Chapter 56
When I get to breakfast, I avoid eye contact with Daegan. I’m embarrassed that I was apparently making a bunch of noise over my nightmare, and that I had to ask him to stay with me because I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t have any more nightmares once he came to stay with me, though.
He was there when I woke up this morning, dressed and sitting in a chair, quietly studying a map.
He had a cup of tea waiting for me, which I accepted, then awkwardly sipped in silence as he continued looking at the map.
After that, I excused myself for a bath, which is when he said he’d be waiting for me downstairs.
Now here we are at a long wooden table, and everyone has joined us. Except for poor Rhydra, who we’ll bring food to after. She’s hiding somewhere outside, waiting for us to start our journey.
Raef has attempted to ask Phaedra about herself, but she’s not really talking.
She’s sort of folded into herself more and more since we left the island.
I don’t blame her. She’s probably scared, probably has no idea what she’s going to do now.
On the boat, I apologized to her when we had a private moment.
I explained to her that that wasn’t the real me, the elf she knew on the island.
I had gone through some traumatic events and I was coping horribly.
I told her as much, and she seemed to understand.
She always knew that I was dealing with some dark things, but it’s no excuse for how cold I was to her at times.
I might never fully forgive myself for the person I became there.
After Raef gives up on her, he shifts his focus to me.
I can’t help but laugh a little as he looks at me with those fake pieces of elf ears on.
It actually looks incredibly real, but knowing Raef on a personal level, him being an elf just isn’t right.
Same with Daegan. But I’m trying extremely hard not to focus on him.
There are a few travelers scattered around here this morning, but it’s still very quiet, so we keep our conversations to a minimum and eat quickly.
We waste no time heading for the exit when we’re done. It’s going to be a long journey on foot to the closest town, where we’re hoping to secure some horses. Raef explained that they left a few there before their rescue mission to the island.
As soon as we get outside, Rhydra joins us, happy to accept the food.
We all have packs strapped to our backs, mine stuffed full with Lemakis, and we have all the weapons we can possibly carry.
Luckily, mine are all small. Daegan, Raef, and Rhydra are adorned with multiple swords and daggers, and Rhydra even has a bow and her staff.
Before we can make it five steps on the road, three figures emerge from the barn, looking like they’re about to head out themselves. We must have missed them inside somehow, because they don’t look familiar. We really should have checked the barn.
It’s too late to hide Rhydra now, as the three males have already looked our way. I don’t have a good feeling, so I start walking the dirt trail with my head down, hoping everyone will follow.
I hear their horses getting closer, and I say a silent plea in my head for them to ride right past us.
Of course, we’re not so fortunate.
“Morning,” one of them says.
“Morning,” I respond, along with Phaedra and maybe Raef. It’s hard to tell.
“Where ya headed on foot? Morne?”
“Yes,” Daegan says.
“That’s a long journey.”
“We enjoy the walk. Beautiful scenery out here,” Raef replies.
I glance at the soldiers, who all have pointed ears and are clad in the armor of the king’s army, and I see two of them eyeing Rhydra.
“You’re a tall lady,” the tallest, skinny one remarks.
“I am,” she responds.
Silence falls over us all for a moment, and then the taller one speaks again. “Well, you folks have a safe journey.”
“Sure thing, fellas,” Raef says.
I release a breath of relief as the soldiers get ready to take off. They look ahead, kicking their horses, and gallop up the dirt road.
“She’s princess Elysande!”
My head whips to Phaedra so fast I almost hurt my neck. My mouth hangs open as betrayal burns through me, and she looks at the guards in a panic.
I glance back at them, wondering how we can possibly get out of this one, but they’re already riding the short distance back. They hop off their horses when they reach us and draw their swords.
“She’s lying,” I say in a pathetic attempt to mollify the situation. “Don’t listen to her, she’s a little bit loony.”
The soldiers continue to approach, their weapons at the ready.
Daegan steps between the soldiers and me, his sword drawn, his stance ready for bloodshed.
“Drop your weapons,” the tall soldier says with authority. He doesn’t seem to be intimidated by us at all.
“Not a chance,” Daegan says in a cold, deadly reply.
“If she’s the princess then we have no choice but to take you all in as prisoners. Everyone has been told the princess has recently escaped and is on the run. General Greenwood will want her taken back alive.”
I step forward, my knife now in my hand. “We will never be your fucking prisoners again,” I spit out through clenched teeth. “You can go now and tell that to your general.”
“We’re not leaving here without you, sweetheart.”
“Your choice. But it’s five against three. Do you really think you stand a chance?”
“I think you mean four, not five. That one just sold you out.”
I smile. “I wasn’t talking about her.”
With the dramatic flair I was really hoping for, Kezra enters my line of sight followed closely by her signature golden trail, and all heads turn her way. They look impressed and awed by her presence but not scared. That’s okay. Their mistake.
The leader of the three seems to be done with talking. He swings his sword at Daegan, who counters it easily. The rest of us jump in.
I charge at one of them with my dagger, yelling and sending a wave of water at him. It knocks him onto his back, and I waste no time pouncing on him.
I still haven’t trained much at all in hand-to-hand combat, or with my dagger, but I’m filled with so much rage at the thought of them thinking they can take me prisoner again, at the thought of Adrian taking me prisoner again or taking Daegan again, that I see stars as I hold the knife to his throat.
Maybe it’s careless because he still has a grip on his sword, but I’m almost positive they probably have orders to bring me back alive, so I act with reckless abandon.
He knocks me off him with ease then flips me over and straddles me, smirking.
“Nice try, princess.”
His grin will forever be plastered in my memory, as that’s the last thing I see before his head gets severed from his body.
Some of the blood hits my face, and I don’t have it in me to scream. I push his body off me and jump up, looking the other way in a panic.
Daegan is there, steadying me with a firm hold on my arm.
“I’m sorry,” he says with a surprising gentleness not fitting the carnage happening around us. “But I’m not fucking letting them take you again.”
I look at him, at his intense and unwavering gaze. It calms me, and the bile that I was trying to fight down begins to dissipate. I can do this.
“Thank you,” I tell him, breathless.
We both look away, realizing there are still two guards to handle. The moment is over.
Rhydra has her legs tied up with vines, but she’s still fighting strong, chopping at everything that’s being thrown at her by another one of the soldiers.
He’s weak. I lift my hands, preparing to send a barrage of sharp icicles his way, but then I hesitate.
I haven’t practiced a lot lately, and I don’t want to miss.
She’s too close. Fortunately, Daegan is already on his way.
He jams his sword into the soldier’s side with little effort, then pulls it out and stabs again, and again.
I run to Rhydra and help her cut the vines around her ankles.
“I had him,” she grumbles at Daegan, who has just rammed his sword into the soldier once again. Just to be sure, I guess.
“Sure,” he tells her with a wink.
She makes an angry grumbling sound.
Raef approaches, breathing lightly as if he went for a leisurely stroll, the last guard bloody on the ground behind him. “Idiots,” he says.
“Kezra, where were you?” I ask.
She appears again, seemingly out of nowhere. “That was hardly a fight. I’ve seen a toad have a tougher time against a hazefly.”
“Right. So you were moral support. I’m starting to think you made up that whole bond thing. I don’t feel any different.”
“No?”
I shake my head, my mouth turned down.
“Watch this.” I jump as she flies quickly, stopping right in front of me.
In the blink of an eye she disappears into a thicker trail of gold which swirls around my dagger, then disappears.
For a moment nothing happens, but then the blade of the dagger lights up gold, as if it’s lit from within.
I tighten my grip, and my hand swipes out, again and again in intricate patterns.
The dagger is guiding my hand, and I’m simply a vessel.
I’m swiping at air, but then the magic guides me forward, forcing me to take a step. But somehow, it’s not awkward. Somehow, I move as one with the dagger, until I’m standing in front of Raef. I raise my eyebrows, scared of what’s happening, yet not resisting it.
My hand lashes out, and he quickly deflects with his sword. He looks shocked, but entertained at the same time. He smiles wide as I take a swipe at him again.
Kezra is putting on a show, that much is clear.
Suddenly, Raef and I are going at it in a beautiful, lyrical dance of clashing metal.
But I only have a dagger and he has a sword.
And I’m faster. Somehow, with his whole lifetime of training, I’m besting him.
My hand moves so fast and intuitively that he can’t keep up.
With one hard, final jab right at the base of the flat side of his sword, just above his hand, it rattles the whole thing, and he drops it.
Then my hand flies to his throat, and I smile in victory.
I know Kezra isn’t going to hurt him. I can feel it.
But I do, however, see a brief flash of fear cross his eyes.
It’s quickly replaced with a smile as the swirling gold escapes my dagger, and my hand finally drops.
“This is such bullshit,” Raef curses, watching Kezra reform into herself again.
“To envy another is to curse everything that you are, Raef,” Kezra says in a melodic voice.
He rolls his eyes.
“Kezra, that was... incredible.” I say in awe.
“You did well,” she says proudly.
“You picked the wrong person, though.” I look down, trying to ignore the gore all around me. “I’m not a killer. Or a warrior.”
“Such is why I chose the way I did. You will not abuse this gift. But when the time comes, you will need it. And you will kill. We all must make sacrifices to right the wrongs of our past.”
I don’t answer her. I look away, catching Daegan’s eyes. He looks at me with a gentleness that seems out of place after what just transpired.
“Wait, where’d Phaedra go?” Raef interjects.
We all look around, realizing at once that she’s disappeared.
“She couldn’t have gone far…” I muse.
“Ah. There she is.” Raef approaches the horses, finding her cowering behind them.
“You look like you were about to take off. You’ve got more bravery than I gave you credit for,” Raef is telling her as we catch up. “Unfortunately, we can’t let you do that.”
She’s scared, but trying to hold herself steady. “Why?” I whisper.
“I just want to go home. I don’t know why you’re messing around with these…” Her gaze drifts from one person to the next. “People. But I don’t want any part of it. You’re a fool. You had Adrian wrapped around your finger, and you ruined it. For what?” She looks around in disgust.
“I knew it,” I say. “You were in love with Adrian, weren’t you?” I shake my head, disappointed.
“He deserved better. You were a sloppy, pathetic drunk who didn’t even deserve him.”
I nod my head slowly. I should be angrier, but she’s not wrong. At least, not about me. The old, drunk me might have punched her in the face, but her words don’t get to me. I feel sadness at her betrayal, but I’ll get past it. There’s more at stake here.
“I’ve heard enough,” Daegan says, stepping forward with his sword drawn.
“Daegan!” I yell, making him pause.
“What? She’s a danger to our mission, and I’m not going to let her insult you like that. And I’m not going to let a single one of us get locked up in that fucking dungeon again.”
“We’re not going to kill her,” I tell him, putting a firm hand on his forearm.
He sighs. “Fine. Then what are we going to do with her?”
“We could leave her out here to fend for herself,” Rhydra suggests.
“Yeah,” I agree. “She’ll be fine. The inn is right there. If she tries to leave, we’ll be far ahead of her.”
I’m surprised no one came out and caught sight of the fray. Or maybe they did and decided they wanted nothing to do with it, heading right back inside to avoid it.
Phaedra remains where she is with her arms crossed, silent. She doesn’t protest. What would be the alternative? Bring her with us to Morne where she can squeal about us to the next person who will listen? I think not.
“Okay, who is doubling up?” Rhydra asks as she stops in front of the three available horses.
I look around, immediately realizing I’m by far the smallest one here and it would make the most sense for me to double up.
“Elysande is with me,” Daegan answers immediately.
No one argues. In fact, they are suspiciously quiet. Raef and Rhydra turn to pack their horses while Daegan glances at me, his eyes awaiting my confirmation.
“Fine,” I say. Then I pull off my bag and secure it to the horse.
“Ladies first,” he says, his hand held out to assist me up.
The moment I take it, I feel his warmth travel from my hand all the way through my body. I can feel my cheeks flush as I climb atop the horse, and it only worsens as I feel him sit close behind me. His scent engulfs me, drowning out all thoughts and horrors from the morning.
Maybe it’s his calming presence, or maybe it’s just that I’m becoming more and more desensitized to the horrors around me.
Or perhaps both.