CHAPTER TEN
THE BURNS ACROSS MY STOMACH blister, red and ugly, searing with white hot pain, and my shoulder thrums with a constant sharp pain where my father staked me.
I groan as I shift my hips, and a part of me breaks at seeing the mate mark destroyed by Evera’s fit of rage.
Thankfully she left afterwards as my wounds and lack of attraction towards her made it impossible for me to get it up, no matter how hard she tried.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad for my male-hood to stay limp in bed.
The mere thought of what could have happened makes bile rise in my throat.
I need to get out of here. I need to get back to her, to make sure she’s safe, and maybe hide her in the mountains. No, I fight with myself. I can’t risk her anywhere near Allonde, nowhere near my father.
The dim candlelight flickers as a cold chill wraps over me.
I tug on the restraints, hissing as the iron rubs into my already raw skin.
How could this have gone so wrong? I should have listened to Killian.
The plan was supposed to be simple: appease my father and keep the eyes of the Lords off of us, and then get to Vathia to figure out how we were going to adjust the plan to fit this new development.
Even Milly, who was supposed to help me this afternoon, has left me.
I can only count on myself to get free. No one has disturbed me today, and I can’t tell if it’s a good or bad thing.
I just know I have very little time to get out.
Then I’ll need to hide somewhere and lay low until I heal enough and get this tonic out of my system, call my dragon to me and endure the journey across the realm.
Hope seems like such a fragile thing—one stone can get plucked from the pile and it can all go tumbling down.
Think, Talyn, think.
There’s nothing nearby that I can reach to use to pick the lock; even so, it would have to be long enough to reach from my mouth to the keyhole. I still can’t sense my magick, the bond with Zaddro or… the other one. And just like that, the small flickering light of hope extinguishes.
The door cracks open and I harden my emotions, bracing for whatever is about to happen next.
“Lord Talyn?” a small voice whispers.
Relief rushes through me like the currents in the Wraithwater Channel. “Milly?” I whisper, taking in the crisp black dress uniform that my father makes the help wear. “It’s not safe.”
She scurries over to me and climbs up on the bed, careful not to rub the iron against my skin but hurrying to unlock the restraints.
“After what happened, my Lord, I thought it would be wise to request some help to have you escape the property. I had to wait for Lord Craven’s guests to retire for the evening as well.
I came as soon as I could,” she whispers quickly as the iron cuffs fall from my wrists.
“The Lord will be back sometime in the morning. We don’t have long.
I’m sorry I don’t have anything for your wounds, but we must hurry. ”
She finishes releasing me from this nightmare and I struggle to sit up.
Every movement is filled with white-hot pain, but I push through it.
Taking more effort than I thought possible, I go to the drawers and search for pants.
Something. Anything to cover myself, but I leave my chest bare.
Any fabric would stick to the fresh burn that covers most of my torso.
When I’m ready, I turn to Milly. “Let’s go. You’re coming with me too.”
She shakes her head. “I must not. The other brownies will cover for me. I will be okay, but you will not be if you stay here.” Milly rushes to the door of the room and peeks her head out, making sure the coast is clear as I struggle to follow her.
We carefully pick our way down the hall. Sweat drips down my face leaving a trail of droplets behind on the cold floor. My body shakes with exertion as I continue to keep my steps light. My injuries must be worse than I thought.
Milly dutifully makes sure the coast is clear while keeping a worried, watchful eye on me, and as we get to the side entrance of my father’s estate, I lean against the wall next to the unopened door, panting.
“Come with me, Mil. It won’t be safe for you here if he even hears a whisper that you’ve helped me. Please,” I beg, hissing with every breath I take.
She shakes her head again, her long bat-like ears flopping as she peers up at me with wide, glossy eyes.
“No. My duty is here. I couldn’t leave all the others to save myself.
It would be a death sentence for them. I’m going to say this quickly, but your father is an evil man, Lord Talyn.
We’ve heard whispers of some of the things he’s been doing.
No one is safe. Especially your sister. Please find her and take care of her. ”
I nod. “Cynder is safe. I swear.”
“Good. Now, when you get to the end of the road, you will have an escort waiting for you. And Lord Talyn? Do not come back here unless it’s to end the evil that roams this realm,” she states sternly as she opens the door and ushers me out.
“I’ll see you again, Lord Talyn. Stay safe and hurry.
There’s not much time left.” As I go to step away she grabs my pant leg.
“Stay out of the mountains,” she hisses in fear, so much unlike the Milly I know.
Her hand darts up and pushes me back, the slight pressure on my burns causing nausea to build up.
When I finally catch my breath, I turn around to ask her to come with me again, but the door is already shut and the lock clicks as it engages.
My heart is heavy, but she’s always been stubborn, and if I wasn’t so injured I’d take her from here, but I can barely carry myself.
My feet drag along the cobblestone, my vision tunneling at the corners the further I get.
I just need to get to the end of the driveway and everything will be okay.
I keep repeating the phrase in my head. I almost make it to the end when my body gives out on me.
My knees crash into the ground, and I fall to the side, groaning as searing pain rips through my body.
A male comes running towards me wrapped in shadows.
The slapping of his boots on the ground echoes in my ears as the darkness overtakes me.
The last thought I have is not of my brothers and how I failed them.
It’s of Ravina, her sapphire-blue eyes and how I never got to tell her how sorry I am.
I AWAKE WITH a jolt and find myself in another bed, with tavern music playing below me.
“Woah there, Talyn. You’re safe,” a familiar voice states.
My hand scrubs my face as I blink away the sleep. “Where am I?” I ask, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth as I try to grapple my bearings. “Evander?”
Wait, what is he doing here? He should be with Cyn on the way to Vathia—
I try to sit up and Evander pushes down on my shoulders.
“Calm yourself, you big oaf. Your sister is safe and you’re above the Dragon Den Tavern in Winhol,” he states, pulling the stool over next to me. “Now, do you want to explain what happened? Where are Jesper and Killian?”
Using my arms, I hoist myself up against the headboard, grunting in pain. I glance around the small room, which is just the barebones: a small single bed, end table with a lamp, and a metal tub in the corner for bathing.
My gaze settles on Evander who is watching me with the same impatient look as his brother. “Safe as far as I know.” Then I whisper, “They’re heading to where you’re bringing my sister.” I groan, touching the bandage that’s wrapped around my stomach. “How bad is it?”
He leans back, shaking his head. “I’ve seen dragon burn victims with less damage.
We debrided it the best we could. I’m sorry about your new tattoo.
Honestly I’m surprised it’s still there, but it’s mangled as fuck.
” A piece of my heart cracks at the thought of it being damaged, but he pushes on.
“Your wrists should heal nicely, though—minimal scarring if that.”
I nod distractedly. “How long have I been out? How did you get me here?”
“It’s been a couple days. Dante blinked you here.
Although it took a bit with the jumps, we figured here would be the safest spot for you.
It’s an underground rebel hotspot. Sabish, the owner, is one feisty wench, and it took some convincing, but she’s going to let you stay until you’re healed.
I’m not sure she believed that the son of Lord Craven is actually one of our biggest alli—”
“Wait,” I cut him off. “If you two are here, who in the void is with my sister?”
Evander sighs. “I was getting to that. My other two crewmates are with her. Dante and I just wanted to make sure you woke up, then give you the rundown of what’s been going on before we get back to her.
Thank the fates Milly got a message out to us.
At this rate I think I should be starting a tab,” he teases.
Grunting, I scrub my hand down my face again before reaching for the cup sitting on the edge of the end table, sniffing it before taking a sip. “You will always have us on your side, you know this. Now, what’s going on with the rebellion? Where do we stand?”
Myself, Killian, Jesper and Aemon started this whole thing years ago once we were tired of watching our fathers sink further into the clutches of whatever evil they’re working with.
Code phrases are used to figure out who is on our side, and they change every few turns of the moon.
Except for one, the one in case we ever found Maeven, which I suppose is no longer needed.
“That’s the thing,” Evander starts. “It’s been quiet. No more attacks by those shadowed creatures. Even Phixmery has been silent despite a purple dragon returning and choosing a rider. Now do you want to elaborate on that?” he asks, raising his brows.
“Not yet, we are still working that out. But the rider is… safe.” Safe as far as I know.
Aemon wouldn’t do anything to hurt her considering who she is, but I have many questions for that male, including how in the fates he knew to be at the Choosing, and how did he know about Ravina…
Maeven… whatever she’s going by. I’m sure Killian and Jesper are already hounding him for that information as we speak.
Evander rises to his feet, his cloak falling around him.
“That’s better than them being in the hands of the Lords of Damorleia then.
But I better get back. I’ll let Cyn know you’re safe—she was frantic and just about pushed me overboard to come get your sorry ass.
Stay safe and we will see you in Vathia in a couple weeks. I’m assuming.”
“Safe travels,” I tell him as he wanders out of the room.
As soon as he’s gone, I reach for my magick and I breathe out a sigh of relief when I can sense it, even if I can’t draw from it yet.
The bonds are the same, but it feels like Zaddro is close.
He probably felt the bond awaken and is staying nearby waiting for me to call to him.
Unlike Tisur and Voissor, he doesn’t go straight to burning everything down first. A smile pulls at my lips as the memory engulfs me of the time Tisur couldn’t find Jesper after he woke up the night after a battle and almost burned down a forest to go and look for him.
Jesper was only just taking a piss a few yards away.
They were newly bonded, and the memory of Jesper running through the woods yelling ‘I’m here!
Don’t roast me!’ will forever be ingrained in my mind.
Especially because his dragon isn’t even a fire type. Tisur spews water.
Not long after Evander leaves, a knock sounds at the door and a red-headed female with a surly expression comes in with what smells like a tray of stew. She’s covered in tattoos and has heavy kohl lining her eyes. She shuts the door with her foot and stands near the foot of my bed.
“I’m Sabish, the owner of this place. Now, I think we need to have a conversation, Little Craven.”