Chapter 19
Isla
I jump when the bell starts to ring, alerting us to someone’s approach.
I’m halfway through folding one of Julienne’s spare dresses into my saddlebag when it happens, and my hand freezes, my eyes locking with Julienne’s.
“Hide,” she tells me, already moving toward the trapdoor. She pulls the animal skin aside. “Quickly, Isla!”
I grab the saddlebag and scramble across the floor. Then I lower myself through the opening. The familiar scent of earth and old wood surrounds me as I descend into the near darkness.
The trapdoor closes above me. The animal skin slides back into place. I sit on the mattress, praying they don’t find me here. I’m so sick of running and hiding. I almost can’t remember a time when I didn’t have to; my childhood seems like a distant memory.
A knock sounds, and Julienne opens the door.
“Belen!” Julienne sounds relieved. “I thought you were a group of guards.”
“It’s just me,” he says. His voice is warm and kind.
There’s the rush of movement. The sound of an embrace. Then soft murmurs I can’t quite make out.
Then it sounds like they might be kissing. I didn’t realize that Julienne had a lover.
I’ve heard Sebastian and Julienne mention this Belen person.
Soon after, the trapdoor lifts. Julienne’s face appears, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright.
“It’s safe,” she says, reaching down to help me up. “Come on.” She smiles, looking happier and lighter in herself.
I climb out into the cabin. A tall fae male stands near the hearth, his dark hair falling past his shoulders. He’s dressed in armor; his posture is relaxed. His eyes are kind as they land on me.
“Isla, this is General Belen,” Julienne says. Her hand finds his, their fingers intertwining. “Belen, this is Isla. She’s the one who helped Sebastian escape.”
My throat tightens at Sebastian’s name, but I push the feeling down.
Belen steps forward, inclining his head. “It’s an honor to meet you. What you did took tremendous courage.”
“Um…thank you. I did what had to be done, under the circumstances.”
“No, you went above and beyond. You didn’t have to rescue Sebastian, but you…” His eyes narrow, and his gaze shifts to Julienne. “Where is Sebastian?” he asks, frowning.
“He left yesterday evening,” Julienne tells him. Her face grows somber. “His horse came back without him. We—”
“That is strange. What were his plans?” Belen asks, frowning.
“He wouldn’t say.” She shrugs. “He was determined to leave before it was safe to do so. I’m not sure why, or why his horse came back without him mere hours later. I take it you haven’t heard anything?”
Belen lifts his eyes in thought for a moment.
“No. All I can tell you is that he wasn’t captured and that, according to the queen herself, he is still within the Shadow Court.
The guards have been searching relentlessly, but there’s been no word at all.
I thought it was because he was safe here with you.
” He pauses, his brow furrowing. “The guards will start to return to the castle soon enough.”
“To prepare to welcome the queen,” Julienne says.
“Indeed.” Belen’s jaw tightens. “Everyone is making ready. A feast is being laid out,” he tells me.
“I need to leave soon. I’ll be expected at the shadowfae castle to be part of the welcoming party.
” He looks at Julienne, his eyes filled with regret.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer. I wish I had more news about Sebastian.
He is in grave danger now that the queen is about to arrive.
She insisted on still coming and wants him captured as soon as possible so that she can interrogate him herself. ”
“That’s a frightening thought,” I say.
“It is. You should get back,” Julienne says, her eyes softening as she stares up at Belen.
They embrace again. I look away, giving them privacy. My mind is racing. Sebastian wasn’t captured. That’s good news. Why hasn’t he left the court? It doesn’t make sense. Perhaps he is injured.
I hate the thought. At the end of the day, he made his choices. I need to make mine.
That means I need to finish getting ready. I need to leave while I can.
“Be careful out there, Isla. The deadlands are dangerous,” Belen says to me from the door.
“I will,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
He hugs Julienne once more, then heads for the door. Julienne walks him out, her hand in his.
The moment they’re outside, I move quickly.
I go down into the area below the floor, grab my saddlebag, and put it over my shoulder.
Once above ground, I shove the last of my belongings inside.
Then I take two already prepared waterskins and place them next to my bag, together with some dried meat.
The coin Sebastian left for me is in a pouch around my neck.
I need to get away and start a new life.
I’ll need to change my identity. Change everything about myself.
I’ll have to live in the shadows that I won’t be allowed to wield. My throat tightens. Using magic won’t be an option anymore. Which means I’ll never perform again. Never feel that thrill of power flowing through me.
I’ll never feel connected to my mother the way I do when I use the magic she gave me.
Even though she didn’t have any magic to speak of, I got the gift from her. From her bloodlines. It’s all I have left of her now.
I blink back tears as I finish packing.
The door opens, and Julienne steps back inside. “Let me help you,” she says as she walks over to me.
Together, we gather the last few items. Julienne hands me an oilskin coat, similar to the one Sebastian took only smaller. “You’ll need this. The weather can turn quickly out there.”
“Thank you,” I manage. “For everything.”
“Jack is already tacked and ready,” Julienne says.
We walk outside together. Jack stands near the barn, his coat gleaming in the light. The reins are looped over his neck.
“Hi, Jack,” I murmur, stroking his neck and ignoring his flat ears. Then I place the saddlebag over the horn and tie my coat behind the cantle.
“He responds well to a gentle hand,” Julienne says. “And he’s steady on rough terrain.”
I nod, checking the cinch one more time.
“Where will you go?” Julienne asks.
I’ve been thinking about this since Sebastian left. I’ve traveled all over the deadlands, first with my father and then with Master Roland’s troupe. I know the settlements, the villages, the courts.
Not all of the settlements, but enough to have an idea of where to go.
“I’ll make for Ashgrove,” I say. “It’s a decent-sized town near the border of the Blood Court. Big enough that I can blend in and disappear. Small enough that I won’t draw too much attention. It’s about four-day ride from here.”
Julienne nods. “That’s a good choice. Keep your head down. Don’t use your magic again, unless absolutely necessary.”
“I know… I won’t.” My voice cracks.
She pulls me into an embrace. I cling to her for a moment, this woman who showed me kindness when she had no reason to.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Be safe,” she says.
I nod once, then I turn to Jack and put my foot in the stirrup to haul myself up. It takes three attempts before I get my leg over and actually pull myself up into the saddle.
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Julienne tells me, smiling.
It’s been years since I’ve ridden. I’m so rusty that my balance feels off, and my grip on the reins too tight.
“I hope so.” I smile back.
Jack shifts beneath me, sensing my uncertainty. I loosen my grip and try to relax.
“You’ll find your rhythm,” Julienne says. “Just give it time. Take it slow. You should ride south…” She points in the general direction. “Away from where the queen will make her entrance. You’ll have less chance of them running into you.”
“Alright.” I nod.
“Go,” she urges. “While you have the chance. Take it slow. Be very quiet, and keep your eyes peeled. Just because there are fewer guards doesn’t mean that there are none at all.”
“I will.”
I squeeze my legs gently. Jack starts forward, his gait smooth and even. We move past the cabin, into the trees.
I don’t look back.
The forest closes in around us as we ride. Jack picks his way carefully.
I focus on staying balanced. On moving with his rhythm instead of against it. Slowly, my body starts to remember. The rise and fall of his stride. The way to shift my weight in the saddle.
It’s not graceful, but it works.
We travel for an hour, maybe more. The sun climbs higher, warming the air. My thighs start to ache from gripping the saddle. My back protests from sitting in one position for so long.
But I don’t stop. I can’t.
I’m at the edge of the court. The deadlands are just up ahead, beyond the invisible dome that surrounds the court.
First, I have to cross a rolling green pasture.
Above me, the sky is a vibrant blue with the sun shining overhead, but beyond the dome, the sky is a muted gray that will soon turn dark.
I urge Jack into a steady lope that eats up the distance. We pass through the dome easily because of my fae blood. I still hold my breath, expecting to feel something, but I don’t. The temperature drops quickly.
The ground soon turns to muddy slop, but Jack doesn’t seem to notice.
I’m about to stop to don my coat when I hear a thundering of hooves and turn in my saddle. It’s a group of shadowfae guards, and they’re headed straight for me. My heart sinks.
No. No, no, no.
I can’t believe this. I briefly consider using a masking spell to hide behind, but abandon that thought when it becomes apparent that they have already spotted me.
I had hoped to avoid this. And just when I was starting to relax. I look around, quickly realizing that trying to hide is futile.
I need to run.
I squeeze my legs, urging Jack into a gallop. He responds immediately, his powerful muscles bunching beneath me as he surges forward.
But I’m not a skilled rider, so I bounce in the saddle, grabbing the horn to keep myself in place. The reins go flying.
“It’s up to you, Jack.” I crouch forward, praying I can stay on long enough to get away.
I risk a glance backward. I moan when I see that the guards are gaining ground. Their horses are faster, their riders more experienced.
I’m not going to outrun them.
I need to make for Hennop Forest. Most of the trees are dead, but they still stand. It’ll be more difficult for them to follow me on such big steeds. It’s my only hope of escape.
I reach forward to grab the reins and almost slip from the saddle. I give an anguished cry and try again.
This time, I give a shout of triumph as my hands close on the reins. I pull, trying to turn Jack toward the forest.
It works, and he turns.
Yes!
Just then, Jack stumbles.
Noooooo!
His hoof catches on something, and he lurches sideways.
With only one hand on the horn, I lose my seat. My body flies forward, then sideways, tumbling toward the earth.
Instinct takes over. I pull on my magic, feeling it surge through me. I call upon the air around me, hoping it will keep me afloat. It doesn’t. I still fall, but the impact is softened.
I roll to my feet, breathing hard. Jack, realizing that he no longer has a rider, stops up ahead, his sides heaving.
I jump to my feet and start running to him, but I’m not quick enough.
Moments later, the guards surround me, their horses forming a circle. They’re all dressed in shadowfae armor, their faces hard and merciless.
I pull on my magic again. Shadows swirl around me, dark and thick. Fire sparks at my fingertips, ready to be unleashed.
“Stay back,” I warn them.
One of the guards laughs. “Look at her. She thinks she can take all of us.”
“She looks powerful,” another says.
“I think she is a witch,” another sneers. “I’m going to win the bet.”
They dismount, moving toward me with weapons drawn.
“Don’t even try it, witch!” the first one growls. “Come quietly.”
Like hell!
I unleash my magic. Shadows leap from my hands, wrapping around the nearest guard. He stumbles back with a curse. I conjure fire, sending a stream of flames toward another.
I can take them.
Magic slams into me from all sides. Not just a little bit of power, but great big waves of it. Shadow magic from the shadowfae guards, thick and suffocating. They all pour everything they have into stopping me.
I try to counter. I bend the air around me, using my firefae abilities to levitate, to dodge their attacks. Shadows writhe from my hands, striking at them.
I might be powerful, especially for a half-breed, but there are too many of them when they are all using their magic.
What is this?
A blast of shadow magic hits me in the chest. I stumble backward, gasping. Another strikes my legs, sending me to my knees.
I fight back desperately. I conjure flames, manipulate shadows, bend the air to my will. Everything my mother’s bloodlines gave me, I throw at them.
They’re everywhere. Their magic crashes over me like waves, relentless and overwhelming. I feel my own magic faltering, draining away under the onslaught.
A shadow wraps around my throat. I claw at it, unable to breathe. Another pins my arms to my sides.
I try to summon fire one more time, but a guard’s magic snuffs it out before it can even form.
Then I’m on the ground, shadows binding my wrists and ankles. My magic well is nearly empty. I’m gasping for air, my body trembles with exhaustion.
They stand over me, grinning.
“She’s a strong one,” one says, laughing.
“Not strong enough,” another says.
A third clenches his fist, looking down at his hand. “It’s good to be able to use my magic again.”
“So good,” the first agrees.
Another kneels beside me, his face close to mine.
“You didn’t stand a chance, little half-breed.
Since you and that Lost King escaped, none of us has had to give our quota of magic to the mirror.
None of us will have to until he is found, which means we can use our resources where needed. You weren’t expecting that, were you?”
I wasn’t, but I don’t say anything.
It does explain why they haven’t used their magic on us before.
“The queen is going to be so happy,” the first guard says. “We’re all going to get our share of the bounty.”
“Just wait until Captain Corvius gets his hands on you,” another guard says. “You’ll sing like a bird about who helped you and where that king of yours is hiding.”
Terror floods through me at the mention of the captain’s name; it is quickly replaced with anger.
Corvius can do his best. He’ll have to kill me because I won’t say anything.