The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(73)

It had been decided that Berry and Avina would stay and leave a week after we did in case any of the Septori were following us. Neither one of them was happy about it. After a few fits from Avina, Nero finally offered to teach her to fly a skite during her and Berry’s stay. That sealed the deal.

Darren would come with us as far as Haven and then return home to his Melani. Fanny surprised us the most with her argument to come with us.

“It is my invention that did this and I feel that I need to speak with the Queen and the Adepts to defend what I had done. I don’t want there to be any repercussions on my family. Also, I may be able to answer their questions better if I am there in person. And you will need another female to take care of your prisoner.”

“We are going to be traveling fast; can you be ready to go in an hour?” Kael had looked over Fanny and I originally thought he was going to deny her request like Berry and Avina’s. But he must have seen her stubbornness and determination.

“I’m ready to go now. I’m already packed. My bag is at the bottom of the stairs,” Fanny answered smartly, her copper hair bouncing as she motioned with her head down the stairs. “If you had told me no, I was going to follow you anyway.”

Kael nodded impressed. “You’ll do.”

What also impressed Kael was when Hemi and Fanny brought Mona to the Jesai’s. Fanny had fashioned handcuffs lined with leather and various lengths of chain.

“That won’t hold a Denai,” Darren had scoffed.

Fanny raised her eyebrows in challenge. “Care to try them on? They can mute a Denai power more than the misty veils.” Darren and everyone in the room dropped their mouths in disbelief.

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” Nero muttered.

“Nonsense, the knowledge has been around for hundreds of years, but many people forgot how to forge them. It’s a special technique passed down through my family. I will not be sharing this one, thank you very much. But I thought it would help us.”

That had finalized our traveling party of Darren, Hemi, Fanny, Mona, Kael, Joss and me. Joss had not spoken to me, other than to ask if I was ready to leave, since the awkward kiss with Kael. I hadn’t sought him out either to discuss what had happened between him and Mona.

It was never the right time or place, but the road to Haven left us plenty of awkward silences to fill.

I tended to ride next to Darren as much as possible but that meant I was right in the middle of the pack. Kael refused to allow me to ride rear guard in case of attack, but he also didn’t want me near Mona.

Hemi and Fanny were designated as Mona’s personal guard. Hemi volunteered because the obvious threat to me came from Mona so he wanted to keep a personal eye on her. I also couldn’t help but wonder if my fearsome clansman was starting to get sweet on Fanny. The strong, silent warrior would tend to get even more quiet and awkward whenever the strong-willed, copper-haired woman came near him.

I couldn’t help smiling as Hemi blushed bright red, as red as his beard, when she leaned close and whispered something to him.

“Now that’s the first smile I’ve seen on your face in three days,” Darren chuckled as he turned his head to study me. “You’ve been quiet.”

“I’ve been thinking,” I intoned.

“Careful, that could be dangerous to your health,” Darren said out of the side of his mouth, eyes twinkling.

I couldn’t help but laugh. That was why I loved Darren, his easygoing manner and quick wit.

“No, I’m not kidding,” he chuckled as he nodded towards Kael and Joss riding front guard, both of them with backs straight as they rode. Neither one was willing to pick up with small talk. “I know what you are thinking about and upsetting those two could be hazardous to all of our health.”

Tongue in cheek, I agreed with a silent nod. He was right. We were all walking a very narrow tight rope and no one wanted to upset anything. But we would have to talk and soon.

“The sooner you speak with them the better, Little Fish. None of us want to drown in the tidal waves of the storm that’s brewing.” Darren had slipped back into calling me the nickname that Joss and he had given me when we’d first met. They had fished me out of a river and saved my life after my escape from the Septori.

“Darren, can I tell you something that I haven’t told anyone yet?”

“You can tell me anything, I know how to keep a secret.” He made a motion of putting a lock in his mouth and throwing away the key.

“I don’t think Talbot was the Raven.”

“What do you mean? He admitted it, didn’t he?”

“I know, I think he was there. No, I know he was there in the room. It’s just…” I was finding it so hard to explain the terrible feeling I was having in the pit of my stomach. “The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced he was there, but he’s not the Raven.”

“You’re joking, right?”

I shook my head. “I’m remembering more and more as the time passes and I’m having these dreams. Talbot is too short to be the Raven. Or at least he was too short some of the time.”

“Thalia, girl, you’re not making any sense.”

“No, I’m making perfect sense. Every night, the Raven wore a silver hook-nosed mask and he always had other fellow Septori in the room who were hidden by hoods. Sometimes his voice was high, other times it was raspy. Sometimes he was taller, while other times he felt short, but never as short as Talbot. I don’t know— maybe I’m crazy.”