Chapter Thirty-Nine
W ith the Forest of Tragedies at our backs, we were able to travel during the day.
Exhaustion weighed on me as we rode, Frost remaining steady below as if she could sense that my fatigue would throw me off her back if she so much as breathed too heavily. Henry, who I found out on our first day of travel after the afriktor attack was Bellamy’s highest ranking captain—second only to the lieutenant general—trained me after dinner, not caring that I was exhausted.
We worked to keep a healthy balance of using my power to fight while also learning to survive without it. Lian offered to help, and together they had me past basics and onto more intermediate combinations after the second day. On the third, I was asked to wield my dagger.
The runes on it still gave me chills, still called to me as if they wanted me to know their meaning. I ignored them, but argued against using it.
My protests of fear that I would hurt them were met with laughs. Henry offered a snide remark, of course.
“As if you could hurt us when you tried, let alone by accident. Please, Ash, do be realistic.”
Ash.
Noe and Henry both seemed to feel they were entitled to call me that. A nickname that was reserved for friends. For family. At first it upset me, the memory of those who had called me that before leaving behind an ache I could not free myself from.
But as the days went by, I found myself considering them friends too. Especially Noe, who had accepted my friendship and cared for me every day since.
When twilight came and went, the others slept. I offered to take watch the first evening when we once again made camp. I had not woken another to take over, opting to stay awake and practice most of the night away.
The second and third nights were far less convenient. Bellamy and Ranbir had timed our travel rather perfectly, landing us in small villages with even smaller inns just as darkness fell. It was then that I learned Eoforhild was home to more than mere demons.
On the eve we arrived at the first inn, we were greeted by the owner. She was a blue skinned female with five small, cream horns sticking out of her black hair. They looked almost crown-like, as if she were born to be a monarch. She was beautiful in only the way a faerie could be. Yet, the fae had been under the belief that faeries were completely extinct, wiped out by the demons in the Great War.
Bellamy used my curiosity as an opportunity, eagerly answering any questions I had, so long as he could ask his own. It turned out, many creatures had fled to Eoforhild during the Great War. He told me of the days when creatures were not separated by seas, but were mingled on land. I gasped at the idea of fae and demons and mortals all living together, as if they were not so incredibly different after all. Apparently, that did not turn out well though, seeing as there was a war.
I did not sleep at the inns. At first I blamed it on the curiosity of the newness. After that wore off, I realized I was simply afraid of what resting would bring.
Instead, I wandered, rejoicing in the freedom and running from the monsters that loomed in my mind. As far as I was aware, Lian had not told Bellamy about my nightmares in the grass, but her discretion did not come without a price. She was never out of sight, always keeping an eye on me, even if from a distance.
Out of everyone, Ranbir’s company was the most soothing. He was an early riser, hunting each area to find plants and berries and anything he could use for natural healing. I had never seen a Healer take so much interest in non-power methods, so I could not help but tag along those first three mornings.
He was not one for small talk, but he could not resist the opportunity to discuss his work. I learned about aloe, lavender, hyssop, tulsi, goji berries, and walnuts. So many natural ingredients that supported the body during recovery, even sped it up.
When I had asked why he would need to have anything of the sort when his patients were always quick healers, Ranbir’s eyes went wide. I could sense his nerves and fear, feel his panic. Whatever reason he had was apparently one I could not know. Eventually he offered a vague response.
“They might not always be.”
I did not ask again.
On the third day, Ranbir and I ran into a plant called prunella vulgaris. Ranbir nearly sobbed with joy at the sight of the plant that, according to the Healer, was not native to the region. He had left me after collecting what he needed to share the exciting news with Winona.
As he did each morning, Cyprus found me immediately after Ranbir and I parted. We were on our fourth day of travel following the Forest of Tragedies incident, and Cyprus had taken to getting to know me.
“Okay, today we talk about something you failed miserably at accomplishing,” he said, a smirk gracing his face. Cyprus had pulled back his hair, wrapping it in a leather tie at the base of his neck. He was a similar build to Ranbir, the two of them both tall and thin.
Today he wore loose black trousers and a dusty rose colored long sleeve top. His cream boots matched perfectly, pulling the outfit into a beautiful statement. It had a certain Tomorrow’s name written all over it. In fact, every one of Bellamy’s Trusted wore clothes that screamed Pino.
My own outfit did as well. The seamster must have known I had an aversion to gold, because he managed to add every color but that to my wardrobe. Each night, Bellamy brought me a pile of fresh clothing for the next day that made my eyes bulge. Today I wore skin tight trousers that matched the sand at Haven. Around my thigh was a sheath that appeared black, but glittered an assortment of colors in the sunlight, my dagger tucked safely inside.
On my upper half was the true statement. The sage green long sleeve top wrapped me like bandages, twirling up my torso and around my arms. The chest was missing, covered instead with black lace and cloth designs that deigned to cover my breasts somewhat. Over top I was given a leather corset the color of spiced cider, which stopped just below the lace and tied at my back. Like every other piece of clothing I received from Pino, it fit like an incredibly comfortable glove rather than suffocating me.
To tie each outfit together I had taken to copying the group and adding kohl to my eyes, the same black as my ankle high boots. Instead of smudging it onto my lid or under my eye, I dragged it from the outer corners and up, creating wings that would never fly. But a fae could dream.
No matter the outfit, I always wore my silver cloak. It seemed the only article of clothing we repeated were the covers, as the others sported their matching red ones daily too.
Winona was the best dressed of us all. Every piece was spectacular. The day prior she wore a top that appeared to be made of diamonds held together by thin gold chains. Her tanned skin was visible below, only a small gold wrap covering her breasts. Black leather pants adorned her bottom half, and thigh high boots that reflected in the sun topped the look off. According to her, being cold was worth looking extraordinary.
She had been doing my hair every morning and telling me of fantastical creatures that existed nowhere else in the world but Eoforhild, which had been both exciting and terrifying at once.
I eyed Cyprus as I thought of something I failed at, other than being as mystical as Bellamy’s Trusted of course.
“I once attempted to learn to sing, but my instructor was appalled that even after a fortnight I had not shown a hint of progress. The only thing I failed worse at was learning the language of The Old Ones. My tutor yelled at me for a year straight before finally giving up. I can pick up on a few words here and there, but it mostly goes in one ear and out the other.”
At my admission, Cyprus let out a laugh that echoed across the small dining area of the inn. This had been the first one to not be enthralled by the idea of the crown prince residing in their establishment. Instead, these demons were hostile and ignorant. They had refused to allow Ranbir and Lian in at all, though they would have gladly thrown out Bellamy as well judging by the looks they had given him. There were no faeries here either.
It seemed a half-fae prince was not enough to eradicate the hatred for the inhabitants of Betovere. Perhaps the feud would never die, fae and demons alike always at war over prejudices that had been engraved into them since birth.
Bellamy had been prepared to concede, suggesting to us in a hushed voice that we would all make camp somewhere else, but something in me raged at the way they were ostracized. Based on the anger that poured off of the prince, I knew he was barely leashing his own frustration, fighting that reputation of ripping out hearts and burning beings alive.
Without hesitating, I latched onto their minds, burrowing my way in. I had taken to silently practicing on the others for fun lately, not saying anything until they managed to find me in their heads and nag at me to stop. But that had been entertainment. This was business.
“ You will allow us to spend the evening here. You will show us kindness. You will kneel for your prince and treat him with the respect he deserves,” I had ordered them, the tenor of my voice dropping to a low and seductive tone. I could sense the others tensing at my back, the way they all radiated fear despite knowing I would not harm them. Not now when I was just beginning to enjoy their company that is.
The two males had fallen to the ground, tears streaming and apologies spewing from their mouths. I had rolled my eyes, past the point of forgiveness. However, I had not missed the way they seemed to face me as they bowed. No one had scolded me, but the others did keep their space for the rest of the night.
The two demons had not bothered us again.
Even with my power, I knew it was not ideal to annoy the hosts, so I quickly jabbed Cyprus in the gut with my elbow, earning a satisfying grunt from the whisp. I moved my hand to my mouth to stifle my own laughs at his slightly bent form.
“What about you, oh great shadow? What is something you have failed at?” I inquired.
He pursed his lips, looking off to the side as he mulled over the question. Whatever answer he might have found was lost when his eyes went wide. My nerves skyrocketed as I turned, praying to Eternity that there was not a rabid beast at my back.
Eternity must have felt humorous today, because it was not a mere monster that stood behind me. No, it was Bellamy. He was only a few feet away, scowling at Cyprus over my shoulder. The nerve of that demon was absurd. But I could not bring myself to think of anything other than the fact I had not seen him today, and I was not prepared for his appearance.
We matched, which was now our new normal. I was unsure if Pino or Bellamy was responsible, but I had come to expect the demon prince to use our coordination as a way to initiate conversation, and then proceed to shamelessly flirt with me for the remainder of the day.
That was not what left me breathless though, not in the slightest. It was the utter indecency of his clothing. His sandy pants fit him as snugly as my own, better even. The sage top he wore had loose fitting sleeves that were rolled up to the elbow, showing his cream skin and the black tattoos atop it. The neckline of the shirt cut down in a low V shape, nearly reaching his navel. Black strings laced up the opening, though they remained untied, matching his black boots.
His dark hair was a mess, but it only added to his appeal, much to my disdain. Bellamy was aggravatingly handsome, even more so as his eyes moved from Cyprus to me. The blue was not nearly as startling as when he chose to wear cosmetics below them, but they still captivated me. An odd sense of déjà vu hit me while I stared into them, one I could not quite place.
“Well, I better go bathe while I have the chance; I know this will be our last inn for a few days. You will have to let me hear that incredible singing voice of yours later,” Cyprus said, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek and then winking at Bellamy. With that, Cyprus was gone, fading to shadow. I rolled my eyes at his hasty exit.
Coward.
Bellamy stared at me for another moment, looking me up and down with that fire in his eyes I had come to know. I blushed, much to my annoyance and his smirk-filled amusement. Before I could brush off my reaction, he spoke.
“Cyprus seems to like you a little too much.”
I had learned from Cyprus that Bellamy’s Trusted were like a family. They did not act as if they had any particular power imbalance, nor did Bellamy demand their compliance. In fact, he had apparently urged them to speak their minds, to fight against his poor decisions.
That was, until I came. Now there was a tension in the air, one that seemed to follow me everywhere I went. I was the outsider. Either the problem to be fixed or the shiny new toy, and I hated that.
“What ever happened to beginning a conversation with ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ or even ‘thank you for not murdering us all in our sleep’? At least something more interesting than petty jealousy. It is truly beneath you, Your Highness,” I said with a smirk of my own, hoping to antagonize him.
“Hello, Princess,” he offered with a smile, bringing back that softness to his otherwise hard features. Bellamy took the handful of steps needed to close the distance between us, leaning down until we were breathing the same air.
With a raised hand, the demon pinched the lace of my top, toying with it. I swatted his hand away, coaxing a laugh from him. Those fingers came back up, lightly tracing my collar bone. I gasped despite myself when he leaned down to my ear and whispered, “You look positively ravishing today, Asher.”
My eyebrows shot up, face feigning bewilderment. I did my best to seem offended as I brought my hand to my chest, mouth popping open. Anything to hide the heat that was trickling down my body to my core.
“Here I thought that I always looked stunning,” I said.
He laughed, a short and crisp chuckle that I felt in my bones. It was a lovely sound, one that made someone want to laugh along, to enjoy themselves. I tried my best to fight his charm, which seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.
His dimples made an appearance on his cheeks, signaling a full and true smile. Despite myself, I did enjoy the sight of them paired with the crinkle of his eyes.
He was dazzling, annoyingly so.
I wanted to hate him, but was unable to. Dislike, yes. Hate? I did not know if I ever could.
“Are you implying I do not suggest so daily?” he asked, his own mock hurt shifting his face. I nearly rolled my eyes, but knew better than to give him the satisfaction of winning our little play fight.
He smirked, as if he knew how hard it was for me not to show my irritation.
“Of course not, I am merely saying you are not nearly as appreciative of my gloriousness as you could be.” I made sure to lift my chin slightly, knowing it brought our lips closer. He took the opportunity to bring his chest to mine, our breaths matching pace.
With the movement of his body, our faces were now merely inches apart. If I wanted, I could lift onto my toes and taste him. Memories of his soft lips and wicked tongue fogged my brain. I knew I should protest the closeness, but I could not remember why.
“Let me make myself clear then. You, Asher, are the most gorgeous creation to grace our world. To see your face is to know true divine beauty,” he whispered. Then, with a sly smile that lifted only one side of his mouth, he added, “The only thing better would be seeing the rest of you.”
I reared back slightly, smacking his arm, laughing despite myself. He too joined in with a deep laugh, his arm looping around my back to pull me back into him.
Ever the obnoxious flirt.
Such a silly, pathetic being you are. So trusting. So na?ve.
Ever the idiotic princess.
I placed a palm to his chest, pushing him back. He complied, stepping much farther than the strength of my shove had warranted. A kindness, but no more than I deserved. Because no matter what I thought or others attempted to make me believe, my body was mine and mine alone. A part of me knew that he agreed, but I could not shake the feeling of Sterling against me.
“You are lucky to have me, lucky to be mine when you are so unwanted by your own kind.”
With the mortal prince’s voice still ringing in my ears, I turned and walked to mine and Noe’s room, not allowing myself the chance to do something I would regret.
I was broken and tired and lost. No one needed to hold my hand and watch me sink. Bellamy, who was willing to kidnap me to save his realm, least of all.