Chapter Twenty
Two undisturbed nights in a row were too much to expect in a haunted forest. I woke to a hand covering my mouth, the dark shadow of my assailant looming over me.
Clenching my fist, I swung it up into their stomach with a satisfying smack.
They groaned and released me, rolling to the side, exposing their face to the dim firelight.
Fitz’s eyes watered as he clutched his stomach. “Why …” he wheezed.
“I told you he wakes up violently,” Delilah whispered. “That’s why I didn’t want to do it.”
“What’s going on?” I demanded, only to be met with four people frantically hissing, “Shhh!”
The shushing barely cut off before I heard the soft, muted sound of a footstep outside the barn door.
I rolled over and grabbed the hilt of one of my swords, ready to draw it at the first sign of an attack.
The soft susurration of hissing leaked through the cracks in the door. Our nighttime visitors probably weren’t human, but they might be sentient.
We’d assumed the farm was abandoned like the rest of the forest. Just because humans had tucked tail and run didn’t mean everyone else had.
Was it a group of harmless farmers, investigating the trespassers on their property? Or the patrols Wilde had mentioned? Either way, we shouldn’t stick around to find out.
I gestured for everyone to huddle up. Keeping my voice low, I said, “Pack up your shit as quietly as possible. We’re leaving out the back.”
“What if they’re guarding both entrances?” Delilah whispered.
“Right. We need a distraction, but I don’t know what—”
“I’ll do it,” Angelica said, her voice firm, unwavering.
Of all the people to volunteer, Maximus seemed more like the self-sacrificing type. Even he seemed surprised by Angelica’s rapid answer.
“Are you sure?” Fitz asked. “You’re a fine duelist, but if it’s more than one assailant, they could overwhelm you.”
“I’m sure,” she insisted. “Evil mages always want to capture damsels, not kill them. They’ll take me to the mage’s lair, which is where we’re going anyway.” She pulled away from our huddle long enough to flip her golden hair over her shoulder. “It’ll save me a long walk.”
“So, your plan is to lower their guard with your feminine wiles and hope for the best?” I asked, voice dripping with sarcasm that slid right off her.
“Exactly.” Standing up, she tiptoed to her bag and rifled around in it for a few minutes. Eventually, she pulled out a white, diaphanous nightgown with an opalescent shimmer. “I prepared for this possibility. Everyone turn around while I change.”
We shuffled around, rearranging our huddle to put our backs to her. “When we make a run for it, we might end up in separate directions,” I said. “Does everyone have a compass?”
They all nodded.
“Fitz, what’s a good landmark to meet at?”
“The library!” His voice rose with his enthusiasm, and he slapped a hand over his mouth, then whispered through his fingers, “We should meet at The Traumstead Library, which is north of here.”
“Everyone good with the plan?”
They all nodded again.
Angelica floated into view. Her puffy shoulders and voluminous skirts softened all her edges, turning her into a fairy princess. She would look right at home sleeping between the petals of a flower. “Keep this safe for me,” she told Maximus as she passed him her pouch.
We gathered our things as quickly as possible, then crept toward the back of the barn while Angelica boldly walked out through the front.
“Thank the gods you’re here!” she exclaimed, her voice high and trembling with fear.
Maximus unlocked the back door and slowly pushed it open. Creeeeak.
“I’ve been so scared all alone in these dark, spooky woods!” Angelica shouted the line like an actress projecting across a whole theater.
Maximus slipped out first, searching the area. Then he held the door open for us and waved everyone through.
I pushed on Delilah’s shoulder, silently urging her to go first. She dropped to all fours—which, seriously, how can that possibly be faster?—and ran straight for the trees.
Behind us, Angelica continued her performance, each word increasing in volume to cover our escape. “I’m just a poor, defenseless damsel who needs a big, strapping man like you to protect her from the horrible monsters in these words.” She was laying it on thicker than peanut butter.
Fitz followed next, veering into the fields rather than the trees so he could use the giant vegetation for coverage. The corn rustled with his progress before settling into stillness.
I gave him a few seconds head start, then slipped out of the barn. I’d only walked a few steps when the door slammed shut behind me. I slowly turned around to look at Maximus, who stood with his shoulders hunched toward his ears, staring in horror at his outstretched hand.
“Behind the barn!” someone shouted off to the left.
“Run,” I mouthed at Maximus.
The dumbass ran toward the shouts.
Gods dammit, you don’t even have a weapon! I ran after him, barely intercepting his attacker. My raised sword clashed against the shaft of their spear, knocking it to the side.
“Trey!” Maximus cried. He tentatively stepped toward me, then jumped back when a thick tail lashed out at him.
A green scaled hand grabbed my other arm, preventing me from drawing my second sword. Claws circled my wrists, as unyielding as an iron cuff.
“I said run!” I raised my foot and aimed straight at my attacker’s crotch, hoping the seven-foot-tall reptile in front of me had similar weaknesses to humans.
The attacker wheezed in distress as they dropped my hand and collapsed to their knees, clutching their groin.
Shit, I almost felt bad for the low blow. Not bad enough to let them capture me though. I smashed my knee into their muzzled face. A fang scraped against my knee, cutting through my pants and drawing a thin line of blood.
A long hiss came from behind me, and I whirled around to face my next attacker.
They held up two clawed hands in surrender. “We don’t get paid enough for this.”
A laugh sputtered past my lips before I could suppress it. I sealed my mouth shut and stepped backwards, drawing my other sword and raising them both. “I’m walking away now.”
“Go ahead,” the second said, their eyes locked on their companion. “You alright, Syb?”
“My cloaca,” the other one cried, rolling around on the ground as they clutched themself.
I continued inching backwards to the trees until I was confident in my head start, then sheathed my swords and ran.