15. The Hunter
Istepped forward, alarm pulsing through my veins. “How? Why would soldiers be searching for her if the queen sent me to kill her?”
Eira and Frisk looked at me solemnly, and then I knew.
The queen thought I had failed.
Shit.
I ran a hand along my face, tugging at my beard in frustration. I had never failed an assignment before. Why was she so quick to assume I was unsuccessful?
Unless that had been her plan all along. I had speculated it before, that she had set me up to fail. Because who in their right mind would release a skilled assassin from their employ? Who would relinquish that kind of control?
Calista wouldn’t. Oh, she would certainly pretend I had a fighting chance. But if she sent me on a doomed quest, then she would never have to release me or my blood.
I knew too many of her secrets. And she knew how much I despised my position. I’d become a liability to her. Just like Eira.
“Hunter,” Frisk barked. “I can see that brain of yours working, but right now, we need a plan to get through the village. Any ideas?”
I shook my head, struggling to rid myself of these incessant thoughts. They were getting me nowhere. Right now, it was safest to assume Calista wanted both Eira and me dead.
I turned to the princess. “Can you glamour?”
“Yes,” she said at once.
“Good. We’ll need a pretty convincing disguise. Frisk, you stay with us. Mauro will have to wait on the outskirts of the village. He’s too noticeable.”
“Fine by me.” Mauro pawed at the ground. “I’ll meet you at our rendezvous point, Snow.”
Eira dropped her gaze, her expression full of despair. Perhaps she doubted her chances of survival. I certainly did.
“You did well, old friend,” Frisk said, nudging Mauro’s leg with his tail. “You got us to Taerin.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” Mauro said haughtily.
Eira was pulling her cloak on, adjusting the hood so it covered her face. I raised a hand. “Leave it down. The soldiers will be on the lookout for a masked or hooded figure. We’ll have to be as open and unassuming as possible.”
Eira’s brows knitted together but she lowered her hood, then smoothed her palms along her trousers. “Won’t they recognize you?”
“Not with my glamour. Camouflage is my specialty.” I wiggled my eyebrows, and to my surprise, a small smile lit Eira’s face. Her eyes gleamed, and uncertainty twisted in my chest. “What?”
“I’ve never seen you do that with your eyebrows,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s quite alarming.”
I leaned closer to her and wiggled my eyebrows again. “Do I unsettle you, princess?”
She laughed loudly and swatted at my arm. “Stop that! It’s creepy.”
“Indeed,” said Frisk with a sniff.
“Shivering bones, you two are insufferable,” Mauro grumbled.
“We aren’t even arguing,” Eira pointed out.
“The flirting is worse.” Mauro shifted his dark eyes between me and Eira.
Warmth filled my throat, cutting off my reply. Eira’s cheeks turned pink, and she coughed lightly.
This was ridiculous. We had more important things to discuss. I straightened, dropping my hands by my sides. “Let’s see your glamour, princess. I need to know what we’re working with.”
Eira shifted her weight and exchanged an odd look with Frisk, for some reason. “It’s solid,” she said.
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t just take your word for it, Eira. Show me.”
“No.”
My head reared back. “I beg your pardon?”
“Beg all you want, hunter. I’m not showing you my glamour.”
Anger simmered in my blood. “We don’t have time for this, princess. If you want to get through that village alive, you need to work with me on this.”
“I swear on my fae blood that my disguise is flawless,” Eira said firmly. “No one will be able to see or recognize me.”
My nostrils flared. “Eira—” I growled.
“She’s right,” Frisk chimed in. “Her glamour is impeccable. Best I’ve ever seen.”
“Agreed,” Mauro chimed in.
I groaned and threw my hands in the air. “You and your damn secrets, princess! What do you think I’ll do, run to the queen and share the secret to your fancy glamour? I’m on her list. She assumes I’ve failed, so I’m as good as dead. I am no longer an ally to the queen.”
“That doesn’t make you my ally,” Eira snapped. “Besides, whatever happened to letting me keep my secrets?”
“Keeping stolen treasures in your sack isn’t the same thing as using magic that could kill or save us both,” I said, my patience wearing thin. “My life is on the line with this secret.”
Eira shrugged, as if this didn’t matter much to her. I tried to ignore how that stung. Because if the roles were reversed, I would feel differently.
The indifference on her face made my rage boil over. With a roar, I balled my hand into a fist and struck the tree next to me. Pain bloomed along my knuckles, spearing through my body with a jolt. The tree shook, and a pile of snow plopped onto my head. Panting, I inspected my bleeding hand. The wound throbbed, breaking through my haze of fury.
“You finished?” Eira asked calmly.
“Careful, or I’ll punch you next,” I muttered. “Bargain be damned.”
“Maybe I should ask to see your glamour.” Eira crossed her arms and smirked at me. “Maybe it’s not as good as you think.”
Frustration prickled to life inside me, but the spark in her eyes told me she was doing this on purpose. She knew exactly how to irritate me. I heaved a deep breath, trying to clear my head.
This was why I worked alone.
“I have a contact in Taerin,” Eira said. “If we can get to her dwelling, we can hide there until the area is clear.”
I snorted. “Please tell me it’s not the farm boy who’s still in love with you.”
Eira made a noise somewhere between a cough and a laugh. “What?”
“He means Denton,” Mauro said.
Now her face was beet-red. “I know,” she hissed. “I just—How did you?—”
“How did I know?” The sight of her so flustered only made me grin widely at her. Finally, I had the upper hand. “His overprotective nature, the way he talked down at you like he owned you, his defensive stance when he stands alongside you… shall I go on?”
“Please don’t,” Eira muttered, covering her face with her hands.
“He is overprotective,” Mauro said.
Frisk snickered and ducked his head.
“You’re not helping, Mauro,” Eira snapped. She dropped her hands with an angry huff, but her face was still crimson. “It’s not Denton. It’s Stella.”
I frowned. “Which one was Stella?” Then, just to irritate her further, I added, “It’s hard to tell you humans apart.”
“That is such a snobbishly fae thing to say. Besides, I’m only half human.”
“Stella is the one with the white hair,” Frisk provided. “Her eyes look just like Snow’s. She’s the human noble of Taerin.”
The human noble? So, Eira wasn’t just rallying ordinary humans to her side, but human nobility. I had to admit, I was impressed.
“Frisk!” Eira hissed, aiming a kick at the fox, who easily dodged it.
“What? Was that a secret?” Frisk snickered again.
I vaguely remembered the white-haired woman among the crowd of humans who had threatened me in Knockspur. “I don’t think I’ll be very well-received by a human.”
“For good reason,” Eira said, shooting me a sharp look. “Just how many humans have you killed, anyway?”
“None,” I said, lifting my chin. “We don’t often trouble ourselves with the affairs of humans.”
“By we do you mean Calista and I?” Eira said, her voice full of venom.
My mouth opened, then shut again. Damn, did I really say that? I mentally ran through the words I’d just spoken. Shame trickled down my chest, making my heart sink like a stone.
Not only had I belittled humans, but I’d spoken as if the queen and I were affiliated. As if our decisions were collective.
The thought repulsed me.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I don’t know why I said that.”
It was, in fact, snobbish of me. Eira was right.
She glared at me, her jaw ticking back and forth. Clearly, my apology wasn’t sufficient.
“Look.” I spread my hands apologetically. “I was raised to believe humans were no better than slaves. In my youth, I knew that was wrong, but I didn’t do anything about it. Then, with my position with the queen, I was too bitter about my own problems to bother with the humans.” I paused, realizing I was rambling. But with my admission came a moment of clarity.
I was a hypocrite.
I’d spent my adult life resenting my father for enslaving himself to the queen, and, by association, enslaving me as well. But how many humans endured the same treatment? My father had believed in exterminating all creatures who weren’t full-blooded seelie fae.
And I’d done nothing.
A hard lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. I no longer saw the princess and the fae beasts before me. Instead, I saw generations of humans, tormented and enslaved, cast out of their homes, spit upon and persecuted all because of their bloodlines.
It had never bothered me before now. Why would I concern myself with the woes of humans?
But now, in my mind’s eye, I saw Eira enslaved. Eira beaten. Eira imprisoned. That beautifully stubborn spark of light in her eyes completely snuffed out.
I couldn’t stand it.
Resolve burned within me as I met Eira’s curious gaze. “You’re right. I’m a snob. And I’m sorry for it. I wish I’d spent my life doing something that… that mattered. I wish I’d had the strength to defy the queen, to save lives instead of destroy them.” I shook my head. “No more. If I survive this—if we manage to overthrow Calista and get your throne back—I vow to do something about it. To work to change this court for the better.”
Eira’s eyebrows lifted, her lips parting and her eyes alight with surprise and something else. Something new that kindled heat low in my belly. Then she brought her hands together and began to clap slowly.
I stiffened. Was she mocking me?
“Damn, hunter.” Eira grinned broadly. “That was almost better than my speech to the pixies.”
My eyes narrowed. “Do you think I’m joking? My words are earnest, princess.”
“I know that.” Her expression sobered. “But I thought it deserved applause.”
“That wasn’t applause. That was sarcasm.”
Eira shrugged. “It’s the only way I know how to respond when…” She broke off and cleared her throat. “When I’m speechless.” She dropped her gaze. “You surprise me, Theron. You’re not the brutal assassin I thought you were.”
“Thank you. I think.” My brow furrowed, and she smiled again, but it was softer this time.
“If we make it through this alive, I promise not to have you executed,” she said. “Well, at least not immediately.”
I snorted. “Wow. What a generous gift.”
“I know. I’ll make such a magnanimous queen.”
“Can you two please leave?” Mauro growled. He was reclined in the snow with his paws covering his snout. “I’m not sure I can endure another second of this.”
Before Mauro could make another comment about flirting, I nodded and jerked my head toward the woods. “Let’s go. We’ll assemble our glamour on the way.” I arched an eyebrow. “Unless you still don’t trust me.”
She eyed me up and down with pursed lips. “We’ll see.”
With that, she strode past me with a jaunty lilt to her step, Frisk trotting beside her. My eyes were drawn to the sway of her hips, and something hot burned in my chest. Had her curves always looked that appealing? And had she always walked like that?
Realizing I was staring, I averted my gaze and hurried after her and Frisk.
* * *
Frisk kept watch ahead of our steps and warned us when we got close, but it was unnecessary. Even from a distance, we could make out the hurried footsteps and cacophony of voices that echoed through the trees. I knew the village of Tolston well; I had often traveled through it on my journeys. Ordinarily, it was a humble, quiet hamlet.
But as Eira and I approached the edge of the wood, the village was almost unrecognizable. The buildings and cobblestone road were the same, but the area was filled with soldiers in full armor, swords and metal clinking as they walked, barking orders at the townsfolk. Villagers bustled about, hurrying out of the way of the militia men. Soldiers burst into homes without warning, tossing about belongings as if searching for something.
I exchanged an alarmed look with Eira. She banished me because I stole something from her. Was that what the soldiers were looking for?
More importantly, why did they think the stolen object was here? Had word spread that Eira was making her way to the palace? If so, wouldn’t the soldiers have tried to intercept us on the mountain?
Something wasn’t right.
“Glamour,” I muttered to Eira.
She nodded and withdrew behind me, most likely to hide her secretive magic. But it was just as well; I would prefer her to remain behind me anyway.
I searched within myself for my magic, which had grown sleepy and dormant from misuse during our days of traveling through mountains and forests. A low hum emitted from within my chest, and I focused on it, drawing it out. My skin prickled as I donned my most comfortable glamour—that of a tall, burly farmer with sandy hair and tan, calloused skin. This was the glamour I often wore when traversing through Tolston. In fact, some of the villagers would likely recognize me.
That could work in our favor, if I was a trusted townsperson.
I glanced behind me, but the princess was nowhere to be found. Eyes wide, I scanned the trees behind me. She and the fox had completely disappeared.
What the hell?
“I’m here, hunter.” Something sharp flicked my nose, and I winced.
“Damn you,” I grumbled, and her chuckle echoed in my ears. I wanted to stay and scrutinize her glamour—blood and ice, how did she do that?—but we needed to move quickly. “How far away is your contact?”
“Stella lives on the other side of the village,” Eira whispered.
Well, shit. “Is she expecting us?”
“Yes. But we have a contingency plan in place for situations like this, when things get dicey.”
“What’s the contingency plan?”
“She gets out. We rendezvous at the full moon with everyone else.”
I swore under my breath. “You are impossible, Eira,” I growled. “That might have been nice to know earlier.”
“We can still use her home as a hideout,” Eira said. “That doesn’t change our plans.”
I rolled my eyes. “All right, stay close to me. As effective as your glamour is, I doubt it would stop someone from running right into you.”
“That’s happened before,” she said.
“Why am I not surprised,” I muttered before moving forward, my steps shifting from snow-covered brush to ice-slick cobblestone. A carriage wheeled past me, occupied by at least half a dozen soldiers.
It looked like Calista was preparing for a siege. Was there an outside threat I didn’t know about?
“This is weird,” Eira muttered in my ear, no doubt noticing the same thing.
“Agreed. Keep a sharp eye. And try not to talk.” I hissed the words out of the corner of my mouth, hoping no one noticed I was speaking to myself.
We idled down the road, my insides quivering with nerves. Every instinct told me I should run and flee from the presence of so many soldiers. But nothing was more suspicious than someone running away. Instead, I forced my steps to be slow and casual, meeting the gaze of each person I passed by and dipping my head politely in greeting. Thorne, my villager persona, was a kind fellow, the type of person who helped a stranger in need and smiled at children.
He was the exact opposite of myself. Which made him a perfect disguise.
“Should we get a horse?” Eira whispered.
“No,” I said under my breath. “It will take us longer, but horses and carriages are more likely to be stopped and searched. And stop talking.”
She huffed angrily but said nothing else. Mercifully.
Our leisurely pace down the road was excruciating. Every soldier who hurried past flicked their eyes over me once, briefly, before moving on to the task at hand.
I was no threat. Just a farmer making his way to the tavern after a long day of work in the field.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” Eira asked.
“Yes,” I ground out. “Follow my lead and be quiet.”
“So demanding.”
“You there!” bellowed a voice.
Shit. I stilled and turned to the speaker. A trio of swordsmen approached, the metal of their armor clinking with their hurried steps. The one in front lifted his visor, eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down. “What’s your business here?”
I raised my eyebrows and pressed a hand to my chest before glancing behind me as if expecting the soldier to be addressing someone else. “Me? Pardon me, good sir, but I live here.”
“Where?” barked the soldier.
I pointed down the road we came. “My farm is that way. I’m tired and could use a drink.”
“The tavern’s closed,” the soldier said. “You should make your way home immediately. There’s a curfew in place, and anyone outside after dusk will be arrested.”
Curfew? What the hell?I didn’t have to force the look of alarm on my face as I asked, “What’s going on? Is the village in danger?”
“Queen’s orders,” he said curtly. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind…” He spread his arm toward the opposite direction, waiting for me to walk that way.
Damn it all.
“I—My friend is expecting me,” I said.
“I don’t care,” the soldier snapped. “We’re telling everyone to go back to their homes, even your friend.”
“But—He needs a place to stay for the night. I was going to walk him to my house.”
The soldier dropped his arm, his dark eyes blazing as he drew closer to me. I had to squash the instinct to straighten my soldiers and look him in the eye. Instead, I pretended to cower under his scrutiny.
“I said, leave. If you don’t follow orders, I’ll be forced to arrest you. Is that what you want?”
Several soldiers across the street were watching curiously. A few were making their way toward us. Not good.
I lifted my palms in surrender. “All right. Apologies, good sir. I know you’re just doing your duty to the crown. I’ll—I’ll head home now.”
I turned on my heel, then froze as a voice boomed, “Theron! Is that you?”