"What about us?"
The rough voice came from the back of the clearing.
Jace stepped forward slightly with his boots squelching heavily in the mud. He kept Kala securely seated on his shoulders, one hand holding her small ankle to keep her steady.
His eyes looked directly at Ren.
His clean white uniform was starkly, almost comically bright against the dark green foliage and mud of the forest.
"I gave you my word back at the manor…" Jace stated. "I'm not on your active roster, and I won't touch your loot or interfere with your tournament standings but I promised to keep Kala safe until we get back to the capital. If you split the squad into two high-speed hunting units, where do you expect me to stand?"
Ren looked at the broken protagonist.
He didn't want Jace tagging along on his private sweep with Astrid.
