44. The Silva Noctis
44
THE SILVA NOCTIS
" N o."
Fear gripped Luella, making her whole body quiver and shake. "No, no, no." She stumbled back into Az, who was already in a protective stance, feet apart as his hands were curled into tight fists.
"Behind me," Az barked. His voice brooked no argument, and Luella obeyed without a word.
The darkness of the tunnel opening was behind her, foreboding and winding. But before her? An even worse sight.
Muted green all around. The scent of pine and rich forest surrounded her. Breeze ticked her face and rustled the curls of her hair and the fabric of her cloak. The same scents and feels that had washed over her, leading her down that tunnel as she and Az had taken the short and sharply curved upward path—all to come out where they were currently standing…
The Silva Noctis.
She had only read stories of the place. A so-called pocket realm that had entrances all over. Luella didn’t think she had ever heard someone enter and leave with their life. It was that thought that made all the blood pool to her feet, face leeched of color as her golden eyes took in the sights before her.
The sky was gone.
Luella could barely see anything. Only the faintest hints of the moon, stars, and clouds above. The leaves of the trees around them were dark green, sick, and ripe with shadows. Outside the cave entrance, the ground was thick with pine needles, interspersed with a few patches of deadened grass.
If it weren’t for the never-ending cover of darkness from the thick foliage above—the towering trees curving inward to blot out all the skies—Luella would have thought it any old forest. But she knew better.
And so did Az.
There were no woodland creatures chittering in the distance. No humming of birds or rustling in the leaves from fawn or small creatures of prey.
It was quiet. Too quiet. And Luella felt like she might throw up.
Her voice shook as she asked, "What do we do?"
Az did not look at her. "Survive."
Her hands curled around the fabric of his cloak, the material rough under her hands. Grounding. She hated to give her back to the cave behind them; she still felt as though something sinister might crawl from the depths.
The shadows buzzed around them.
"What of t-the… wraiths?" Luella’s voice was quiet, like the shadowed monsters may hear her and materialize in front of her eyes.
"I’ll deal with them."
"D-deal with them?" Luella choked out incredulously. "I know you are strong, Az, but even you have limits."
He turned then, gripping her shoulders. His amber eyes were wild, hair tousled from the soft breeze. She nearly stumbled back away from him but resisted the urge, biting down on her bottom lip hard to make herself focus. Az was not a threat. Not to her.
"What did I promise you?" He looked deeply into her eyes, an untamed thing here in the forest.
Luella realized this was the first time she had seen the demon out in the wild, away from the castle. And here, he was just as feral as she would have thought a demon to be. This was the creature her tutors had spoken of in stories to warn her away from the shadows—too bad Luella willingly stepped into their midst.
Az pulled down the neckline of his shirt, stretching the cloak from where it was clasped with a button. She eyed the mark of his vow etched on his chest—a tiny, red circle imprinted over his heart. Evidence of his devotion to her.
Tremors wracked her frame, and her brows curved low over her eyes as she pleaded with him without words to keep her safe. A wave of night air swept into the beginnings of the cave, making odd wooshing sounds against the rock face stretching high above, blending into the mountain that held the tunnel entrance they had walked.
She didn’t want to think of what creatures would call these caves their home. Her head turned as she looked behind her, but Az kept a firm palm on her cheek, directing her to look back at him.
"Eyes on me," he said softly.
She tried, she did. But this place… It was like her worst nightmares, every little bedtime story turned dark with too many nights left alone. Always alone.
Shadows crested along the pine-littered ground, the tall trunks and scraggly limbs stretching along the forest floor. Luella couldn’t tell what was a real shadow and what could have been a wraith.
From the picture books she had seen, wraiths were made of shadow itself, dark creatures that blended with the hidden places, nestled deep in corners. You didn’t know they were upon you until it was too late. They hungered for power and sucked it from you until you were nothing but a husk.
Az stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, and she leaned into the touch, eyes closing from the scant traces of comfort.
"What did I promise you?" the demon repeated, voice low in memory of their time together in the dungeons.
Hands curled between iron bars, softly murmured lullabies, a vow made in blood—it made her want to hold dearly on to the terrible experience. The only bright spot in a world of dark.
"You would keep me safe," Luella mumbled against his palm.
Tiredness made her lids heavy, and she leaned her weight against him.
Az nodded, hand moving to stroke over the crown of her head. "Exactly. I promised. I vowed ," he emphasized. "In blood. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
"But how?" Panic made her words come out thick.
Az’s face came closer, their lips a mere breath apart as he whispered over her skin, the words like a secret, "I’ve been here before."
Her face scrunched up in confusion, and Az gave a soft chuckle at the sight.
"How?"
It didn’t make any sense. Luella had never heard of someone making it out of the Silva Noctis alive.
The demon’s lips turned up into a half smile. "I have my ways." He pulled back from her, turning to face the forest.
It was dark, even for what must have been the middle of the night, and Luella wondered if the daylight would be able to break through the thick cover of trees above.
Would she even live to find out?
"What are we going to do?" Luella asked.
Would they go back through the tunnels? Would she crawl back into her bed and pretend none of this had ever happened?
Or would they venture forward?
"Stay," Az simply replied.
He wasn’t making any sense. What did he mean, stay ?
Luella didn’t care what happened to her, not anymore. But she would not risk Az.
"I can’t let you do this for me." She pressed a hand against his back, silently wishing he would turn and tell her it would all be okay, that she could go back to her gilded cage and spend the rest of her days as a pretty prisoner—the war prize of the cruel King.
A hand gripped hers, but he still did not turn and face her, intensely focused on the forest before them. "You don’t let me do anything. The Silva Noctis is not as deadly as the stories make it to be. We can make it through. We will. We can use this to our advantage, Lu." Her fingers curled in his shirt as he spoke. "This is a… good thing." His voice was hesitant like he was trying to convince himself as well as her. But Luella wouldn’t be swayed by his words.
The tales of the wraiths and monstrous beasts that prowled in the night kept her vigilant. Kept her fearful. Sometimes, fear was a good thing. It made you wise. Wary.
"The Silva Noctis has entrances all around. We just have to find them. And when we do"—his stance was proud as he faced the shadowed expanse of trees—"we will be free."
Freedom… Was it still a possibility?
Luella peered around his shoulder. The forest was menacing, no matter how the demon painted it to be a saving grace. "How do we get out?"
"Keep walking. Stay vigilant." His words were not reassuring.
Az backed up, crowding Luella deeper into the cave. The stone wall brushed against her spine. He turned and placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in completely.
"First step is to find shelter." He grinned, teeth glinting in the dark. "Lucky for us, we’re in the best shelter we could find."
"The cave?" Luella hedged.
He nodded, jerking his head to gesture to the forest behind him. Luella couldn’t see from how he was wrapped around her, caging her in. She was wholly reliant on him. His eyes. His touch.
Az held up a finger. "Shelter is always the number one priority. Then water." He ticked off on another finger before holding up the third and final. "Then food. Remember that."
The demon seemed to be in his element. A manner of protective brutality had overtaken him. Wild and untamed, just like a primal beast. Luella wasn’t sure how he felt so calm about being in the Silva Noctis—when had he even been here before and lived to tell the tale?—but she was grateful she wasn’t alone. That she had someone to rely on.
Luella placed a hand on Az’s lower stomach, fingers spanning out as she peered up at him. With a soft nod of her head, she relented, agreeing to the demon’s plans.
They had come this far, after all.
He seemed pleased by her willingness, a sharp heat radiating from his eyes as he pulled away with reluctance.
"It’s cold," Az commented, noting how Luella shivered under her thick cloak and dark clothes. "We need fire. Warmth." He looked at the cavernous darkness around them. The tunnel they had used as an entrance into the forest was to her side, but deeper in the cavern, a few other tunnels snaked off—some short, some narrow, but all leaving her with a sense of foreboding at what they might hold.
Az prowled to a short hole in the depths of the cave. Even she would have to crawl to enter…
Crouching down, he scanned the depths. Luella awaited to hear his verdict. She knew what had drawn him to the small entrance, though. It looked safe, innocuous. A singular, small entrance meant it would be hard for someone to enter—but hard for them to exit quickly if they needed to.
"The ceiling opens up further back. Not too deep, either." Az stood. "We sleep here for now." Amber eyes glinted in the dark as the demon said, "It’s almost daylight. A few hours at best. I can’t leave you here without a weapon…" He was rambling. Luella wasn’t sure if it was the nerves or something else, but she hadn’t seen him so out of sorts.
Luella agreed with his final point with a fervent shake of her head. "We stay together," she demanded. Before adding on a meek, "Please."
"Always," Az vowed. He held out a hand, an action that was quickly becoming a thing between them—the demon seemed to have caught onto the fact that Luella often needed prodding and urging, more than just words, but a coaxing touch.
He pointed at her, then at the ground. "Stay."
She would not.
"No," Luella scoffed. She trailed after the demon like a little, lost thing, "You just said we would stay together." Her tone was petulant.
Az sighed, spinning to gather up her hand and tug her along. They didn’t go far, just to the very outskirts of the cave’s entrance, where the ground was ripe with fallen pine needles and browned leaves, little twigs, and a few pebbles. Her eyes strained as she adjusted to the dark, the light from the moon barely came through the canopy over them. She was careful to stick close to Az.
"We need kindling for a fire." The demon bent and scooped up a handful of brown pine needles. A few pinecones were scattered nearby, and she kicked one with her foot.
A gust of wind rattled the treetops, blowing the thick canopy overhead. It made a soft wooshing noise, and she shivered, snuggling down into her cloak deeper. Luella was surprised there wasn’t snow on the ground, but she could spot no traces of it—no mushy and melted icy or damp spots of white clumps.
Was it even winter in this forest? She wasn’t sure how the Silva Noctis operated. Did it follow the normal seasonal patterns? From the chill in the air, it certainly felt like winter, that was for sure.
She bent and picked up a few of the pinecones; the edges were sharp against her palm, and she stroked a thumb over it, the pointed edges digging into her flesh. Luella had never seen a real one before, but she had seen drawings.
"Careful," Az warned.
Luella jolted, nearly dropping it. She held it out in her palm, asking, "Will this help for a fire?"
She hated feeling useless and was loathe to admit she didn’t have the first clue about what was good kindling for a fire. She had never had any survival training…
The demon gave a short nod, quickly gathering up a few more dry pieces of grass to stuff in the pockets of his cloak. Hands now free, he brushed his palms off with a quick slap.
He took in the way she was standing, awaiting his instructions as the few brittle pinecones were clutched in her grasp. "Good," Az praised, taking the few pinecones from her and adding them to his pocket.
Her cheeks warmed as she looked down, following in his footsteps as they walked back into the cave. The air was even chillier here. Luella shuddered.
He eyed her drooped shoulders, fatigue making her slump. "Let’s sleep. We’ll plan more when you awaken."
Az pulled her down onto the stone ground, crouching behind her as he urged her to crawl inside the small entrance, a palm precariously low on her back, fingers skimming the curve of her hip and lower as he nudged her on. She shivered, crawling quickly, palms digging into small and sharp rocks as she fumbled through the dark.
It was a shallow cave, a little bubble untouched by the shadowed forest awaiting them. The ceiling grew to a medium height, and Luella slowly rose to her knees, careful to keep a hand above her so she wouldn’t hit her head. It was tall enough that she could stand, but Az wouldn’t be able to. Small enough, she felt safe… There were no monsters hidden here.
Something poked her calf, Az skimming a finger over her leg as he belly-crawled into their hollowed shelter. "Okay?" he asked.
"Y-yes." She scooted away, back hitting the curved wall as she made room for Az. Knees pulled up to her chest as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Her fae eyesight allowed her to make out soft shapes, little impressions of a hand or leg as he shifted, putting himself between her and the only entrance to their hideaway—always keeping her safe.
With both of them in the small space, the air quickly grew warm with their shared breaths, the demon’s body heat bringing a rosy flush to her skin.
Luella rested a hand on what she thought was Az’s thigh, patting along before scooting as close to him as she dared.
"What now?" Her breathing was quiet, and she felt strangely flustered.
"Fire." Az cleared his throat. His voice was deep, and it made her heart palpitate in her chest as the sound washed over her. "Move back a bit, Lu."
Luella scooted back, body buzzing from how aware she was of him in this space. She squinted in the dark as Az bent, expertly piling the kindling they had gathered on the stone floor closest to the opening they had crawled through.
Something clicked sharply as she heard him blow out short puffs of air. A few more tries, rough clacking noises, and blown breaths before there was a sudden crackle as fire sparked.
Tiny orange embers were born, and as Az fanned a hand over them, slowly adding a few pieces of fallen leaves, it grew and grew, becoming a small and contained fire.
The light illuminated the space, casting golden shadows on Az’s skin as he shifted back. With the extra light, she could finally see well, and Luella took in the small cave they were nestled in. It was all grey, with smooth walls and a few rocks further inside. The warmth from the fire quickly made the space near stifling—but not quite, it was teetering between too much and not enough.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and watched as Az sat back, shimmying down to recline against the wall, careful to keep away from the fire. With an outstretched arm, he beckoned her to come, and she folded into his side.
This space was intimate. It reminded her of the dungeons, but so much different. No iron bars were separating them, forcing them apart as they slept. Luella could curl up as close to Az as she wished, and no one or nothing could stand in her way.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist and tucked her unto his side, a hand gripping her thigh and swinging it over his hip. He was so much bigger than her. She felt so safe here with him, in this golden-hued bubble. Luella’s crooked leg hitched around Az’s waist, while her hand wrapped around his chest, and she rested her cheek on his shoulder. He was warm under her, juxtaposed to the coolness of the rock at her spine. It was cozy, reminding her of coming in from a snowstorm and curling up by the fire, still chilled skin quickly becoming thawed.
Az stroked a hand down her hair, and her eyes fluttered shut.
"You sleep. Or try to," Az muttered. His voice was a gruff softness, and if she stilled for long enough, her mind almost tricked her into believing she was right back in the dungeons, hearing words whispered in the iron dark.
Luella nosed along his chest as she breathed in his inviting scent of warmth and burnt sugar. Her fingertips played with the dip of his collarbone and tugged on the neckline of his shirt, searching for any bare skin she could find. "What about you?"
"I’ll keep watch, angel. Don’t worry about me."
She hated to hear it. Hated that he put her first. But her eyes were so heavy she could barely hold them open. Combined with his heat, wrapped around her and his scent, coating her with the richness of melted chocolate…
Luella never even realized her eyes fell closed, too caught up in him. She shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable. The spine of the stolen book poked her ribs, and she ignored it, not wanting to disrupt this soft, quiet escape they had carved for themselves within the depths of the stone.
Az settled a hand on her shoulder to still her. He was used to her fitful sleeping habits. Luella tended to shift this way and that to get comfortable before sleeping.
A hand snaked into her cloak, and she touched the book cover where it was tucked closely to her side.
Tomorrow , she thought.
Luella would show Az tomorrow and see where this forest of darkness and shadow would lead them.
Luella was so warm and comfortable, even though the ground was hard under her. She stretched out her feet, toes crinkling in her boots as her face nuzzled into a solid chest.
She cracked open an eye.
"Morning," Az grumbled. His chest vibrated under her, and she relished in the sensation of their intertwined bodies. This was what she had been robbed of in the dungeons—for her whole life, really. Physical touch. She had been starved for it.
And now that she had it, she never wanted to let it go.
"Good morning," she whispered against his chest, shyness gripping her with a sudden intensity.
Their softly spoken words and the way they were pressed together evinced an intimacy that made her feel alight with sparks. Even though exhaustion threatened to pull her back under. All she wanted was to stay curled up with him and relish in the feel of his body against hers, the rise and fall of his chest under her cheek, and the warmth that blanketed them both in this small sanctuary.
The faintest cracks of green-tinted light filtered in from the low entrance of the cave, barely enough to illuminate the entire space with how closed off it was. But it was enough for Luella to see all of Az.
The fire was out, no longer flickering on his other side. She could just barely see how he was covering the entrance entirely with his large body, reclining against the hard stone wall, yet constantly looking for threats. He was on edge, coiled like a snake. Even as his eyes remained soft when he stared down at her.
Luella didn’t know what had awakened her.
"Is everything… okay?" She placed a cold palm on his chest, fingertips digging into his hard muscles.
Az was tense underneath her. "We should move," he said, arm flexing around her waist.
She sat up slowly, notching a hand under her. Her eyes were still heavy with weariness. The little sleep she got didn’t seem to help, especially with how hard the ground was. Her mouth was dry, and there was a slight emptiness in her stomach, a feeling she had grown used to but uncomfortable, all the same.
Shifting to a crouch, Luella looked to Az for their next move.
With the faint light, she watched as he moved to lay on his stomach. "Follow quietly," he commanded before slowly crawling out the same way he had entered.
She followed suit, biting down on her lower lip to quiet her breathing. Az stayed in front of her to keep her hidden as she rose to stand outside of their hideaway.
Patting the side of her cloak, she made sure the book was still there. Questions bubbled up, but she refused to give in. Not right now. Not when Az looked so on edge.
Not when the Silva Noctis beckoned.
The late morning light battled against the thick foliage of the forest, tiny traces creeping in through cracks and crevices, but it was still dark.
The glowing sun above pierced through a particularly thick cropping of leaves. It was high in the sky, inching closer and closer to the day’s peak. She had slept later than she had wanted.
Why had Az let her rest so long?
She fisted her hands in the back of his cloak, and he sensed her confusion, wrapping a hand around her wrist to tug her to his side. "It’ll be okay," he whispered. "But we need to leave."
He quickly crouched and pulled a few pieces of pine from his cloak, using two pointed rocks to flick over each other, tiny sparks emitted as he continued the motion.
That was how he had made a fire last night, then. Luella wanted him to teach her how to do that, too.
Flames overtook the small heap of leaves and pine needles, and Az picked up a limb from the ground—something she hadn’t noticed before. There was a wad of dark cloth wrapped around the end. Her eyes fell upon the edges of his cloak. He had torn a strip away. To use as a… torch?
He held his makeshift torch to the fire, and plumes of smoke wafted from it as it ignited. Az stood and held it before him, waving it slightly.
Luella looked up at him. "Why do we need that? It’s daylight." Her tone conveyed her confusion, sounding exasperated and anxious at the same time.
"To ward off the wraiths," Az supplied, gesturing for her to follow with a hand. She stayed close to his side, watching as he kept the torch held out before him.
Something clicked in her mind. "They’re afraid of fire?"
"Afraid is a bit strong of a term, but for some reason, it keeps them away…" Az trailed off. "Stick to the bright spots. Away from the shadows," he instructed.
She arched a brow, stumbling into Az as he tugged her on. They left the beginnings of the cave entrance, the air frigid with the canopy of trees over them. She shivered.
Away from the shadows? Luella thought.
Suddenly, it hit her.
It was daylight.
And shadows were made with both light and darkness.
In the night, when they had stumbled into the dark forest, the demon had seemed wholly at ease. It was she who had been addled with fear while Az had comforted her.
The night held no shadows. No light. Only darkness.
But the day?
You couldn’t have shadows without light.
But that still didn’t explain how he said fire kept the wraiths away.
"The daylight," Luella nearly exclaimed. "Shadows thrive with light. But what about the fire?" Her words echoed her thoughts. She just wanted to understand. All of it. Everything.
Az kept to spots of pure sunlight on the ground, the rays peeking through the treetops above. It was the deeper shadows, nestled closer to the tall trees and hidden corners, that he stayed far, far away from.
"I don’t try to understand things older than I," the demon opined. The cadence of his tone made her quicken her step. "It works, and that is enough for me."
But how did he figure out that it worked? Luella wanted to ask but held her tongue.
There was a time and place for questions, and with their steady pace and his waving of the torch, she could sense that questions would not be welcomed now.
Her boots crunched on pine needles as she walked, hopping behind him, stepping where he directed her with a pointed finger and a firm gaze.
The demon gave a cocky, half-smile as if her actions were a direct representation of him. "You’re clever, Lu. You don’t need me," he said. "You’re smart enough to survive on your own."
If only he knew.
Knew how she had spent years decidedly not surviving on her own. But the words warmed her chest, even as they walked along, skipping over dark areas and sticking to paths lined with golden midday sun. The silence was heavy between them, and the book burned a hole inside her cloak.