Chapter 33 Say Please
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
SAY PLEASE
ADELINE
Pulling the double doors open takes some effort, even with Ardruna helping me, standing on her hind legs and gripping the handle with her teeth. Finally, they swing inwardly just enough to let us pass, the hinges making no sound.
The doors fall shut behind us as I step outside. Quelling the shiver of fear traveling down my spine, I stand at the top of the wide staircase, gazing down at the city… without Roane by my side.
You got used to him protecting you every step of the way, I chide myself. You’ve always run about alone before, working, and yes, stealing. Eiras was always away and your parents were at home, unable to help. You were used to relying on yourself.
Time to go back to that. Self-reliance is a beautiful thing.
Even in a world full of monsters?
It’s like the countryside in my world. Instead of dragons, you have griffins. Instead of dark fae, you have goblins. The snakes here may be prettier. I haven’t seen anything worse.
Yet.
“It’s not too late to turn back,” Ardruna says. “Just for now, until Roane sorts out whatever has been stressing him and—”
“I’m not completely useless,” I tell her. “Forget how I’ve been these past few days, weak and tired without food or water, running for my life. Brogan, my father, has taken me with him out of town on occasion. Taught me how to protect myself from snakes and lesser fae.”
“My mistake.” Ardruna huffs. “You’re clearly a veteran warrior, ready to face the horrors.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, good, because overconfidence can get you killed. Roane should be the one teaching you this, not me.”
“That won’t happen.” I swallow down disappointment and anger. “He doesn’t want me around.”
“I’m sure he woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. So to say.”
But that’s the thing. He had seemed bright as daylight when I’d woken up. Happy. Interested. That smile… The hunger in his gaze…
And I’d responded to it like an idiot.
With Ardruna by my side, I go down the steps toward the ruined city, refusing to acknowledge the weariness clinging to me like an angry ghost, my cramping muscles and belly.
I’m taking back my independence, my life. If this should end badly, it’s on me alone.
Clenching my jaw, the satchel slung over my shoulder, I start my descent. I’ll need to get out of the city and reach the meadows to find a choice of edible herbs and roots. I may even find something for the bruising on my side. Arnica or calendula would do, if they exist here.
And then there might be greens and tubers I could boil, turn into a broth, especially if Roane gives me some more of that horrible dried meat… Some are tonics and they could help restore my strength.
Having a mission, a goal, helps lift my spirits.
“You asked me how I met Roane.” Ardruna interrupts my thoughts as we pad down the city street.
“Yeah? Tell me.”
“It wasn’t far from here,” she says.
“Inside the city?”
“No, right outside.”
Completely distracted now, my curiosity piqued, I don’t have to think about it twice. “Take me there.”
“Say please.”
“Please, mighty Ardruna.”
She barks a laugh. “Why would you care to see the place?”
“I don’t really know. There are many mysteries here and you’re one of them.”
“Nothing mysterious about me,” she says and yet she sounds pleased. “Come along, I’ll show you the spot.”
“You said that before that meeting… you have no memories?”
“Of course I do. I…” She slows down, then she stands still, her massive head cocked to the side, a low growl emanating from her throat. “I must have.”
“It’s a weird world,” I say, to break the tension. “Its magic may be affecting you.”
“True.” But she’s quiet as we walk down the wide avenue. She doesn’t even remind me to be careful.
I am, though. Tension stiffens my spine and sends my heart racing as we march through the empty city. I remember the goblins, and who knows what else could be lurking in the overgrown gardens and abandoned houses?
And let’s not forget the danger from above. I glance up, scanning the sky for griffins, but I only see birds circling. They look like hawks.
Too many things could go wrong, so I need to stay vigilant. I can’t cower inside forever, though. What I told Ardruna was the truth. I can’t let myself get accustomed to being taken care of and living in constant fear. The best cure for fear is facing what’s out there.
Whether I live to enjoy it is another story.
My anger with Roane fuels my resolve, though. No chance of me turning back. He thinks I’ll curl up and cry, that I’ll obey his commands and suffer his snide comments, sit and fetch like a good dog?
My fault. I was tired and weak when I arrived. I gave the wrong impression. I was frightened, and he’s so pretty. I was bound by his beauty and I wasn’t myself.
This is who I am.
Reckless, a voice in my mind whispers. That’s what you are. Always were. Haven’t you learned yet to be more careful?
I’m fine. Besides, nobody cares.
Nonsense. You’re thinking of Roane. But there’s Eiras, and Naida and Brogan.
My chest goes tight. Gods, I miss them. I hope they are all right. I hope—
“Aline, take cover!” Ardruna barks and I throw myself down on my belly on pure instinct. Something passes over my head, so close it grazes my scalp. It whizzes off and Ardruna whines, then growls.
“What was that?” I breathe.
“The metal birds,” she growls.
“Metal birds?” Sitting back on my heels, I see them flying off, only to turn and sweep back around, heading for us.
Gods. I had thought them hawks. They are not. For starters, they are much larger, like ibises, their bodies thicker, their claws overlarge.
“Run!” I say and follow my own advice, securing the satchel on my shoulder as I race down the wide street.
“Good idea.” Ardruna lopes after me. “They are flesh-eaters.”
“It never crossed my mind,” I grouse. “This way!” I turn into a narrow street, then into another, a maze of alleys. “Maybe they’ll forget about us—”
“Look out!” Ardruna yips, jumping into the air, knocking a metal bird off course. But more descend on us.
Too many of them. I hiss as a wing brushes my arm and a line of fire blooms on my skin.
Sharp. Their feathers are like blades. I glance up as the flock flies off to circle back. Metal birds, Ardruna called them, only they aren’t wholly metallic. Their beaks clank like swords banging on shields, and their wings cut like knives.
This detail nags at my memory. I know these creatures. This story. It’s right there, at the edge of my memory, on the tip of my tongue.
Beaks of bronze, sharp metal feathers, and poisonous dung. Yes, I know this tale... these are the birds of Ares.
Deadly enemies of the griffins. Relentless hunters.
“This way.” I dash into a garden. “These birds won’t stop attacking until we’re dead.”
“What can we do?”
“Hide until they go away. Hide behind a hedge they can’t get through, that’s what happens in the story.”
“What story? You know these birds?”
“Stymphalians, also called Stygian birds,” I whisper, crouching behind the overgrown hedge. “Shush now.”
“But this isn’t a solution! Does the story say how to get rid of them?”
“Well, the hero had a magical bow and arrows and shot them down. In fact, the arrows were steeped in hydra poison.” I frown, trying to remember. “There was something about their blood, or was it their urine, that—”
“And do we have any hydra poison lying about?”
“No, but it’s supposed to be their only weakness.”
“Excellent,” Ardruna growls. “So now we die.”
“Unless we scare them away with noise and make our escape. If we had something to throw at them—”
Ardruna hums. “There might be something inside the house. Let’s make a run for it.”
The birds are coming, and Ardruna and I get up and rush into the abandoned house. My shoes crunch on broken crockery and glass, on old bones and twigs. Rats run along the walls. A weaselly creature hisses at us and jumps off a stone bench to vanish into another room.
“They are coming,” Ardruna says and I hear their arrival, the rattling of metallic feathers and the clanking of bronze beaks.
Grabbing ceramic shards off the floor, I turn. I’m not going down that easily. “Hide! I’ll scare them off.”
“You’re insane.” Ardruna sinks her teeth into the hem of my leather tunic, hauling me back. “Get down!”
The shards fall from my hands as I drop to my knees behind the stone bench. The birds rush into the house, hitting the walls, fluttering about.
One of them perches on top of the stone bench, head cocked to the side. Looking right at us.
Shit.
It opens its beak—straight, serrated inside like a saw, the bronze corroded, giving it a patina of green. A symbol is engraved on it, and I’m close enough to make out two crossed axes.
How is that possible? Then again, here everything is possible, and I’m mesmerized in the face of this impending, gruesome death. Frozen in place.
The bird bows over us, letting us gaze into the darkness of its gullet. The stench emanating from it is a punch to the face.
It jerks me out of my frozen state. Shoving Ardruna back, I scramble away and the bird prepares to jump after us—but something spins through the air, glowing like a falling star.
A knife.
It thuds into the bird and it falls to the floor with a screech, beating its wings and writhing. I watch in horror as it moves some more and then falls still.
A tall figure appears behind the stone bench, crossing the room to reach us in long strides.
It’s Roane.
“Now he’s going to be insufferable,” Ardruna mutters, then grabs my sleeve with her teeth. “Come.”
“What are you doing?”
“That was one bird. Still plenty more to kill. Let’s get out of the way.”
We scramble behind a low wall hiding the rotten remnants of a bed. “He can’t get them all,” I mutter.
“Watch him,” Ardruna says, a note of pride entering her voice as he spins, throwing knives at the attacking birds, felling them one by one.
Gods, she really adores him, doesn’t she? And all right, he is impressive. His fighting skills, his strength and speed are hard to look away from.
But it stings that he has to save my life once again, especially after our last exchanges, and it’s my fault for disobeying and wandering around the city.
My pride is hurt. Doing this on my own was as much a test for myself as to show him I could do it.
Failing, and failing in front of him… crushes me.
With a final throw, he brings down the last bird and slowly lowers his hands. He’s breathing hard and I could swear he looks like he’s in pain. I want to ask him if he’s okay, but he beats me to it.
“Were you hurt?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
“Good.”
“Are those poisoned knives, covered in hydra venom?” I ask, curious. “Where did you get it?”
He frowns but doesn’t reply. I fully expect him to chew me out for leaving the temple, but without another word, he starts picking his knives from the dying birds. Then he just walks out of the house, his tall form vanishing from view, leaving behind a house full of dying metal birds and us.
His departure is the worst rebuke.
“Where is he going?” I whisper.
“To hunt? To ruminate? Your guess is as good as mine.” Ardruna watches him go. “Probably off to clear his head.”
I don’t comment on that. She still wants to believe he’s brooding over something. To be fair, she has known him for a lifetime, whereas I have barely landed here, disrupting their routine and imposing time limits on the time they spend together.
Now I feel like a home wrecker.
Great.