A Guardian's Fate (Book #2)

Chapter Sixteen

Henry never took his eyes off Haven. Not even when Ivy fell into his lap to point at something beautiful outside. Haven evidently noticed this, and he later realized he was amusing her rather than intimidating.

They were a few hours into their ride and were told by the coachman that it would only take half an hour more. Half an hour more until they reached the capital, and he could escape this woman's sight with his cousin.

Henry shifted in his seat and clenched his jaw when Haven finally spoke again.

"This may be none of my concern, but the two of you don't look prepared for such a journey." She gestured toward their satchels. "And considering your statuses, I'm surprised you arrived in such a manner."

"We are not helpless!" Ivy defended, slouching. "We do not need escorts everywhere we go. Henry and I are adults who can care for ourselves."

Haven's lips twitched. "That still doesn't explain your lack of packing."

"Knowing we would be on our own, we did not want to bother with heavy loads."

"And yet you say you are not helpless without your servants and guards?"

Henry gritted his teeth and bared them at her. Haven chuckled and shook her head.

"Calm down. I'm just teasing." She then quirked an eyebrow at Ivy. "Whatever your real reason for being here is, I hope it's worth it."

"It will be!" Ivy told her, nodding. "The last time I was here, everyone treated me so kindly. It was like I was an old friend they were seeing again. Ooh, there was Lady Fayre, Lady Marigold, Lady Alaina, and..." She paused and rubbed her chin before pouting at Henry.

"His name is on the tip of my tongue! He said he knew you. A boy who was from the southern region?"

Henry didn't miss the way Haven tensed—how her smile faded and the creases in her forehead straightened. Of course, she quickly recovered with another one of her sly smirks.

"Eldon, right?" Ivy asked after a beat. Although, she mumbled to herself afterwards that maybe that wasn't it.

"I've been hearing that name an awful lot," Haven mentioned, narrowing her eyes at Henry. She might as well have been laughing again. "You know him?"

Ivy curiously glanced back and forth between them. "So... that is his name?"

"No," Henry responded.

"Are you saying no to it's not his name... or no to her question?"

"To her."

Haven grinned. "But Ivy here just said he knew you."

Ivy made a distressed noise in the back of her throat and whispered an apology to Henry. Henry ignored her, not wanting to waver from this.

"I talked to him once or twice," he explained, shrugging his right shoulder.

"He is quite famous in Elisium for saving children from a terrorizing attack. But that is all I know about him. I was kind of hoping you did know him, actually." Haven squinted at him, and he swallowed hard.

Ivy gasped, causing him to flinch and making Haven grin. "Really? He did that? On his own?"

Henry forcefully turned his gaze to the window where he saw dark green fields covered in millions of white and yellow daffodils. The flowers reminded him of the way the stars lit up the night skies, and he almost smiled at that. He then moved his hand down and patted his pocket, ensuring his coin was still there.