I think Kye's had slips of moments where he's beginning to believe what Ashton has been saying--that it wasn't his fault. But as you've said, he's been told that for so long, it will take a while to truly believe it.
Yes, finally it's out, and Ashton is probably the only one who can really get through to Kye right now. Tareth can help, but Kye is probably less likely to accept outright what Tareth says is the truth, and isn't just saying it to make him feel better because he's his brother.
Chapter 19
"Breakfast will be up soon ... get a bath and have..."
Words floated through my mind, drifting in through the soft echoes of sleep.
"...what will you do next..." A whisper of another voice.
"...punishment. He's got to be made an example..."
"...surely deserves it for what he's done..."
I twitched in my sleep, my body anticipating Master's punishment already, even if I was unsure what I'd done yet. I dragged my heavy lids up briefly.
Bright sun.
Warm, cozy
Actually, there was only the one horse. In ch. 17, Ashton and Kye ride the horse into the grove, while the others follow on foot with the clomping of the horse masking the extra steps. They didn't take more horses as that would have made too much noise approaching. And yes, Richard probably had a horse, but it wasn't in the clearing with him, hidden somewhere. They didn't take the time to search for it in the dark of the night.
Hope that clears things up. Glad you liked the chapter!
Chapter 18
Fuck, it was hard to breathe.
And my ears were ringing.
I fought to drag in air that had been forcefully expelled when I'd hit the ground. It felt like Master had punched me in the gut again, even though I knew that wasn't the case. I struggled to get my hands under me, to alleviate the pressure on my ribs, but a stabbing ache in my upper back had me gasping for breath again.
Then another force intensified the pain: a hand smacked down on that same painful spot on my spine a
Well, in an early chapter, Rowland's horse was lamed by a rifle shot to the leg as a ploy to get Rowland to Barrett's home so he could poison him, so firearms have been mentioned as well as the shipments containing gun power and armaments for the regent. And yes, Kye wasn't too far from Richard, a few yards maybe, when he took off, so I think even in the darkness--at least with the help of the moonlight--he could see well enough to hit Kye, or Liam could as well
Yes, he definitely worked to keep Richard from discovering Ashton's identity. I'll PM you about the rest (I don't want to give anything away just yet).