Chapter 14
I could smell them, even from here. I’d only encountered goblins once before, but their pungent odor was unforgettable.
Mal detected them first, of course. His head whipped back and forth, his nostrils flaring wide as he growled in response to the threat.
“It’s all right.” I patted the side of his neck, even though panic coursed through me. “Take us to the falls. Hopefully it will mask our presence from them.”
Mal grumbled his assent and dipped lower, his claws brushing against the tallest tree branches. Jorey followed his lead. Fenn was rigid in his saddle, his face pale, but he said nothing as the dragons descended.
Mal weaved expertly between trees. Even before he landed, the sounds of rushing water surrounded us, reminding me of past summers and simpler times.
Before Mal had finished landing, I was already unbuckling the saddle and dismounting. Beside me, Jorey slammed into the earth, the waterfall’s roar masking the sound of the impact. Fenn was staring, wide-eyed at the massive waterfall attached to the mountain. We didn’t have tall, snow-capped mountains like the Winter Court, but we still boasted a few modest mountain ranges. This was one of my favorites—a sprawling expanse of grass-covered peaks with rivers and waterfalls sprinkled throughout. The falls ran into a wide pool that filtered into the Jewel River, which cut directly through the Summer Court.
“What is this place?” Fenn asked, his voice full of awe. His head tilted backward as he took in the full height of the mountain. “I didn’t know your court had mountains.”
“They’re covered in trees, and they’re quite small, so it’s easy to mistake them for large hills,” I said with a shrug. “This is Kellen Falls. I used to come here all the time. I think.”
He shot me an incredulous look. “You think ?”
I frowned, my brows knitting together. “No. I mean. I don’t know. I don’t have very many memories of my childhood.” When I sensed Fenn looking at me in curiosity, I went on, “I don’t remember it, but my parents told me I had a terrible accident as a child. I almost drowned. It affected my brain, and ever since then, I have trouble accessing some of my long term memories. They are a bit… foggy.”
The gaps in my memory were frustrating, to say the least. My parents speculated that was why my fae magic hadn’t been able to properly manifest itself. Perhaps it never would.
Fenn said nothing, his gaze wistful and somber. Something akin to regret flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I dropped my gaze, uncomfortable with his sympathy. “It’s fine.“
Fenn gazed around, his expression turning thoughtful. “It feels… cool. The air is cooler here.”
I smirked, grateful for the subject change. “We’re more than just a kingdom of unbearable, scorching heat, you know.”
He winced, as if he had been thinking exactly that.
I couldn’t blame him. After all, his kingdom—a place of complete and total darkness, lit only by the stars and, apparently, Nightfire—seemed rather miserable, too.
Mal nudged me with his snout, his golden eyes wide with concern.
“I’ll be fine.” I pressed my forehead to his. “Protect the castle. Take care of Kade. We’ll return as soon as we can.”
“They aren’t coming with us?” Fenn asked.
I shook my head. “I can’t risk the goblins finding them, or worse, following them back to the castle. You’ll get Jorey when our bargain is complete. Say your goodbyes now, prince.”
Fenn turned to Jorey, whose ears perked up hopefully. The prince’s mouth turned down in an uncharacteristic frown, his brows knitting together. “Well. Goodbye, my silver friend. If all goes well, I’ll see you soon, and you can come home with me.”
Jorey opened his mouth, his tongue lolling out happily. In a swift movement, he licked Fenn’s cheek. Fenn made a retching sound and wiped at his face, but he was laughing, the delight in his eyes betraying him.
I busied myself with the packs attached to Mal’s saddle, trying to ignore the stinging burn behind my eyes. This would be the longest I’d go without Mal. I didn’t often travel outside my kingdom, but when I did, it was only a few days at a time.
This journey to the Star Court would take several days. It would be a miracle if we made it back before Kade had to return to her deep slumber.
Mal nudged my hand with his head again, and I scratched underneath his chin. He grumbled something low and mournful.
I sighed. “I know. But we can do this. You and I are strong.” I placed my hands on either side of his face, then ran a fingertip lightly along the scar that cut through his eye. “Promise me you’ll be careful. Take care of yourself. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
He cocked his head and let out a soft whine.
I kissed the top of his head. “Enough of that. You have a job to do. We both do.”
He dipped his head with a soft huff, then turned away from me. Tears filled my eyes as I watched him and Jorey take to the skies, their forms vanishing from view.
I wiped my nose, avoiding Fenn’s gaze. Parting from Mal, and reminding myself how he got his scar in the first place, only made me despise the prince even more. It wasn’t his fault, and it wasn’t fair—I knew that—but I couldn’t help but resent him. It had been his kingdom that had nearly killed Mal.
And now, I was traveling to that same kingdom in search of a way to save my people.
“So, the goblins,” Fenn said slowly, taking his pack from me and slinging it over his shoulder. “What are we going to do?”
“We’ll keep to the Jewel River, using the water to mask our tracks and our scent,” I said. “With any luck, we’ll avoid them.”
“But if they’re by the border?— ”
“It’s a long border, Fenn,” I snapped. “We can go around them if necessary.”
Fenn’s mouth clamped shut, his eyes flaring with irritation. “Stars, you’re grumpy without your dragon.”
“Get used to it,” I muttered, shoving past him to make my way toward the river.
He trailed after me, and an uncomfortable silence fell between us. He matched my pace easily, following as I led us downhill along a trail adjacent to the riverbank. The waters shimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the treetops.
After an hour, I dropped my sack on the ground and crouched near the river’s edge, cupping my hands to bring the water to my face. I washed the sweat off my cheeks and forehead, then drank deeply. The water was cold and brisk, and I greedily gulped it down. The fresh taste was so much better than the water from the well by the castle.
Beside me, Fenn followed suit, running his wet hand through his hair and down his neck. Water trickled along his throat and collarbone, and as he tugged down the front of his tunic, I caught sight of the witch rune etched into his skin. My eyes snagged on the sculpted muscles of his tanned shoulders and chest.
I blinked and quickly turned away, my heart racing. Stupid, I chided myself.
Fenn was handsome. There was no doubt about it. But that was exactly why I needed to be careful. He had charmed many women, making fools of them, coercing them to his bed only to discard them afterward.
I refused to fall prey to his seduction.
“We’re close,” I said, keeping my gaze fixed on my pack as I tightened the strap. “Keep a sharp eye. I can already smell the goblins.”
“You can?”
I looked at him then, and he was arching a dubious eyebrow at me.
“Goblins let out an awful stench,” I told him. “It’s one of their only weaknesses.”
“I know that,” he said. “I’ve fought goblins before. But normally I can’t smell them until they’re right next to me. ”
I shrugged. “Maybe the goblins here are different.”
“Maybe.” But he eyed me with a scrutiny that made me fidget.
I stood and shouldered my pack before resuming my trek down the trail, not bothering to look back to ensure Fenn was following.
Before I knew it, he was hiking alongside me, his lengthy strides matching mine. “I’ve studied witch runes for a while, you know.”
I cast a sidelong glance at him. “What?”
“I know a lot of runes.”
I frowned. “Why are you telling me this?”
“There’s one rune that’s meant to reveal spells and enchantments on a person. If you want, I could cast the rune… on you. To figure out what your rune is for.”
I stopped in my tracks, turning to face him to discern if he was mocking me or not. But he merely blinked innocently at me, his face betraying nothing. After a moment, I continued walking. “No.”
“Why not? Don’t you want to know what the rune means?”
“Of course I do. But I don’t trust you to cast a witch spell on me.”
“So you’d rather keep living in ignorance? You’d rather do nothing?”
I stopped again, whirling to face him, anger rising up inside me. “What do you know? You’re a stranger to me, Fenn. Don’t think you can pass judgment about my life. You’re still my enemy. The ruthless prince from a vicious family who continuously tries to take what’s most precious to me. It’s because of you that Mal—” I stopped short, my mouth snapping shut as more tears burned in my eyes. Gods, I already missed my dragon so much. How could I ensure he was kept safe? What if I came back and found out something had happened to him?
Clearing my throat, I turned away from Fenn. “No. I don’t want your runes, Fenn. The only thing I need from you is what was outlined in our bargain. Nothing more.”
To my surprise, he chuckled. “I find your sour attitude quite endearing, little firebird.”
I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore him as I made my way down the trail, keeping close to the river so its sounds would drown us out.
When the roar of the waterfall behind us had almost faded completely, I raised a hand to stop Fenn, my nostrils flaring as a familiar foul stench filled my nose.
“They’re close,” I whispered.
“How do you know?”
“I told you I can smell them.”
Fenn inhaled deeply. “I don’t smell anything.”
“Well, I can.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
I suppressed a groan and shot him a glare. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“No. I’m simply questioning whether it’s the goblins you’re smelling or… something else.”
“What else could I be smelling?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you soiled yourself.”
I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples to ward off the headache of enduring this prince’s insufferable presence. “I loathe you more intensely than a thousand burning suns.”
“So what you’re saying is… you have strong feelings for me?” He cocked his head and offered me a roguish grin, his hair flopping on his face so it covered one eye.
I made a retching sound and let my hands fall against my thighs. “Fine. I warned you. If you get eaten by bloodthirsty goblins, it’s your own damn fault.” Muttering a string of swear words under my breath, I unsheathed the dagger at my thigh.
Fenn chuckled softly. “So grouchy.” But he followed suit, drawing his own blade, which was a short sword.
“You have to strike them at the throat or the heart,” I told him. “Any other wound will not stop them.”
“I’m aware. Like I said, I’ve fought goblins before.”
“Well, you’ve proven to be rather unintelligent so far, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d forgotten.”
He grinned at me. “I love it when you flirt with me, little firebird.”
Burning suns, this prince would get us killed. I resisted the urge to run him through and crept along the riverbank, my heart drumming an erratic rhythm in my chest.
I’d only fought goblins once before, and I’d had Mal to protect me. Right now, I could only rely on this moronic prince. I didn’t even know how many goblins waited for us.
To my left, a twig snapped, and I whipped my head in that direction, my skin tingling. But nothing was there.
Leaves rustled. With a jolt, I glanced upward and found several shaking tree branches. Another twig snapped from behind me.
My blood ran cold. Oh, shit.
“Fenn—”
Three sharp twangs rang out.
“Down!” Fenn shouted as he crashed into me, tackling me to the ground. My shoulder and hip screamed in pain as they caught the brunt of my fall. With a thunk, an arrow embedded itself into the earth mere inches from my face.
An almighty roar erupted, and more than a dozen goblins poured from the trees and descended on us.