Remiel followed me back to my tent, his form all but obscured by the writhing shadows wrapped around him. The wavering edges reminded me of Tievel when he bent light to become invisible, and it occurred to me then that Remiel's magic was similar in that nature, only he used darkness to hide. Odd that of the two of them, the one I trusted more was the nightmare creature.

The surviving soldiers were checking the motionless bodies in the camp for signs of life, but I could tell from a distance that they were lifeless shells. I frowned. Now that I thought about it, there were no souls anywhere. None moving about the battlefield looking confused or complaining. Places these days were rarely free of one spirit or another floating about, though most did not come close to me as if sensing the danger I represented. But with dozens recently killed here, they should be all around us.

Not that I minded. The earlier overwhelming urge to take the soldier's soul haunted me still, and I wasn't sure I could have resisted so many at once. Not even with Remiel by my side.

"I have a question," I said out of the corner of my mouth.

Before he could answer, a lanky figure topped the hill and stormed toward us. I stopped and jutted out my elbow slightly to create a barrier between the Reaper and the prince. It would be ineffective in stopping Remiel if he actually decided to attack, but I wanted him to know I didn't feel threatened by Tievel's approach.

"Are you mad?" Rocks scattered under Tievel's boots as he came to a violent halt.

"Well," I responded, tapping my nose and forcing an airy tone to my voice. "I suppose that depends on the definition you're using. Mad as in angry? Not particularly. Mad as insane. The verdict is out on that one."

"Morana," Tievel growled, and I swore I heard an echo behind me. "I just spent hours locked away with my father, who threatened to have Kuga Sing away my immortality if you didn't make it out of the attack in one piece."

"How lucky you are then, that all pieces are accounted for."

I patted my hands over my body to emphasize my point, instantly regretting it as it drew Tievel's attention to it and the many exposed areas. Not only were my legs completely bare, but the tussle with the soldier had ripped the top so that the black bits of lace hung haphazardly over my breasts.

Had I been walking about the camp with the soldiers and Remiel the entire time? I groaned internally. Remiel could have been a gentleman and said something. With hands pressed over my cleavage and knees glued together, I forced a weak smile to my lips and waited for Tievel to stop throwing a tantrum. The eastern horizon steadily lightened as we stood there, and I hoped to get some sleep before Kuga came for me.

He grabbed my wrist, yanking it toward him and forcing me to slide my other arm around my chest to keep my modesty. This time I didn't imagine the growl behind me, and I yelped loudly to hide it. Tievel's cold blue eyes narrowed, but his attention remained on my arm.

"How did this happen? You were cut with a blade."

"Looks like you answered your question. May I have my arm back? You've caused the wound to open with your rough treatment."

Tievel released me. "Did you get a good look at the attackers? The other survivors can give us no description of them."

"I'm sorry. It was too dark, and they were too quick." I could almost feel Remiel gloating.

"This wasn't a random attack."

Tievel shoved his hands through his long hair. Currently, it was a dark color that was hard to distinguish in the low light, but I thought it might be blue. Strange. He usually preferred flashier colors unless he was feeling melancholy. I flinched away from those thoughts. That wasn't for me to concern myself with any longer.

"Tievel, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Of course." His voice was almost tender. "The perimeter is secure. You'll be safe enough, but once you reach your tent, do not leave it again until you're summoned. Those are my father's instructions."

He left as quickly as he'd come, and I followed his lead, almost sprinting toward the tent. With the approaching sun, Remiel's shadows were becoming easier to spot. All it would take was one person staring too long, and they would send up the alarm. I'd just gotten him back and refused to lose him so soon.

"That cowardly bastard," Remiel fumed, exploding out of the strands of darkness the moment we were inside the tent.

"What?" I squeaked, tripping over my feet and falling onto the mattress.

He spun around, amber eyes aflame, but the moment they settled on me, the light went out. Never had I seen his eyes so dark. Yet, somehow, the heat remained in the black depths, and I felt like I was burning from the inside out as he traced the lines of my body with them.

With a snarl, he snatched a robe from where I'd laid it over my chair and flung it toward me. "You're going to freeze to death in...whatever it is that you're wearing."

"If you'll turn around, I'll change." A touch of red bloomed on top of his high cheekbones, and he spun around without arguing. "Why did you call Tievel a coward?"

"Because that's what he is. Not only did he admit to hiding from the fight, but then he didn't bother to escort you back to your tent."

"The perimeter is secure."

Why I was defending Tievel, I wasn't sure, and from the ice in Remiel's voice, he didn't appreciate it. "I'm sure they thought it was secure before."

Dressed in a fur lined nightgown, I shimmied beneath my covers, my eyelids growing heavy as soon as my head hit the pillow. "You can turn around now."

He did. Slowly and with his eyes cast down as if it might offend him to find me in a state of undress. Only when he saw me fully clothed and covered did some of the tension seep from his shoulders.

"Look," I said. Already words were growing difficult to form. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I was fine. I had you, and starting tomorrow, we're going to work so that I don't have to depend on anyone to protect me."

The harsh lines in his expression softened. "I live for that day."

"Me too. Now, get some sleep if you can. Kuga likes to show up at an ungodly hour."

***

Kuga never showed up.

When I woke, I expected to find the Winter Woman standing over my cot with a bucket of water and the sun high in the sky. Instead, I was alone, and only a faint seam of gray light was visible through the tent's entrance. If not for the note pressed into my hand and the clean bandage around my arm, I might have dreamed that Remiel had ever been with me. Bones and muscles stiff, I inched out of bed and poked my head outside.

Soldiers bustled about a mostly repaired camp, and the savory spices of a common Edreshian stew had replaced the usual morning scents of eggs and sausages. Clouds hung low in the sky, their hazy edges turning to silver mist over the treetops, and the sun rested low on the western horizon.

A tray sat on the ground, and I picked it up, delighted to discover a steaming bowl of stew and soft bread. Alone and in the comfort of my room, it tasted far better than anything served at the royal dinner the previous evening. Sated, I set it aside and curled up on the bed, falling back asleep within minutes.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was dark, and I hopped out of bed with eagerness. A quiet hung over the camp that suggested the hour was late, which meant no one was coming for me today and Remiel was waiting for me.

Dressing quickly, I fashioned a pair of trousers out of a simple linen skirt I found in the trunk. It wasn't perfect, but with the excess material tied between my legs, it was less likely to tangle around my ankles as I moved. I braided my hair into two thick strands, fingers hovering over the white patch before I weaved them together at the base of my neck and pinned them in place.

Finding my way back to the ravine without Remiel proved harder than expected, and I cursed the Reaper for leaving me. Of course, if I had been able to map out the location in the daylight, this wouldn't have been a problem, but I thought it rich that he had called Tievel a coward for abandoning me only to do the same.

"What's with all the huffing and groaning?"

"Cassia!" I half screamed, half hissed as the dryad popped out of a tree, her yellow eyes alight with amusement. "Are you trying to get me caught?"

She fell in step beside me. "You can't blame me if you get caught. Not as loud as you've been while tromping through the woods. Where are you going?"

"Um, well..."

"To see the handsome fellow? The one dressed all in black?" She sighed and twirled a blossom in her hair.

"I don't know about all that," I hedged, clearing my throat to banish the image of Remiel that popped in my head. It didn't mean anything that I thought he was attractive as well. It was simply a fact. "But yes."

"I'll show you the way." Cassia giggled. "I think he was about to come get you himself. He's been pacing in circles, muttering, and kicking at the leaves."

"Wonderful. Sounds like he's in a good mood."

"He did seem rather excited at first, almost nervous, but the longer he waited there, the more agitated he got. Oh, here we are."

She stopped me right before I barreled over the edge and then drew me toward the same slope Remiel had used the night before. When I reached the bottom and found him exactly as she described, she laughed again before disappearing into another tree.

He folded his arms over his chest. "I see you decided to grace me with your presence."

"I fell asleep."

Lips pursed, he arched a brow. "Again? You were still sleeping at midday when I checked on you."

"Where did you go?" I changed the subject.

"To give report." The space between us shrunk as he stepped toward me. The back of his hand was cool as he placed it on my forehead. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I thought..." His hand fell, and he looked away. "Sleeping that much can indicate illness or infection. I cleaned your wound and bandaged it. But that doesn't mean it won't get infected."

I touched his shoulder, drawing his attention back to me. "I'm perfectly fine. Well enough to fight, so don't take it easy on me."

And he didn't. By the time the sky blushed with first light, I was bruised from head to toe and limping. Cassia clicked her tongue in sympathy as she joined me on my walk back to the tent, and Remiel kept whispering apologies from his dark cloud.

"I'm fine," I insisted, rubbing a throbbing spot in my hip. How did he move so fast and kick so high?

Cassia started to laugh, then stopped, her face filling with horror. "Morana, you better hurry. The trees are telling me the king is heading to your tent."

I froze, heart skipping in my chest. "Where is he now?"

"They say he's coming down the hill. If you continue on this path, you'll run right into him."

"Come on," Remiel said, scooping me up in his arms and plunging me into blackness as his shadows fell over me.

He broke into a run, and I threw my arms around his neck. Every jarring step made me clench my teeth together against the pain, but I knew I couldn't have moved this fast in the condition I was in.

We made it with time to spare, and once more, Remiel threw my robe at me. I tossed my black cloak to the floor and tugged the robe around me to hide my clothes. Grabbing a cloth from my washbasin, he gingerly wiped away the grime from my face while I stared over his shoulder, watching for the king.

"Morana, I'll take you away from here. Now. We can go."

Voices drifted inside the tent. They were almost here. I looked into his worried eyes. "It'll be okay, Remy."

He shuddered, dropping the cloth and putting his hands around my cheeks. "If he harms you, I can't promise to stay hidden."

"Go," I whispered just as the entrance parted.

"Are you alone, my dear?" King Brinley asked as he walked inside, his gray eyes scanning the space. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

I relaxed when they hurried by the corner where Remiel hid. "Only to myself. What do I owe this honor to?"

King Brinley smiled. "The fires have once again ceased. It is time for you to enter Araphel."