Chapter Twenty-Six Wilde
The Next Day
The Small Town of Hud
Seeking Information
Fitz wanted to talk to the mayor of Hud about the forest and its evil mage before proceeding on the quest. Unfortunately, he mentioned this plan as the carriage arrived at the townhall, which meant I had no time to intervene.
Not that I had any opportunities to sneak away with Trey chained to my side.
Staying beside him, literally within arm’s reach of each other, should have been exactly what I wanted, but having one hand essentially out of commission quickly grew tiresome.
I couldn’t even enjoy seeing him naked because it didn’t feel earned, so when we’d dressed this morning, one of us stood outside of the room, the door closed on the chain, while the other struggled with their clothes.
Although Rick was an amateur in most things, he was an expert in bondage magic, a field I’d only learned about after meeting him.
Clothes passed through the cuffs like they didn’t exist. I still had to contort myself into odd positions to change my shirt, but nothing had to be cut up or left off.
The cuffs were clearly designed to lock someone up and strip them without ruining their wardrobe.
Which meant I had no time alone to spread my ‘fearsome reputation’ to the townspeople.
Above the entrance to the town hall, a shimmering gold banner proclaimed: “The Trees Did Not Win!” The enthusiastic message included sixteen additional exclamation points spread haphazardly around the banner.
“What do you think that means?” Fitz asked.
“Oh no,” Angelica groaned. “Please tell me we didn’t come all this way, and the curse has already been broken.”
Delilah burst into loud, awkward laughter. “That would be so weird, wouldn’t it? Good thing we’re not here to break the curse!”
Angelica blinked at her. “We aren’t?”
“Nope! We’re here to defeat the Lord of Grimnight, remember? Different goal, different quest, ignore any previous quests completed.”
“Is he still the Lord of Grimnight if there’s no Grimnight to lord over?” Fitz asked.
“Sounds like he’s lost all relevance,” Maximus replied.
“Well, let’s find out what the mayor has to say!” Delilah valiantly pressed on, throwing the front door open and marching straight into the building.
He won’t have anything to say because I haven’t intimidated him yet. If this went badly enough, I’d have to reset time again. Though there was still the matter of Trey being attached to me. “Unlock this,” I ordered, holding out my cuffed wrist.
Trey didn’t even look. “No.”
“You promised to unlock it once we reached the forest.”
“We’re still in town.”
I frowned. “You’re being contrary on purpose.”
A slight smirk twitched on his lips. He leaned close enough to press those smug lips to my ear, “What are you gonna do about it?”
I watched him steadily and murmured, “Do you want me to show you in front of your friends?”
The soft rumble of his laugh reverberated in my own chest. “See? Chaining you up forced you to stop running away.”
I’m not running away; I’m running toward something. I tugged him forward into the hall. I needed to hear what the mayor said so I could adjust my plans accordingly.
Fitz requested an audience through the mayor’s secretary, and a few minutes later we all filed into the mayor’s office. It was a small, humble space that struggled to fit seven people. There were only two visitor chairs in front of his desk, so we remained standing.
The mayor decided to stand as well rather than peer up into six unfamiliar faces.
“Mayor Brando,” he introduced, holding his hand out to each of us in turn.
When he noticed Trey’s hand chained to mine, he quickly switched to shake Trey’s left hand, then switched back to shake my right. “What can I do for you?”
“We’re here to ask about the Lord of Grimnight,” Fitz explained. “As I understand it, your town has been affected by the curse on the forest: taking in refugees from Traumstead, ghost wolves harassing the farmers, trees encroaching on your properties.”
“They didn’t win!” Mayor Brando declared, shoving a triumphant finger in the air. “They. Did. Not. Win.”
Fitz blinked. “Win what?”
“The war, my good sir. In the question of man versus nature, man thrived!” The mayor lowered his arm and fussed with his waistcoat, settling himself back into a professional demeanor.
“For fifty years the forest threatened our town. The trees fought us when we tried to cut them down, killed a lot of good men before we changed tactics, digging moats and the like to slow them down instead. And our efforts prevailed! A few weeks ago, the trees simply stopped growing.” He beamed and rocked back on his heels.
“They haven’t even touched the last markers we set in place, when usually they would have grown past them by now. ”
“So the curse really is broken,” Angelica said, her lips pinched with displeasure.
Mayor Brando frowned. “Why so disappointed? We put a lot of effort into that fight, young lady. This is cause for celebration.”
“We’re seeking a quest,” Fitz explained, “and thought we might find one here.”
“Ah, I see the problem now. I could send you on a quest, if it would help? Fetch an old book from the Traumstead Library—”
“No!” cried everyone except Maximus.
“—or something enchanting and complex, like capturing the heart of the forest, if you like.”
“We’re not seeking any quest,” Fitz clarified. “We are here to defeat the Lord of Grimnight.”
The mayor’s enthusiasm morphed into disapproval. “I don’t think you’re ready for that fight, children.”
“We’re all of age,” Fitz corrected.
“Son, I am fifty-seven years old. Anyone under the age of forty is a child to me. Listen closely: the Lord of Grimnight is not to be trifled with. He rules the forest with an iron fist.”
I do? I stared at the mayor, bewildered.
“He does?” Delilah asked, voicing my own confusion.
“Those who defy him are removed from this plane of existence, never to be seen again. Even the trees fear him. They whisper his misdeeds through their leaves,” the mayor lowered his own voice to a whisper and fluttered his fingers like rustling leaves.
“Some believe the trees stopped growing because he is stealing energy from them, preparing something more sinister.”
“Then why are you happy the curse was broken?” Fitz asked.
The mayor perked up immediately. “Because my own house was near the danger zone this year, and I was not looking forward to moving. I’d have a few months to prepare of course, but it’s so tedious changing houses, only for it to be threatened again in five years.
“Besides,” he added with a flippant wave. “Whatever the Lord of Grimnight is planning likely has nothing to do with us. So long as we stay away from the forest, he has no reason to care about our little Hud.”
“Do you know anything else about him?” Fitz asked.
“Like his weaknesses,” Maximus said.
The mayor shook his head. “Evil mages are not known for advertising their weaknesses. I know he controls the trees, the shadows, and every inch of that forest. He can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. And he has an army of minions patrolling the woods. Every manner of fiend in existence serves him, even a manticore.”
I do not have a manticore! At least, I didn’t think I did. The orcs had eaten it, hadn’t they? Or was that a different timeline?
Fitz clapped his hands together, beaming in excitement. “That’s perfect.”
“It is?” Mayor Brando blinked in bewilderment.
“Yes, we need to defeat a Great and Terrible Evil.”
“Defeat being the keyword,” Angelica said. “Are you sure we can fight him? I know this quest is meant to be dangerous, but I would rather not be erased from existence. If I die, people need to remember me.”
“We should at least try,” Maximus said, his gaze once again locked on me. “Evil doesn’t deserve to exist in this world.”
Delilah inched forward, placing herself between Maximus and me. Since he was more than a foot taller than her, it did nothing to block his challenging stare, but I appreciated the effort.
“If you insist on facing the Lord of Grimnight, promise me one thing, children,” the mayor said. He raised his hands and began nudging us out of his office. “Don’t bring his wrath down on us!”
He slammed the door in our faces.
Angelica scowled and plopped her hands onto her hips. “You would think he’d be grateful that we are removing an evil mage.”
“Only if we succeed,” Fitz said, turning his gaze toward the forest.