Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 19

When Ildri and Ty arrived back at the main road Farrel joined them. He sauntered alongside Dark Demon with a contemptuous look back at Ildri.

Ildri rolled her eyes. What did she care if the wolf disliked her? He was only Ty's familiar.

But what if familiars reflected the feelings of their masters? Did Ty resent that she had come? Maybe she was just a burden to him. Maybe he felt guilty even though he had made no sign of apologetic overtures.

Ildri could not hold it in. She forced Sarabella to move farther ahead. Ty looked at her questioningly. "Did you not want me to come?" she asked directly.

Ty looked confused for a second. "Why? Do you want to go back?"

"Not really."

"It is likely going to be dangerous. There's a high likelihood that we could meet up with the soldiers who are looking for us," he warned.

Ildri shook her head. "I know that."

"Then you want to go back?"

"That's not what I said!" Ildri said, feeling a bit frustrated.

"Then what is the problem?" Ty asked cautiously.

Ildri scowled. "I think that you don't want me here!"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what did you say?"

"I don't think that I said anything," Ty responded, looking at her face very closely. Ildri could feel her cheeks heating up although she did not know why. She wondered if he could see the redness through the ugly disguise she wore.

"Never mind," Ildri said and she let Sarabella fall back.

Ty turned around to look at her. "I'm not sure why you're upset. But I don't mind that you're coming along." Ildri felt her irritation melt away a bit at his words.

He continued, "It is always better to have more eyes when giving an account of any situation. Even if you don't think that you saw anything important, perhaps the king's advisors will find something you did not in your recollections." He turned to watch where they were going again.

Ildri's pique rose to a new level. So he did not mind her being along because she was another witness, did he? She refused to feel disappointed by his practical reasoning.

Well, if all he thought that she was another pair of eyes, then he would not care if she did not speak to him for the rest of the day. She had nothing to say to the stupid man riding in front of her anyway.

* * * * *

Ildri pouted for well over a half of an hour before her irritation finally began to wear off. As the hours wore on, boredom started to take its place and with the boredom came an overwhelming desire to talk to relieve the monotony.

Yet, Ty was supposed to be suffering from her silence and he did not even seem to be noticing it at all. Ildri felt annoyed all over again and she cast surly looks towards his back for a time. But even that wore off and finally she gave up.

"How much longer do you think?" she asked.

Ty turned and glanced at her. "We can take a break in a few minutes. I have a few preparations I'd like to make before we get closer to the city."

"How close is the city?"

"Only another two or three hours," he told her.

She could not believe that they were already so close to the end of their travels. She felt nervous tension uncoiling inside the pit of her stomach. What had she been thinking? She should have stayed back at Maxine's where it was safe.