The Blood of Darkness

Chapter 32

Val

"If you ask me about last night one more fucking time, I will shut you up myself," I growl at Zyair, who has slowed on his horse enough that I'm forced to sidle up beside him. Quinn, Aala, and Rafal ride ahead of us, with me taking the rear. We're on our way to Zyair's parents' house.

"How so?" he questions lazily. "With your mouth, or your sword?"

The glare I give him is answer enough. "If you can't tell, Zyair, I'm not in a very good mood at the moment, so I'd recommend leaving me alone."

"Don't worry," he tells me with a wink. "I didn't mean the with your mouth part. Kye would kill me." He pauses. "Speaking of Kye, what happened last night? I waited up for him, you know. That's what friends do. And he was not happy when he returned, refusing to talk to me. He almost seemed hurt, Val. So please, tell me what you said to my best friend that upset him so much. Even though you may not, I care about him."

Damn him. He knows exactly what he's saying.

I tap my foot lightly against my horse's side, and thankfully, she begins to trot a bit faster so that I temporarily leave Zyair behind.

"Hey!" he calls, hurrying to catch up.

I sidle up next to Quinn. Aala and Rafal ride together on her left. The young girl glances at me with wide, curious eyes before looking away to study the cornfields around her.

The dirt road isn't wide enough for another horse, so Zyair is forced to ride behind us. Thank gods.

"Is he annoying you?" Quinn asks, hearing my sigh of relief.

"It's what he does best, I think," I respond, trying to keep my mind empty, my thoughts of nothing but the present. But my attempts are futile as memories surface in my mind, trying to tug me away, drown me in their depths.

I hate riding this horse. It makes me remember the last time I rode a horse, over a year ago. Vance rode at my side as we headed through a snow-covered forest, making our way up a large hill so we could watch the sunrise over the white-capped northeastern Janaran mountains, which marked the border between Nieves and Rurik.

That was four days before Rurik invaded. Four days before everything went to hell, before my life was once again changed forever.

But Vance....Vance is alive. And in the Dark King's hands. I feel sick even thinking about it. I wring my gloved hands together, trying to stop their trembling.

Kye's warm hands, gently pulling off my gloves. His voice, the words he told me. "I'm trying to find an excuse to keep touching you."

My horse begins to gallop, and I abruptly realize that my legs are digging against her sides tightly, enough that it probably hurts. I immediately loosen my grip, and she slows. I stroke her dark mane, mumbling an apology to the beautiful animal.

"You alright?" Quinn questions as she and the others catch up to me.

I nod. "I'm fine." Fine, fine, always fine.

I talked to Lake last night, trying to determine whether Vance was imprisoned in the castle of Nieves the whole time I was there. From what he told me, I don't think he was. Lake said that I was the only prisoner the Dark King would ever visit, and mostly keep in my cell all the time. The other prisoners were always dragged out to do some sort of work, or to be hanged. None of them lived very long.

So Vance had to have been imprisoned somewhere else. Maybe in Rurik. But he's back in Nieves now.

And I think I know why. Or at least one reason, for the Dark King always has his own agenda.