A Betrayal of Storms by Ben Alderson

Chapter 20

"He is lucky if he lives that long," Gyah muttered, eyes hardly straying from the downturned body of Prince Orion.

"The boy lives as long as I command it. Only by my hand will he die for what he has done." I wanted to reach for Althea again, to comfort her with my touch.

"It is a long ride," Erix said, speaking aloud what thought filled my head. "And the night is even longer. Berrow is a shorter journey. Althea, you need to rest. We all do."

"Do not tell me what I need. My brother needs to be returned to his court, for his body to be dealt with accordingly. The boy needs to face consequences as urgently as my aunt. I will rest when I choose." Still Althea did not even spare the stiffening corpse of her brother a glance, not even a flick of her gaze. There was restraint there, in the way her neck was tall and sharp, her face angled awkwardly so she could not accidently skim her furious stare across him.

"I am merely advising, as you called me here to do," Erix replied.

"Gyah," Althea said, ignoring Erix. "Can you fly?"

I studied the Eldrae whose own stare seemed full of calculation. Her hand became a fist as she placed it above her heart, eyes wet with tears. "I will do my best for you."

Althea nodded, huffing in relief as though she expected resistance. "Thank you."

Erix shook his head in frustration or disagreement, it was hard to determine one from the other. "Gyah is strong, far more than me. But she cannot lie to please you, Althea. Do you truly believe she can take us all to Aurelia? With the added weight of your prisoner and your..."

He couldn't say it, and it did not need to be said either as his attention looked back to the body of the Cedarfall prince.

"We will wait then," I added, voice cracking with desperation to fill the silence before another argument broke out. I held Althea's stare, sensing gnawing sadness within the depths of it. "If it means you can take him home, I will stay back."

"It is not safe." Althea spared me concern, eyes darting to Erix who shadowed me.

"It is safer being here, in... my land. If Lady Kelsey is behind all of what has occurred, then surely it would be better for me to return once she is accosted? I do not doubt Gyah's strength and ability, but it does not feel right asking such a thing of her."

"And I will stay with Robin," Erix added, in almost a rush. "I will ensure his security."

My chest warmed. I wanted to look at him, as I knew he looked at me, but I kept my focus on Althea who pondered the suggestion.

"I permit you to find shelter in Berrow. No further. Gyah will collect you there tomorrow." It was done. Agreed without further contemplation or discussion. I felt both relief and some puckering of discomfort for splitting from the group. But it was the right thing to do, solidified by the physical relaxing of Gyah's shoulders knowing she had less people to carry. Gyah gifted us a smile of thanks, although it did not reach her eyes. There was a slight limp as she walked to the unconscious Hunter. Erix noticed it, silently offering his help in preparing him for the journey.

I wondered if the Hunter would be tied up, but Gyah shifted her form smoothly, and laid a large claw over his chest and arms, keeping him pinned within her taloned grasp.

"Robin, help me will you?" Althea said, braving a look at the final body remaining to collect. Her brother.

I nodded, biting the insides of my cheeks as I finally watched her acknowledge the dead beneath her.

Althea knelt beside him, hands resting upon her lap and fiddling with the material of her tunic to keep them occupied.

"Tell me what I can do," I said, voice a whisper as though I feared to disturb Orion in his endless slumber.