Vagrant by Hayley Lockwell

Author:Hayley Lockwell [Lockwell, Hayley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodhouse Press
Published: 2023-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

I MUST HAVE PASSED out like that because I woke next morning back in the tent, blankets tucked around me, with no recollection of how I got there.

Last night’s revelation rushed back and I scrabbled to stop thinking, to make my thoughts carefully blank. Don’t think about anything. Was that enough? I had no idea.

Santhorne, still dressed from last night, was cradling his mug of coffee as I came out of the tent, his curls dishevelled, his black eye giving him a more rakish appearance than usual. Demara glowered at him as she rolled up their tent.

Arran came towards me. ‘How are you feeling?’

I walked past him, ignoring him.

‘Gelda?’

I didn’t look at him. I had no means of knowing if he could read more of my thoughts when my eyes met his, or if it made no difference, but I wasn’t going to take that chance. I didn’t want to feel that pull of his mind on mine.

Demara raised her eyebrows at me. ‘Everything alright?’ she mouthed.

I gave a slight shake of my head, asking her to leave it.

Demara tripped over one of Sant’s packs abandoned around the camp. ‘Santhorne, you lazy hog! Why are you so messy?’ She picked up the bag and hurled it at him.

He caught it, looking like he might throw it back at her. ‘Why are you so obsessive?’ he retorted. He threw his mug down, picked up his bags and shouldered the tent roughly. ‘I’ll move it, your highness.’ He gave a mock bow and strode out of camp.

‘We don’t have to carry on today, Gelda,’ said Arran.

‘Yes, we do,’ I said curtly.

Demara looked relieved.

Arran did not. ‘Why are you holding on to that boulder then?'

I pushed off the rock. ‘I’ll be fine.’ My legs shook. ‘Araf is very steady.’

Demara stood behind him, her arms folded. ‘There we go – no problem.’

I put a hand out to steady myself. ‘See? They think I’ll be fine. It’s only you who doesn’t have any faith in me—’ I moved to pass him.

‘Because I know how much pain you’re in. So stop pretending.’ His voice softened. ‘At least – not with me.’

‘Why? because you’re reading my mind?’ I hissed. ‘Apparently I have no secrets from you now.’

He looked like I’d slapped him. ‘Gelda, I wasn’t ... I’m trying not to—’

‘Get out of my head!’ I ground through gritted teeth as I walked shakily past him.

I was struggling with my saddlebag as Santhorne led the horses up. Demara kicked Santhorne’s tunic discarded haphazardly on the ground, and muttered something darkly.

Santhorne swung round. ‘What are you muttering about now?’

‘Your chaotic mess,’ she flashed back.

‘Ha! That’s rich. You’re the one determined to cause chaos by going off by yourself on a wild goose chase. Or attempting to cross the river on the back of that jittery horse of yours.’

‘What would Santhorne the Stupid do then? Go all the way back until it’s shallow enough to cross without getting your feet wet?’

Santhorne glared at her over Idris’s back. ‘I’d love to see you thrown off right in the middle.

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