confused.”
“Trust me, talk to me,” he pleaded.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then…” He hesitated. “Trust yourself and follow what your heart tells you.”
She was silent for a while, staring at the house in the clearing. “What does my heart tell me?”
She’d murmured the question to herself, that much was obvious, but he answered anyway. “I was hoping it said I was worth trusting.”
Auriella closed her eyes and pulled the cloak tighter. “I swore I would keep him safe. I never come here, never . I can’t believe I was stupid enough to leave a trail for you to follow. I shouldn’t have come. I just…I didn’t know where else…I haven’t been here in so many years. I miss him.”
Tybolt understood. “Your father?”
“Yes.”
“You told me your father lived just outside the wall.”
“I lied.” She jerked to her feet like she’d been bitten. “I shouldn’t be here.”
Tybolt looked up at her. “Where are you going?”
Her face went slack as she turned back to look at the darkened windows of the cabin. She looked so lost, her face half lit in the moonlight. “I don’t know.”
“Then—” Tybolt pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “Come with me.”
Auriella slowly put her hand in his. “Where?”
“Maybe it’s time I trust you too, Auriella Doshire.”
The King sat on his throne, waiting. Terric finally jerked the door open and walked in.
“Did you take a nap before you answered my summons?”
“I didn’t think you’d want me dripping blood on your royal rugs.” Terric turned his head and motioned to his cheek.
The servant had stitched it up as well as could be expected, but it still looked dreadful. It would scar, and horribly. That was certain.
“Auriella dealt with your dark intentions quite thoroughly, I see.”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Don’t bother with your pathetic denials, Terric, you weren’t exactly subtle. There were several witnesses. One of which felt obligated to inform me that my future bride was being assaulted in an alleyway. ”
Terric had the decency to drop into a bow. “My apologies, Your Highness.”
“My bride seems to have left the city as a result of your actions. I need you to bring her back.”
“My king.” Terric looked up, startled. “Auriella knows the woods better than anyone.”
“So I’m
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