And it bothered me, because I thought he not only knew it but accepted it as normal.

Smiling with the surety of the devil, Ceri drew her hand from Trent. “I would have a private world with Rachel, Trenton.”

Jenks opened an eye, and I felt a sliver of concern at her soft confidence. Private word? About what? What had I done now?

“Just girl talk,” she added, but her tone concerned me. She had something on her mind.

“Of course.” Trent nudged Tulpa into a faster pace as Ceri drew her mount in.

I glanced at Quen, worried when his brow pinched. Refusing to look at me, he nudged his horse ahead. Jenks flew up, saying, “You’re on your own,” before he darted off to join the elves.

“I haven’t done anything,” I muttered, grimacing at his chiming laughter floating back.

Sighing, I looked over at Ceri, seeing the faint blush of anger on her as we slipped under the welcoming shade of the woods. The path was steep, and we said nothing as the horses scrambled up. Lucy was still in Ceri’s lap, and the little girl was struggling to stay awake. Ahead of us, Trent and Quen rode with soft masculine murmurs drifting between them. Maybe her flush had only been from the sun.

“Lucy looks sweet today,” I said, and her grip on the reins tightened. Nope. Guess not.

“Quen told me you refused to help keep Trenton safe,” she said, coming right out with it.

My breath caught, and then I exhaled. Yeah, I probably owed her an explanation. “Trent doesn’t need me to babysit him,” I said, voice low. “And I won’t insult him by doing so.”

Her eyes widened. “Insult him? Rachel, we are teetering on the brink of extinction and you’re worried that extra security will insult him?”

Lucy shouted, her voice echoing against the underside of the canopy as she mirrored Ceri’s outburst. Wincing, I begged her with my eyes to lower her voice.

“His actions impact our entire species,” Ceri said.

“Yes, but—”

“They’re all looking to him now. Reclaiming Lucy solidified his standing. If he dies, it will be the Withons who chart the next fifty years, and they’d have us hiding in closets and cropping our ears again!”

I couldn’t even catch her eye. I think Quen was laughing, the bastard.

“We can’t survive another five decades hiding. We must come out, and Trenton needs protection. You think the vampires are happy about this?”

“No,” I managed to get in.