Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Returning to Stonemore had been a mistake. It was worse than Katla had imagined. Fear and hostility ran rampant through the streets. It contorted the faces of those plundering homes and shops in search of food. It creased the visages of the owners endeavoring to protect what was theirs.
Katla refused to look at the temple, but the scene from days before still played out in her head. The city held nothing but death and destruction. She turned to leave. She had been gone too long already. But she hadn’t gotten two steps before she spotted the gathered priests.
She had no wish to hurt anyone, but she wouldn’t allow them to take her again. If any soldiers or the red-robed clerics came for her, she would unleash the full extent of her powers. She wasn’t sure what they were yet, but she was ready to find out. She faced the group, only to see she hadn’t caught their attention. A tall, imposing, formidable man had.
The stranger stood nose to nose with one of the priests. The man was severely outnumbered, but he didn’t back down. Not even when they surrounded him. The priests wearing armor moved closer as they pulled their swords from scabbards. The man lifted his head, his scowl directed at each one. Then , he looked at her.
The glare vanished. Even from a distance, his gaze grabbed her, held her. There was an intensity about him, a potent power that swirled around him as purposefully as the wind. He was hard and unyielding, fierce and arresting. Something about his barely leashed violence drew her, beckoned as if her very essence recognized him. She studied his ruggedly handsome visage, taking in his prominent cheekbones and brows to the hard line of his jaw and wide lips, the bottom fuller than the top. She couldn’t see the color of his eyes, but she wanted to. She wished to be close enough to pick out all the colors of his irises.
His hair brushed his shoulders. She wouldn’t call it blond, nor would she claim it was light brown. It was an interesting mix of both. Her eyes lingered on his wide shoulders. His shirt was a blue so deep it was nearly black, and he had the sleeves pushed up to show off his corded forearms, hinting at what lay beneath. Black trousers molded to trim hips and muscular thighs. His black boots had a different look to what others wore, setting him apart. Just as his bearing did.
Her gaze ran back up his body to meet his eyes once more. The wind swirled, grabbed the hem of her split skirt, and whipped the material against her legs. It whistled past as it caught her hair, lifting the ends momentarily before whooshing toward the priests and the man. The strong gust caused some to lose their balance, but the stranger with the penetrating gaze didn’t seem fazed.
One of the soldier priests waved a sword before the man’s face, severing their connection. The man cut his gaze to the cleric as more priests circled him. She peered through the bodies to watch the stranger. Magic skated just beneath her skin. She knew exactly what the priests were capable of. She had been in their custody only a short time ago.
Katla thought about helping the stranger, though he looked capable. He might even get out of it himself without her interference. She gripped the legs of her skirt with both hands, her mind drifting back to the valley and the hatred that had ruled her every decision. It would be easy to turn that animosity on the priests. So very easy. But it would bring attention to her. And others were waiting for her, counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.
Her thoughts halted when the stranger moved with lightning speed, knocking away the sword and taking it for himself. There were shouts of dismay. More swords were drawn as the priests moved in. The stranger turned and pivoted, fighting off attack after attack as if he were swatting away pesky bugs.
Then , an unmistakable boom of magic laid out the priests, leaving the stranger the only one standing. He threw down the sword with contempt, his lip curled in disgust.
That’s when she realized who he was. Or rather what he was: a dragon able to change forms. Only recently had she learned that some had that ability. Stonemore was close to the border of the dragons’ land. She had even been warned they were fighting Villette at Stonemore . She should’ve expected to encounter one.
Nothing , however, could have prepared her for her reaction to this particular dragon.
That didn’t stop the apprehension from settling uncomfortably in her belly. His gaze slid back to her. Was he here for her? Had the dragons decided to seek justice for what she had done to them?
The dragon stepped over a fallen priest and moved toward her. The day would come when she had to pay for her crimes, but it wasn’t now. It couldn’t be. Katla didn’t try to talk to him. She ran. And didn’t stop. She barreled through people until she reached the first level and darted to the open gate. She didn’t slow, even when she was out of the city.
She ran headlong into the Ferdon Woods , weaving between the giant trees. She pushed herself, pumping her arms and legs to put as much distance as possible between her and the dragon. The earthy smell of the forest surrounded her, and colorful leaves danced upon the air as they tumbled to the ground. She knew her destination and traveled the straightest line to it, no matter how harsh the terrain.
Katla’s lungs were on fire and sweat trickled down her face. She slid down a steep embankment and then scrambled up the other side. Birds scattered as she raced past. When she saw the twisted tree, she finally slowed to a walk. Her breathing was loud as she scanned the area for danger. As she drew closer to the tree, she checked the ground for signs that man or beast had come snooping. A relieved sigh escaped when she found the area undisturbed.
She pressed her thumbs together and lifted her hands before her, then moved them as if separating curtains. Her magic revealed the three sleeping children lying side by side within. Katla briefly closed her eyes, silently giving thanks that the kids were still there and unharmed. She knelt and touched the blond locks of the eldest of the three—just seven years old. The girl’s brown eyes fluttered open and focused on her.
“ Shh ,” Katla murmured. “ It’s just me, Aven .”
“ Did you find food?”
Katla forced a smile she didn’t feel. “ Not yet. But I will.”
“ Don’t leave us again,” Aven said, gripping Katla’s hand tightly.
“ I have to, but I won’t go far.”
Maely rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. Her straight black hair was cut at her shoulders. She sat up and stared at Katla with dark eyes that had seen too much in the five years she had been alive. “ We’ll go with you.”
“ Yes ,” Aven said loudly as she also sat up.
The commotion woke four-year-old Perick , the youngest of the trio, who was cocooned between the girls. He had a wild mop of dark curls and green eyes. “ Katla ?”
When he reached for her, she pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his arms and legs around her and rested his head on her shoulder. It made her think of her daughter and how she had loved to be held in such a way.
From the moment the priests had thrown her into the tower with the children, Katla had known she would do anything to keep them alive. And that was before she gained their trust. Now , she would tear down the world for them. Would protect them as she hadn’t been able to with her daughter or nieces.
They’d eaten the last of their food that morning and could only survive on berries for so long. She had hoped to find something at Stonemore , but if she had known the state of the city, she never would’ve gone. Never mind encountering the dragon. Their only choice now was to keep going until she found another village. She hated moving the children, but the farther away from Stonemore they got, the better it would be for all of them.
Katla smiled at the girls, then kissed Perick’s cheek, holding him close. She got to her feet and walked into the sunshine, Maely and Aven following. “ It’s time to feel the sun on your faces. We’ll also fill the waterskins.”
“ There’s that berry bush I found yesterday,” Aven said.
Maely groaned as she twisted her lips in distaste. “ More berries?”
“ I don’t mind them,” Perick said, lifting his head from Katla’s shoulder. “ They’re sweet.”
He wiggled to get down. Once Katla had set him on the ground, he danced around with the energy of a child. It amazed her that the three could smile and play despite what they had been through. It proved how resilient children were. When did that leave a person? Why was it so difficult for adults to face hardships in the same manner?
“ Berries . I want berries,” Perick said happily.
Maely wrinkled her nose and released a long sigh. “ I’ll take him.”
“ Stay within sight,” Katla warned.
Aven tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “ I can try to hunt. There are plenty of animals in the woods.”
It was a job Katla should be doing, but she couldn’t quite manage it. However , she had run out of ideas and had no choice but to hunt now. She would have to put her aversions aside for the children. “ We’ll do it together. Help me keep an eye on the other two.”
An hour and a half later, Katla was plucking feathers from a bird. Each time she looked at the wings, she thought about the dragons and lifted her gaze to the sky, peering through the canopy of trees. There hadn’t been any large shadows overhead that heralded their arrival. Would she have enough time to beg them to spare the children if they came?
She had ignored the scared, mournful calls of the dragons she’d captured. What made her believe they would treat her any better? Or that she deserved more? But the dragons weren’t searching for the children. She held on to that hope.
The sun was sinking as Katla watched Perick and Maely gather rocks to form a circle around sticks of wood while Aven ignited the fire with her magic—the reason the priests had targeted the children. They possessed magic, and to the residents of Stonemore , that was enough reason to kill them. Katla encouraged all three to use their abilities but had also cautioned them on when and how. Everyone was a potential enemy.
With the porunea roasting over the fire, Katla had more time to think. Instead , she watched the children. She hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on her daughter after the loss, but being around kids again made her heart ache for the family she’d once had. Katla grinned when Perick found a bug and brought it to Maely , who shrieked and ran away. A laugh bubbled up when Aven joined in the fun of chasing Maely .
Soon , their interest turned to the colorful, falling leaves as the girls made a bouquet of them. Perick dug in the dirt for more bugs. Katla would never get tired of watching them or hearing their laughter.
For these few moments, she could almost forget who she was and what she’d done. She immersed herself in the present. Even contemplated being a mother again. But those flashes never lasted long. The past was too fresh, the truths she had learned too raw. And her complicity in everything too great.
As much as she wished she could move forward, free from it all, the reality was that she couldn’t. Then there was the constant, gnawing fear in the back of her mind that she would revert to who she had been. She had hurt so many. The last thing she wanted to do was harm the children.
Katla shivered and held her hands to the fire to warm them. It would take her a while to get used to the fluctuations in temperature again. She had spent too long in the valley without sun, rain, heat, or cold. Her stomach growled at the smell of the cooking bird, but the thought of taking a bite made her queasy.
The moment she called to the children that the porunea was ready, they rushed over and devoured their meal. It was just enough for them. She boiled some villeali leaves for herself as the kids licked their fingers clean. It was a recipe she’d used while still with her village. The drink would help sustain her until she could have a proper meal.
Aven rubbed her hands over the thin sleeves of her tunic and huddled next to Perick . The weather was getting colder every day. In addition to food, the kids needed clothes and shelter. Katla had to figure out something for them, and soon. They couldn’t remain in the forest. It was no life for children.
“ Katla ,” Maely called softly.
She looked across the fire to the girl, but Maely was staring over her shoulder. Katla turned and found the man from Stonemore standing behind her. He leaned a shoulder against the trunk of an oak and nodded to the kids, his lips softening.
“ I mean no harm,” he told Katla .