Thorne (Random Romance) (9 page)

‘What was that?’ I asked.

He looked between us, hesitating. We turned together and continued on our path. After a few long minutes, Jonah murmured, ‘She gets overwhelmed.’

‘By what?’

‘When we were taken as children to the warders for our tests, they took one look at Finn and declared her soul too big for her body.’

I waited for Jonah to explain, but that seemed to be all he was willing to say on the matter. I tried to process it. What did it even mean? I couldn’t grasp the implications. Somehow, though, when I thought of Finn and how she was … It made an odd kind of sense.

‘What must you do to help her?’ I asked.

‘I try to drain some of it. Lessen its power over her.’

‘Drain her soul?’ I stopped in my tracks.

‘Better than letting it incinerate her from within, wouldn’t you say, Highness?’

I reminded myself to keep walking. We covered about a mile without speaking, but my mind wouldn’t leave the conversation alone.

‘What of you?’ I pressed.

Jonah glanced at me. ‘What about me?’

‘When you drain her, Jonah. It harms you?’

The boy didn’t say anything. His jaw was clenched and he wouldn’t look at me. I cracked the knuckles on my left hand, hesitating. I didn’t really know how to express my thoughts, but for some reason couldn’t hold them in. ‘Your generosity of spirit humbles me,’ I blurted clumsily.

Jonah’s eyes flashed silver. He seemed lost. His mouth opened and then closed. Something hard flittered across his gaze. ‘Mind your business, Prince.’

‘Forgive me.’

It was around midday when Finn finally stopped running. She had literally been going all morning, much to my complete astonishment. She seemed perfectly happy, but something about the manic adrenalin she was exerting made me uneasy.

My head was tilted up to watch a lone hawk circle the sky when I heard her gasp.

‘There’s danger ahead.’ She shot off again towards the forest at the edge of the grasslands.

‘Then don’t
run towards it
!’ Jonah exclaimed as we all sprinted after her. The world grew dark as we entered the cover of trees and the sun was blotted
out. I drew my axe from my back even though I wasn’t supposed to be armed while in Kaya.

A group of travellers were up ahead. I could see six of them, as well as another who’d scouted further ahead. Finn was approaching them as though she intended to barrel in there and attack them all without a moment’s thought. What was
wrong
with the girl?

I shared a glance with Isadora, whose eyes flicked to the trees pointedly. I nodded, splitting off from the others and making my way into the brush. I picked up the pace, curving around to the side of the group so I could watch as Finn arrived.

‘More pioneers to the holy city,’ she said with a brilliant smile. The six men turned swiftly, taking in the twins, Penn, and then Isadora. Their eyes all narrowed to see such a strange looking person. I couldn’t imagine what her life must be like. I hadn’t exactly been welcomed here, but at least in Pirenti I was safe from the hostile looks; Isadora was a pariah even in her home country.

‘No,’ said one of the men. He was short and slim like most Kayans, but he had eyes as cruel as anyone I’d ever met.

‘No? Then where are you headed?’

He gave a short laugh of disbelief. ‘Whose business do you think that is?’

‘They’re just kids, Sin,’ one of the others reminded him.

The scout had circled back and was doing exactly as I was – sticking to the cover of trees and watching. He had no idea I was directly behind him, and he wouldn’t know – not unless I wanted him to.

‘Not too friendly, are you?’ Finn pointed out mildly.

‘Not too friendly,’ Penn agreed like a cheerful little parrot.

Sin folded his arms. I could see him getting annoyed. ‘And you’ve got a big mouth, girl. Maybe I can use that big mouth for something.’

A few of the others chuckled.

Finn didn’t seem remotely bothered by their lewdness. Jonah, on the other hand, was growing angry. I could see it in the set of his shoulders, in the way his hands kept making small circular motions, as if to conjure something.

‘Where have you come from?’ Sin asked.

‘Limontae.’

‘Then tell me, kid. Have you seen any warders on the road?’

Finn tilted her head, curious now. ‘Hmm … That’s a tricky one. What do warders look like?’

Sin’s brows knitted, unable to tell if she was being serious or not.

‘She’s daft,’ another man muttered.

‘Don’t give me that,’ Sin snapped.

‘Well, I may have, but it’s hard to tell,’ Finn shrugged. ‘And when men aren’t friendly my feelings get hurt.’

‘You want me to be friendly?’ Sin asked softly, moving closer. She didn’t step back, but I saw Isadora’s knife glinting in her hand and knew Finn was relatively safe for the moment. There were seven of them, though. No one could take on that many single-handedly.

Unless that someone was a berserker.

I really, really didn’t want to deal with the blood fever again so soon. Not when it meant sending me to sleep for a good twelve hours afterwards and a body of aching bones.

My beast had a different point of view on the matter. He wanted out.

And as Sin reached out to touch Finn I found that for the first time in my life I agreed with my beast. I heard her say, just before their skin connected, ‘I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.’

‘And why is that, pretty one? I thought you wanted me to comfort your hurt feelings.’

‘The thing is … I have a friend who wouldn’t like it too much.’

Sin looked at her three friends – Penn was tiny, Jonah was a teen boy, and Isadora looked as harmless as a snowflake. The man grinned in amusement. ‘Is that right? What would this friend do to me, if I were to run my tongue down your neck?’

A great snarl erupted inside me; I was about to lose control. I was
aching
to lose control. Nothing mattered but the fact that he was about to touch her.

Finn smiled, and even from where I stood hidden in the bushes I could see the coldness in her eyes, the incredible, sparkling malice. It made something inside me hungry. ‘I think he might get rather angry,’ she purred. ‘He does that.’

Sin was getting impatient. ‘Have you seen any warders or not, girl?’

‘I see warders every day.’

‘Did you see any on the road?’ he clarified, as if she were a simpleton. ‘A group of them?’

‘Oh dear, you’re making me nervous and now I can’t remember.’

‘Are you all this idiotic?’ he snapped, looking at the other three, but they remained blessedly silent. Jonah actually looked like he was starting to enjoy himself. ‘I’ll ask an easier one then. Have you seen any bonded couples travelling the road?’

‘Oh! Yes!’

Sin grabbed her upper arms. ‘When? How many?’

‘Oh,’ Finn murmured, looking down at his hands on her body. ‘You forgot.’

Sin followed her eyes, not understanding.

‘I warned you, didn’t I? Poor Sin.’

It appeared I was being summoned. Stepping forward, I plucked the scout by the back of the neck and carried his squirming form into the clearing. Everyone turned to look at me with various degrees of alarm. Sin’s eyes
nearly bugged out of his head. But Finn met my gaze with a smile, as if we’d all walked into her lovely little trap.

‘Step away from her,’ I ordered Sin, trying to remain calm.

‘You … you’re not allowed a weapon,’ he declared, panicked.

I dropped my axe onto the grass. ‘Does that make you feel better?’

Finn gave a trickle of laughter.
Gods, let me be calm
.

‘Let him go,’ Sin demanded. ‘We haven’t done anything. We’re just searching for –’

‘If you don’t stop touching her this second,’ I said slowly, ‘I’ll tear your fingers from your hands.’

Sin realised he was still gripping Finn and with a jolt of horror let her go. The five other men had drawn their swords.

‘That’s hardly fair,’ Jonah pointed out.

‘Bit hypocritical, really,’ Finn agreed with a sniff.

The twin idiots were going to get themselves killed one day. I tried to concentrate on Sin. ‘Stand your men down or I’ll tighten my hand and this neck breaks.’

He gave a quick wave and they all lowered their weapons.

‘Next time you meet travellers on the road,’ I warned, ‘be kind. You never know who’s hiding in the bushes.’

I dropped the scout and picked up my axe. The men scattered, leaving us. I waited until their scents drew far enough away that I knew they weren’t going to circle back for revenge, then I turned on Finn.

‘There’s danger ahead?
’ I snapped. ‘You
created
the danger!’

She smiled beatifically. ‘Did I specify the source?’

Isadora had probably tired of the childishness, for she strode forward, picking up the path again. Penn was climbing trees and swinging from branches like a monkey. Jonah loitered by his sister, probably concerned about the level of my fury.

‘I’m not a trained bear,’ I said through clenched teeth. ‘You can’t prance around antagonising people, then clap your hands and have me pop out to clean up your mess.’

This seemed to amuse her, for she laughed as she picked up her pack and carried on. ‘Clearly, I can.’

‘Never again,’ I snarled.

‘Oh, Thorne. Relax. They were disgusting, vile human beings. Trust me on that. I gave them the chance to be nice and they chose to be revolting instead. They deserved a lot worse than you gave them.’

I shook my head, clamping my mouth shut. She didn’t care who got hurt, as long as it was entertaining.

‘Didn’t a tiny part of you enjoy that?’ she prompted archly.

‘No.’

‘Really? How dull.’

‘You had no idea how dangerous they could have been, Finn.’

‘That’s true,’ she agreed. ‘But I do have a fairly reliable way of guessing: I think it’s safe to say that not one of them was ever going to be as dangerous as you are, Thorne.’

I didn’t speak to her for the rest of the day.

Finn

Well, I’d definitely pissed off Thorne, so I gave him a wide berth and caught up with Jonah.

‘Why do you think they were looking for warders and bonded couples?’ I asked.

‘Dunno. Probably bond protesters out for a bit of “bloody justice”.’

I chewed on my lip, thinking about it. His answer did nothing to slake my curiosity. Something had been strange about it.

Jonah elbowed me and nodded towards Thorne. ‘Poor guy looks like he’s swallowed a sour grape.’

I had to agree. We giggled.

‘You should be gentle with him,’ my brother conceded.

‘Why?’

Jonah shrugged. ‘Because he’s gentle with us.’

My eyebrows shot up. ‘Speaking in defence of the dreaded northern brute now, are we?’

‘He’s not as bad as I thought, is all.’

‘I thought he felt
off
to you.’

‘He’s … nice.’

‘Mmm. Nice is boring.’ But even as I said it, I knew better.

We arrived at the gates of Sancia as night was falling. The crowd waiting in line for entry was enormous. Families were relaxing in or on top of their carriages, men and women lined the road, sitting or lying on the grass. People played music and told stories as we took our spot at the back of the line, settling in for a long wait.

I edged up behind Thorne. ‘Have you forgiven me yet?’

‘Have you apologised yet?’

I smiled. ‘Shouldn’t you get to jump the queue, being royal and all?’ When he didn’t reply I pressed, ‘And how come you didn’t take a royal carriage or something?’

‘I like to walk.’

‘I see. Will you be staying at the palace?’

He shook his head.

‘They didn’t invite you, did they? That seems … rude.’

Dropping his voice so that I had to lean closer to hear, he said, ‘If I informed my aunt and uncle, there would be a problem. I don’t wish to start conflict.’

‘Do you think they’re making a point of it?’

‘They’d better not be, given it’s peace time.’

I found myself feeling extremely curious about it all – the politics of the world he lived in, the complexities of the life he must lead. I could imagine it was pretty complicated, ruling nations. Did Thorne like his role? Did he wish to be King? Would he be good at it? It occurred to me that I didn’t really know much about him. I hadn’t asked.

‘What’s she like?’ I asked. ‘Your aunt.’

Thorne glanced sideways at me. ‘Why?’

I shrugged. I didn’t want to admit that I’d spent most of my life imagining her. She filled my dreams, the half-walker Queen of Pirenti. ‘She’s the most famous woman in the country.’

‘In both countries.’ A pause, and then, ‘You may meet her one day.’

‘I may?’

Hanging there like that in the air between us, the words almost sounded like a threat.

I couldn’t help but give an exasperated laugh. ‘Well, I’ll apologise on behalf of the Emperor and Empress of Kaya, since no one else has. While you are here you should be shown some Kayan hospitality.’

‘Like the kind you’ve shown me since I arrived?’

My eyebrows arched – he had a little more fight in him than I thought. ‘No, like some fun. You’re so serious, Thorne.’

‘A lot is at stake. Someone ought to be.’

Which, I supposed, was fair enough. But just to annoy him I rolled my eyes.

In the end we were picked out of the crowded line-up. Assumedly, Thorne had been recognised and a message was sent to the palace, because royal guards emerged and guided us into the city. When Thorne declined their offer to stay at the palace, we were shown to an inn, where our rooms were paid for by the guards. Thorne was polite of course, but he obviously wasn’t impressed, because he sent them away with a message for the palace: that he was quite content to look after himself upon his first stay in Kaya, and the Emperor and Empress need not worry themselves.

I was impressed by the veiled insult, but kept that to myself.

That night while the others slept I pulled my clothes on to creep downstairs and find mischief.

‘Don’t, Inney,’ Jonah murmured from the bed next to mine.