Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Katla’s stomach growled with hunger as she returned to the fire, Merrill two steps behind her with Perick in tow. She took her place and inhaled the delicious smell. Even her mouth watered as Merrill passed the meat around.
“ There’s plenty,” he said, offering her a large slice.
She looked away and shook her head. “ I’m not hungry.”
“ I can hear your stomach from here,” Maely said around a mouthful of food.
Merrill rose and walked around to squat beside Katla , the slice of meat still hanging from the end of his dagger. “ Is it that you doona like the taste of this animal?”
“ That isn’t it.”
“ Then what is it?” he asked softly. “ There is enough to fill everyone’s belly several times over.”
She was hungry. Starving , actually. The villeali leaves hadn’t done much, and she couldn’t stomach another berry. Katla eyed the meat. She hadn’t taken the animal’s life. Maybe she would be able to eat it.
“ Katla .”
The sound of her name on Merrill’s lips with his unique accent caught her off guard. She jerked her eyes to him and found herself staring into eyes as dark as his shirt. His pupils mirrored the fire. That same pull she’d felt at Stonemore returned. He was incredibly handsome. And powerful. Being near him only heightened that. Yet he was a Dragon King . She wanted to believe he hadn’t come for retribution, but she couldn’t. Because if their positions were reversed, she wouldn’t rest until justice was served.
His gaze was earnest and genial. She really wanted to believe him. Mostly because she didn’t want to be on her own. She didn’t know anything about this world or who to trust. She was tired of being alone. And she didn’t want to shoulder everything herself. But this was about more than her. It was about Aven , Maely , and Perick .
“ Eat ,” Merrill urged softly.
She needed her strength. It was the only reason she pulled the meat from the blade and bit into it. She waited for her stomach to rebel, but nothing happened. The taste was pleasant. Katla devoured the piece within moments. Merrill had another waiting for her. She didn’t know how much she ate before finally waving him off. Katla looked at the children to find them on their backs, pointing at the stars. She watched them, smiling when they laughed and genuinely enjoying their presence. They were the only ones she didn’t doubt. They were innocent and pure of heart.
“ I can attempt to locate their families in the city if you’d like.”
Merrill’s offer jerked her out of her musings. Katla had forgotten that he was there. She glanced over to see him sitting beside her. Had he been there all along? “ That would be the right thing to do.”
“ No ’ if the parents decide to remain in Stonemore .”
“ It isn’t as if I can force them to leave.”
He reclined on his hands. “ I can. And I will. There isna anything in the city anymore. You saw that yourself.”
“ What happened with the priests?”
“ We had a disagreement.”
She quirked a brow as she looked at him. “ I see.”
“ I didna kill them. That isna to say I didna want to. I did. Which is why I didna.”
She wondered if she would’ve had the same control. “ You’re a better person than I .”
“ You didna go after them. And you had the chance.”
“ Maybe I should.” Her gaze swung to the children. Perick had his head in Aven’s lap, his eyes barely able to stay open while the girls talked. “ Then no one else would get hurt.”
“ The religion is too ingrained. You remove those priests, and more will take their place. Likely even more fanatical ones than are there now.”
She looked at him. “ Is that why you didn’t kill them?”
“ That’s one of the reasons.”
“ Villette could stop it. She’s the cause of all of this.”
Merrill grunted. “ She’s part of the catalyst, aye. But she didna do it alone. Miena began it. Villette turned on her sister and locked Miena away.”
That’s why Katla hadn’t heard Miena’s name before. “ How did Villette get away?”
“ As difficult as it is to understand, she joined us to battle Miena .”
Katla shook her head in disbelief. “ You mean you had a chance to take her out and didn’t?”
“ Sometimes , you have to set aside one villain to go after another who’s more dangerous.”
“ I don’t believe that.”
“ How much do you know about the Star People ? They’re extremely powerful.”
“ I know,” she stated icily.
He shook his head and sat up. “ I’m no’ sure you do. Villette is strong, but Miena was stronger. Star People doona die easily. They can take each other’s lives, but the only other being that can kill them is a hellhound.”
“ Kora ,” she replied, thinking about their brief meeting.
“ Aye . It took several Kings , three other Star People , a Fae , and Kora to bring Miena down.”
Which meant Katla wouldn’t be able to rid the realm of Villette on her own.
Merrill took a deep breath. “ None of us wanted Villette’s help, but we needed it. And Miena was going after her, so Villette needed us. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“ You said three other Star People . Who are the other two?”
“ Eurielle . Another sister of Villette and Miena , though she keeps to herself. I doona know much about her, but she has aided us in the past. There is also Lotti , who is mated to a King .”
Katla glanced at the kids to see Perick asleep. “ How many Star People are there?”
“ I doona know an exact count. My guess is many, many more.”
That’s what she was afraid of. “ Where is Villette now?”
Merrill shrugged. “ Your guess is as good as mine. As soon as Miena breathed her last, Villette vanished. Our agreement was only until Miena’s death. If she’s smart, she’ll go to another realm. But she has a deep-rooted hatred for my kind. She’s worked hard to create an atmosphere of hate here. I doona believe she’ll leave.”
“ Because the Star People enslaved the dragons,” Katla said, remembering what she had learned from Henry in the bramble forest.
A muscle clenched in Merrill’s jaw. “ You know the story?”
“ I know Villette’s brother freed the dragons and created the world you come from.”
“ Earth ,” Merrill offered.
She nodded. “ And Villette brought humans to your realm, as well as here on Zora .”
“ Her goal is to wipe out every dragon and then create her own to enslave.”
“ But …why? If the Star People are as powerful as you say, why do they even need slaves?”
Merrill shook his head. “ Power . Miena and Villette found our dragons here after we sent them away. Those two destroyed our homes, families, and lives. They nearly destroyed us.”
“ But you’re still around.”
“ To what end? We’ve endured many wars. We doona want another.”
Katla stirred the fire with a long stick. “ There is much hatred and fear for dragons.”
“ There is much hatred and fear for magic,” he said, looking pointedly at her and then the kids.
“ I feared and hated.”
He looked up at the sky through the branches. “ Most do in some form or another.”
“ Even you?”
“ Even me.”
Katla moved some hair from her face. “ Until quite recently, I didn’t know dragons could shift forms.”
“ Henry shared a lot about us.”
“ He wanted to save Melisse .”
Merrill scratched an eyebrow. “ They’re mates.”
“ Henry isn’t a dragon.”
“ That doesna matter. He’s a Druid ,” Merrill replied and looked at her.
She propped the end of the burning stick on a limb. “ That’s something else I hadn’t heard until Henry .”
“ There are many Druids on Earth . It was Druids Villette brought to our planet.”
“ But what are they?”
He grinned. “ You mean, what are you ?”
“ Fine . What are we ?”
“ Druids are as vast and differing as trees. Some can manipulate water or fire, others can communicate with the wind or trees. Even animals. Many more doona have special abilities but can still create magic with spells.”
Katla leaned on one hand, angling toward him and lowering her voice so she didn’t wake the now-sleeping kids. “ Spells ?”
“ That is how Druids use their magic. They also have a special connection to nature.”
“ I’ve never known anyone who had magic or used spells.”
His dark blue eyes were steady as he watched her. “ No one?”
“ No one. Our village was isolated and relatively small. Everyone knew everyone. If someone had such abilities, it wouldn’t have remained hidden for long.”
“ You had to get yours from somewhere.”
Katla glanced at the ground. “ Villette .”
“ She may have ignited things, but she couldna give you Druid magic as she isna one.”
“ Meaning ?” Katla asked, her brain trying to sort the new information.
Merrill propped a foot on the ground and rested his arm on his knee. “ Meaning , if she gave you anything, she gave you part of her magic.”
Did she really have a Star Person’s magic in her? Could that be what tainted her? What made her do the things she had done? Nay . She was the only one to blame. She’d had a choice, and she let grief and rage rule.
“ I don’t know any spells. That isn’t how my magic happens.”
“ But you are no’ like the Druids on Earth , so that makes sense.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. “ Do you sense Star Person magic?”
“ Your Druid magic overwhelms any other. It’s verra strong. So strong that it drew Henry across realms. That’s why I have a difficult time believing you didna have magic before. I doona sense any other magic, but that’s no’ to say it isna there.”
Katla drew her knees to her chest and wound her arms around her legs. Merrill knew Henry , which meant he must know who she was—and what she had done. He hadn’t said anything about those horrible acts. Hadn’t even hinted at them. She didn’t know what to make of that. Was it because he didn’t care? Or was he trying to get close so he could turn on her?
She hadn’t meant to have such an open conversation with him. It had just happened. She was also lonely, and it was nice to converse with an adult—especially about things she was trying to sort out. Did she dare believe him? That was the real question.
“ You still doona trust me,” Merrill stated.
It wasn’t a question, and she didn’t treat it like one. “ I’ve made poor choices in the past.”
“ Everything I’ve told you is the truth.”
She turned her head to him. “ Why would you help me?”
“ Should I no’?”
“ Don’t do that. You know of what I speak.”
He sighed, his lips flattening briefly. “ You believe I should be angry with you.”
“ I do.”
“ Why ?”
She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, attempting to retain patience. “ You know why.”
“ Say it.”
Katla glared at him, but he held her gaze. She was tired of skirting around the issue, and apparently, so was he. When the words came, her voice wobbled. “ I killed dragons. I lured them into the vine forest and held them for Villette .”
“ Did you personally take their lives?”
“ I trapped them.”
“ Did you take their lives?” he repeated, his voice firm. Unyielding . Just like his stare.
She swallowed. “ I might as well have. I could have released them.” If she hadn’t held such hatred, she never would have done the things she had.
“ Why did you trap them?”
That wasn’t part of the story she wanted to think about. She had already revisited those memories when Henry confronted her. She couldn’t do it again.
“ Why ?” Merrill pressed, his voice softer.
Katla shook her head. “ Stop .” She didn’t want to hear the screams reverberating in her head again. Didn’t want to feel the heat of the fire, smell the burning flesh, or experience the pain.
“ Who hurt you?” he coaxed gently.
The backs of her eyes burned with unshed tears. The memory formed of its own volition, wrapping her in urgency and terror. And death. “ The first dusting of snow coated the valley overnight. The sun was bright as the children played. We were simple people, living simple lives surrounded by a stunning landscape. The village sat at the base of a mountain at the start of the valley, where it was the narrowest. No matter the season, it was exquisite.”
One side of Merrill’s lips curved slightly. “ What was your favorite season?”
“ Winter . It could get frigid, but there was something captivating about that first snowfall. The way the snow dusted the evergreens and the water froze. I loved how everything was blanketed in white.”
“ Aye , lass. I know exactly what you mean.”
She found herself smiling as she thought about the winters in the valley. But that picture shattered when she grasped that she hadn’t seen snow in a very long time. Following on the heels of that thought were the events of the past that had upended her life. “ Our tranquil existence was extinguished when the raiders came. They arrived from the road and down the mountain. There were so many. Our small village couldn’t fend them off. A few attempted to take a stand but were ruthlessly cut down.”
Katla clenched her hands as she remembered the fear that had choked her. “ We were outside washing as my daughter played with my two nieces. I heard the invaders’ war cries. I saw people being killed. My husband turned to get his sword, and I knew if he faced the enemy, he would be struck down, as well. I shoved our daughter into his arms and took hold of my nieces. I tried to find my brother and his wife, but everyone was scrambling by that point.”
The memories were so clear. It was like she was back there, surrounded by chaos and death. She lowered her legs to sit cross-legged. This was why she didn’t want to talk about the past. It was still too raw and painful. Too gut-wrenching.
Merrill’s hand covered one of hers that rested on her knee. The touch was light. His gaze held sympathy and support, both of which gave her the courage to continue. Unfortunately , when he dropped his hand, he took his warmth with it, leaving her skin chilled.
“ We couldn’t fight them, so we tried to run, but the attackers blocked our escape. Then , they began surrounding us. Some pleaded for mercy while others screamed and cried. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that such violence had come to our peaceful home. I can still hear the sound of their blades swinging and the splatter of blood as it landed on the ground. I couldn’t find my husband or my brother and was panicking. Then , I heard someone shout my name. I looked over and saw my husband as he shoved his way out of the crowd. I didn’t know where he was going or why, but I trusted him. I picked up my youngest niece and put her on my hip, dragging the other after me. That’s when I spotted what my husband and a few others had. The invaders hadn’t surrounded us completely. There was an opening to get free. We believed it was their mistake.”
“ They left the space on purpose,” Merrill said.
Katla nodded before taking a long drink from the waterskin. “ Once others saw what we were doing, they began to follow. We ran in the only direction we could—straight toward the dragons’ border. The valley was long. We heard the dragons, of course, and I caught a glimpse of one once, but no one dared to venture too near the border. But that day, it was the only way for us to escape. We ran to the only place we could.”
Merrill briefly lowered his gaze to the ground. A muscle in his jaw jumped, but he said nothing.
There was nothing to say. She drew in a ragged breath, remembering the uneven ground and how many times she’d tripped. “ I couldn’t carry my niece. I set her down and hauled both her and her sister with me. My husband was ahead of me, clutching our toddler to his chest. She lifted her head and looked at me. I saw her tears and how she dug her little fingers into her father’s neck. I ran faster, all the while thinking the invaders would stop when we reached the boundary. They gained on us quickly, cutting my friends and family down.”
Perick murmured as he turned over. Katla watched him for a moment. Then she licked her lips and continued. “ The others ahead of me saw what was happening and crossed the border. It went against the very law of the land, but we were fighting for our lives. I heard the attackers coming up behind me and knew the girls and I were next. I watched my husband and daughter rush onto the dragons’ land. Certain death was behind us, and a promise of death before us. Yet we crossed without hesitation. I was certain the invaders would halt their pursuit. We all believed it. There was no celebrating, though. We knew what dangers awaited in traversing onto sacred land. We searched the skies for dragons, but it appeared clear. Just when I thought we had escaped all of it, someone was cut off mid-scream. The raiders followed us across the border, chasing us deeper into dragon territory.”
Merrill’s jaw muscle jumped again as he closed his eyes for a heartbeat.
“ A dragon’s roar deafened the screams and the sounds of slaughter. The sight of the enormous beast caused pandemonium. I lost hold of my nieces somehow. One moment, I had them. The next, they were gone. There wasn’t time to look because the dragon swooped toward us. It flew so close, the wind from one beat of its wings knocked me down. The villagers spun and ran straight to the waiting invaders. We were trapped between them and the dragon.”
Katla swung her gaze to the fire. Wind whipped through the flames, making the blaze dance and pop. “ That’s when I saw my husband. He fought one of the raiders while our daughter hid behind him. She was screaming for me, her arms out. I knew the moment I called out to her that I had made a mistake. She jumped up to come to me, just as the dragon flew over and breathed fire. My husband turned and covered our daughter with his body as the blaze cut a path before me.”
Her eyes closed as she recalled the size and scope of that one breath of fire. “ The heat was so severe it blistered my skin. I watched the invader flail around, screaming as he burned. The flames were too high to get through, but I couldn’t stop searching for my family. Even though I knew nothing could survive that inferno.”
She forced her eyes open. She could still smell the burnt bodies and scorched earth. “ Smoke billowed in the air. The screams of the dying were fading, and raiders and villagers alike lay dead all around me, some bodies burned so badly I couldn’t distinguish who they were. I found one niece dead, a spear in her back. I never found my youngest niece or the rest of my family. I wanted to stay and search, but the dragon swung back to make another pass. I ran back over the border, and that’s when I discovered I was the sole survivor. I swore retribution for my family and village that day. I was so overcome with grief and hate that nothing mattered. I don’t know how long it was before Villette found me. She offered me a way to get revenge, and I took it without a second’s thought.”
Katla spread her hands on her thighs. “ I never should have blamed only the dragons. The raiders held more responsibility. Everyone knew crossing onto dragon land meant death. Grief clouded my judgment.” She swallowed and glanced at him. “ Henry told me the dragon in question, Eurwen , was trying to help us. She saved my husband, daughter, and a few others and took them to a safe place. Maybe if I had remained, she would’ve taken me with them. Instead , I spent the next fifteen hundred years taking my vengeance out on your kind.”