Chapter 96

Kit didn’t bother to protest Eli carrying her out of the house as she had nothing to say, though she was shocked he wasn’t giving her the tongue lashing she deserved. She’d purposely deceived him, making him think she was going back down the hallway instead of up the stairs. He had every right to yell at her.

Once she was safe outside, he set her down. Turning her to look him in the eyes, he placed a hand on each shoulder and said, “Don’t ever do that again.”

Though she wasn’t used to anyone telling her what to do, save her mother, Kit hung her head. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “It’s just... if you knew where I was going, you wouldn’t have let me go.”

“Damn right I wouldn’t have let you go.”

“I needed to see.”

“You needed to not act like an imbecile, Kit.” He released her, placed his hands on his hips, and shook his head at her. “I don’t need to tell you how unsafe that was.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You said that already. Stop being stupid.”

She nodded; he was right. She wanted to tell him what she’d seen, that she thought she may have found the master bedroom, that the hearth had a name inscribed in it, but before she could get the words out, the sound of at least two horses tearing through the trees gained her attention. A wave of relief washed over her when she saw it was Cassius and Drake, not her mother or any of her guards.

“There you are!” Cassius shouted as he reined Snowduster in. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“We were just about to rejoin the hunt,” Eli said, his eyes still narrowed at Kit.

“Good. I think it might be over soon,” the Representative from Warchester Keep said. “Landon is hot on the fox’s tail. So I had to bring this fellow with me instead.” He nodded in Drake’s direction, a teasing grin on his face.

Drake nodded his head slowly, his dark brown eyes showing he knew Cassius was only teasing. Kit wanted to get to know him better. Drake reminded her of one of her guards she’d become acquainted with during her Exploration. Hins had disappeared without a trace a few months after he’d first pleasured Kit, much like Terrowin, and Kit missed him. When she looked at Drake, she was reminded of Hins because they had the same muscular physique, chocolate eyes, and similar dark skin, though Drake’s cheekbones were angular, and his hair was cropped low to his head. He was from Killmont, and Hins had been from that province as well. Kit had asked Drake the last time she’d spoken to him if he knew of Hins, and he’d said no, but he was aware that there were several families in his province who longed to leave logging behind and travel to the castle to serve however they may. He’d assumed Hins was from one of those families. Being a nobleman himself, Drake had had no reason to leave until he’d been selected as a Representative.

“We should head back if we want to see Landon secure his victory,” Drake suggested in his thick Killmont accent.

Kit smiled at him and slipped her foot into Belle’s stirrup. The horse was already unhitched since that’s what Eli had been doing outside before he’d caught onto her plans, and he steadied the mare for her so that she could climb up. Once she was firmly in her saddle, he mounted Aeros with no trouble whatsoever, despite the horse standing free, and the four of them rode off back in the direction from which the two Representatives had just come.

Eli and Drake rode ahead while Cassius dropped back slightly. Understanding he wanted to talk to her, Kit slowed her ride until they were even. The clearing would meld into forest soon, so whatever he wished to speak about, he needed to make it quick.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice low. “Eli looked troubled.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, forcing a smile. “I did something foolish. He didn’t like it.”

One eyebrow arched as Cassius studied her for a moment. “I don’t like it either.”

“I know. I won’t be so stupid again. I promise.”

Cassius turned and looked over his shoulder, causing Kit to do the same. From there, only the arch over the front door was barely visible. She wondered when she might make it out here again. Promising not to be stupid was one thing, but she wanted to know what that fireplace said. Perhaps there was another way to go about it.

“That place looks dangerous. If you’d have been with anyone else, I wouldn’t have let you go. Now, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t even have let you go with him.”

“Eli would never let anything happen to me,” she assured him, just as the trees got so thick, she had to drop back and let him go ahead.

“I should hope not,” Cassius muttered, but she could tell by his tone, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he shouldn’t be. If Kit continued to act so impulsively, she could end up putting herself in a situation where she could get hurt regardless of who was looking out for her. She’d just have to find another way to determine what had happened in the abandoned shell of a house in the forest.