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Soren walked back to the horses, mounted Ares, and took off—leaving her there.
“Hades, don’t you dare!” She sprinted, managing to grab the reins before her horse followed Ares. “I need you on my side,” she begged. “I’m sorry for leaving you.”
Hades dug her hooves into the dirt.
Thessa let out a sigh, thinking.
Why is Soren right?
He was wrong for choking her, very wrong, but rightabout needing allies, right about the need for a rebellion, and right about the word demon being sickening.
All of it.
She’d come too far to turn back now. Shoving her foot in the stirrup, she hoisted herself atop Hades.
I did it.
Hades chuffed; even the horse seemed impressed. Thessa made a couple clicking sounds, and they were off.
When she caught up to Soren, he whipped his head back. “Change of heart?” The smirk on his face was as wicked as his magic. “Camp’s a mile out, follow me.”
He’d not given her a chance to respond, only kicked Ares onward.
Camp?
The camp Sorenled Thessa to was not a-few-pitched-tents type of camp site. It was an entire village. With their horses tied next to dozens of others, Thessa staggered behind Soren. She wasn’t sure why she continually followed him into dark places, however he’d promised her a safe place to rest when they left Mabelton, and that was all she wanted.
With a few hours before dawn, the entire campsite seemed to be in the midst of their evening slumber. A crackling fire in the distance drew her attention, or was it the three males who stood before it, battle ready with their daggers poised?
Thessa froze. “Where’ve you taken us?”
Soren paced past her, shouting, “Stand down.”
He was loud enough to wake the entire encampment. Without hesitation, the three men sheathed their blades. Two sat back down and the third approached.
Soren glanced over his shoulder at her. “Are you coming?”
Tiptoeing over, she asked, “You know these males?”
“We keep three on watch overnight, rotating. This campsite rotates too, the morning after every Blood Moon.”
She scanned the tented village, “How long have they lived like this?”
“Some … a very long time.”
“Sir, you’re back.”
Sir?
A pale, burly male, with a beard that reminded her of Professor Shovak’s, greeted them.
“Reginald, it’s good to see you. Will you escort us to an unoccupied tent?”
Reginald eyed Soren, then Thessa, and smirked. “Verywellthen.”
Thessa stomped on Soren’s boot.
Soren cleared his throat. “This is Thessa, she’ll be needing a place to rest,is all.”