Chapter 25 Dylan
Dylan
The Western encampment was bustling with life, which made trying to sneak away unnoticed a challenge. But I was given a task, and thanks to this damned blood bargain, I had to see it through. The only way I was going to find what I needed was by doing a full sweep of Llwyn Onn and its wards.
But to say my mind was elsewhere would have been an understatement.
I had tried everything since I had carried her back to her room the previous night to try and shake her out of my head.
Even when I'd tried to make something in the forge to take my mind off things, I had just ended up making her a new dagger to go with Carnwennan.
A lovesick teenager probably had more resolve than I did.
Although the heart of the camp was busy, everyone seemed to have things to do this evening. It looked like I had a good chance of making it to the summoning circle tucked away in the woods without anyone noticing.
The blood missive had arrived on my workbench less than an hour ago, reminding me I was running out of time. I needed to work quickly, or there would be consequences.
Pushing back the entrance to my pabell, I kept my head down as I made my way to the eastern edge.
The settlement there was thin enough that I could slip into the woods easily without being seen.
But keeping a low profile when you were the second in command of an entire Coven wasn't easy.
Even though I didn't meet anyone's eyes, I still received a few murmurs of Good evening, Ail Dylan.
As I cleared the final few pabells that sat in darkness, likely due to their inhabitants being asleep for the night, a high-pitched whistle had me freezing in my tracks. Turning, I saw a hooded figure stalking towards me, the light from the dimming Aelwyd outlining his body.
“You'd think after nearly ten years of friendship, you'd be able to tell when I was coming,” Zenn said.
“They don't call you the Western Wraith for nothing,” I grunted as I turned back to the dark woods.
He let out a humourless laugh. “What are you doing out here?”
Zenn was beside me in an instant, moonlight catching on the steel of his knives.
“I should ask you the same thing.”
”Just a casual evening stroll.”
“Are you always armed to the teeth when you go on an evening stroll?” I said, nodding towards his knives.
His hood kept his face in darkness, but I knew it would be expressionless as always. He moved in front of me, blocking my path, crossing his arms over his chest to try to make himself seem bigger than he was.
“You're going to see her, aren't you?”
I loved this man like a brother, but the emphasis he put on her made me want to thump him.
“No, actually, I'm not. Besides, have you seen what time it is? Only drunks and wraiths like you skulk around in the shadows at this hour.”
Zenn stepped forward, the light of the moon highlighting one side of his face. “And you, apparently.”
I sighed and pushed past him. I knew he wouldn't try to stop me; if he wanted a fight, he could have had me on my arse already by now.
“If you aren't going to Llwyn Onn to see her, then what are you going for? There's nothing else out here but the summoning circle to the castle.”
I pressed on in hopes that Zenn might get bored and go back to gods only knew what the man did at this hour. But as I checked over my shoulder, it was clear he wasn't letting this drop.
“For your information, I received a blood missive. Considering we are in his bad books right now, I didn't want to keep him waiting.”
Even in the darkness, I could see the whites of Zenn's eyes as they widened. “Did he send the talking head made of blood again?”
I would have laughed had it not been for the task at hand. “Not this time, thank the gods. Just a note written in blood.”
“What did he want?”
I massaged my temples, trying to summarise exactly what Gwaun wanted. “Intel on the wards surrounding Llwyn Onn. I'm guessing he wants me to find a weak spot.”
Zenn bit his lip in contemplation. “And will you give it to him if you find any?”
Rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms, I thought about his question for a long moment before replying.
“I need to tell him something. If we feed him dud information, he'll punish us in the worst way imaginable. But if we give him accurate information, hundreds will suffer. It's a lose-lose situation for us.”
Zenn nodded before letting out a breath and patting my shoulder.
“I don't envy you, mate. It's a tough call to make.”
I let out a non-committal grunt because I had no idea what I was going to do. Gwaun would find a way; he always did. But I couldn't be complicit in letting innocents die. But the blasted blood bargain meant I didn't have a choice in that. He would use me as a tool in his conquest.
After so many years of friendship, I had this innate sense when Zenn was nearby. When I reached the summoning circle, I knew he hadn't followed me. As I looked over my shoulder, Zenn was crouched on a tree branch in the distance. He gave me one sharp nod, which told me everything he needed to say.
Be careful, don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Eventually, the crimson glow of the summoning circle came into view.
I brushed back the dried leaves with my boot, revealing the fivefold symbol that every circle at Llwyn Onn featured.
The image of Non's flushed skin beneath the same symbol she wore around her neck last night was branded into my mind.
I had the animalistic need to press my lips against her perfect skin, to ravish and taste it.
Gods, I needed to get a fucking grip. Never in my long life had I been like this before. I'd had more partners than I could count, of all genders, races, even multiple at a time. But never had I yearned after another like I had her. If I kept this up, Zenn might need to muzzle me.
As my boot touched the edge of the age-worn blood, the world fell away. The sensation of a summoning circle was less than pleasant, but one I had become accustomed to during my short time here. It was nothing compared to the pain I had experienced as I made my way into this world.
The circle brought me to the eastern side of Llwyn Onn, just outside the wards in the same copse of trees Zenn and I had been watching the Western Coven train from the day prior.
We had found this long-forgotten circle a few summers ago while visiting for a previous Anoethau celebration.
Caerwyn had confirmed it must have been one of his brother Gwilym's creations some time ago, possibly when he was Ledr of the West himself.
Thankfully, Bron hadn't come across it; otherwise, it would have been destroyed like all the others.
Long gone was the one that had been a direct connection from the West to the North.
Bronwen Meredith loved nothing else in this world like she loved control.
Stepping to the edge of the treeline, I felt the effect of the wards before I saw them.
Magic wrapped around me, squeezing my ribs, making breathing a chore.
Ledr Bron had a slew of talented Wielders in her Coven who were Vassals of Mabon, the god of protection.
So wards were something she made sure were impenetrable at Llwyn Onn, which made the task in hand almost impossible.
And despite my heightened strength, I could still break a bone if I got too close.
Instead, I skirted around the edge of the shimmering wards and made my way to the back of the castle.
As I reached the corner of the castle where the eastern wall met the rear southern wall, a noise ripped from the shadows that caused me to pause.
I squinted, trying to focus on what had made such a horrendous sound.
The strength of the magic used in the wards meant small animals like badgers and so on steered clear of the castle, but maybe one had gotten desperate and found themselves on the receiving end of a crushed rib.
The torches that lined the perimeter were too faint to illuminate the path that ran around the edge of the building.
Getting too close was risky; from where I stood, I was still covered by the shadows of the trees. But once I stepped closer, I risked anyone being able to see me, and as a tall man, I was easy to spot.
The same horrid noise sounded again. It quite literally sounded like an animal being killed. Scanning each area to check that no one was around to spot me, I dared a few steps closer to see what on earth was happening.
I had to bite my lip to stifle the laugh that almost spilled out when the light from the torches finally revealed what was making such a terrible noise.
Slumped against the castle wall, sleeping like the dead, was Non. For such a beautiful thing, she snored like a pig. Even sprawled on the floor, with a visible trail of dribble running from her mouth, she still looked utterly adorable.
A staff that must have been lent to her was lying on the ground beside her, and Carnwennan was tucked into a pocket of her leggings.
I wanted so badly to move closer and be able to wake her up gently, but the suffocating wards of Llwyn Onn were pressing against my skin, and even for an immortal like me, I was starting to feel lightheaded.
Using my power would have alerted the sentries posted at other vantage points.
Bron had magical trip wires all over the fucking place.
After letting out an all-mighty snort, Non stopped breathing for a long moment.
I was seconds away from pushing past the wards to get to her, if it broke my ribs and collapsed my lungs, then so be it.
It would be painful, but I would ultimately recover.
But thank all ten gods and their mothers, she ripped out another deafening snore, confirming she wasn't dead.
Shouting wouldn't have done a damned thing to wake her, so I resorted to the next best thing. Picking up a small pebble near my foot, I turned it over in my palm before aiming for Non and launching it.