Chapter 35 #2
I turned to look at Maera, and at Hil, but they were both focused ahead on Rune as he dismounted his horse and offered the chancellor the reins.
“My servants will take care of our horses. Take them to the stables,” Rune said, and the chancellor’s eyes fell on my face.
I remembered how he’d looked at me that night when he saw my hand in Rune’s. I remembered it, and heat crawled up to my cheeks instantly, because I thought he would recognize me.
But Rune’s shadows were no joke, and whatever face he’d given me with his illusion magic worked because the chancellor didn’t seem to recognize me at all.
He also didn’t seem to mind that a werewolf was with us, and he definitely didn’t even look at Hil twice before he put the reins of Rune’s horse in the hands of a waiting soldier.
“Certainly, Your Highness. May I ask where you’re coming from?”
Rune had already started walking ahead toward the doors, his every step precise, sure, like he owned this place, too. Like he truly was a king.
I don’t know why it struck me that he was. He was an actual king now, and he was made for it. Fucking hell, he fit right into the title, and my heart was so heavy I feared I might explode.
He was king, and I was supposed to go claim a throne myself soon. If everything went right and we got lucky—I was supposed to claim a fucking fae throne.
Me. Nilah Dune from Earth, a girl who had been relentlessly bullied her whole life, who spent most of said life in survival mode, running, never walking, never stopping to fucking breathe.
Now I had no choice but to stop and to sit.
On a throne.
Really, the universe had a twisted sense of humor—or maybe it just loved to mock me in particular any chance it got.
My mind was in pieces as I jumped off the saddle, too, and with the reins in my hand still, I followed after Maera.
Hil was guiding his horse ahead, following the soldier, while another two followed us, but the morvekai didn’t.
It didn’t even turn its head or those dead eyes to look at us as we moved toward the left of the building, away from the gates behind which Rune disappeared without a glance our way.
He did his part perfectly, and I was sure he was going to keep the fake king and queen distracted, as per the plan.
We’d have time, hopefully, to sneak into the Fire Palace and find the throne room.
Even so, the voices in the back of my head were relentless. I couldn’t exactly focus on my surroundings or remember the way we’d come through as I led the horse forward, trying to squash that awful doubt.
The stables weren’t far off the main entrance, built close to the side of the palace.
The smell hit us first—damp hay and smoke, the air heavy with the musk of restless horses.
There were plenty of them there, too, their hooves shuffling against the straw as Hil went ahead and led his mare to an empty stall.
His every movement was calm and careful at the same time.
The soldiers who’d led us here stopped by the doors, closed them, but there were two others at the far end.
They didn’t ask questions, only watched us with hands resting on their sword handles as if to say they were ready if trouble came their way.
I could feel the tension prickling under my skin as Maera padded silently beside me, her wolf form smaller than any other werewolf I’d seen so far, but no less impressive because of the way she moved.
“Hello there, fellas! Good to see a familiar face—it’s been a while since I was home,” Hil suddenly said, and my skin rose in goose bumps at the same time.
What the hell was he doing?! We weren’t supposed to be talking to anyone, damn it.
Then again, we’d planned on there not being guards in the stable at all, only workers.
Hil left his horse in the stable and continued ahead, his hands up to put the guards at ease, I guessed, and he continued to talk to them like they were his old buddies.
Meanwhile, Maera nudged my leg to tell me to keep moving, leave my horse in the next empty stall, so I did. Magic buzzed in my hands, and I was trying to think of the best way to get us out of here unnoticed and into the palace—but by the time I closed the stall door, Hil was already moving.
I could have sworn he was laughing just a second ago, and the guards had joined in, too. Yet when I looked ahead, Hil turned and drove his elbow into the nearest guard’s jaw in one smooth motion.
It happened so fast I was tempted not to believe in my own eyes. The man crumpled to the floor instantly, and the second barely had time to draw out his sword before Hil caught him by the throat and slammed him into the wall, the dull thud echoing through the stable.
The horses reared, snorting. Maera growled once, deep and low, and then her fur began to shed right there on the hay covered floor.
She was shifting while Hil beat the shit out of the guards, even when they were on the floor and trying to get up, until they stopped moving completely.
There was no magic—he just used his fists and his feet.
I was still having trouble blinking normally when he turned around to face us—and Maera was already beside me, a woman now, naked and unbothered.
“That’s one way to say hello,” she muttered, brushing the lighter strands of her hair away from her face.
“I officially welcome you to the Fire Palace, lad—whoa, whoa, by Reme, FUCK!”
This from Hil when he actually took in Maera’s naked body, his hands burning orange and raised like he suddenly lost control and wasn’t sure whether to keep looking or cover his face or something.
He chose the first option with his jaw nearly touching the ground, his wide eyes never blinking as he took her in, in detail.
I turned my head to the side and took off the cloak Rune had given me so Maera could put it over her shoulders.
“There’s flies here. Might wanna close your mouth,” she told Hil—again, completely unbothered as she walked ahead toward the other side of the stables. “Follow me.”
Hil couldn’t move as he watched her, followed her every little movement as she went right by him, his mouth still open, his eyes unblinking.
I had my lips inside my mouth still, and tried to focus on the guards on the ground. They were breathing, definitely unconscious. Definitely not dead.
And just before I went past him, Hil breathed, “I think I’m in love.”
His hand was to his heart, his eyes ahead but he didn’t really see anything, and he looked positively shocked.
With my tongue between my teeth, I followed Maera, knowing he wouldn’t be far behind.