Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Senara
As soon as I got the blade to my throat, he halted my movement just like I’d expected, which was why I lashed out toward him instead. He had been expecting me to try to get it to my own throat again to fight to give myself the out that I claimed to want, what he hadn’t thought about was the fact that killing him would give me the same escape I was seeking.
I barely grazed him, but it was enough.
The shock of action made his control over me slip, ever so slightly, which allowed me to bring the second blade up and stab him in the side.
It wasn’t a killing blow, but it was close.
He staggered back, and a flash of panic was in his eyes as I lunged toward him again. When my sword slashed out, there was nothing there, and all I got was a whoosh of air, the lack of connection putting me slightly off balance.
The form in front of me flickered and then was gone. I spun, looking for my target only to find nothing. Not a single person was still around.
Even the corrupted fae were gone, either vanished or collapsed.
I was the only one still standing.
My gaze jerked to Thorn when I saw movement from the area; I knew he’d collapsed in and I moved toward it without hesitation. The cobblestones were slick under my feet from the spilled blood, but it wasn’t exactly an unusual experience for me. Still, I knew it was better to move carefully with sure footing than rush and end up falling.
By the time I got to him, Thorn was pushing himself up from where he’d been sprawled on the ground. He didn’t look hurt, just a little singed around the edges. I knew he hadn’t died-- the bond had made me aware of that--but it was still a shocking relief to see him relatively unharmed.
“Thorn!” I breathed his name, barely more than a whisper, as I slid to a squat next to him.
Thorn’s gaze was already locked onto me in an uncomfortable way.
What I saw there wasn’t the same relief I felt, or maybe there was a tiny bit of that, but the rest of it?
Overwhelming anger.
Rage.
At me.
The surprise of it had me falling backward onto my butt, landing on the disgusting ground of the battlefield that had once been a town.
“What in the cursed god’s name were you thinking?” he demanded, the words filled with vitriol that had never been directed at me before. He had no patience for me at that moment it seemed, since he was already pushing to his feet and stumbling away from me.
“Thorn!” a male voice called out.
“Here! Everything dealt with?” Thorn strode away from me as though he hadn’t just been struck by lightning and fighting for his life; meanwhile I was left with emotional whiplash.
Everything had been so overwhelming, ever since we’d been training this morning. Had it really only been a few hours ago? It felt like a completely different time in some ways. I had been smaller, still more human than fae in some ways, but now that had all changed. I was fae. More fae than human at that, and I believed what Thorn and Cassial had been trying to tell me all along.
I’d never been human.
At least not completely.
Maybe if I remembered my parents as more than just emotions and vague colors and shapes I’d have a better chance at figuring out if I was full fae or half, but either way I couldn’t change who I was; I could only accept it.
If Thorn didn’t like what I’d done then tough shit. It wasn’t like I’d had much of a choice, and by the moon in the sky I wasn’t going to be a captive or a queen. Neither was what I’d told the mage in the mask, and it was what I’d meant.
With the fire that I’d felt in that moment when I’d been facing the mage reignited in my belly, I pushed to my own feet and tried my best to ignore the wet sensation on my ass from my trousers. They weren’t even really mine, just something I’d intended to borrow and return to the lost and found, but now? There was no way I was going to get them clean enough that I’d feel okay about that.
Still, all of that could wait for later. I needed to find Thorn and figure out what in the moon goddess’s name was going on with him.
“Finish clearing out the last few buildings and round up the survivors to take them back to the city,” Thorn’s voice was cool and collected as he gave orders.
“So you can give directions,” I murmured, mainly to myself, but I didn’t care if he heard me as well.
The other soldiers walked away,leaving me standing there, not really knowing what to do, which was when Thorn turned to face me.
“Yes. I can give directions.” He opened his mouth to say more. But my frustration got the better of me.
“Why didn't you give me directions earlier then?” I demanded. “Why did you get me off the horse and then leave me in the village with no idea what we're supposed to be doing? I ran into that crowd of corrupted fae because I didn't know we were supposed to clear the houses first. I could have easily died. If Wynn hadn't cast her magic earlier, and I had still been smaller I probably would have died. And what the hell was that person in a mask? A mage? No one ever mentioned the corrupted fae having mages. Plus, his mask was creepy.”
Thorn took a step toward me. His hand out-stretched as though he wanted to draw me to him or something. I couldn't let that happen though. Not in our current situation. Not when anybody could see us.
“You think that didn't occur to me?” Thorn practically snapped. “You think that the whole time I was fighting in the square I wasn't terrified that you were going to die?”
I wanted to tell him that I didn't believe him. I wanted to pretend to be stupid, innocent, naive, whatever you wanted to call it. But that also wasn't me. Sure, I could do that but he and I would both know better. He had been worried about me the whole time, just like I’d been worried about him.
I wasn't about to let him get away with acting like a reckless hero, though. He knew better than that. He was a warrior, at least according to his people and the number of earrings he wore these days. I had never known until we arrived in the capital that fae were honored with earrings. If they performed well in battle, if they did the court a great service, all if it was rewarded with an earring. It was just a simple gold hoop, but it meant a lot, and according to how many Thorn had? He was a very talented warrior and prized by the courts.
“If you're so smart, then why did you come charging in by yourself?” I countered, not wanting to respond to his original sentiment.
“Why not?”
“You should have waited, gone to get backup or something. You’re the commander after all, aren’t you supposed to be responsible?”
I could practically see the moment he made up his mind. His eyes focused on me with an intensity that would have left me breathless if I had never experienced it before, and even though he was staring at me like that I knew he was also taking everything around us.
“Look, just go over there and wait by the tree. I’ll come and find you in a second and we can talk about this without having to worry about everything .” He gestured vaguely with his hand as he spoke and I knew what he was really trying to say was we wouldn't have to worry about people overhearing us.
It wasn’t like we could run around talking about how we were each other's mates or whatever the term was that they used. It still rankled to be sent away from the battlefield when the fight was only just over though.
My head tilted up slightly as I struggled not to defy him outright. “Are you asking me as a soldier?”
“If that's what it takes.”
“Fine.” I turned and stomped off. For some reason I couldn’t seem to stop myself from being a little bit of a brat around Thorn, whether it was trying to show off or get his attention another way, he always seemed to bring out the childishness within me. Maybe it was because he was always so authoritative? I wasn't sure.
I headed over to the tree that he had gestured, which was surprisingly far away from the battlefield, and as I walked away, I heard him explain to one of the other members of the troop that I was apparently going to go and assess the surrounding area to see if there were any corrupted fae that had escaped or If we had any more survivors that had made a run for it, or whatever lie he was telling right now. I was more than a little irritated, and I was pretty sure that was obvious to just about everyone.
When I finally made it to the tree, I looked over at the town and my stomach sank. The poor place had been destroyed like it was a war zone.
There was no coming back for it. Not with most of its citizens dead as well. All I could do was hope that the ones that survived weren’t completely traumatized by what had happened today.
I had no idea what they had seen before we got there.
Did they know that their loved ones were corrupted? How many of them had been forced to fight off somebody that they normally would have given their lives to save?
The whole thing just made my chest ache for the victims. In some ways fighting for the human king was easier, at least there was a coldness to it that I could accept.
As I stood there, time passed, and I started to wonder if the one had forgotten about me. After all, I wasn't a normal member of his squad. I didn’t even know if he would want me to fight with them on a regular basis? Gods, I didn’t even know if the King and Queen of the moon court would allow me to fight.
I certainly wasn't a normal soldier, that much was true. The urge to help was still strong within me though, whether it was fighting battles or finding the source of this so-called corruption.
Before I could get distracted by my thoughts of the future and what it may or may not bring, movement caught my eye and I watched as other members of Thorn’s group began riding back toward the capital, taking the survivors with them.