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“Daemon thralls are meant to stay near the Nexis veils,” he said, eyes narrowing towards the treeline.
Idonea sat where she'd fallen, and she didn't try to stand yet. Cold seeped up through her trousers, and she let it; she'd stand soon.
Lance swooped low, landing beside them. His scaled head tilted towards Lysander, then Idonea, as if measuring their state. The horse shifted behind them, stamping nervously in the dirt. The wind had picked up again.
Lysander rose, unfastening the Lodamante cuffs from his belt and hurled them off the ridge.
Idonea blinked. “Why?”
He looked down at her, something indiscernible flickering in his expression. “Because we’ll die otherwise.”
She swallowed hard. Her lips parted, but she found no words.
He turned away, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
“I’ve buried people for less trust than that.” She pressed her palm to the ground, feeling the last trace of the sigil fade.
“Don’t make me regret it.”
Idonea staggered back to her feet.
“Ten minutes. Then we ride.”
Her voice was a whisper. “You make it sound easy.”
Lysander glanced back, one corner of his mouth twitching. “It never is.”
They found a shallow grove off the main trail, nestled between a crescent of stone and leaning trees. The ground there was soft, the air heavy with the damp scent of moss.
Lysander sat across from her, the flickering light catching the angles of his face, casting his eyes deep in shadow. He sharpened his blade with long, deliberate strokes.
“Did you, or Alcaeus, tell anyone what I said of the relic?” Idonea asked, properly tending to her arm and hand.
“Of course not,” he said, his gaze cutting to her. “Is that why we were attacked?”
Her expression shuttered. “Perhaps.” She tied off the bandage with her teeth. “Daemons would do anything for a stable path to this plane.”
“A second Sundering,” Lysander murmured.
She nodded. “But we don’t have it. We must be on the right path.”
Lysander’s brows drew together. “Would your tracking have alerted them?”
The wind picked up, causing her to shiver. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
“Possibly.” Her brows pulled together. “But … why would they stop us from finding it?”
Current still hummed faintly beneath her skin, a residual tremor. She hated the weakness of it. Lance flew down beside her, letting out a muted hiss, his presence steadying her.
“They could see you as competition.” He tossed her a piece of hard bread and a strip of dried meat. “Eat something.”
Idonea caught them, frowning. “You always order people around like that?”
He shrugged. “Only the ones trying to get themselves killed.”
Her glare was half-hearted. She chewed the bread, eyes drifting to the dark. “You should sleep. I’ll take first watch.”
He studied her, eyes falling to her bandages. “You’re sure?”
