Chapter 10 #2
We traveled up the east coast, to avoid traveling through the Darkwoods.
Partly because it would have taken more time to navigate the forested paths, and partly because the Darkwoods were a wild place that even the Third Line kept a respectful distance from, if they could.
Having horses cut a whole day of travel from the trip, and we made it to the impressive stone spires of Cyne at dusk on the third day.
The Fifth Line had terraforma magic, and there was no greater example than the huge arch made of jagged stone points that burst from the ground at the edge of the city.
They looked like the sharp teeth of some kind of seabeast, and as you walked beneath them and into the maw of the beast, they were a showy reminder of the Fifth Line’s power.
Avalon looked exhausted, and the strain between her and Hayle was becoming obvious to the rest of us.
They hadn’t talked about the fact he could shift into some mythical beast. Hadn’t talked about lies and omissions, or the Soul Tie bond.
I wasn’t sure what Taeme was waiting for, but with every day he hesitated, the worse her mood became.
Today, she was riding with me, her body pressed close to mine. I was tempted to let their argument run its course, to enjoy the way she became closer to me as she distanced herself from him.
But then I remembered Hayle had been nothing but a team player, and that was what we were now.
A team. A family, if he was to be believed.
So despite the selfish urge to keep her for myself, I knew I had to help.
We were in this thing together, and letting the discontent fester would hurt us all in the end, especially Avalon.
Because she loved that dumbass; and so did I.
Burying my face in her throat, I sighed. “You should tell him how you’re feeling.”
She hummed non-commitally.
I wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her in closer. “Hayle loves you more than his next breath. You know he wouldn’t have kept this from you without good reason.”
She turned her face to look up at me. “It would be nice if he would tell me what those reasons are. It would be nice if he talked about it at all. Instead, he’s pretending like it didn’t happen.
Like I’m just going to forget he lied to me.
” Her jaw tensed. “Why should I have to put the screws to him to find the truth? Why do I have to be the one to broach the subject? He’s the one that fucked up.
He’s the one with the secrets. What else is he lying about?
” Her voice got small. “What if the Soul Tie thing is all bullshit? What if everything is a lie? Everyone is surprised how easily he shares me; the Third Line is meant to be territorial. What if it’s because I’m not really his fated mate? ”
I kissed her temple. “I can tell you without any hesitation: Hayle Taeme loves you. He loves you more than his own Line. More than those creatures who share his mind. More than his own pride. I don’t know why he’s being an obstinate fool, but you never have to doubt that connection.
Nothing will come from being obstinate too. Just ask him.”
Sighing, she let her head rest against my shoulder as the Broken Heart Inn came into sight. I was ready to rest again, but something in the air told me that I wouldn’t get the chance for a long, long time.
A kid came up to grab the horses, and I paid him extra to take them to the Baron’s stables, as we grabbed our bags.
The inn was a large stone building, like most of the buildings in Cyne.
Unlike Doend, as we stepped into the Broken Heart Inn, there was an even amount of men and women in the bar, and everyone seemed lighter.
No one paid us any attention, but I still stuck to the shadows as Iker went up to the bar. I had the hood of my coat pulled up, obscuring my face, but I wasn’t wearing a disguise like I had in Doend. If the Sixth Line could see through it so easily, then the Fifth would have no problem.
That being said, the longer I could avoid recognition, the better for us all, especially this close to Fortaare. We needed to be in and out of Cyne in a day, maybe two at most, if we were to stay ahead of my father’s assassins.
Iker lifted his chin, directing us to the hallway at the back of the room.
We bunched around Avalon, keeping her safe.
I still wasn’t sure what her purpose in this was, but it didn’t matter, because even if she wasn’t fated to be here, I wouldn’t want her anywhere but by my side, where I could protect her.
“What’s going on?” Lierick whispered to Iker.
“I asked for Boot, and they directed me down here. I couldn’t sense any subterfuge, so I thought it best that we just went with it.”
I screwed up my nose. Being led around sat badly with me, and walking into unknown situations made my skin itch. Still, I kept that all to myself and stood a little closer to Avalon.
We made it to the end of the hallway, where Iker knocked four times on the solid stone wall. What the actual fuck?
A large circle of the stone simply disappeared. In the gap was the face of a grizzled man. His weathered skin was almost like a warmer version of the rock wall surrounding his face. “What?”
“Are you Boot?” Lierick asked.
The old guy looked around at our group, his eyes lingering on Hayle and I. “Depends why you’re asking.”
“Liselle from Doend sent us.”
The shaggy gray brows lifted. “Liselle?” Lierick nodded. I could see the man mulling it over, then the hole in the wall disappeared. It went back to being solid stone that would likely have taken me a week to destroy.
“That went well,” Avalon said quietly.
Honestly, I didn’t know what we should do now. Being in Cyne was too close to Fortaare for me to feel comfortable. I thought perhaps Liselle had been correct about Baron Ingmire—this was the Line that had spawned Ephily, after all, even if the Baron was just her uncle.
I was about to suggest we keep moving north when the stone wall at the end of the hall vanished completely. The craggy-faced old man stood there, ushering us in. “Move it,” he grumbled.
Despite his gesture, I hesitated. He wanted us all to go behind a solid rock wall with no way to escape. I looked over at Lierick, who lifted his chin. He thought it would be okay, didn’t sense any ill intent, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any there.
Hayle murmured something to Quarry, whose wing had finally healed enough to fly slowly, and Quarry hopped from his shoulder onto Alucius’s back. Together, they turned and ran from the inn, back out into the night air. A backup in case we needed it. It would have to do.
We stepped into the room beside the man, and I tensed as the wall reappeared behind us. My fingers brushed against it, finding it solid and not an illusion. That was an impressive display of power in itself.
I turned back to the old guy. “We don’t have to flex our powers, Boot. We would like a peaceful conversation,” I began, and he laughed.
“I’m not Boot, boy. Come on, he’ll see you now.”
We walked down a sloping hallway, clearly heading below ground. Avalon swallowed hard, and I reached out to hold her hand. The hallway eventually emptied out into a larger room, with the crowd down here only marginally smaller than the inn upstairs.
However, unlike the inn, everyone stopped and stared as we entered the room, with more than a few hands going straight to weapons.
Craggy Face glared at them all silently and led us through the room. Leaving so many threats at our back went against every ounce of training I’d ever had.
Finally, we stood before a wooden door at the back of the room. “Boot’s in there. He’ll see you now.” Hayle gave the man a nod, and Iker muttered our thanks.
When we pushed open the door, the person behind the desk nearly made me trip over my feet. This was the leader of the Underground in Cyne?
“Well, this is a surprise,” Boot announced, and I just stared at him.
That was a fucking understatement.