“I ask one thing of this Rising,” Lorenz went on, but his question was vocalized as a statement. “It is not all of the Go’Doan, is it.”

Tedrey shook his head.

Lorenz nodded and continued speaking.

“Now I ask one thing of you, Tedrey. That you go speak to my wife and share some things with her I do not know for if she knows we have had this talk and she was not the one who reached you for you to offer what is in your heart, she will pout or fume and we cannot make a baby if she’s pouting or fuming.”

For a moment, Tedrey could do nothing but blink at him.

When he saw Lorenz’s mouth quirking, Tedrey then could do nothing but smile.

Lorenz smiled back.

Then Tedrey dipped his chin at his friend.

And went in search of Nyx.

55

The Patra

Princess Elena

One Hundred Miles from The Northwest Border of The Enchantments

WODELL

We sat around the campfire with me glaring at Cassius’s back, considering the fact that I’d seen a lot of it the last three days.

The man had a fine set of shoulders and an alluring arse, but I was sick of that view.

He was walking into the wood, something he did of an eve every eve since we left the others.

The first night he’d gone with Mac, but Mac had returned without him.

The second night, he’d gone with both his men, and together his men had returned without him.

Neither night had he come to my tent when he’d come back.

He had promised, from that first night he joined me in my chamber at Catrame Palace, we would never sleep apart.

I had not desired this.

We were now sleeping apart.

And I did not like it and not simply because, without Cassius beside me, sleep was difficult to find, and it was restless when I finally caught it.

Further, if we stopped for lunch, he would walk away from the rest of us to enjoy his repast on his own. Or, more accurately, brood over his meal by himself.

And at breakfast, he appeared last, wolfed down some bread slathered in butter and jam, packed his horse, mounted the great steed (for Caelus was beautiful, and he had to be eighteen hands tall!), set his heels into Caelus’s sides and we all had to race to catch up to him.

I could tell, at first, Mac and Ian were confused at his behavior.

After their return from their wander with their prince, this had melted into annoyance.

I’d started at annoyance.

Now I felt the beginnings of fear.

He was not being a cad or a lout. He was also not amusing or his brand of charming. He was further not attentive, not in the slightest.

He was not anything.