Chapter Fifteen
After a few hours of walking through endless trees, we found our first abandoned house. Ivy covered most of the outer walls, climbing its way up to the roof. The wooden door hung limply off its hinges, inviting us inside.
“Do we want to shelter here for the night or continue?” Fitz asked.
The house sat in a small, uneven clearing with trees slowly encroaching on the property.
Their limbs stretched overhead, the tips of their branches barely brushing each other.
Decorative stones carved a path through an overgrown herb garden.
I stayed on them as I approached the house but couldn’t avoid stepping on some of the plants.
The smell of mint filled the air, oddly pleasant and refreshing in the creepy atmosphere.
Inside, the house was only one story tall, with three rooms—one central room for cooking, cleaning, and socializing, and two empty rooms that were probably bedrooms. All the furniture had been removed, though they’d left behind an icebox and a stove.
“No skeletons left behind,” I called. “Looks like the family had enough warning to take their things with them.”
“Any chance there’s a bed?” Angelica asked as she stepped up behind me.
“Nope, our choices are to sleep on the floor inside, or the ground outside.”
She sighed. “I knew this was too good to be true.”
“A house is easier to guard than a campsite,” Maximus said.
“Good point,” Fitz agreed. “Who wants to take first watch?”
It’d been a long day. All I wanted to do was curl up in my bedroll and pass out. Unfortunately, during the watch was my best time to check in with Wilde. I forced my hand into the air. “I will.”
Fitz pursed his lips. “Trey, you look like you’re about to fall over.”
“No, I’m totally”—pause for yawn—“awake.”
No one looked convinced.
“I’ll take first watch,” Maximus offered. He set his pack down inside the door and posted himself between us and the forest.
Fitz nodded in approval, then chose a moderately clean spot inside the house for his bedroll.
“I want the last one,” Angelica said, choosing a spot on the opposite side of the room from everyone else.
Without discussing it, we all avoided the bedrooms. Although the house had been emptied, all personal touches removed, it felt like invading someone else’s space. It was easier to stick to the public rooms, and we would all be within reach if something happened.
“I’ll take second,” I tried again.
“No, no, I’ll take second,” Fitz insisted. “I often wake up after a few hours to read or eat a midnight snack.”
“I’ll take third!” Delilah flopped onto her own bedroll and squeezed the limp pillow close to her, wrapping her whole body around it, then curling her tail around herself to tie up the package. “It’ll be like two cat naps.”
I sighed. “Fine, then wake me up when it’s my turn.” It was probably best to be well rested when dealing with Wilde anyway. I removed my jacket but kept my boots on, then laid out my bedroll in the center of the room. Despite the exhausting day, it would probably take a while to fall asleep …
Something grabbed me, shaking roughly. Without opening my eyes, I clenched my fist and swung blindly, connecting with something solid.
“Ow!” A small first struck my chest in retaliation. “That hurt!”
My eyes snapped open, and I stared up at Delilah. “What’s happening?” I demanded, sitting up abruptly. I drew one of my swords as I searched for the threat. “What’s attacking?”
“Just you, you jerk,” she muttered, rubbing her shoulder. “It’s your turn on watch.”
I relaxed and stood up, stretching out the kinks that had settled in from sleeping on the floor. “Sorry I hit you.”
“Apology accepted,” she replied as she crawled into my vacated bedroll.
“That one is yours.” I pointed to her perfectly fine spot next to mine.
“You’ve already warmed this one up.” She snuggled deeper, pulling the flap over her head. “Goodnight.”
At least she’d gone to sleep quickly. I walked around the house, double checking that everyone was sound asleep.
Fitz sprawled out, limbs spread everywhere and only the upper half of his body on his bedroll.
Angelica slept perfectly still, with a silk mask covering her eyes.
Look at her—completely unprepared for this damn quest. I was tempted to startle her awake to teach her a lesson. Except then she would wake the others, and I’d lose my opportunity to contact Wilde.
Maximus lay with his hands on his chest, eyes gently closed. He wasn’t snoring or sprawled out or voluntarily blinding himself, so it was hard to tell how deeply he slept. Hopefully the sound of voices wouldn’t wake him.
To put some distance between us, I walked to the edge of the clearing. Even from several feet away, I could keep an eye on the house while I spoke with Wilde.
I pulled the compact from my pocket and grimaced when I saw the black, tarnished metal. How long ago did he leave his message? Fuck, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d checked.
The message inside gave me no additional context. It was the same as before: Call Me.
I whispered the summons and waited.
After a few minutes, the reflection changed to a black hooded figure.
“You’re still wearing that?” I groaned.
Wilde ignored my question. “You should have called me before you entered the forest.”
“When exactly? No one wants to be alone, even to go to the bathroom. Everyone’s on high alert because of the damn spooky trees and ghost wolves.”
“You’ve seen the ghost wolves?” Was that concern in his tone? Probably not. Evil mages—and their apprentices—weren’t concerned about anyone but themselves.
“Heard,” I corrected. “They’ve harassed us since we entered the forest, constantly howling back and forth to each other.”
He canted his head to the side. The damned annoying hood blocked his expression, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Which is the only reason I want him to take it off. Not because I have any desire to see him. I just don’t like feeling at a disadvantage—
“I don’t hear any now,” his soft voice cut off my rambling thoughts.
I opened my mouth, then froze as I registered the silence. “Maybe they’re asleep?”
“Ghosts don’t sleep.”
I reached for one of my swords, but I’d taken them both off to sleep. “Fuck.”
“Treasure—”
I snapped the compact shut and shoved it into my pocket as I ran toward the house. Something sharp whistled past my ear and embedded itself in the ivy on one wall. I ducked my head and dove through the doorway, shouting, “Wake up! We’re under attack!”
Maximus bolted upright as if he’d never been asleep. He lunged for the door, trying to force it closed while the vines clinging to it fought to keep it open. Arrows flew past him, bouncing off the dirt floor. They were small, sharpened twigs with colorful bird feathers tied to the end.
Fitz floundered in his tangled bedding, then swore under his breath. “Where are my glasses?”
Delilah bounced to all fours and ran straight for the threat, only to trip over some hidden danger in the herb garden. She tumbled head over heels and skidded hard against the ground, leaving a trail behind her. “Ow.”
At least Kit wasn’t around to see their daughter’s failure.
I drew both swords and ran after Delilah. One arrow struck my shoulder, piercing the skin like an oversized splinter. The pain was bearable, so I ignored it while I positioned myself between our attackers and Delilah.
Behind me, she yipped and exclaimed, “They shot me in the butt!” Then she jumped to her feet and pushed past me, ignoring my attempts to protect her.
“Delilah!” A new wave of arrows prevented me from following her, chasing me around the house’s front yard. One was manageable, but I refused to become a pincushion.
From the high angle, our attackers were probably hiding in the trees. Delilah dug her claws in and started to climb up. She’d only made it a few feet before the tree undulated, like it was trying to throw her off.
Tiny cries came from above as several small figures fell out of the upper branches. A pile of sticks crashed to the ground and scattered. After a few seconds, they rolled together and gathered themselves up into two little creatures.
For a stunned second, I stared at our tiny assailants.
They released high-pitched battle cries as they charged forward.
A gold point intercepted one, piercing it straight through the middle and scooping it up.
Angelica had finally woken up to join the fight. She raised her rapier to examine the creature caught on the end. It slid down a few inches before grabbing onto the blade to hold itself upright, then shook a twiggy fist at her.
Its companion lunged at her, digging the sharp end of one arm into her ankle.
Scowling, she scrambled out of reach. “You little monster!”
More creatures dropped from the surrounding trees, breaking as they hit the ground and rapidly reassembling again. They charged at us, and I struggled to ward them off. Every time I struck one, it collapsed, then rebounded in a few seconds.
“Net!” Fitz shouted behind me.
An arrow flew past me, expanding into a net in midair. It landed over the rising hoard, capturing a dozen creatures.
Who promptly squeezed themselves through the holes.
“I’ve got the door!” Maximus shouted.
Delilah stopped chasing one of the creatures around the tree and changed trajectory toward the house. One creature clung to her shirt, so I smacked it off with my sword. It tumbled to the ground, then redirected its anger toward me.
Angelica had collected several creatures on the end of her rapier. She swung it wildly, sending them flying in every direction. Then she turned around and ran for the house.
Fitz had been firing from the doorway, which meant I was the only one left outside. The hoard turned their full attention to me.
“Trey!” Delilah cried.
“I’m fine!” I shouted, smacking a creature off my arm. Pinpricks of blood welled up where its sharp limbs had dug into me. “Close the door!”
“Get inside first!”