A Storm of Shadows (Fates and Fables #3)

31. Onora

Chapter 31

Onora

O nora held her breath, carefully looking about as she continued on. The trees still stood, their leaves black and withered, the trunks turning around and twisting up.

It was the same as the others—a clear line marking the healthy fields from the sudden and blackened earth that stretched on and on. In the distance was what looked like a structure, rising above it, but it too was blackened so dark that it felt like she was looking into the void. Dizziness overcame her from the sight, the sheer destruction.

“It’s the same as the other,” Dryston said, a keen enough horror in his voice that she turned back to see his eyes wide with a primal fear.

The first attack, then the one in the woods, and now this? They were all the same so far, and fear crawled along her skin like bugs.

“Do you think there are bodies here, too?” she asked, quiet, frightened.

“We should look. See if anyone is hurt or in danger.”

They came to the edge of the black, kneeling to look at it. It was soot, but the color felt void, as if they could step onto it and into another realm entirely. But when they did, the ground crunched with the brittle, scorched grass like normal. As they walked, lines in the ground became clearer, rippling like waves out from the middle. In the center was a home with two barns, modest and barely standing. Roosting atop the rafters were vultures, and the smell of burnt flesh stung her nose as she gagged.

A noise came from the home, indistinguishable at first, but as they came closer it was clearly someone crying. They spared a half glance at each other before both broke into a sprint, keeping pace with one another as they ran up to the house, halting outside, and sidling next to the wall. Onora peeked around, into the doorway, her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach.

A little girl knelt, the one bright spot of color in the blackened world, her legs and cheeks stained. Tears came down her cheeks, a look of shock there as she clung to the arm of a woman’s corpse.

And in that moment, Onora was transported back. Once again a little girl, clinging to her family’s body, shocked and desperate. Crying.

The demon walked up to her, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to her feet. She wailed and cried, screaming to the sky in her anguish and despair. But she stopped when a large hand connected to her face, turning her head to the side and making her teeth clack together.

“Stop crying, you bitch,” Varek said, a look of delight on his face that she would only learn to recognize later as someone who enjoyed the pain and tears of others.

So she did, and when the chief took her in, he also told her to stop crying. So she had. All that pent-up emotion roiled within her, strangling her like a noose.

She stepped forward without thinking, reaching her hand out to the girl, desperate to help, to comfort. Dryston grabbed her arm, holding her in place. She tried to yank free, looking up at him with a snarl, but his face made her falter.

Devastation. Anger.

He was just as affected by this.

“There could be traps; wait,” he said, then began examining the doorway. The girl was too occupied with her sobbing to notice them. When he was satisfied, he stepped into the building.

The girl finally looked up, a squeak of terror escaping her. In a moment, Dryston knelt down, his wings tucking all the way in, his palms up and out. Onora watched in fascination. The usually brooding, preening male had instantly adjusted to look, somehow, nonthreatening.

Her wide eyes took him in, afraid at first, then curious, her gaze flicking to Onora before back to Dryston.

“We just want to help,” Dryston said.

“Who are you?” she asked, a hiccup following her sniffle.

“I’m Dryston, and this is Onora. What’s your name?”

“Anna.”

“Anna, is this your home?”

She nodded, and Onora closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She’d known it was, but seeing the little girl confirm it didn’t make it any less devastating.

“Is this your family?” He dipped his head to the bodies.

She nodded again. “But not Momma or brother.”

“Where are they?”

She sniffled again, rubbing her nose with the back of her sleeve. “I don’t know. They were in town, and I was playing in the woods when it happened. I don’t know where they are.”

“Do you know anyone nearby?”

She shook her head. “They’re all dead, too. All the farms. I checked.”

Onora’s stomach turned as Dryston looked back at her, his expression mirroring her horror.

“We want to help you—to get you somewhere safe. Will you come with us?”

She looked them over again, silent for long enough that Onora thought the girl would say no. And then what? Would they force her?

Finally, Anna stood, stepping toward him. He stood slowly to his full height, and the girl looked up at him, more curious than afraid, and swayed, blinking her eyes tiredly. Her body was weak, perhaps she hadn’t eaten for a couple of days.

“Can I carry you?” Dryston asked.

She nodded, reaching to him, and he picked her up. Her face immediately crumpled as she pressed it to his shirt.

“I can’t stop crying,” she said, and Onora’s heart broke at the distress.

“It’s okay,” Dryston said softly, holding her tighter. “You don’t have to. It’s okay to cry.”

Onora stared at the scene in front of her so similar, yet so foreign, from all those years ago. A demon finding a young girl amongst the decimated remains of her family and taking her. Only this time, the demon had been gentle, showing the little girl kindness in a way Onora had rarely known. Certainly not from those who held power over her.

A brief and fleeting thought ran through her head: What would life have been like if the person who found her had been gentle? Who would she be?

But she let that slip away in the tides of thought, for she knew it was no use wondering.

They walked along the farm for a few miles, watching for any signs of life. Anna fell asleep against Dryston’s chest, the scene so foreign and comforting to Onora that she couldn’t stop staring at it. Dryston met her gaze, cocking his head to the side in a question, and she looked away hastily. Too many emotions asked to be seen in that moment, too many asked to be acknowledged and felt. She couldn’t do it. She needed to hold herself together for a while longer.

For she feared once she let one out, the whole dam would crack and flood her.

The sun set over the horizon, and they could see two people off in the distance. Onora placed a hand on Dryston’s shoulder, stopping him.

“We have to be careful. Hunters will be on the way to investigate this.”

He nodded. But where could they go? The fire had destroyed any natural cover they had. They could sprint to the river, but then what? They couldn’t jump in again, not with the little girl.

So they trudged on as the other figures still approached. As they came closer, it was evident it was two humans, not armed, and Dryston tried his best to keep his wings tucked. When they finally saw him, the woman let out a cry and stepped back. The young man with her grabbed her arm and said something, clearly trying to calm her.

Anna perked up at the sound, her head whipping back. She, too, let out a cry. “Momma!”

The woman made a sound like a sob and began running. Dryston set Anna down and the girl sprinted, almost falling in the dirt. The young man, whom Onora presumed was her brother, began running, too. Dryston stayed still, about ten feet away, and Onora knew it was to not spook them. He was so careful, so aware of that, and something bloomed in her heart, something tender and aching for him.

In the cabin she’d felt emotions that weren’t hers, ones that flooded her senses. Fear and shame. She wanted to reach out to him, to let him know she saw him and his efforts, saw his care and thoughtfulness, and it was good. But instead she watched the reunion in front of her, swallowing the lump in her throat.

The young man looked at his surroundings, eyes landing on them. “Do you know what happened?”

Dryston shook his head. “No clue.”

“I’ve heard tales of it happening elsewhere, too. People say it’s demons.” He gave a scrutinizing look at Dryston.

“It’s not me or my people if it is demons. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

The young man nodded. “I wasn’t accusing. I believe you.”

Dryston’s brows shot up. “You do?”

The young man gave a rueful smile. “I know what people say about demons, but one saved my life years ago. In the woods outside Thon. He looked like you, actually. I was caught in a bear trap and had been for a few days. I was going to die. But he got me out, found a satyr friend to help heal me up, then carried me to my doorstep and left me there, flying away. I never got his name.”

“Kaemon,” Dryston said, emotion in his voice. “That was my brother, Kaemon.”

“I owe him my life.” The young man gestured to Anna. “And I think now I owe you for hers.”

Dryston shook his head. “Think nothing of it. Kaemon would say the same.”

The man smiled. “Regardless, if anyone comes asking about demons in this area, just know that we didn’t see anything.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you know anyone by the name of Elgin?” Onora asked.

The man nodded. “Yes. He helped us when the attack happened. A good male. He headed to Orc Haven—said he had a friend there he needed to talk to about everything he’d seen.”

Onora let out a sigh of relief. They hadn’t found Elgin, but they did have news of where he was and why he hadn’t met up with Tannin.