14. Evanee
Evanee
Brixton was like nothing I’d ever seen—nothing I could remember, anyway.
Cobblestone streets cut through the town in neat lines, shops tucked close on either side.
Fae milled about shopping, greeting one another, laughing, and so on as though there wasn’t suffering clawing at the realm outside their bubble.
Their outfits were drenched in excessively vibrant colors.
A female glided past in a blinding pink gown, a purple fan lined with ivory lace in her hand, which she hid behind with a shy little smile for the males passing by.
Shrouding herself in mystery—luring them, more like it.
Another wore an outfit like mine, though her leggings and top were clean—free from the stains of mud, the stench of fear, and the grime of captivity that clung to mine.
Even the males strutted about in finery, unaffected by the war and chaos surrounding their little paradise.
The ones I traveled with may not be overly scarred or maimed, but their expressions said enough.
However, the males of Brixton seemed genuinely happy and unconcerned.
My lip curled as one of them dipped his teal top hat at us with a smile that showed far too many teeth.
They all moved about in blissful denial, either blind to the darkness and cruelty devouring towns like Chairn, or in willful ignorance.
Either way, their precious little town remained unmolested, and it unsettled me to my core.
I rolled my neck, breathing deeply through my nose, as I tried to shake off the lingering irritation.
At least my hands weren’t tied anymore. Aiden had untied me after a few hours of riding if I promised to ‘behave’.
Like I had a choice. Between the damn skur’s, my wrists rubbing raw, and the awkwardness of bathroom breaks, I desperately needed my hands untied. So, I begrudgingly obliged.
I hadn't spoken to him, though. The horror of what happened to those humans—what I caused to happen—was haunting me. I should've just kept quiet. I’d known I wouldn’t get far anyway with the proximity spell. Still, I'd been selfish, and now my soul was marked with their deaths.
We made it through the town, crossing a huge wooden bridge arching over a wide, deep river.
It dragged back images of the river that had been my sanctuary at Castle Aurelia—or at least a beautiful distraction.
My time there felt like another life. The question remains whether it was a good life that I was forced to leave behind, compared to what might await me at the end of this journey.
The stable was connected to a separate building labeled “Marigolds Inn.” The stable master hobbled toward us, blowing hot air into his hands.
A pang of longing hit me sharply. His graying hair and kind face made me think of Micah.
It caught me off guard—that slight pang of homesickness. I never thought I would miss my prison.
“Morning, folks. How may I help?” He was shorter for a Fae. His weathered smile seemed genuine as he made his way to Dimitri’s mare and ran a hand down her neck.
Aiden smiled. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest at the stupid dimple that formed.
“We need to rent some stalls for the horses, and I need your discretion with the brown and white mare,” Aiden said the last bit in a lowered voice, holding out a hefty bag of coins.
The stable master took the coins and weighed the bag in his hand, the muffled clinking filling the momentary silence.
“Very well! Very well indeed.” He beamed.
“I’ll take good care of them. Supposed to get very cold tonight.
We don’t get many visitors here this time of year,” he commented with a side look at Aiden, then the rest of us, before he cleared his throat and grabbed the Empyrean’s lead. “Where are you folks headed?”
“My wife’s kin have passed away. We’re headed north for the funeral,” Aiden responded with an apologetic glance my way. I kept my attention on the stable master, avoiding Aiden at all costs. The old male turned, looked at Dimitri and Malachai, their muscular frames, then at us.
“Uh-huh…” he drawled. “Well, I’m surely sorry for your loss.” He tipped his head to me, his mouth turned down in obvious empathy.
“Thank you.” My words were flat. Uncharacteristically cold.
The ruse re-stoked a fire in me that hadn’t quite fizzled out from my contempt of this place. Especially with the apparent joy Aiden had in the facade. Infuriating, was putting it lightly.
Dimitri cleared his throat, dragging a hand over his stubble in the awkwardness as Aiden’s jaw tightened.
“Are you planning on staying at Marigolds? As I said, there aren’t many travelers through here this time of year. No one wants to risk getting snowed in on this side of the cliffs. She should have a couple of rooms. It’s a small inn, but her food is the best in this town.”
“Thank you, friend,” Aiden responded warmly. Asshole. “We’ll go and see Miss Marigold now.”
My fingers dug into my arms hard enough to bruise as the cold cut through me without Aiden there to shield me from the wind at my back.
“Evanee, a moment.” Aiden scratched the back of his neck as he nodded his head toward a stone bench by the river.
I ground my teeth, forcing my feet to move. He sat, patting the spot next to him. Every muscle stiffened as I obliged and lowered myself onto the farthest edge, leaning opposite him, to the point I almost fell.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. For tying you up.”
“You think that’s what I’m mad about?” I bristled. His brown furrowed, mouth hard. “You killed those men.” My voice shook as my jaw tightened, eyes burning.
“We didn’t kill the men at the camp.”
“And the riders?” I bit out, looking at him from the corner of my eye. “They were only trying to help me.” His jaw ticked—expression hardening.
“They were part of the rebel group that’s been killing innocents on the road.”
“And that makes what you did okay?”
A cross between a growl and a snarl reverberated deep in his chest.
“I have orders to follow. I don’t expect you to understand,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.
Only the trickle of water filled the silence between us. I chewed on my lip a moment before angling my head toward him.
“Do you feel any remorse?”
“Not when it comes to you.”
I blinked several times. “You don’t even know me.”
“Maybe I see more of you than you think.” He looked up at me through lowered lashes. “Your fierceness, goodness, empathy. Maybe I wish I had your qualities and morals.”
My world narrowed to the depths of his eyes. It was the first time I felt like I really saw a piece of him. The part of him buried beneath the facade of the hardened knight. Maybe he really did battle with the atrocities around him. Disagreed with them—forced to follow and obey.
Just like me.
“You can always make the choice to change,” I breathed.
“What if it’s too late?” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the bench.
I placed my hand on his—the warmth of his skin seeping into mine.
“It’s not.” I offered him a smile. Anger and hurt still burned within me, but understanding edged beneath it.
“I didn’t realize we’d have to keep pretending we’re a couple,” I whispered as we observed Malachai and Dimitri from across the small room.
The place was quaint; a fire blazed in the far corner, where several patrons huddled with steaming mugs. Murals covered the wall—a mix of multi-colored flowers and trees, with vines intertwining to connect them all. A contrast to the cold, dreary region around them.
A few tables were scattered about, and there was a small bar with a kitchen off to the left.
Dimitri and Malachai stood at the bar speaking to a beautiful, tall Fae female with golden ringlets flowing down her back.
She was radiant—naturally rosy cheeks and lively hazel eyes.
She smiled broadly at Dimitri, her hooded gaze unabashedly roaming over his body with a few nervous flicks toward Malachai, who stiffly stood to the side with his arms folded.
“Easier that way.” Aiden adjusted the bag over his shoulder, his eyes cutting toward me. “We’ll get you a new coat while we’re here.”
“What’s wrong with this?”
His eyes grazed over the coat Thaddeus had gifted me. “Nothing. It’s just not meant for the weather we’re heading into. If you wore the gowns, they’d add warmth with all of the skirts. But if you insist on wearing that, you’ll need heavier layers.”
“Why in the hell would I wear those gowns? They’re completely impractical.” I scrunched my nose, and he laughed softly. The sound stoked a fire deep in my belly. Stop it.
“True, but you’d look beautiful in them.”
A blush crept across my cheeks. I cast my gaze down before he noticed the effect his words had on me.
Dimitri thanked the female with a dazzling smile of his own, causing her cheeks to redden further, then brought over two sets of keys. Malachai followed close behind with a tray of steaming mugs.
“Why are there only two sets of keys?” I asked, one brow raised. “I hope that’s because you three are sharing.”
“Sorry Ev,” Dimitri grunted as he lifted one of the other bags. I scoffed at the new nickname. He started that up when I was pissed and refused to talk to them. I’d started liking Dimitri, even though he wasn’t my friend. But now, I just saw Fletcher’s face.
“If Aiden wants to keep up the front that you two are married, it might raise some questions if you were to sleep separately. And this city may seem big, but I assure you, everyone is connected and watching,” he warned as he handed Aiden a key.
“After you, darling,” Aiden drawled, amusement in his eyes. My jaw worked as I stomped past.
Tucked away on the other side of the bar was a curtain concealing a tight, winding staircase that led to a second floor. Only four doors lined the narrow hall.
“No wonder the old male mentioned it’s good there are no travelers,” I muttered.