The thought of riding even one more mile made a little whine escape from the back of his throat, but a glimpse of the sun sitting perilously close to the treetops had him limping back to Horse’s side and leading the animal to the largest rock he could find to mount again. Gritting his teeth, he nudged Horse into another trot.
When he first spotted a single rider on a dappled brown horse in the distance, his heart lurched and he held his breath. At the sound of their approach, the rider turned, and even at that distance, Ravi knew it was Daks.
Oh, thank the gods.
Daks pulled his mount up short, allowing him to catch up, and Ravi felt like fainting with relief.
“Ravi? How—?”
“Never mind that now. We need to turn around and get out of here.”
“Why?”
“I had a Vision. There’s a Spawn out here.”
Daks’s eyes widened, which was good. But he still hadn’t moved… which was not good.
“Come on!” Ravi cried.
“Wait a second,” Daks said, infuriatingly calm as usual.
His eyes got that faraway look as his attention drew inward. When he focused on Ravi again, he was shaking his head.
“There’s not a Spawn within miles of us. It’s okay.”
Ravi glanced at the lengthening shadows of the trees scattered around them. Almost dusk.
“It’s not okay. I saw it.”
“What did you see?”
“You, alone in the woods, facing off against a thing with glowing red eyes,” Ravi shot back. “Now can we go, please?”
Daks nudged his mount closer, though the poor animal didn’t seem to like the idea, because its eyes were wide and it kept sidestepping restlessly. “Do you know when this is supposed to happen?”
“At dusk. Like, now!”
Ravi squeezed the reins until his knuckles were white and clenched his teeth instead of wringing the man’s neck and shouting obscenities at him.
“Do you know what day, though?” Daks asked calmly.
“It felt like today.”
Daks raised an eyebrow, and Ravi wanted to smack him. When Ravi only glared back at him, Daks scratched one stubbled cheek and sighed.
“Ravi, I can’t go back, not without Shura. It’s almost dusk as it is. We won’t be out of the trees before nightfall, even if we start now. And you’re here with me, so I’m no longer alone.” He dismounted in one fluid movement that made Ravi narrow his eyes in jealousy. He moved in close and took Ravi’s hand. “I promise you, if a Spawn were that close to us, I know I would feel it. They light up like a bonfire to my gift. Please believe me. I’d know.”
Ravi worried his lower lip, letting Daks’s words sink in and trying to think rationally beyond the fear that had been riding him for hours. He was tired, every muscle in his body ached from trying to stay on Horse’s back, and now that he’d stopped his headlong chase, his stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten since his meager breakfast.
After blowing out a long breath, he nodded and allowed Daks to help him off Horse’s back. When Daks pulled him into a hug, Ravi melted against the man with a whimper of relief. Maybe Daks was right. Maybe he’d already changed things. Daks would have kept going at least another hour if Ravi hadn’t stopped him. Was that enough?
His stomach didn’t think so, but that could just be the hunger.
“You came to save me, huh?” Daks murmured.
Ravi could hear the stupid, smug grin in his voice, even if he couldn’t see it, and he gave Daks a halfhearted shove. Daks’s big body didn’t move an inch. In fact, he tightened his grip and kissed the shell of Ravi’s ear.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, his lips brushing Ravi’s skin, making him shiver.
“When I need to be,” Ravi replied, borrowing a bit of Daks’s bravado.
Daks chuckled, the sound vibrating through his thick chest and into Ravi’s. He drew back enough to capture Ravi’s lips, kissing until they both forgot about anything around them. Then Horse sidled into them, knocking them apart, and the spell was broken.
“You’re going to have to tell me how in the Seven Hells you managed to get this brute back across with you without the ferry. Did you swim?”
“I’ll tell you everything I know, but please tell me we can stop here for the night.” He gave Daks his most pathetic expression. “I’m not sure I’ll survive much more riding today.”
Daks’s lips split in a crooked smile. “Not even the good kind?”
Ravi’s cock twitched at the huskiness in his voice, but he ignored it and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think you fully realize what I went through today to get here.”
Daks just smiled and shrugged as he moved to take the reins of both horses. “We’ll stop for the night and get a fire started, and then you can fill me in.”
Chapter Fifteen
“YOU TRADED Horse?” Daks asked incredulously.
Ravi gave him a sour look. “I thought the risk worth it. Maybe I was wrong? Maybe I should have just left you to your fate?”
The fire he’d made burned cheerily against the cold and damp of their surroundings. In the flickering light, Ravi looked as lovely as ever, despite his current expression.
“I’m not saying that, but….” Daks left the wording hanging and had to hide a grin when Ravi huffed and his scowl deepened.
He wanted to be mad that Ravi had endangered himself like that—and perhaps he would be later—but right now he couldn’t get past the giddy realization that Ravi had risked so much just for him. Other than Shura, he didn’t think there was anyone in the world who cared that much. Unable to hide it anymore, his grin spread from ear to ear as he put his hands behind his head and stretched his boots toward the fire.
Ravi’s eyes narrowed to slits as his cheeks darkened. “I could go back, you know. I could leave you here to get eaten by Spawn or cursed by a wizard or whatever.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me. You like me too much,” Daks replied as he sat up and scooted until he was pressed to Ravi’s side.
“I can’t think why,” Ravi replied, obviously fighting an exasperated smile.
“It’s the sex,” Daks deadpanned.
Instead of the punch to the arm Daks half expected, Ravi barked out a laugh, but his smile faded to something much more intense as Daks moved in for a kiss.
He sucked on Ravi’s soft lips until Ravi opened and deepened their kiss. Ravi allowed Daks to push him to the ground. He draped himself over that lanky, perfect body as Ravi’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close.
Daks was just wondering how much of that lovely skin Ravi might be willing to expose to the cold night air when Horse suddenly snorted and stomped the ground. Reluctantly lifting his head, Daks scanned the shadows beyond the firelight, but he saw nothing.
“What is it?”
Daks held up a finger and opened his other sense.
Seven Hells!
He rolled to his feet and rushed to where he’d left the sword he’d “borrowed,” the same way he’d “borrowed” the other horse. Putting himself between the thing in the woods and Ravi, he widened his stance and lifted the sword.
“What’s going on?” Ravi hissed.
“Spawn,” Daks gritted out through clenched teeth.
The I-told-you-sos would be never-ending… if they lived that long.
Horse snorted again and moved to stand next to him, making Daks gape at the beast. As if he needed more proof Horse was not at all what he seemed. As soon as the dapple caught scent of the Spawn it screamed and lunged, trying to break the reins free of the branch Daks had tied them to, but Daks couldn’t spare it more than a quick glance before riveting his gaze on the approaching red, glowing eyes.
Ravi fumbled at Daks’s belt, and when Daks spared him a glance, Ravi held his dagger pointed at the Spawn, his amber eyes wide, his face pale.
“Stay back, Ravi. You’re not trained for this,” Daks ordered.
“And you are?”
He had a point. Daks had never been this close to a Spawn before in his life. He’d sensed them beyond the magic walls of Scholoveld. He’d tracked them for hunters who did this kind of thing all the time, but he’d never actually had to fight one himself. He had no wizard or bespelled sword. He had no wizard stone to catch the Wraith in, even if he could manage to kill it. The best he could hope was that the thing would get discouraged and find some easier prey to go after.
He shot another glance at the dappled horse still trying to break free of its bonds and winced. He hated to do it, but if the choice was between the horse and them, the horse would lose.
He was still trying to figure out how to make a sacrifice like that work when the Spawn finally stepped from the shadows and into the small circle of firelight, and Daks did a double take. Another stallion, as tall as Horse and as black as Horse was white, stood in the clearing, regarding them calmly. It didn’t appear corrupted or vicious. Its sleek sides gleamed whole and healthy in the flickering orange light, and if anything, the creature looked bored. If not for the glowing red eyes, Daks would have thought his luck had improved ten-fold with another beautiful horse to add to their collection. For his part, Horse seemed curious but definitely not alarmed, and as Daks watched in stunned silence, Horse ambled across the clearing toward their visitor.
The Spawn’s attention shifted to Horse and the thing started. It took a seemingly wary step back, and Horse stopped.
“What’s going on?” Ravi whispered.
“Not a clue,” Daks replied without taking his eyes off the two animals.
At least the dapple had stopped fretting, possibly sensing the change in the atmosphere as well.
While Daks was frantically searching for what the hells to do next, the Spawn horse wavered and shifted in front of his eyes. Before Daks or Ravi could do anything but yelp, a rather lovely young black-haired man stood where the Spawn had been, completely naked.
“What are you?” the Spawn-horse-man asked, his attention still riveted on Horse.
Horse snorted, lifted his head high, and pointedly turned his back on the creature. He ambled back to Daks’s side and turned to face the Spawn again, his eyes placid and serene.
“Uh, I might ask you the same question,” Daks said hesitantly.
He’d never felt so out of his depth in his life, and that was saying something.
The Spawn—or whatever the hells it was—turned his attention back to them, though he still shot wary glances at Horse from time to time.
“What I am is no concern of yours,” it—he—said primly.
“I think it is,” Ravi piped up behind him, and Daks winced.
If the thing was willing to talk reasonably and not murder them, Daks was just fine not knowing the particulars or antagonizing him.
The creature turned his unnatural gaze on Ravi, and Daks tensed, tightening his grip on the sword. His eyes stopped glowing as he studied Ravi briefly, and Daks hoped that was a good sign. Except, when the Spawn kept eyeing Ravi, as if he were mulling something over, Daks started to get nervous. On a man who hadn’t just been a horse with glowing red eyes, Daks might have considered the look to be one of interest, possibly sexual, but that couldn’t be right.
He stepped in front of Ravi, blocking the creature’s view.
“What do you want?” Daks asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“I might ask the same question,” the young man replied mockingly.
Okay, questions obviously weren’t working, so how about answers.
“I’m looking for a friend of mine who may have traveled this way,” Daks said, doing his best not to growl the words.
The Spawn turned his attention back to Horse. “And you?” he asked, eyeing the beast warily.
Silence hung heavy and uncomfortable in the clearing, but for the pop and crackle of the dying fire.
“Uh, that’s my horse,” Daks answered, when he couldn’t take it anymore.
Horse snorted, and the Spawn gave Daks a withering look.
“Look,” Daks pressed on, “we’re sorry if we disturbed you or anything, but, uh, we’re just looking for our friends. We’ll be on our way tomorrow… or right now if you prefer. No time like the present, right?”
Daks shuffled closer to Horse’s side but froze when the Spawn raised a hand.
“Do these friends of yours happen to be two women, one pale, one dark?” he asked, as if the question had to be dragged out of him.
Daks’s chest tightened. “Yes,” he replied breathlessly as Ravi gripped his arm.
The Spawn sighed and rolled his eyes. “Well, at least none of us will have to listen to the darker one rail at us anymore, while the little pale one coos and consoles. You are Daks, I presume.”
He said the name as if it tasted foul, but Daks couldn’t have cared less. His grin was wide as he asked, “Is she all right? Where is she?”
The Spawn man shrugged. “She is recovering well enough. I will take you to her, if only to cease her constant complaining.”
“Where?” Daks repeated.
“At our encampment. I told you I would take you there.”
Daks shot Ravi a hopeful, questioning look, but Ravi only shrugged.
“As usual, when it could be at all helpful, my curse is silent,” Ravi whispered.
Daks gripped the hand on his sleeve and kissed Ravi’s forehead. “It’s okay. The encampment was where I was headed anyway. And honestly, if he wanted us dead, he wouldn’t have to resort to trickery to make it happen.”
The Spawn must’ve had good hearing, because when Daks turned his attention back to him, he was smiling… or baring his teeth, Daks couldn’t decide which.
The Spawn turned and headed for the road, displaying his high, rounded bare ass in the process. Under any other circumstances, Daks might have done a bit of ogling, but he hadn’t quite decided whether to piss himself in fear or relief yet. Spawn were the stuff of nightmares, corruption and evil made flesh, the cautionary tales told to scare children into obedience. You didn’t lust after them… or at least he hadn’t before.
“Daks,” Ravi said, a warning in his tone.
“What?”
Ravi simply scowled at him as he pushed past him after the Spawn. “Hey! Hey you!”
Daks caught back of Ravi’s cloak and pulled him up short. “What are you doing?”
“I’m tired. I’m sore. And now I’m just pissed off,” Ravi huffed.
“Are you coming?” the Spawn called from the road.
“Can it wait until morning?” Ravi shouted back. “Unlike you, I’m guessing, some of us actually need to sleep. And who knows what we might blunder into in the dark? I really don’t relish the thought of being hit by another trap, thank you very much.”
While Daks looked on in dread, tightening his grip on the sword again, the Spawn studied Ravi for a few moments before a true smile spread across his somewhat disturbingly handsome face.
“There are no traps the way I will take you. I’ve destroyed any such things as I’ve come across them. You’ve had dealings with the bogfolk before, I take it.”
“Enough,” Ravi huffed, and the Spawn’s smile widened.
After a few seconds of anxiety-producing silence, the Spawn nodded, as if he’d made his mind up. “Very well. You may sleep. I will return at dawn to guide you the rest of the way, for the sake of your friend, if nothing else. We owe her a debt.” His face softened at the words, making him appear even more human… at least until he glanced in Horse’s direction and his expression turned unreadable. “I will let them know you’re coming.”
One second, the Spawn man stood naked in the middle of the road, the next, the air was filled with the flapping of great black wings as a raven took off into the night sky and disappeared.
“Seven Hells,” Daks whispered vehemently.
“Yeah,” Ravi agreed, still staring where the thing had vanished.
After a few seconds, Daks blew out a breath, grabbed Ravi’s shoulders, and gave h
im a little shake. “We need our sleep, thank you very much?” he repeated, huffing out an aggrieved laugh.
At least Ravi had the decency to blush. “I am tired. And who knew a Spawn could be so annoying.”
“You kill me,” he said with a half smile. “Come on. I have a feeling sleep isn’t going to come so easy, but at least we can build up the fire and make ourselves comfortable. I managed to, uh, borrow a flask of something pretty potent from a guy passed out in the corner of the pub. I think I’m gonna need a snootful or two to relax. At least it’s Shura getting us into trouble this time and not me.”
While Ravi puttered with the fire, Daks checked on the dapple. The poor thing had calmed down considerably at least, though it had chafed the skin around its halter, trying to break free. Horse was, as always, serene and regal, and Daks eyed the animal with a new wariness.
After not sensing the Spawn until it was right on top of them, he began to question the limitations of his abilities a little. But if Horse was more than an exceptionally smart, loyal, resourceful animal, Daks still couldn’t sense it.
“You stumped a Spawn, though, and I’ve never even heard of such a thing,” Daks murmured to the beast as he held its pale blue gaze until he had to look away. “Whatever you are, I’m glad you’re on our side,” he finished, clapping Horse on the shoulder before carrying the flask and borrowed bedroll back to the fire.
“You came prepared,” Ravi said wryly, eyeing the bedroll like it was the softest of featherbeds.
“You need but ask, and the gods shall provide,” Daks intoned with a grin.
“Uh-huh.”
Daks shrugged before shaking out the roll and spreading it over the ground. “The guards I borrowed this stuff from won’t suffer… too much.”
“Eh, they deserve it anyway.”
“They do,” Daks agreed.
He settled onto the bedroll after tossing a half-empty pack down for a pillow and opened his cloak in invitation. Ravi smiled sweetly and melted against his chest. Once they were cocooned together comfortably, Daks uncorked the flask and took a pull, hissing at the burn even as the fiery liquid settled warmly in his belly. He offered the flask to Ravi, but he waved it away sleepily.
The Seer Page 29