The healer tended to Yoko quickly. She expressed admiration for my use of the butterfly bush tea and told us how lucky we were that Yoko had High Elf heritage. Without it, the internal wounds from the rock fall would have killed her immediately.

Afterwards, we rolled out the few surviving blankets by the fire and fell asleep beneath the stars, far too tired to put up tents even if we hadn't lost them in the quake. I was the last to drift off. Curled into the crook of Tievel's arm, I peered through blue smoke into the woods where the Banshee had emerged.

Holding up my hand, I called forth the winter magic and watched frost coat the pale skin, turning it blue and glittery. Alongside the thread of magic, there was something new, and when I prodded it, the ice melted and dripped down my arm. In the center of my palm, a faint orange glow pulsed to the same rhythm as my heart.

The Warden I killed during my capture had ice magic, but could he also have had fire magic? Nothing near as powerful as Tievel's, but an ember of magic could have existed in his blood. That was the most logical explanation. I'd taken it when I yanked his soul from his body with my Song. Just like a Banshee.

Knowing the truth was enough to make me feel ill, and I rolled to my side, facing away from Tievel and pushed my hands against my stomach to settle it.

'The more souls they consume, the more they look like Death.'

The Winter Woman in the palace had always terrified us. With her white hair and pale skin, she possessed an otherness that was unsettling, but it was nothing compared to the Banshee we encountered tonight. She must have devoured many souls to rot like that.

Tievel stirred. The arm beneath me straightened as he stretched it, then curled around my waist as he turned to his side. When I was settled in the arch of his body, he pressed a kiss against the top of my head.

"Sleep, love," he rasped, his strong fingers replacing mine against my abdomen. The gentle heat from his touch spread through my skin, into my stomach, and up to my heart, easing the panic holding my exhaustion at bay.

I closed my eyes and finally fell asleep.

***

Weary in our hearts and bodies, we traveled slowly the next day, rejoicing when we came across a small village willing to part with supplies. It helped that Tievel paid more for everything than they saw in a year. No cart but horses for each of us, as well as another tent, hardtack, hooks and lines for fishing, and a few snares we could set in the evening to catch food.

Back on the road, I shifted on my horse carefully and wondered if my feet might serve me better. I'd never had much need for horse riding, and from the way my gelding flicked his ears, he was aware of my inexperience.

He was certainly the most placid of the animals. Astreia rode a mare who nipped at anyone who came too close, and Tievel's stallion reared back, nearly dumping the prince into a ditch when an acorn fell in front of him.

"Lovely beasts, these," Yoko said, using her knees to keep her gelding from wandering into a clearing covered in lush grass and flowers. After days of blinding white on the mountain, the variety of colors around us was almost overwhelming.

"What would you have done?" Tievel snapped through gritted teeth as his horse kicked out with his back legs. "Take their best and leave them with these?"

"You paid for the best," she replied. "If you spend your money so freely, we won't have enough to pay for our passage across the Crystal Sea."

"I have plenty of money," Tievel replied, his hair darkening to maroon and his blue eyes flashing with ire. "That's not your concern."

"How long will it take to reach the Crystal Sea?" I asked. My horse flicked his ears again, and I struggled to keep from digging my knees into his side. "Now that we can ride?"

Astreia risked a glance in my direction. "Two days. We will disembark in Jorridor, and from there, it will take four days to reach Estrellum." She grew somber. "What's left of it."

Six days to even reach the Estrellum, and that was with no further delays. It was unlikely we would be so lucky, especially if the fabric of the world was tearing. And though I looked, I had not seen a single stirring in the shadows since the Reaper went off in search of proof.

Not that there had been a chance to speak to me if he was around. I had not expected it to be difficult to follow his order to stay at Tievel's side, but neither had I expected it to be so easy or so literal. Ever since waking, the prince kept close tabs on me, his hand always seeking mine or his eyes searching until he found me if I wandered too far. If Yoko had not pointed out it would only slow us down, I would have shared a horse with him. He had taken a long time choosing my animal, moving his hands over his legs and his mouth before leading the animal from its stall and testing his temperament.

Bending low, I patted the horse's neck and whispered, "I suppose if he thinks you're good enough for me, then I shouldn't be too worried."

"He's a good horse."

Yoko's nearness made me jolt upright. The horse didn't change pace or flinch, and for the first time, I relaxed. She wrinkled her nose, then smirked as if she knew exactly what was going through my mind.

"I–I want to thank you."

"For what?"

She fiddled with her reins and watched Tievel beneath her eyelashes. His steed had carried him off the road and into the trees—far enough, he would struggle to hear us at full volume.

Still, she whispered her answer. "Astreia explained a little about last night. About–" she swallowed hard. "The Banshee, and that you made me tea. I don't think I could have held on as long if it hadn't been for the relief that gave me."

"I only did what I would have done for anyone. You were in pain, and it wasn't your time." I explained. "I'm not a monster."

I'm a murderer.

"I think I know that now." She exhaled and tipped her head back as the breeze picked up. It ruffled her fine, dark hair and filled the road with whispers. When she opened her eyes again, there was a peace in her expression that had never been there before.

"Astreia told you the truth about the High Elves. Many are as mortal as other creatures now, and that fact never bothered me," she said, keeping pace with me so we could talk without shouting. "I don't think it really bothered anyone in my court. My father used to talk about how his mother always looked over her shoulder, waiting for a Deathsinger to take her. She feared Death more than the lower elves. Knowing the Blessing was gone saved all of us from living that life of fear. Death is the only thing that is certain about living."

We ducked beneath a branch hanging low over the road. The clip clop of horse's hooves against pavement filled the moment of quiet between us. Above our heads, the canopy of naked tree limbs crisscrossed a cloudless blue sky, and the sinking sun shone with uncommon warmth for this time of year. I wished we could stay in this moment forever.

But Yoko resumed talking, and I let go of the foolish desire.

"But not fearing death and courting death are two different things. My father was livid when I joined the military."

"Then why did you?" I asked. I didn't understand why she was sharing so much of her personal story. Was it a part of her expressing her gratitude? Regardless, I welcomed it, hoping it would forge a bond between us. It might never be like the friendship I had with the princess, but it might be enough to make us allies.

"As a niece of the High Lord of the Sea Court, I should have significant power. My cousin can cause tsunamis, and I can barely conjure a trickle. I have some affinity with the weather, but not enough to be useful to the sea captains. Father thought to marry me off quietly to a small house, but no one was desperate enough to take such weak blood—not even with a royal title."

"Yoko, I..."

"Do not pity me," she snapped, the tips of her pointed ears turning red. "I left because I could not stand the pity. The final straw was when Father found me in bed with my maid. The Sea Court is far more traditional than the capital city. He sold my maid to the brothels. Fitting for the whore she was, he told me, and then he sent me to the Order of Asherites. Priestesses who worshiped the sea goddess Ashera. There, I would submit to purification in the form of circumcision and devote 'All the words of my tongue to the goddess or have it removed so that I might never use it for evil again.'"

Yoko's grim demeanor shifted, and a suggestive light sparked behind her ocean blue eyes. "Needless to say, I quite enjoy using my tongue for evil. I escaped from my room and enlisted in the Edreshian Army. Father had no pull with the High King's royal forces. He and King Brinley—Prince Brinley, then—had never liked one another. In fact, I think that's the only reason I was given a place in the army—to spite my father."

"I owe you an apology," I said in a rush. Hearing her story made my earlier words to her seem even more cruel. "I did not mean what I said about you being good for nothing other than breeding, or anything that I said after that."

Yoko drew her shoulders back and nodded. "Thank you, but I know that. I know what you were trying to do. I became a soldier to escape my father and prove I was worth something without my magic, and in doing so, I discovered my true self. The world looks at me and still sees a noble woman, but I know I am more than a pretty vessel. I am who I choose to be. It should be the same for you."

It was my turn to murmur a thank you. Astreia maneuvered her mare, slightly more docile after a couple hours of exercise, closer to us. She beamed at Yoko, who nodded, then blushed before rebuilding her stony soldier's exterior as she watched the road for threats.

Tievel rode ahead of us, looking over his shoulder every few minutes. He visibly relaxed every time he saw me. If I'd been a more capable rider, I would have separated from the girls and asked him why he was suddenly so terrified of me disappearing.

Eventually, Yoko suggested we stop at the next town and sleep in proper beds for the evening. Astreia agreed readily, preening like a cat when Tievel didn't give any objection. The luxury of a mattress and a roof was worth the small risk, but it was obvious from the lewd suggestions Astreia began whispering in Yoko's ear, they were more excited about a night of privacy before we were all forced to share the single tent.

The inn was small but well kept, with gingerbread trim and white shutters. I eagerly dismounted when Tievel pointed it out, and the short walk helped with the soreness in my thighs and bottom. The others laughed at me, but I saw them wince as they climbed down and handed the reins to the waiting stable boy.

The dining hall smelled of roasted chicken, ale, and stale pipe tobacco. A willow-thin girl bustled between the tables, clunking down full tankards and plates, and dodging groping hands. She whipped the dirty towel from her shoulder and snapped it at a man who caught a handful of her skirts, and the entire table laughed while he nursed his wounded pride at the bottom of his cup.

"Two rooms, please," Tievel told the innkeeper. She pushed glasses up her pudgy nose and smoothed the wiry gray hairs back into her bun. The slight green tinge to her skin suggested she carried Troll blood, and she was old indeed if her hair was going silver.

"Name, please–"

I cut her off. "Three rooms, please."

Yoko and Astreia glanced at one another. The princess looked far too pleased, but I spared her only a warning glare before focusing on Tievel. A faint hint of steam rose from his pointed ears, and I stepped back as the cuffs of his shirt singed.

"What need do we have for two rooms?"

"Excuse us," I said to the innkeeper, drawing Tievel into the corner for some privacy.

I had been preparing this speech since Yoko suggested the inn. Even though my body protested—the memory of his skilled hands bringing so much pleasure had not faded—my heart and mind were of one accord. I could not hope to follow through with my duty if I continued to allow him to seduce me.

"Tievel, I don't think it's wise for us to share a room, and we both know Yoko and Astreia don't want company this evening."

The prince, his hair the green I loved the most, pressed me into the corner and shook his head. "I don't understand. Did I misread what was between us?"

A no was on my lips, but I worked my tongue around my mouth until the words I needed to say formed instead. "It's too fast. Too much."

"I can keep my hands to myself, Morana," he insisted. "Even though I thought you enjoyed what happened last time I let them wander. Was I also wrong about that?"

"N-no," I admitted, the ache in my body growing as it begged for a repeat of that night. "You promised me in the castle that you wouldn't push me on this."

He scoffed, then jerked back. "You're serious? That was because I was trying to be considerate of your desire to maintain boundaries. We both knew it wouldn't last then, and now we don't have those foolish lines between us. Why are you pushing me away?"

The desperation in his voice was nearly my undoing. How long had we danced around those lines? The long nights in his room, lying next to one another as we read, the scents of Kanna and sweet red wine creating a heady perfume that drew our hands to forbidden places. Lines we toed and toyed with until at last he kissed me on top of his silk covers, his lips branding me. Closing the last bit of distance between my heart and his.

"Tievel, please. So much has happened in a short amount of time. I don't trust either of us to not rush into something that we will regret."

My hair tangled in his fingers as he massaged my scalp and then dropped to cup my neck. I arched against him out of reflex, gasping when his hardness pressed into my stomach.

"I would never regret you, Morana," he said. Then released me and pressed his forehead against mine. "But I can try to understand what you're saying. Mistakes are made when emotions are high, but you can't run from this forever. You will be mine. Do you understand that?"

A delicious thrill shot through me as I met his determined gaze. A thrill followed by the icy chill of foreboding. Gulping, I nodded and hugged him.

"Innkeeper, three rooms," he said, leading us back to our group.

She wrote the names we gave her into a book and handed us keys. "We provide dinner. Today is roast chicken and gravy with green beans or vegetable soup with hot buns. Just tell my girl what you want."

"Thank you," we said as she waddled off, shouting something unintelligible at a table of men whose bickering was escalating toward a physical altercation.

"Wait," Tievel said as we headed toward the stairs. He swapped my key with Astreia and Yoko's. Pointing at the men in the dining room, he explained. "You should at least be close to my room for protection. This lot looks rough."

The girls shrugged and rushed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I hesitated when Tievel turned toward the dining room.

"Are you not coming up?" Just because we weren't sleeping in the same room, it didn't mean I didn't want to spend time with him alone. I missed our talks. I missed his laughter.

"Go on ahead," he said. "I think I'll have a drink before dinner."

"Okay," I replied, watching him saunter to the bar, one hand hovering over the sword hidden beneath his coat.

The serving girl batted her lashes at him, but he didn't notice her. The moment his drink was set in front of him, he brought it to his lips and tipped it back, gulping it down until the frothy brew was gone. For the first time all day, he didn't check over his shoulder.

I didn't notice the stiffness in my legs as I climbed the stairs and went to my room. The pain in my chest was too distracting.