Chapter 34
Wolfe
Ihadn’t been this sure of myself in a long time. For so much of the last few years, I’d been plagued by guilt and shame, but now I felt a sense of peace, this sense that I could fix it all. I could fix me, and it was going to start with this journey.
I’d sent a letter to Harriet before I left to let her know I was leaving and to keep a close eye on Cillian. Harriet was a good royal guard, and she was also the only one I trusted to keep my brother safe.
I hoped I was able to find what I was looking for, that this entire journey wouldn’t be a waste of time.
I’d meant to go fast, but I’d found myself stopping far too often, noticing a wildflower that reminded me of Niamh’s hair, stopping to enjoy a view that I knew Niamh would love, admiring a sculpture and wondering what story Niamh might tell me about it.
It had been so foolish to think I could ever push thoughts of her away.
Since the day I’d met Niamh, she’d become so entwined in my thoughts, so enmeshed in my soul, that there was no future without her.
I smiled to myself, imagining the surprise on her face when I arrived back in Fairwitch Isle in a few days.
Then my smiled widened when I imagined not a smile but a scowl, how she’d likely want to throttle me.
But I’d make it up to her. She deserved so much better than what I’d given her so far, and I intended to make up for my actions and show her I could be the man she deserved, and it was starting here. Now.
A rustling sound caught my attention, and I turned, noticing the tips of the grass shaking ever so slightly. Probably a rabbit or some other rodent, hopefully one without magic. I supposed this was as good a time as any to stop and catch lunch. Better than having to track it down later.
I crouched, walking toward the sound slowly, steadily so as to not make any noise.
From here I could pinpoint the creature’s exact location, and I reached down into my boot and pulled out a dagger.
The rustling stopped, and I held my breath, hoping it hadn’t noticed me.
I reached out and parted the grass, then lunged forward with my dagger right as a shriek hit the air.
“Don’t kill me! I swear I won’t taste good!” The familiar voice shot through me, and I drove my dagger into the mud right next to Morton.
The pink bookwyrm bent his head, his body quivering.
“Morton?” I asked.
He lifted his head, and his pink eyebrows shot up. “Wolfe? Wolfe!” He slithered forward and wrapped his little body around my calf, squeezing tight. “I’m so relieved to see you. I thought you were one of the brotherhood.”
“One of the brotherhood?” I asked.
Morton unwrapped himself and fell to the ground. “We have to get back there now. She’s not safe. They’re going to kill her!”
“Slow down,” I said. “What are you talking about?”
Morton let out a frustrated groan. “There’s no time. Niamh is in trouble.”
I shot to my feet as fear coiled around my heart, and Morton slithered up the side of my body and to my shoulder.
“Where?” I asked, voice rough.
“That way!” Morton pointed behind us, in the direction I’d come from.
I didn’t waste any time, breaking into a run.
“She found out you left and decided to come after you. She was worried you were leaving for good, giving up on your life here. Giving up on her.”
“What?” I yelled so loud Morton jumped.
“Well, what do you expect after the way you’ve treated her? She decided she would come after you and bring you back herself. I told her it was a bad idea, but she refused to listen.”
My legs felt like lead, my heart like stone as I ran up the grassy hill, listening to Morton speak with building dread.
“I couldn’t convince her, so I decided to go with her. Everything was fine until we ran into the brotherhood. They wanted to take me, and Niamh wouldn’t let them.”
I swore. How Niamh ever questioned her bravery, I wasn’t sure. She was no warrior, yet she’d stood up to the brotherhood to protect her friend. Of course she had.
“She told me to go, and I listened. At first I was going to return to Fairwitch Isle, but then I thought maybe I could find you. Maybe there was some hope you were nearby since we’d ridden on horseback.”
“You did good to come find me,” I said. “How far away do you think she is?”
“Not far, I don’t think. I hadn’t been slithering long when I came across you.”
I crested a hill and stopped when I saw Niamh at the bottom, surrounded by three of the brotherhood, their maroon hoods over their heads.
The blood in my veins froze, and Morton inhaled a sharp breath as a woman pointed her sword at Niamh’s throat, a tiny prick of blood welling and trailing down her neck.
I looked at Morton. “Get back to Fairwitch Isle. If they’re after you, then you need to be out of sight. I can’t save her if we’re both worried about your safety. Let everyone know what’s happening with me and Niamh, that the brotherhood is in this area, and that we’ll be back as soon as possible.”
The bookwyrm hesitated, then nodded and slithered to the ground. I didn’t pause before racing down the hill, unsheathing my sword with a quick thwick that drew the attention of the two men.
“Paloma,” one of the men said.
“Why aren’t you searching for the bookwyrm?” she snapped.
“We’ve got bigger problems,” the other man said as I approached with a deadly calm, sword pointed straight at the woman.
She turned, eyes widening as I stalked toward her.
As soon as she took her eyes off Niamh, Niamh slid to the right, then grabbed the woman’s arm just like I’d taught her and twisted it behind her back. The woman cried out in pain, taking her sword, about to spear Niamh when I lunged forward and knocked the weapon from her hand.
The men charged, and chaos broke loose. One of the men jumped on my back while the other jabbed his sword at my stomach.
I blocked the move while reaching behind me to grasp the other man, who had his hands wrapped around my throat.
My lungs constricted, my airways blocked, my chest and throat burning and begging for air, but I wasn’t thinking about myself.
I was thinking about Niamh and hoping she was kicking that woman’s ass.
The man with the sword charged me again, and this time, I kicked out my leg, my foot connecting with his stomach and sending him flying backward, then I bent forward so the other man flipped over my head right as my vision had started blurring.
His hands released my neck, and I sucked in lungfuls of fresh air, my throat burning.
I wondered how Niamh was faring but didn’t have time to check.
The man I’d kicked now lay unconscious in the distance, but the man in front of me jumped to his feet, picking up his sword that was lying on the ground.
I had no time to recover before he was striking at me in quick jabs.
The tip of his sword caught my shirt and sliced it, dragging across my skin, blood welling from the shallow wound.
Damnit. My head was still pounding from the lack of air I’d gotten, and black spots dotted my vision, but I lunged anyway, hoping I could end this once and for all and get myself and Niamh the fuck out of here.
He dodged my attack, whirling around behind me.
Niamh’s grunts filled the air, and I turned right as she knocked the woman over the head with the hilt of her sword. The woman crumpled to the ground, and Niamh smiled and clapped her hands like a little girl.
“I did it!” she shouted.
“You did,” I said back to her, so fucking proud of this woman and her endless courage and tenacity. When we were finally alone, I’d tell her just how proud I was.
Her smile turned into a distressed look, and she reached for me. “Wolfe, watch out—”
I didn’t hesitate, whirling right as the man plunged his sword toward my side. I was able to dodge just enough that he didn’t hit any organs, the sword grazing my hipbone and slicing my skin open. Again.
This was getting tiresome, and I was ready to end it. I growled at the man, and his face paled under his mask.
“It was them!” He pointed to his two unconscious companions. “Their idea to attack her and try to steal the bookwyrm. Not mine. I swear it.”
“Yet you are the one who tried to kill me.” I stalked forward as he stumbled back.
“Because I was defending myself.” He tripped over a rock and fell backward, then raised his hands to shield his face. “Mercy. Mercy in the name of the godwitches.”
“You dare name the godwitches in your defense? The godwitches would be ashamed of the brotherhood and everything they stand for.”
I raised my sword, ready to give this man the end he deserved as I drove the tip straight into his heart.