Chapter 23
“Are you sure we should be doing this alone? What if something goes wrong and we need backup?” I can’t help but ask.
“I've taken this journey many times on my own without any issues, and from what I've heard, you're quite powerful. If anything, I’d say we're more prepared than usual.”
“I’ll take that as your first compliment, Larkin," I say, smiling at him.
The corners of his mouth twitch briefly before disappearing back into his harsh facade.
We continue down the winding path through the dense forest. The dim sunlight has transformed into a blazing glow that spills through every crack in the forest canopy.
The birds around us keep to themselves, singing a pleasant tune in the distance, and I catch myself humming along with them.
The horses seem relaxed, and I can’t help but take a deep breath.
Being back in the forest and away from the gloom of Andorwood Castle has made me feel calmer than I have in days. The forest buzzes around me, my axes are a comfortable weight on my back, and dare I say, I’m truly enjoying myself.
However, the silence between us is slowly killing me.
It’s been over an hour without him speaking to me, and the awkward tension grows by the second.
Larkin keeps his calm composure as he rides Atlas with ease—like the two of them were made for each other.
Something about the bond between an animal is so special to me.
I lean down to pet Myah and turn to Larkin again.
Every so often, I see him swat away a small pesky insect that makes me chuckle to myself.
“Not fond of nature?” I ask.
“I appreciate nature. I spent most of my childhood outside, but I’m not a big fan of bugs.”
“Snakes?”
He cringes. “Even worse.”
I laugh as another insect attempts to land on his hands, and he bats it away.
“You know they can hear that, right? They will be more drawn to you because you just made that statement.”
He snaps his head in my direction. “That isn’t true.”
“Oh, yes, it is. A thousand of his buddies will come visit you now,” I tease.
Larkin rolls his eyes and grips Atlas’s reins a bit tighter, glancing over his shoulder. The horse snorts, and Larkin leans forward, giving him a quick pet.
“There is a spider on your shoulder, by the way,” Larkin says, with a grin.
I scream and jerk sideways in an attempt to rid my body of the unwanted traveler.
Larkin bursts out laughing as I struggle to stay on top of Myah, who is annoyed by my movements on her back. After a few seconds, I realize there is actually nothing on my shoulder, and I glare in Larkin's direction, irritated by his teasing.
“You’re fucking mean,” I snap.
“And you are just as afraid as I am.”
I brush the hair from my face and settle myself back on Myah’s large back.
“This part of the forest is still mostly warded,” Larkin says, changing the subject.
“We have a bit farther to go before we pass through the wards, and our senses must be sharp. The creatures will primarily stalk us in the shadows. They don’t tend to attack first. It’s the creatures we won’t see until it’s too late that I worry about. ”
I nod. “Got it.”
Silence hits again.
“Has Silas told you anything about the trials?” I ask.
Larkin looks at me, his dark eyes shooting daggers into mine. He nods and says, “Yes, a bit, but I didn’t pry. I only listened to what he was willing to disclose.”
“Why didn’t you come with him to Daramveer?” I flinch at my own questions. “He traveled there alone.”
Why would I ask that?
Larkin stirs on the saddle, obviously uncomfortable at my question.
He doesn’t respond.
“I’m sorry. That was an odd thing to ask. I just…I know you two are very close, so I thought maybe he wanted some company.”
The mid-morning breeze wraps around us, and even the birds seem to stop singing as I await his response.
Larkin clears his throat. “I was on a ship about twenty miles from shore when his boat docked in Daramveer. I had a small fleet follow behind him, in case he ran into anything and needed assistance.” He pauses, as if reliving the memories.
“When the ship arrived safely, I turned around and headed home. Silas didn’t want help.
He went to Daramveer with one purpose and one mission only. ”
“To win the trials?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “To find you.”
My heart flutters for a second, and I quiet my questions. Larkin won’t open up to me easily about what I really want to know, so I need to be cautious with my inquiries.
“It seems as if all of Andorwood knew who I was before I ever knew about you all.”
The thought of that makes me uncomfortable.
“Hardly, Briar. Silas speaks to his close circle and rarely to anyone outside of that. Your reputation spread fast because of your skills and power.”
“Is that what we are calling it?”
He nods, continuing, “Silas is extremely guarded and doesn’t trust people easily. It’s taken us years to get as close as we are now.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Oh, I’ve noticed.”
Larkin huffs a laugh, and I flinch at the sound. I see his head tilt back, and the bright sunlight reflects off his white hair. His shoulders relax a bit, and he lets loose of the reins, stretching his arms.
“We hated each other when we first met,” he adds. “I think I knew Silas all of fifteen minutes before he punched me in the face in a local bar.”
My mouth slightly parts. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” He laughs to himself at his own memory. “I drunkenly hit on Fenmore and spilled a bit of ale on her. It made Silas upset, if you can imagine.”
“You can flirt?”
“Of course, that’s what you take away from that story,” Larkin huffs, cutting his eye toward me. “I do have a life, Briar.”
“Were you and Fenmore an item? I don't mean to draw attention to it, but Warrick is always the one who’s around her.”
“No,” he shakes his head. “Silas pretty much killed any chance of that happening after Fen had to pull him off me. It also didn’t help my case that she was drenched in ale.
” He cringes. “After that, Silas and I became friends—sort of—and I thought it would be too inappropriate and uncomfortable for me to pursue anything further.”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you two,” I respond. “She’s great.”
“Fenmore is fantastic. She’s strong, fearless, and stunning, but I promise I’m not lonely.” Larkin laughs. “I can fill my time with others.”
“Who? What’s her name?” I can’t help but ask.
He angles his head in my direction. “Who said it was a female?”
“Oh. I’m sorry, I just assumed that since we were speaking about Fen, you preferred women.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. I like someone for who they are as a person,” Larkin smiles.
I nod and smile in return. “Oak would really be furious that you said he wasn’t your type if he knew that.”
We both boom a laugh.
“So, Maines and Oak are together?” Larkin asks.
I shrug. “They’re something. But yes, I’d say they’re together.” I pause. “She...had a thing for Barlowe before Oak.”
Larkin tenses. “I see.”
“They grew apart when he left for the Northern Training Camp on the mainland, so to my knowledge, it never turned into anything deeper. They had different wants at the time, but you know, everything happens for a reason,” I add.
He doesn’t respond, and I watch his knuckles tighten around the reins at the mention of my brother.
“How long were you at the camp?” I ask, hesitantly.
He stares forward, and that familiar composure creeps back as I watch his shoulders cave inward. His harsh face returns, and any ounce of entertainment he was experiencing moves past me like the fading breeze.
“Why won’t you talk to me about anything regarding my brother?”
“Because it’s not your business,” he bites back.
I jerk my gaze to his. “My family is my business.”
“Briar,” Larkin whispers.
“I’m sorry. I just need to know more,” I say, louder than intended, startling Myah.
“Hush.” Larkin raises his hand, placing his finger to his mouth. “Right fucking now.”
“Why?” I snap.
Larkin’s gaze turns to mine, and his eyes are filled with worry. “Because we aren’t alone.”
I quickly snap my mouth shut and glance around.
The forest surrounding us has transformed, and even though the sun shines above, darkness looms as we move deeper into the woods and farther from the heart of the kingdom.
The trees have lost their vibrant green hue, the grass is parched, and I no longer hear the soothing melodies of the birds.
The trees now appear as if they are rooted in decaying soil, and long, thin fingers have replaced the once-full branches.
Only silence exists here, and as much as I want to ignore it, the invisible tattoo on my shoulder begins to pulse.
Larkin motions for me to fall behind him, and we continue forward.
The path becomes narrow, and I often have to dodge limbs that extend onto the path—as if the trees are desperate to pull us toward the forest on both sides.
He glances behind him, checking to see if I’m keeping up, and I throw a quick thumbs-up in his direction.
My eyes shift from left to right, and an uncomfortable tingle starts in my fingertips.
This is it.
Silas said to listen to my body’s reactions.
Larkin raises another hand, signaling me to stop. I pull on the reins, bringing Myah to a halt. Even she senses something lurking around us, and her ears lay flat. I lean forward, brushing her mane, trying to give her any comfort I can in this moment.
Larkin swiftly swings a leg over Atlas and dismounts him gracefully, landing on the dirt with a thud. I quickly do the same and move to Myah’s nose, wrapping my arm around her gently.
“Shh,” I whisper. “You’re okay, girl.”
Larkin scans the surroundings.
His dark eyes sweep across the dense forest, and I look in the opposite direction to cover every pocket of shadows. He draws his sword, but I keep my axes tightly secured, placing my hand on one of the throats over my head, just in case.
“We will leave the horses here.” Larkin points to the last bloomed tree. “Ten steps ahead of us is where the wards end, so they will be safe. We won’t be long.”
I give him a worried glance and rest my forehead against Myah’s nose. “You’ll be okay, sweet girl. I won’t be long.”
We carefully guide them to the nearby tree and tie their reins with enough slack so they can enjoy their rest. I watch Larkin lean into Atlas and whisper something.
The horse flicks his ears in response, and Larkin leaves his hand pressed against the beast for as long as he can.
I walk next to him and offer a soft smile.
“Once we pass that final tree, I need you to listen when I say something and react if I tell you to without a second thought.”
I nod, letting the unease fill me.
“It’s a two-mile walk from here, so it shouldn’t take us too long,” he orders. “Be careful what you speak of once we pass through the wards. Malachi has spies everywhere.”
“The Travelers?”
He nods. “And crows.”
I cringe at the thought of the invisible creatures that Malachi controls, but I’m thankful for the protection tattoo—even if it does cause me a constant dull ache.
“Larkin,” I say to get his attention. “Can the invisible creatures show themselves?”
He nods. “Yes.”
“Have you seen one?”
His face turns to stone. “Few people have. But, yes, I unfortunately have.”
“What does it look like?” I ask.
“I hope you never know," Larkin says, sliding his sword into the sheath at his waist as he walks along the narrow path.
I fall into step behind him, jumping at every sound as we approach the last moments of warded protection.
A tall tree stands before us, its trunk stretching wide, and not a single leaf clings to its branches.
The bark is white and gray, and all I can think of is the creature that haunts me.
Its skin is so similar, and that’s when I realize: once we pass that, all wards are down, and we will be fair game.
The air thickens as we step past the tree.
The silence is deafening, and I do my best to avoid any fallen leaves.
Larkin keeps his senses sharp and moves his head slowly.
Any sudden movements could attract unwanted attention, so I do my best to follow in his footsteps.
My heart begins to race, and I speed up to walk beside Larkin.
A loud growl in the distance makes my senses even more heightened, and I snap my attention to Larkin.
He places a single finger to his lips before pointing to a dense area of trees, turning in their direction and away from the looming threat. I hurry alongside him and silently curse that I’m acting like Oak right now.
Get a grip, Briar.
We step forward, and once the dead trees provide some shield for the open path, Larkin turns to me. “The forest will end soon, and we will confront Death’s opening.”
I glance around him, as if I can see the towering place through the dense forest canopy.
“This is where two mountains have split apart but connect at their peaks. No one knows how this happened, but legend says this is where the creatures of the darkest realm escape from.”
I shudder.
“The poison you want to learn about is called Arxbayne. It comes from Death’s Opening and is lethal within seconds.”
My brother’s lifeless body flashes in my mind like a lightning strike, and I close my eyes for a second, blurring the image.
Larkin notices my flinch but continues, “We’ll enter the mouth of the mountains and visit a trap I set to catch the creature I extract it from. I’ll teach you everything I know about it then, and once we finish, I will harvest it.”
Shock ripples through me. “Why?”
“Because it’s lethal, making Andorwood almost unbeatable to outside Wielder threats if we use it. We’ll return to Silas’s after that.”
“Larkin, this is what killed my brother.”
He tenses. “I know.”
“How? How did this get to Daramveer?” I ramble, my thoughts going a million miles a minute. “How was this on the mainland?”
“Because I sold it to him.”