Chapter 26 - Cammon #3
Now it was Glory’s turn to be surprised. “You know of him? Of it?”
Thorn smirked. “Of course. How do you think he passed through the mountains to bury it the first time? Though I will say, we weren’t nearly as accommodating towards him. The man had the manners of a perturbed cow and was just shy of madness to boot.”
Glory’s expression flattened. “Yes, we’ve experienced that for ourselves.”
“Yet you’ve managed to follow his path. How? He wasn’t a man for leaving an obvious trail.”
“I’ve studied his work for many years. Even so, it hasn’t been easy. I wouldn’t have made it this far without Cammon’s assistance.”
She gestured vaguely at me, but by the way her fingers hung in the air, I got the impression she was reaching for me. I stepped closer, and the tension in her shoulders eased.
“Since you’re here, I can only assume your next step was to go over the mountain to reach the next signpost?” Thorn asked.
I crossed my arms and levelled her with a glower. “The only logical move.”
She stared back for a beat before returning her piercing grey gaze to Glory. “It’s a good thing we found you when we did, child. You would have wasted days attempting to go over the mountain, winged guide or no.”
Glory’s shoulders slumped. “We would have found a way. We have to. There’s a deadline, and if we—we have to make that deadline.”
“Or this princess dies?”
The lines around Glory’s eyes relaxed with the convenient explanation before her. “Exactly. Her death might spark war with the fae.”
I noted the lack of surprise in Thorn’s expression. Another curiosity. How could she know so much about the affairs of the nation way out here?
“So please,” Glory continued, “if you know how we can get to the next signpost, I ask you to tell us.”
Thorn pursed her lips and looked between us. Her braids shifted on her shoulders, the tiny metal clasps at her roots catching the light and adding a shine to her ashen hair. The woman knew how to give herself a presence.
“I’ll need time to consider,” she said. “Either way, you won’t be going anywhere until this weather changes. Kalla and Cliff will show you where you can clean up. Tonight, we revel. Tomorrow, I’ll inform you of my decision.”
“And if you decide not to help us on this quest?” My voice was the edge of a well-honed dagger, a warning against prevarication.
“As long as you keep your talons to yourself, you can leave freely whenever you choose.”
The slight quirk of her lips told me she knew I didn’t believe her, but there was nothing for it but to go along with her. If she turned on us, I would slaughter as many of them as I could to make sure Glory saw the sun again.
Thorn dismissed us with a twitch of her fingers, and Kalla hooked her arm under Glory’s to pull her away.
“This way,” she said. “I’ll show you to your room after, but first, a bath. You look like you could use some time in the hot spring.” Her nose wrinkled. “Maybe with some soap.”
I started after them, but Cliff stepped in front of me. “Let’s go this way, yeah? Believe me, you don’t want Kalla in your face once you strip down. She won’t give you any peace.” When I didn’t move, Cliff looked between Glory and me. “She’ll be safe. You have my word.”
I dropped my gaze to him. What good was the word of a vampire I’d just met? But his expression was open and non-threatening, and thus far I hadn’t had any reason to distrust these people. Besides, I reminded myself, Glory could take care of herself.
Woe be to anyone who proved me wrong about that.
As I made to follow Cliff, Thorn called out, “A word, demon.”
I tensed and looked back at her, braced for her to tell me she’d already made her decision and changed her mind.
“Those mutts chasing you. What do you know about them?”
My shoulders relaxed, but only by a fraction. “They’ve been following us most of our journey, but this is the first time they’ve engaged. The shifters claimed the mutts had been crossing their territory, causing trouble as they went.”
Thorn nodded, her brow furrowed. “My scouts report that more have been scented. You dealt them a serious blow, but you’ll need to stay on your guard. While you remain here, the fury will hold them at bay, but that protection ends once you leave.”
These mutts were determined, adding more weight to my suspicions that they weren’t working on their own.
Thorn didn’t strike me as that amazing an actor, which squashed my theory about the vampires’ involvement.
Unless someone from within the fury had betrayed their own.
Possible, but unlikely. Thorn seemed like the type of leader who kept her thumb on the pulse of any internal discontent.
She would kill one of her own before she let them betray their community.
But if the vampires weren’t controlling the mutts, our options for who was were getting slim.
My siblings came to mind again, and I cursed the possibility.
What could they have promised these creatures?
All lies, of course. My traitorous brothers and sister would turn on them as easily as they had on me.
Regardless of how things ended, the mutts wouldn’t be a problem around here for long.
“I have reason to believe they’re targeting me. As soon as Glory and I leave, the mutts won’t be your problem.”
Thorn grinned. “They’re no problem, demon. More a nice change of pace. My vampires will enjoy the opportunity to hone their skills on something beyond rabbits and trespassers.” She canted her head. “What about the girl?”
At the mention of Glory, my shoulders tensed again. “What about her?”
“A half-vampire living in the city? It’s a miracle no one’s torn her to shreds. How is it you find yourself out here with her on a mission from a king you bear no allegiance to?”
I worked my jaw, doing my best not to read any threat in the fury leader’s words. “Fate, perhaps.”
“Her nature remains hidden?”
I nodded.
Thorn’s eyes twinkled again, this time with a bloodthirsty glimmer. “If I were less open-minded, I would rip off your head where you stand to keep my kin-daughter’s secret safe.”
In a breath, the rest of my tension disappeared.
Whatever danger I faced here, no harm would come to Glory.
Not with this woman claiming her as one of her own.
The relief, the removal of that weight, nearly lifted me off my feet.
Instead, I fell to my knees and bared my neck to Thorn.
“If word gets out about Glory and any harm comes to her, you have my permission to hunt me down and tear out my throat. I would never reveal her secret, and I will destroy anyone who uses it to hurt her.”
My vow surprised me, undoubtedly another effect of the bond.
I waited for resentment to kick in, but it never came.
After how hard Glory had worked to keep herself free and safe and hidden, I would never allow anyone to come after her.
We would find this amulet, and she would have her closet in the library if that was what she wanted.
Thorn’s gaze remained fixed on me long enough for the silence between us to grow taut. Then she nodded. “I believe you. Now go and get cleaned up. Your stench is ruining my atmosphere.”