Chapter Sixteen
Two more days passed and the dead animals lining the bank increased in number. The scent of the river burned his nose. Selina’s face was pale, almost greenish as she tried to cover her face and block the rotting stench of carcasses.
Neither dared to speak. Not as they spotted fresh footprints in the dirt and scented several males and females that had recently passed through.
They moved slower now, opting to trek along the tree line and use the trunks for cover. It wasn’t until he heard a collection of voices that Rion raised a hand. Selina stopped and strained to listen, but only shook her head. He pointed and they crept forward, moving like wraiths in the woods.
The voices grew louder until the pair happened upon a small cottage. Rion eyed the smoking fire before the front door, then the vials piled off to one side.
A glass jug of liquid sat next to a log, filled with a purplish brew.
A female emerged from the only door and warmed her hands by the fire before proceeding to pick up an empty vial. She glared at it, sighed, then slumped onto a log.
The female, a half-breed slave, tied a cloth over her mouth and nose before carefully picking up the jug.
Rion grimaced. Of course they’d have slaves filling the vials. It prevented any of the rebels from risking their own health. He imagined the female had to ingest the antidote regularly.
A male emerged next. Neither had chains connecting their wrists, but the shackles were still present. He carried another crate full of small vials, each one vertically balanced in a grid, and set them down beside the female.
She coughed, and the action caused her to spill some of the mixture onto her hand. The half-breed hissed and the male was before her in an instant, pouring water over her already blistered skin.
Her eyes watered, but she didn’t cry. Instead, she retrieved the vial and started again.
Rion surveyed the area, searching for the Fae who owned the two slaves.
The female suddenly shot to her feet, bottle and vial in hand, staring at the liquid as if it were a plague.
“Don’t,” the male warned.
Her hands shook. “Why not?”
He glanced around, as if waiting for someone to emerge from the trees. “You know why.”
The female swallowed hard, clenched her teeth, wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve, then collapsed back down in defeat.
Rion stepped beyond the tree line.
The male jumped to his feet at the sight of Rion and placed his body between Rion and the female. The female froze, her face full of terror.
“Are you the only two here?” Rion asked. His magic beat against the cage he’d put it in. It wanted to surround him, protect him, cover him so that no enemy could ever pierce his heart.
The male nodded. “You’re not . . .with them.”
“No.” He wasn’t exactly sure who “them” referred to, but Rion wagered a guess. “How long have they been gone?”
“A few hours.”
“How many?”
“Two dozen.”
Rion glanced at the cottage, then back to the half-breeds. Burn marks lined both their arms. “You’re making it?” Rion inclined his head toward the bottle.
The female stood. “They force us. We don’t want to. We—I’ve dumped as many bottles as I could into the river.” The male turned on her, his eyebrows raised. “I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Lex.” The name was a plea. The male’s gaze flicked between her and Rion. Over and over, as if he wouldn’t know what to do if Rion decided to punish her for it.
“You won’t have to.” Rion pulled a set of matches from his pack, then set the place on fire.
***
“Well that was anticlimactic.” Selina complained as they settled far enough away from the fire that the smoke didn’t cloud their lungs. No one returned to check on the half-breeds or the smoke billowing through the sky. Maybe whoever had been in charge of them had met their own demise on the road. It would certainly make his life easier.
“We’ll need to veer toward the mountain before we head back.” They’d run out of water yesterday.
“What about them?” Selina almost sneered as she looked at the half-breeds. They shrank away at her tone.
“They’re coming with us.”
“Why?”
“We can’t just leave them in the middle of the woods.”
She scoffed, but then her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize you were a sympathizer.”
That’s not exactly what he’d call himself, but—was he a sympathizer? He’d always loathed the entire concept of slavery. He’d even contemplated ways to release them, though he’d never acted on it.
Rion studied the two half-breeds. They sat on the ground, clinging to one another, watching and waiting for his answer. “We’ll drop them off at the village. I’m sure the innkeeper could use a few extra hands.”
The male relaxed at that and something in his eyes almost seemed to thank Rion for the mercy. There were a million worse things a slave could endure.
Selina pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, but they’re your responsibility, not mine.” She glanced up to study the billowing clouds. “It doesn’t look like anyone is coming.”
Rion shrugged. “Fine by me.” He pushed off from the tree. “Let’s move. I want to reach the mountainside before sundown.”
Selina sighed again. “Just so we’re clear, our bet doesn’t count if we don’t get to actually fight anyone.”
He smirked. “Those weren’t in the terms.”
Selina grimaced. “I’m going to throw a rock at you when you’re not looking.”
“It won’t hit.”
“Fine, a stick then.” She turned to the half-breeds and they visibly shrank away. “Don’t fall behind. I won’t wait.”
They trudged through the trees until nightfall, the trip mercifully uneventful. Rion listened to the half-breeds whisper words of comfort between themselves. Promises that told Rion they were lovers. Even they had found some happiness in their wretched lives.
Rion watched Selina’s back as the female walked ahead, surveying the canopy. Maybe he could find some in his, too.
They found water, fresh and clean compared to the foul liquid they’d left behind. The female half-breed hadn’t apologized or made excuses for her actions. She’d likely dumped the poison thinking it would dilute enough that it wouldn’t cause further harm. He doubted she’d be happy to learn the truth.
The half-breeds didn’t question their route. Didn’t ask for food. Didn’t do much of anything but sit and wait, as if they didn’t know what to do without orders.
“It was a lot more fun when it was just you and me,” Selina remarked.
The half-breed’s heartbeats quickened. Strange that they were more scared of Selina than him.
“What’s wrong, can’t perform with an audience?”
She puffed out her cheeks like a child. “It’s just . . . weird.”
“You don’t have slaves in Nàdair?”
“Of course I do, I just don’t have to look at them.”
“Poor pampered princess.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
If it weren’t for the fury behind her eyes, Rion might have taunted her. Called her by the name for the rest of their trip. But something about her body language had an apology balancing on the tip of his tongue instead. “Which part?”
Selina’s fists clenched. “Princess.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t like it.” She was . . . serious. Angry about a nickname. Then sorrow flashed across her face and guilt tugged him to relent. Maybe she didn’t elaborate because of the half-breeds present.
“All right.”
Selina calmed herself. “So what’s the plan, we drop them off, tell the villagers what we found, then set off?”
“Essentially.”
“In that case, why not just head straight for the other village?”
“I thought you already paid for your room?”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I have more where that came from.” She patted her coin purse, then eyed the half-breeds. “Besides, what’s one innkeeper over another?”
He supposed she had a point. Either village would take the half-breeds if it meant free labor. If he found the next innkeeper unpleasant, he’d just take the half-breeds back himself and let Selina whine all she wanted.
“Okay.”
Night descended and Selina instructed him to sleep first. He didn’t argue, he needed the rest anyway.
He eyed the half-breeds, watching the pair curl up against the trunk of a tree, the female’s head resting in the male’s lap. He stroked her hair, far too preoccupied with his companion to pay Rion any attention.
Carefully, Rion shifted the grains beneath him, inching them close to his body. The male’s head jerked up, as if he’d sensed something, but after a quick observation, he dismissed it and settled again. It seemed he was more Fae than human then.
“Careful,” Selina whispered from his side. “You’ll lose the bet if your cover is blown.”
A stick flew at him and Rion caught it with one hand. “And you’ll lose if you cheat.”
She shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
Rion folded his hands over his chest and let himself drift. It seemed only seconds later that leaves rustled nearby. He strained to listen and might have chalked it up to the wind if it weren’t for a crunch of loose bark from the opposite end.
He cracked his eyes open and tilted his head to survey the woods. The shadows stretched and loomed in the distance. None moved. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Selina. She already had one hand on the hilt of her dagger.
Their fire had faded to little more than embers. The half-breeds were sound asleep. Faint moonlight trickled through the trees.
Another shuffle of feet. Too soft to be Fae.
A jaw snapped, then Rion rolled, pulled his sword from its sheath, and cleaved the jaw of a very large four-legged creature in two.
Half its head hit the ground while the other half of its body twitched in the dirt.
The half-breeds jolted and the male shoved the barely awake female up the nearest tree.
Rion faced the beasts. A pack, like wolves but not. Standing on all fours, they stood taller than his waist. Long canines extended past their jaws. Brown and black coats allowed them to hide easily within the shadows.
One of them lunged for the half-breeds and sank its fangs into the male’s ankle. He let out an ear-piercing scream, as did the female as she watched her companion be dragged into the woods.
Rion leaped for him, but another of the creatures grabbed the male’s arm and shook its massive head. Rion heard the bone crunch, then flesh separated with a squelching sound that had a shiver running down Rion spine.
Selina danced between three, twisting and turning with her magic in tow. It briefly had him wondering why she felt she needed more training at all.
A third closed in on the screaming male. To hell with their bet.
The ground beneath the male came alive and rock slammed into the three beasts tearing at the half-breed. They yelped on impact, then Rion used the same particles to snap their necks. He did the same with the creatures surrounding Selina, then twisted toward six more hiding within the trees.
They were dead in seconds.
The female leaped from the tree and ran toward the male half-breed. He writhed on the ground, clutching his shoulder where his arm used to be attached. Blood gushed from the wound and the female tried to stop it with her hands.
That was panic on her face. Panic and terror at the thought of losing the only one she likely loved.
Rion removed one of his knife belts and tossed it to the female. “Tighten it above the wound.” She scrambled for it, hands shaking. Footsteps sounded in the forest again. Those were definitely Fae.
Two males walked ahead of the others. All were dressed in black, all had their weapons and magic at the ready. Rion counted. Six just behind. Four to his left, still hidden. Five to his right, also hidden. He heard more footsteps behind but didn’t dare take his eyes away from the males to his front.
One smirked, the action pulling at a deep scar at the corner of his mouth. “The fabled Demon Lord of Brónach.” Rion raised a brow. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Rion felt the male’s magic pulse through the air, sensed it crackle and dance. The male threw his sword sheath to the ground and cracked his neck.
“What are you waiting for then?”
Tree roots shot from the ground and wrapped around Rion’s ankle faster than he could anticipate. He cursed as they yanked his feet out from under him. Rion used his elbows to brace against the impact, then rolled to the side, using his magic to slice the roots in half. The male was over him less than a second later, his blade stabbed through the dirt a hair’s breadth away from Rion’s face.
“Rion!”
He ignored Selina’s voice and slammed his palm into the male’s solar plexus, hitting him with both his body and magic. The male didn’t balk from the pain; he almost seemed to welcome it.
The male laughed, then positioned himself into a low crouch, a movement that reminded Rion of someone else. Someone he didn’t want to think about. Rion’s heart pounded.
The others moved in, but the male’s voice roared above the silence. “He’s mine.” He snapped his teeth for emphasis and his companions backed away.
Rion could sense Selina’s anxiety. He could feel her magic too, sneaking toward him beneath the ground, but he couldn’t afford to let her distract him.
Rion ripped the ground apart, splitting rock and stone until they were nothing more than fine particles. They swirled above him like a swarm of insects awaiting command.
The male only watched, his eyes calculating, cold, stern.
“I never could quite figure out why Caol took you in.” Rion’s heart stopped. “But seeing you now, I think I understand. To train someone like you, to be the one to claim they’d tamed the monster. I can see the appeal.”
“You knew Caol?” It explained why his movements were familiar.
Another smirk. He was enjoying the taunt. “Some called us brothers. After years of rolling through shit and blood, I suppose it was a fitting title. At least until the wretch went and found himself a mate. He grew soft and went even softer after she died.”
The male shook his head, disappointment in his tone. “The late High Lord allowed him to wallow in the grief too long. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that you put him down.” He looked Rion over again. “My father once spoke of a time when the High Lords were ruthless and no one dared to challenge our country. It’s probably best that you put your father down, too. How long until that brother of yours follows? Or your sister?” He sighed. “She’s the worst of the lot. Going against the gods themselves to hide you when they demand your sacrifice.” He shook his head. “If it’s up to me, I’ll have her body—”
Fury split the ground at their feet and Rion raced forward. His sword slammed into the male’s blade and the male barked in protest, his feet sliding backward across the ground. Vine and greenery rose to defend him, but they couldn’t penetrate Rion’s magic.
His heart thundered in his chest. They were part of the rebel forces. A unit ready to eradicate his entire family. He wouldn’t let them touch Saoirse. Not so long as he drew breath.
Sand crawled up Rion’s arms and lashed out, wrapping around the male’s throat. The male gritted his teeth, fighting for breath, then he yanked one of Rion’s knives out and plunged it into Rion’s side.
He refused to buckle from the pain. Rion didn’t let up, didn’t jump back. He only pushed harder, squeezing until the male’s eyes bulged from his head. “You will not touch her.”
His warriors rushed forward then, ready to intervene, but one final squeeze and the male’s windpipe collapsed. Selina moved behind him, joining the fray, and Rion let the male’s body drop to the ground. He spun and let a wave roll beneath the ground, knocking the warriors off balance long enough for Selina to incapacitate them.
Rion stole the killing blows, relishing in each stopped heartbeat.
Swords clashed and he caught the smile on Selina’s face as she engaged the enemy, uncaring that they were outnumbered. But he couldn’t smile, not when each and every one of the Fae before him would gladly eliminate his family without a second thought.
“You traitorous bitch,” a female yelled.
Selina shrugged. “That’s a foul name to call someone.”
“You—” Selina’s magic tore from the ground and impaled the female, stopping her heart on impact. The two males beside her roared in anger, but Selina moved through them with ease.
Rion danced around their weapons, moving with the fluid grace Caol had drilled into him. He listened the way his mother had instructed. He was patient the way Saoirse demanded he be.
A blade flew through the air. Rion blocked it with his sword, then ripped the last of his knives from his belt and sent it flying right back.
Two tried to run, but it was Selina who grabbed them by the ankles and dragged them back. Rion finished another with a quick slash to the throat, then turned to find Selina strangling the life out of the remaining two. She stood over them, staring them down as if she were enjoying their final moments.
Then she snapped their necks.
Silence engulfed the forest once again. Rion stood still, letting the bloodlust roll through him and slowly dissipate. Selina seemed to be doing the same.
He took a calming breath and remembered the half-breeds. Rion grimaced. The female lay face down beside the male, blood pooling around her body. He clenched his jaw and cursed. He’d forgotten about them after the male mentioned Caol’s name. He hadn’t paid enough attention to his surroundings . . . again.
Rion looked at the knife protruding from his side, took a breath, then yanked it free. He pressed a hand to the wound and turned to find Selina studying him.
His previously injured arm throbbed, but it had held up.
Selina seemed to be waiting for something, then he caught her gaze drifting to his feet.
“I’m in control,” he assured.
“Just thought I’d hang back in case.” She surveyed the area and her eyes paused on the half-breeds. “Well, that’s a shame.” He wasn’t sure she meant it. Her gaze kept roaming through the trees. “You think that was all of them?”
Rion shrugged. “Most likely.” They probably had a few scouts in the distance. Unfortunately for them, they’d be burying their comrades instead of greeting them.
“Good, let’s get out of here.” Rion raised a brow. “To the village. No sense in delaying.” She looked him over. “Did you pack a change of clothes?”
He only nodded. “I guess I lost our bet.”
She smirked. “All for two half-breeds that,” she glanced at them again. “Well, I think it was fast for the female, at least.”
Rion grimaced again and words from Caol came floating back to haunt him. Selina only watched as he hollowed out the earth and slowly lowered their bodies inside, placing them side by side before covering them up.
He idly wondered what kind of life they might have had if freedom had been an option. He wondered if they would have lived for eternity at one another’s side.
Maybe he was destined to experience the same fate. To find a partner only to have them ripped away the way everything else had been torn from him.