Chapter 23
I’m sleeping so blissfully dreamless that the scream feels like another world all together.
My heart pounds in my throat and I leap up, dagger at the ready.
Another scream comes from somewhere to my left, closely followed by another behind me.
They sound terrified. I think the one behind me is closest. I take off running, only for Caene to catch me by my arm, twisting me to face him.
“Don’t,” he whispers. Another scream tears through the air. Whoever is screaming needs help desperately.
“We can’t just ignore them Caene!” I spit. “Listen to them!”
“If you go out there you’ll die. And, as we’ve already established, I won’t let that happen.”
“At least I’ll die fighting. How will you die, you coward?” I try to wrench my arm free but he tightens his hold, growling at the insult.
“Just watch.”
Another cry breaks the tension and still air, only this one sounds like it’s coming from above.
It’s swiftly followed by two more. I look up while Caene shoves me down to the ground, covering my body with his.
Above us in the trees, several figures soar through the branches.
They almost look like birds; except they are far too large.
Their purple, feathered wings end in a single, sharp claw.
Their feet are pulled under their bodies and resemble bird feet, only purple and much more deadly.
Each toe ends in another razor-sharp talon.
None of this really frightens me until I catch a glimpse of their faces.
They are nearly skeletal, with black hollows for eyes and light purple skin pulled taut against their bones.
Their mouths come forward to a point, like a beak, full of yellow, jagged, uneven fangs.
One of then releases another screech as it flies into the fog and out of sight.
We lay on the ground for another few moments, making sure the creatures are gone. I am painfully aware of how close Caene is.
He looks down as he lay on top of me, snagging my eyes.
I don’t look away. I don’t want to. His gaze drops to my lips, and when his tongue darted out to lick his, my eyes track the motion, a deep ache building low in my abdomen.
I let my hand wander over the hard muscles of his back.
One small move of my head and our lips would touch.
One last far-off cry breaks whatever spell is over us.
Caene clears his throat and rises to his feet, scanning the trees. He reaches his hand down to help me up.
This time I take it. He pulls me up close to his body. I quickly drop his hand and step back.
I release a ragged breath. “What, in the abysm, were those things?”
“Nevcaei. Death’s minions. Searching the earth for souls to harvest. Weren’t you taught about them?”
I can’t bring myself to speak, only blink and stare at him. Of course I was. They were just another thing I was convinced was fantasy. It’s becoming abundantly clear that all the stories are, in fact, real.
“We better get moving.” He piles dirt on our fire that had thankfully gone out sometime in the night.
I refuse to think about what would have happened if our fire still blazed when the nevcaei came.
He picks up his sword, sliding it into the sheath on his back and begins walking.
After another few moments of blinking and trying to come to terms with seeing an actual nevcae, I follow.
For the last leg of our journey, we thankfully don’t run into anymore mockingbirds from the abysm and only encounter one other gijire.
Fortunately, the smell gives us enough warning to hide.
Caene could have taken it down as easily as he did the other and I’m feeling stronger by the day, but he insists we hide claiming he doesn’t want to risk me being hurt.
I ignore the leap my heart gives at that.
I’m sure his concern is borne out of guilt for what his house has done to me and nothing more.
As we burst through the trees leaving the dense fog behind, an undeniable relief washes over me.
I didn’t realize how alert and tense I’d been for the past five days until I feel the weight lift from my shoulders and my muscles relax.
I push into a small ditch, splashing through the stagnant ditchwater and onto a dirt road, grateful for the signs of society.
First, I turn my face to the setting sun, letting its warmth envelop me for a moment, then I glance down at the road beneath my feet and notice for the first time how utterly filthy I am.
I should have shed my clothes and washed in the godsdamn creek like Caene.
I look up at the Benea Mountains, realize they are much closer than they should be, then look up and down the road in confusion for a moment before realizing the bastard was leading me to Kanas after all.
My entire body flushes with hot anger. I clench my fists so hard I’m sure I’m leaving little half-moon marks on my palms from my nails and grind my teeth to keep from punching him in the face. I’d probably just break my hand anyway.
“You told me we were going back to Kalsevden. Why the fuck are we so close to the mountains?” It takes all my effort to keep from shouting, from screaming at him.
I don’t want to attract attention. There are stories of a gang that roams these roads, looking for people to rob or kidnap or worse.
They call them the Horde because they move in large packs, descending on travelers and leaving nothing but footprints behind.
“I also told you Kalsevden isn’t safe.” He steps up so close to me my breasts rub against his chest. The sensation momentarily distracts me. Still, I refuse to step back an inch. He can’t intimidate me.
“I’m going back, Caene. With or without you.” My jaw is beginning to ache with how hard I’m clenching it.
He narrows his eyes at me, an unspoken question simmering behind them. He knows I’m hiding something. But I’m not ready to give him Isi. Not ready to give him my truth. Especially when I’m certain he’s not giving me his.
He sighs. “Kanas is the safest place for you to heal, to learn. Then I’ll take you back to Kalsevden.”
I scoff. “Learn what exactly? I can already defend myself.”
He clears his throat, stepping back. “Right. Of course you can. Then we’ll go to Kanas to get you well. The mountain air will do you some good, little Aelavi.” He pats me hard on the arm, so hard I stumble sideways, then smirks.
I’m torn. I want to rage against Caene, demand he take me back now.
He lied to me. What little faith I had in him evaporated the moment I saw those mountains.
He cannot be trusted. If the other Montbeths have found Isi, it may already be too late to save her.
The memory of the black bird on the edge of the Vale floats through my mind.
I look down the road again, trying to decide if I’ll make it on my own.
Still, something in my heart is telling me if she was hurt or worse I would know.
Somehow, I would know. A few feet from me, a mouse skitters onto the road.
An owl swoops from a tree capturing the small creature, crushing it in its talons.
The owl turns its yellow eyes toward me and I get the sense that it’s waiting for me.
I look back to Caene on my right. On his sleeve sits a spider.
Owl versus spider.
I close my eyes and listen to my heart, my gut, my instincts. I take a deep, cleansing breath.
That same feeling I had when the giant black bird crossed our path is tugging me toward the spider. Toward Caene. The path toward the owl feels ominous, treacherous, devastating.
I open my eyes and find green ones watching me closely. The owl and the spider are gone.
I choose the spider.
I sigh. “How much farther to Kanas?”
“About three days,” he says. My face must betray my dismay because he barks out a laugh.
“Don’t worry Aelavi, there’s an inn on this edge of the forest. We’ll stop there to rest and bathe.
Get some proper food while we’re at it. Hopefully I can find us some horses there as well.
It’s almost impossible to walk to Kanas. ”
I nearly stopped listening after “bathe” and I have to restrain myself from squealing in excitement. “My name isn’t Aelavi,” I grumble instead.
“Sorry. Vayna.” One side of his lips quirks up.
I roll my eyes and gesture down the road. “Lead the way then, Big Man.”
As he moves past me he leans down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “I think we both know just how big I am,” he whispers and continues down the road.
My traitorous body responds. My heart flutters.
A burning pool of desire builds low in my stomach at the memory his words evoke.
Him naked, at the foot of the bed, staring at me like I am about to be worshipped like a goddess.
I have to take a couple of deep breaths before I can follow him. I can practically feel his smug smile.
I reach for the anger I felt just minutes ago. “Caene?” I call to him.
He turns to face me just as I catch up to him.
I give him my most saccharine smile. “If you ever lie to me again, or deceive me in any way, I will cut off the appendage you think is so big, though I must say I have seen bigger”—I haven’t— “and I will feed it to a gijire.” A little color drains from his face.
I know he can heal, but even if he can regrow precious organs, the pain would be unimaginable, if the way the man wailed all those years ago when I cut off his cock is anything to go by.
He swallows hard and nods once slowly. I think I even see a little pride behind his eyes. Like he’s impressed by my ferocity. I ignore the small thrill that gives me. He gestures down the road, indicating I take the lead. I give him one last grim look before continuing.