Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
I t didn’t take long before the numbness settled in as we journeyed across the uneven terrain, which was beginning to take a toll on my body. The day’s travel had been gruelling and, as I tried to recollect the events of the previous night, I was left with nothing but a dull headache.
“I can hear your mind running a million miles an hour,” Ronan said, his voice comforting my muddled thoughts. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs before slowly exhaling.
“It’s been a lot to process,” I admitted, gazing at the landscape unfolding before us.
I shuffled in the saddle, seeking a more comfortable position as Ronan guided his horse between the twisted trees. How people could travel for days like this was beyond me.
“You need to relax. If you keep tensing like that, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Here.” Ronan encircled his long arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his body while holding the reins in the other. I hesitated and then finally allowed myself to relax into him until we moved together in rhythm. His chest was warm against my back, and when I turned to thank him, I felt his heartbeat quicken, matching the timing of mine. His lips grazed the back of ear, and my body reacted, arching into him.
“Is that better?”
“Yes,” I breathed. He tightened his grip around me, and I gasped.
“Jayne,” he whispered.
“Mmm hmm?” My voice came out hushed as his free hand wandered to my chest, tracing the edge of my breast.
“I can hear the lake. We are close!” Henry called, glancing back at us over his shoulder. I froze, and Ronan groaned. “Did you hear me, Ronan?”
I tensed beneath him, praying that dusk kept us hidden.
“Loud and clear, Henry!” Ronan replied, a hint of frustration in his voice. I attempted to pull away from him to create some distance between us, but he pulled me back into him.
“Ronan,” I whispered, questioning our actions. What were we doing? I clenched my legs, pleading with my traitorous body to hold itself together. His nose trailed down my neck, and I heard him inhale my scent.
“You smell like lilies.”
“Lilies?” I asked, tilting my head back to his. A smile lifted the side of my mouth.
“Mmm hmm.”
“I highly doubt that. We have been travelling all day.” He, too, gave a soft laugh, cutting through the tension between us. His laugh was beautiful. It made my heart skip. With every gentle moment we shared, I realised I could lose myself in this forever.
“Lilies, pine, cinnamon, and wild berries.” He savoured my scent once more, the bristles of his beard brushing my collarbone. “You, Jayne, smell like all the sweet and wonderful things in this world.”
I looked over my shoulder and held his gaze.
“Here will be suitable,” Silas said loudly.
I shifted my gaze from Ronan and focused ahead. I felt us slow, and as soon as we halted, I used the opportunity to jump—no, leap— from his horse. I reached for my bow and quiver, throwing it over my shoulder. As I moved toward the sound of running water, I glanced over my shoulder at Henry and Silas, who had already arranged their bedrolls and were now huddled over a map, seemingly discussing the various ways to make it to the wall undetected.
“I’m just going to freshen up,” I announced to no one in particular. Spotting the large brown pack with my clothes on the floor, I quickly grabbed it and hooked the strap over my free arm. I needed time alone to focus, if only for a few minutes. I didn’t know what had come over me earlier. A strong, firm hand took hold of my arm, pulling me back. No, he would not see me like this. I glared down at Ronan’s hand.
“Where are you going?” he asked, a vigilant tone returning to his voice.
“I’m just going?—”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, Jayne.”
“I won’t be long.”
“No way.” His short, stern tone returned. “It’s not safe!”
“I’ll be fine.” I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m a big girl, Ronan. I can take care of myself.” I snatched my arm from his grip.
“I will come with you.”
“No!” I almost screamed my desperate protest, and Ronan looked taken aback. I didn’t want any more alone time with him. I didn’t trust my traitorous body and heart with the Faerie of Shadows. It was like I had no control over my body, and I didn’t like it.
“I’ll take her.” To my surprise, Silas volunteered. Henry stopped what he was doing to look over at us, his mouth falling open. The air felt thick between us as I looked between Silas and Ronan.
Silas crouched to gather his knives. His hands moved so deftly that I almost missed how he strategically positioned them around his body, each blade finding its place. Silas was a natural-born soldier; I had sensed it the first time I laid eyes on him. With his brown hair closely cut on the sides, he always seemed poised for action, forever waiting for something.
Silas nodded at Ronan to reassure him I would be safe under his watch. A strange sensation caught in my throat, questioning why he cared. Quickly, I pushed the thought aside before I could dwell on it.
“It’s sorted then.” I forced the words out of my mouth before walking through the trees. I refrained from looking back at Ronan, listening to Silas falling into step beside me.
The air held an earthy tinge, amplified by the damp ground. We trod over fallen leaves and uneven, crooked terrain, my feet sliding. Silas extended his arm to stop me from walking into a spider web inches from my face.
“Let me go in front.” Moving me aside, Silas proceeded ahead. I ducked underneath the web, following close behind him. Unlike Henry, Silas was more of an observer than a talker, responding only when spoken to. I embraced the quiet that settled between us as my boots slid on the increasingly muddy ground.
The trees parted, revealing flat, tranquil water reflecting the cloudless sky. Finding a dry patch on the ground, I placed my pack on it and rummaged through, searching for fresh socks and undergarments. I held them out in front of me, delighting in the fresh scent of soap.
Before I could glance over at Silas, he cleared his throat. “I’ll give you a moment. I’ll be close by if you need me.” Silas departed, and I relished finally being alone.
“Well, that was easy,” I chuckled to myself.
I stood and stretched my arms, peering up at the beautiful clear sky. I took a deep breath and scrunched up my nose. The air suddenly smelled stale and unclean. I peered down at my feet, lifting my boots one foot at a time.
“What is that gods awful scent?” I turned slowly, holding my breath. I froze. A corpse-like creature swayed before me, shifting its weight onto one leg while the other twisted and contorted as though trying to balance itself. Straightening, it rose from its hunched stance.
I held out my hand, fixating on the slow rise and fall of its chest. “Stay right there!”
Its skin looked burned and grey, reminiscent of ash, yet its body was oddly preserved, hiding its human characteristics beneath its thin, gaunt frame. Pieces of flesh clung to its visible bones, and other parts hung loosely. The only part that bore any sign it had once been alive was the inky black heart pulsing within its rib cage.
“Oh gods,” I whispered and backed away before hitting a tree. I pressed into it to steady myself. Inch by inch, I moved my trembling hand down my leg, calling upon my dagger. The creature’s crimson eyes brewed with hostility. I swallowed, cursing myself for making a sudden move.
Lifting its head to the sky, the creature emitted an unearthly moan. There was movement in the ground beside its feet, and I narrowed my eyes on the upturning dirt. A long hand with broken fingernails pierced through the earth, and I gasped as I witnessed another emerge on the other side and one behind. Hands crawled from the ground, dragging their bodies out of the soil. They tore their already tattered clothing as they dug and clawed at the surrounding soil. One of them locked eyes with me, and I saw only death. Tilting its head, it bared its corroded teeth and chomped in my direction—studying me. What in the worlds are these things?
I unhooked my iron dagger, gripping the hilt. “Silas!” I intended to scream his name, but it emerged from my mouth like a muffled croak. There were more. I counted six… now seven! “Shit, shit, shit.” I looked to the side of me, trying to recall the path I took to get here. No, it wasn’t that way, it was—I glanced ahead. The creatures were forming a line right across my pathway. The way I had come.
Steadying myself with a deep breath, I closed my eyes, harnessing the heat within me. My muscles tensed, feeling the power rushing through my veins. The moment my fingertips tingled, I didn’t wait a minute longer—I shot forward with everything in me, unleashing my fire on them. A stream of amber light burst through me and struck one in the chest. It stumbled back with a moan, and I turned my attention to another. Crouching, I aimed for its feet and released another, sending the fire trailing along the upturned dirt toward it. A guttural screech filled the air, throwing the creature backward. It erupted into flames.
“No!” The cruel scars on its wicked face came back into view, and it rose to its feet again, the flame dissipating. A strong hand seized my arm, and I spun on my attacker, raising my dagger. “Ronan,” I gasped.
He drew me into him, and I caught my breath, comforted by his scent. We were so close I noticed the thickness of his lashes. He blinked, and when he did, I felt my body burn and tingle—a strange yet familiar feeling I couldn’t quite place when I was in his presence. I was acutely aware of his arms wrapped around my waist, which tightened and drew me closer. My gaze lifted to his. I opened my mouth to speak, but his eyes rendered me speechless. I let out a ragged breath and tried again.
“Over there!” I pointed.
“What the fuck?” We both spun our heads to see Henry appearing from the trees. He stumbled, slipping on the uneven ground before drawing his sword. I wanted to shout to warn him to stay right there, but I was too late. Shock registered on his face as he took in the scene.
A creature ran toward him, but fortunately, Henry was faster. Henry spun and angled to the side in the nick of time, plunging his sword into the beast’s side.
“What in the worlds are these things?” he called.
Ronan moved me behind him, shielding me from the battle. I clung to his forearm as his hand remained on my hip. Despite the chaos, I took a moment to look at where his fingers grasped my body, their protective weight holding me in place.
“Immortous!” I glanced up at Ronan, wondering if I had heard him wrong.
“The undead?” I echoed, flicking my eyes back to the creatures.
“Your fire won’t affect them, Jayne! Use your iron dagger and aim for their hearts,” he advised. I nodded, scanning the trees behind me.
Henry grunted, “Hello? Does someone care to tell me how in the hell we send these things back to wherever they came from?” He kicked an Immortous in the head that was halfway out of the dirt, sending it soaring. Its body and arms persistently clawed the ground, detached from its head. They were everywhere now. I winced as Henry pulled himself out of the clutch of another undead creature, this one with a womanly frame. Her once-thick, pearly white hair now hung in clumps, barely clinging to her head. She snarled, baring her rotted and pointed teeth at him.
“I suppose you’ve never heard of a toothbrush?” he quipped, undeterred.
I held my breath as Silas entered my field of vision, lunging for an Immortous that was closing in on Henry. Silas thrust his sword through its body before targeting the next. Swiftly, the brothers moved in tandem, fighting like a single unit. Their fluid movements were unfailing, as though they were born doing this.
Two beasts sprinted at us, targeting Ronan and me with uncanny determination. One leapt through the air and landed beside me, yet Ronan whirled, snapping at it in a heartbeat and yanking it back. He thrusted his sword deep into its chest.
“They are hunters!” He raised his voice to ensure Henry and Silas could hear him as he grappled with another. “They’re drawn to the mortal scent; they will try to get to Jayne. They will stop at nothing until they get her blood.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, they want my blood?”
“Well, that explains it!” Henry declared, thrusting his sword into the shoulder of another.
Silas sighed. “He said to aim for the heart, brother. Did you not hear him?”
“Would you allow me to warm up?”
“Well, warm up faster, would you!”
“Ah, isn’t this fabulous, Ronan? This is just like the good old days, except for this gods-awful stench! It’s like they bathed in horse shit!” Henry shouted, falling to one knee to plunge his sword through a creature’s mouth.
“I recall—” Silas held his breath, avoiding the grasp of an immortous. He charged, finishing the creature off by slamming the sword into its heart, leaving nothing but a trail of ash in its place. “It was Ronan and I who did most of the fighting, while you and your mouth caused most of the mess!”
“Stay here.” I nodded as Ronan soared through the air, seizing an immortous by its throat and slamming it into the ground. Dirt and sand flew into the air as the creature squealed, desperately reaching for him. I steadied myself and clenched my hands, fighting the urge to run to him.
Suddenly, I was yanked backward by sharp-clawed fingers grabbing at my cloak. I struggled to free myself and reached to find the creature’s arm. I dug my nails into its remaining flesh, but it didn’t flinch. It continued to pull me along the ground. I slammed my dagger into its foot without hesitation. It bellowed with rage, and the scream stretched and pulled at the corners of its mouth until its face split apart. The surrounding trees trembled in response to its fury.
“Jayne!” Ronan yelled from a distance, but I struggled to spot him. I withdrew the dagger and brought it down once again until the creature released me. I rolled away and scrambled to my feet.
From the corner of my eye, a trail of blood had followed me—my blood. The creature dropped onto his hands, circling me like an animal preparing to pounce; its body contorted and shifted. “Gods,” I whispered, frozen at the unsettling sight.
Tilting its neck to the side, the creature’s black, soulless eyes locked onto mine. At that moment, I discerned every human part of it, while all the other parts transformed into limbs befitting a monster.
Awareness tingled across my skin as the space between us widened. Ronan lifted his gaze from his current position; thick black ink adorned his chest, and blood stained his clothes. Panting, he searched until his eyes found mine, scanning my body before settling on my face. A wave of relief washed over him.
“Look out!” I lunged, releasing my dagger. It struck the creature behind Ronan in the heart. He stared at me in astonishment, and a smirk played at the corners of his mouth. He spun to confront another.
They surrounded him, fighting together to reach me—their target. I didn’t linger. I sprinted to retrieve my dagger; all my senses were heightened as adrenaline surged through my veins.
An immortous charged straight at me, but I stumbled back, slipping under its lanky arm. Twisting at my waist, I stooped to search for something—anything—that could serve as a weapon. I seized a large stick from the ground and thrust it into its leg with all my might. I made a mental note to tell Ambrose about it when, or if, I saw him again. A high-pitched roar erupted from its mouth, accompanied by my own scream, as I fell to my knees, shielding my face. Small flying insects spewed out from its mouth with a puff of smoke, enveloping my face and ripping at my skin as if they were stripping my flesh with glass shards.
“Jayne!” Ronan’s frantic, fear-driven voice reached me from a distance. I attempted to look at him, but my vision blurred, and I shut them tightly. On my hands and knees, I scrambled across the forest, feeling the mud, moss, and leaves beneath my fingers.
“Please,” I begged, desperately searching. The tip of my finger hit a cold metal edge—my dagger. I wrapped my hand around it, but before I could turn, the creature’s sharp nails pinned me to the ground. My body arched, and I cried out as it raked its nails down my spine. It released me, and I rolled over, peering up at it through glazed eyes.
I gazed up at the ghastly figure looming over my helpless body. Its crimson-tipped, pointed fingers delicately touched its mouth, savouring the taste of my blood. Its cold, empty eyes, void of any humanity, rolled back, revelling in the taste of life as though experiencing it for the very first time. I felt frozen in time, attempting to move but finding myself unable to. I was pinned to the floor—stuck, immobile, and trapped by time itself.
“Jayne!” Ronan’s scream pierced the eerie stillness.
“Please,” I breathed. “Hurry.” But he wouldn’t make it in time. This was it. My end. This was how I was going to die. “No,” I pleaded. “No, no, no.” I had to reach Jesse; I had to get to him first.
Its mouth slowly opened, drawing its lips together into a haunting circle. It took a deep breath, and the wind swirled around me, pulling the air from my lungs until I was breathless. I couldn’t breathe.
My surroundings fell into deafening silence, and darkness and shadows permeated the air. While I should have felt relieved, my attention was on the ominous arm reaching for me. I turned my head away, gasping for air with my eyes closed. I couldn’t bring myself to watch. I felt its breath and smelled the nauseating stench of its rotting flesh inches from my face.
Suddenly, the ground beneath me trembled, and the immortous staggered away, arching its back with a deathly moan. I watched as its outer skin ripped from its body, torn into pieces as the flesh peeled away from its limbs. I rolled over, heaving and spluttering as the world regained its colour. Looking up, I saw Ronan in the distance, his arms outstretched, his body veiled in shadows.
I rose from the ground and staggered. I reached for my throbbing head and glanced down to find my fingers wet with blood. A shooting pain struck my back shoulder, and I cried out. Ronan appeared at my side, his eyes shifting to my shoulder. He spoke, and I blinked at him, not once, but twice, struggling to discern the words escaping his lips. I clutched my ear as a persistent ringing drowned out the surroundings.
My eyes felt heavy, and I began to sway, “Ronan.”
“Fuck!” Ronan exclaimed, scooping me into his arms. He ran, shouting something to Silas and Henry over his shoulder. The ringing in my ears drowned out his words. I attempted to look at him and ask what was happening, but my eyes fell heavy.
Curling into him, I rested my cheek against his chest, feeling the scattered thud of his heart. I might have imagined it, but it felt as if our hearts were in sync, beating at the exact same time. Baboom, baboom.
“Jayne, you need to stay awake,” he demanded, continuing to run. His arms shook, causing my eyes to flutter open and shut. I wanted to tell him to stop yelling and being so demanding, but I couldn’t get my words out. I just needed a moment to rest my eyes. They felt so heavy, and I was so tired.
“Ronan, I’m so cold.” I tried to grip his shirt in search of warmth, only to find it absent.
“Stay with me, Aleithra.”
Baboom, baboom…
Trees and sticks brushed my skin as Ronan trampled through the forest, crunching leaves underfoot. The rapid beat of his heart was loud and vibrated through me until it became overwhelming—too loud. I was perfectly fine. He didn’t need to rush like this. I couldn’t find the words to tell him. All I managed was curling deeper into his arms. He was warm—so extremely warm. Sleep, that’s all I needed. I need to sleep.
“Jayne!” He shook me, and I peered at him with one eye open, my mouth chattering. “Open those pretty eyes of yours, I beg you!”
Baboom, baboom. Yes, I could do that—I would keep my eyes open…
Pain shot down my shoulder, and I cried out at the burning sensation piercing my skin again. “Silas!” Ronan called, his words laced with panic. “Help me, Henry!”
Baboom, baboom.
“Holy shit, Ronan! There’s too much blood!”
“Silas!” he called again.
“I’m here, I’m here. What do you need?”
“It pierced her skin; the poison is spreading. If it reaches her heart—” His words were unsteady, but I clung to them as I drifted in and out of consciousness.
“Silas, you ride faster than Henry and I combined. I need you to take her to Catalina.”
“Are you sure, Ronan?” Henry asked, but Ronan didn’t answer.
“Quickly, get her onto my horse!” Silas demanded.
Ronan pulled me close, and his warm lips pressed against my forehead.
Baboom, baboom…
I felt myself rise, passed into someone else’s arms, cold and bony. It felt like someone had forcefully torn me from Ronan’s embrace. Wait, I need to tell them. No, give me back; I want Ronan. I strained against the hold, trying to glimpse Ronan through the enveloping haze. The separation felt agonising, an unrelenting ache that resonated through my entire being.
“Silas, she is my—” Ronan pleaded. “I can’t lose her, not after I’ve just found her.”
“I know, Ronan. I will get her there in time. You have my word.”
“Go, now!” Ronan demanded. “We will be right behind you.”
“Hold on, Jayne!” Silas held me tight, and I clutched onto the horse’s mane as tears stung my eyes. The icy wind pierced my skin like tiny needles as darkness pulled at me again. I heard it beckoning, calling for me, seeking to claim me at last. I felt the darkness weaving its tendrils around my consciousness, and the distant call grew louder. However, Silas didn’t slow; he rode his horse hard and fast through the cold, relentless night and stopped for nothing. The urgency in Ronan’s voice echoed in my mind.