Kavin brushed her senses and pinned her gazeon the distant trees. Someone was out there watching them from thesurrounding trees behind the row of homes across the way. Shemounted her horse, struggling a few seconds to adjust her ridingskirt before giving up and kicking the horse into a gallop.Russal’s shout followed her, but she leaned forward and goaded thehorse on, kneeing the horse’s ribs as she directed it down theavenue. The trees on the edge of the settlement beckoned toher.
Was Felip Covey out there watching her? Hemay have been the one to hurt Gordy, and she would not let him getaway. Hoofbeats drummed beneath her and behind her. Where Kavin?Where is this spy?
She didn’t know how she knew, but she guidedthe horse to the left, slowing their race over the roadway and intothe surrounding woods. Whoever followed was close. Good, they couldhelp when she caught up with the intruder.
“Kambry, stop!” yelled Russal.
She was glad he followed. They were going tofind out who was behind this. Someone knew she would go to Gordy’shome to check on him, and they hid and watched.
Russal’s horse was catching up. She cast aglance over her shoulder and saw he was but a length behind.
Kavin drew her on. Fury goaded her. Morehoofbeats followed, further back by the sound. The guards must havejoined her efforts.
An arm reached out and clutched at the reins,pulling her mount’s head back. The horse jerked and stumbled beforeslowing and coming to a stop, its chest heaving. It made greathuffing snorts and its hindquarters danced.
Kambry gasped, maintaining her seat, andstared out at the woods surrounding her. “Russal! Why did you stopme? Someone is out here. You’re letting him get away!”
He looked furious. “What is wrong with you?You can’t race down a street after someone.” He glared at hisguards who backed their horses away, giving them some privacy.
Kambry added her own glare, pressing themback farther. “You raced off with Tomo to get Amily back.”
“That’s not the same thing.” Their horsesdanced on agitated feet.
Kambry reached for the reins, but her horseleaped back, and she had to clutch its mane to keep balance.
“Why isn’t it?” Reaching again, she jerkedher reins out of his hand. “Do you want to wait until they take oneof us or someone else dear to us? What if this person was the oneto hurt Gordy?” She cast another glance at the trees surroundingthem. “You let him get away.” Kavin, show me who waswatching.
The image in her mind whirled. But all itshowed were the guards that surrounded her.
“You’re out of control. What makes you thinkyou’re better suited than a guard?”
Kambry snapped her head around to stare atRussal. “What did you just say?”
“What I mean is you’re not equipped tocapture someone.”
Outraged, Kambry raised her hand and swept itout in front of her. The trees twisted and bent, proilis vinesfollowing suit. In seconds, she had a cage built of living oak.Vines writhed in its center as if ready to seize an individual andhold them immobile. She hid her own surprise at the results. “Wouldyou like to try to get out of that? No guard could put such a thingtogether.”
Russal held a hand to his temple and closedhis eyes. “Kambry, you overreacted.” He gave the surrounding treesa cursory glance. “You didn’t know if anyone was out here.”
“Kavin showed me there was someonewatching.”
“It could have been one of our ownguards.”
Why was he being so dense? “Kavin knows thedifference.”
He dismounted his horse and pulled her fromher own before she could react. He kept them shielded between thetwo horses.
The two mounts settled down, but Kambrywatched them, unhappy with standing between the nervous horses.“Kambry, we can’t just charge off somewhere and twist up the trees.My people, our people, know we have a gift, but they don’t need itraised in front of their faces.”
“They need to know we are not to be takenlightly.” She looked around them and huffed. They were far from theview of the common Kavinton citizen. “And exactly who can see ushere?”
“Fine. I can’t keep you safe if you run offwithout protection.” He clutched at her arm.
Jerking herself out of his reach, she elbowedher mount. The beast gave her a sideways look and shook its head.“That’s enough out of you,” she said.
Russal chuckled. “You won’t to give anyone achance to voice an opinion, will you?”
“Not an opinion that assumes I can’t betrusted to do anything alone.”
“Do you think Felip would give you greaterfreedom?”
Recalling Felip’s words held her still.You’re an equal, not a figurehead queen. I know that. “I thinkhe would have ridden by my side, not yanked at my reins.”
“If he loved you as I do, he wouldn’tencourage you to be reckless.”
Kambry stared at the oak cage. Take itback, Kavin. The trees drew back their limbs, and the vinesclimbed the trunks. “How was I being reckless? Would you have meignore danger?”
“You could have waited and told me.”
“Then what? You would have told me to stayput while you charged off.”
The guards’ horses shuffled, and she saw Drewwalk his horse into the center of the waiting men.
“Be reasonable.” Russal drew close. Withgentle pressure, he turned her to face him. “Let’s head back to thecastle and change before we see the Laurentses. I’ve already sentword to Amily that we’ll be a bit late for lunch, so we can checkon your parents before we continue to their chambers.”
That’s it? No words came to mind. Hissudden change of topic flabbergasted her.
“Mount your horse. We’ve more visits tomake.”
Was he taking her silence for agreement?
Russal strode to her horse’s head and graspedits bridle.
She shook her head and backed away. Was shebeing unreasonable? Was it so wrong to want to fight back? She’dhidden herself away, let Stahn protect her to such a point that shehad no one to claim for herself, no friend, no intention save herwork as a scribe. She gazed up at Russal. No one to love.
“Please, let’s head back.” Russal steppedclose and slid an errant lock behind her ear. “I understand. SeeingGordy then finding someone watching you, you had to act. A
