She and Fordham weren’t bonded by anything more than trust and love and more. But she had felt connected to him long before they met in the hot springs. Whatever had brought them together, whatever part of her that had visions about him during the tournament, had pinged. And that usually meant one or the both of them were in trouble.

Kerrigan’s gaze swept the camp. He wouldn’t be in there. He’d be where the shadows were the darkest. And following that tug, she moved away from the heart of camp and toward the surrounding forest. She made it to the tree line when she heard the rustling of wings.

Her eyes caught on a falcon rushing down into the trees. She stalked across the forest as quiet as a mouse until she came upon Fordham with the bird on his arm.

His face shifted at the barest touch of her foot upon the ground, and then the shadows settled around his body.

“Wait, it’s me,” Kerrigan hissed, coming into plain sight.

The shadows vanished. “What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing!” She crossed her arms. “I thought I said not to do anything stupid.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re communicating with the House of Shadows. What if someone saw you?”

“They didn’t.”

She wanted to shake him. “Think for a moment what would happen if someone did.”

“I’ve thought about it,” he said icily. “Now, go back to the camp before someone notices.”

She huffed. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“You’re not going anywhere with me.”

“You cannot talk to them, Fordham. You’re their natural leader. We need you.”

“I can’t,” he said, whirling on her. “I have to do something. I cannot sit around and wait all night to slaughter my own people. Not without at least trying to save them. They will listen to me.”

“And what if they don’t?” she demanded.

“Then, fine. They will have sealed their fate. But not before I do everything in my power to end this.”

Kerrigan sighed. She understood. Better than he knew. She was still betrothed to March to save her people. She hadn’t found a way out of it that didn’t involve him going to war with her people. She hadn’t even been in Bryonica in twelve years, and still, she would do anything to protect them. She hardly expected it to be different for Fordham.

“Let me go with you.”

“And have you get in trouble again?”

“Then, don’t let us be seen,” she said.

“I can’t travel that far with both of us. And I’m not taking you.”

“We have each other’s backs. No matter what else has changed, Fordham, that remains the same.” She crossed her arms and waited for him to refute that.