Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
Adelasia
The village is smaller than I remember, or maybe that’s just because I’m so used to the vast halls of the palace.
Or maybe I’ve just grown in spirit. In darkness.
I stand at the edge of the stone road with Kaius on one side of me and Rowan on the other, their faces hidden by thick hoods.
Rowan has hidden his wings with illusion magic, but the three of us together are about as inconspicuous as a Griefclaw.
The three of us stand so much taller than everyone in the village, the kiss of magic in our long limbs.
The wind shifted, and the smell of sweet corn chowder seasoned with a heavy hand of rosemary hits me like a punch to the chest.
I’m home.
When my home–my family’s cottage comes into view, I feel a sense of dread wash over me. My mother’s garden is overgrown, herbs long unattended, and the shutters are nailed shut.
I approach the steps, my hands shaking as I lift one to knock.
For a long moment, nothing happens, but then, the door slowly cracks open. My mother stands in the doorway, looking like a ghost herself. She’s thinner, her dark hair has nearly gone gray and much of it is missing. Her dress hung from her frame in dirty flaps of fabric.
“Mama,” I say quietly, tears already heavily streaming down my face.
My mother blinks. Once. Twice. Then, she gasps and pulls me into her arms like a child finding a lost doll. The world stands still for a moment, and in that moment, I feel like a daughter again. I feel whole.
My mother lets me go, slightly, examines my face, and then her smile fades. Her eyes go to the men looming over us.
“Who are they?” she asks suddenly, voice low and cold.
“They’re friends, Mama.”
My mother pulls back, eyes no longer tender and relieved.
“Demons,” she whispered like a curse. “You brought demons to my door!” Then, she shoves me. “You are not my daughter. My Adelasia would never consort with monsters. With evil. What have they done to you?”
“Mama, please—”
“Get out!” she screamed, turning her voice outward toward the village. “She’s brought demons with her! Someone help! Demons at my door!”
My breath leaves me in a rush. Doors fling open. Footsteps gather. Torches ignite. People I have known since I was a child now look at me with fear and hatred.
I feel a hand grab my arm. I don’t know if it was Rowan or Kaius, but they force me to run. We run into the trees, hearing my mother call after us, calling me the demon’s whore. Someone else shot a wooden arrow that missed Kaius by inches, even with his speed.
The trees grew thick, and the air grew cold. Branches snapped in our faces and roots tripped up our feet. The world grew darker.
And when we stop running, we realize we are firmly in the clutches of the Blackwood.