To Live Among Wolves (Legends of Arcadia Book 1)

Chapter 36

I smelled the blood before I saw it.

Sharp and metallic.

Leander waited to receive us, his milky eyes watching me without seeing. Caroline, Markus, Eden, and Nash had come with me. After Eden had burst into the room out of breath, we’d learned that someone had been killed and a Seer waited for assistance.

“My king.” Leander, the Seer, bowed. “Thank you for coming.”

“Lead me.” I turned to Eden who had one hand pressed against her chest. “Do you need to sit down?”

She shook her head but didn’t speak.

“Eden.” Caroline placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Eden’s chin began to quiver. I turned my eyes to Nash.

If she cries, I won’t know how to help her. I have duties as a king.

But Nash shook his head. “Go on. We’ll stay.”

I motioned for Markus to follow, and we tracked after Leander off the path. He bent low near a moss-covered oak stump. The scent of iron consumed my senses as Leander brushed aside the ferns covering the body.

The wolf’s tawny fur had tangles of blood and dirt matted around his neck.

“Holy silva,” I cursed.

Markus only raised an eyebrow.

“Did you know him?” Leander asked, eyes pointed to me. “He doesn’t smell familiar to me, though the blood makes that a bit difficult.”

“No, I don’t know him. Probably an ambassador from Lukosan if I had to guess.” I ran a hand through my hair. “They probably caught wind about my engagement and wanted to extend invitations to visit Kahtentah.”

“We’ll need to temporarily bury him.” Markus maneuvered for closer inspection. “Most of him is present. Shall I take care of it, my king?”

I nodded. “Leander, would you mind retrieving the Elder? I’ll stay here with the ambassador’s body.”

Leander bowed his head and disappeared into the trees.

“Oh, Lycaon.” I rubbed my hands over my eyes. “I’ll have to send a messenger.”

“My king.” Markus had knelt next to the body, digging in the bloodied ferns next to the body. “I found something.”

I moved to him when he stood, passing me what seemed like an official letter. The seal had been broken. Unfurling it, I inhaled. The small print of the letter was practically blotted out by the letters in crimson.

Beware. Arcadia is shifting. History will repeat itself.

I clenched my teeth, exhaling.

“My king?” Markus had gotten the message. “What should we do?”

Taking a fortifying breath, I observed the dead virlukos. “Have the Elder and Leander assist you in a temporary burial for the ambassador. I’ll send word to Lukosan.”

Markus bowed.

I retraced my steps. Caroline hugged Eden, a soothing hand on the girl’s shoulders.

“Nash.” I cleared my throat. “I need you to copy out what you can of this letter. The small print. I need to know what they want before I respond and break the news.”

He grabbed the letter. Unrolling it, he tensed. “Si?”

I nodded. “I know. Please.”

He bowed and disappeared down the path.

“Caroline?”

Eden stepped away from my sister, face emotionless.

“I need you to find Rusna, the micc. Bring him to Guardian’s Glade. Offer him food and drink as well as a new hat from the Tailors. I need a favor from him.”

She raised an eyebrow but left Eden and I alone, heading the opposite direction of Nash. The scent of iron still hung in the air. How many atrocities had Arcadia seen in its stretching history? How many murders had occurred on her soil?

I held Eden’s hands in mine, gazing at our fingers intertwined. Nothing about this was conventional. Nothing in me wanted things to be this way. But knowing she would be by my side alleviated part of the stress.

“He was an ambassador from Lukosan, the other pack of virlukos I told you about.” I rubbed my thumbs over the tops of her hands. “He had a letter, but Nyx intercepted him.”

She tensed, hands tightening around my own.

I swallowed before continuing. “I thought we had a little more time, but I’m not so sure.”

She tilted her head to meet my gaze, eyes overflowing with worry. “What do you mean a little more time?”

I dipped my chin, shifting my weight to the side. “I thought he might try something during the winter solstice, but we can’t keep waiting like this. He’s growing impatient.”

“Impatient for what?”

I met her eyes, swallowing the fear ever present since the day Eden had tumbled into my life. I had wanted to tell her at the meeting with Markus present, explain what I’d discussed with Elder Macon. It would’ve been the ideal moment, but Nyx had the worst timing.

“Eden, there’s something I need to tell you. I–”

“There’s a vision,” Eden blurted, covering her lips.

Blinking, I shook my head more to reset my thoughts than anything. “Come again?”

She rubbed her hands over her eyes and then her eyebrows, finally resting her hands on her flushed cheeks. “There’s a vision in the Compendium. I wasn’t sure what to think, and I didn’t know if I should tell you. It’s about–”

I held a hand up to stop her. “I’ve read it. I’m well aware that I have to die to reset the balance in Arcadia.”

Eden’s jaw dropped. “What?”

My eyebrows pulled together. “What?”

“What you just said.”

“I’ve read it.”

She balled her hands into fists. “No! After that.”

“I’m well aware that I have to die to reset the balance in Arcadia?” It slipped out more like a question than a statement this time, but she wasn’t making sense.

“You… you have to die?” Her breath hitched.

“What vision did you see?”

She turned her eyes away, seeming way more confused than heartbroken at the prospect of my death. “There was a page with your birthday, the last day of July. The meanings of your names and then the paw print with blood.”

“So you do know.”

She shook her head. “Elder Macon didn’t really explain much. Only that a lot could change. I didn’t think it would be a sure thing. I thought maybe…”

I held her shoulders, rubbing them. “Eden, you have been so understanding, patient, and caring through all of this. It’s been torture trying to navigate this… this thing between you and me. And I don’t expect you to hang around after–” I swallowed and then cleared my throat. “After I meet Nyx. But you always have a home in Arcadia whether I’m here or not.”

“Silas–”

“I’m not finished. I’m leaving. Soon. I need to end this. I don’t want any more blood on my hands or on Arcadian soil. And I need a favor from you. I need you to help stack my stones because I don’t know that Nash and Caroline will be able to do it. And when you bury me, be sure to–”

“Silas!” Eden fisted the fabric of my robe near my waist. “I love you. And I’m not leaving. And I won’t let you face this on your own. Whatever I have to do, I will do.”

My entire being relaxed at those first three words.

My chest ached with the weight of them.

“Eden,” I breathed.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

I closed the space between us, sliding my hands to the back of her neck and lacing my hands in her hair. Her eyes sparkled from underneath her eyelashes.

Those eyes.

This beautiful human.

“Eden, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” One hand remained at my waist while the other brushed my hair out of my eyes.

Leaning in, I paused a breath away. “Je feru kunin.”

She smiled, her eyes closing. “My wild king.”

I brought my lips to hers, soft and careful. If this would be our last kiss, I wanted her to know. I needed her to have no doubt how deep my affection ran for her. It ran wild, sprinting towards the horizon, taking off with my heart and all of my dreams.

My impossible future.

And I would hold her until death parted us.