Chapter 32
I’ve told you, Raul, Graig Du has been searched. Despite your ‘gut feeling’, I can categorically assure you, there are no deposits of Vyrium in the area.
— CHIEF ENGINEER, SIR MOSTYN’S ADVICE TO KING RAUL OF ASMAR
The bastards finally set me down on the ashy ground at their desolate small camp. Furtive glances weren’t easy for me, as my peripheral vision was hazy at the best of times. With my current headache and dry eyes, it was a complete loss.
As they’d carried me, I kept my mouth closed and my limbs still, listening to their chatter.
I’d had the hard luck of being found by a clearly crooked group of hunters, brought to the area by the large number of diafol sightings.
They were paid handsomely by the crown for every skin they produced.
As I stared up at the brute who’d carried me back, I made out the telltale crossed swords slicing into a boar’s face on his dusty tunic, marking them as members of the secretive Guild of Diafol Hunters.
A fire sat in the centre, a pot bubbling away, and my stomach groaned as the scent of burnt porridge wafted across to me. I grunted as a waterskin slammed into my stomach.
‘She’s shit at playing catch,’ one of them called out, and I unstoppered the skin, drinking heavily to avoid saying something that would earn me another slap, or worse.
I gulped too greedily. Water flooded my throat and the valuable liquid splattered onto my thighs.
‘Who’s that?’
I shielded my eyes against the white sun as a woman approached.
She hadn’t been part of the original trio.
The first stirrings of real fear prickled on my neck as she knelt down.
Her thick, freckled arms were crisscrossed with the history of her battles with the diafol, and I wondered who’d be the victor if she were to take on Ifan.
A long braid of untamed red hair fell over one bulging shoulder.
She wore a bandolier covered with daggers, and what might have been vials.
Twisting her head to the side, she set her pale watery eyes on me, a sneer on her face.
‘Why you out here?’ she asked, shoving closer to my face, my empty stomach churning at the stench of her hot breath.
I took another, more gentle, swig, relishing the coolness sliding through me. A smirk curved the corner of her cracked lips. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I bought myself some time as I rearranged my thoughts.
‘I was in the woods with my husband. We were attacked by a diafol. It split us up and I fell over the ledge about a day ago.’
She narrowed her eyes, her stubby fingers rubbing her chin.
‘Not exactly the perfect spot for a romantic stroll, is it?’ She extended her hand in order to make her point. She leaned in so close we could almost kiss. ‘So sweetheart, if you’d like my healer to patch you up, tell the truth.’
I held her harsh stare, refusing to look away. ‘It is the truth. My husband’s out there.’ I jutted my chin in what I thought was the direction of the woods. ‘We’ve been mapping out areas of interest for the king—’
‘Why would the king be interested in this place? There’s fuck all here!’
My nails dug into the scabs on my already broken palms. How much should I tell this bitch?
‘But there isn’t fuck all here.’ I took another quick swig of blessed water. ‘You’re here.’
The woman slapped her thigh as she barked a laugh. The other hunters joined her. She laughed once more, then grabbed the waterskin, pouring the warm liquid over my head.
I blinked away the water, my breaths rasping. There was no way I could make out her features and a spike of anger pierced my lungs at the thought of how vulnerable I was.
‘Nice try, witch.’
My heart stuttered at the old insult for Anomalies, from the days when it wasn’t only the diafols the hunters sought out to slaughter when mortals feared our gifts.
She stretched out her hand, and I clenched my jaw as she wiped roughly under my nose.
My heart sank as she inspected her fingers, rubbing the blood together.
‘Now, witch. I want the truth before I run you through, and spare us all from watching you tear yourself apart.’
I swiped at my nose as colour rose up my chest. If Evella was on my side, she’d use the blight to help me rip these twats apart.
Her eyes lit up as I told her I was an Anomaly who’d left my training too late. I omitted the name of my husband or title. These fuckers had no loyalty to anyone but their Guild and wouldn’t hesitate to ransom an all-valuable Anomaly to the highest bidder.
She watched me with glittering eyes, her other hunters gathering around as I made up a tale of my husband fearing retribution and bringing me as far away as he could.
‘What’s the gift then?’
Our gazes locked, neither one of us prepared to give the other any ground, despite how the odds were stacked in her favour. I inhaled sharply against the slashing in my temple, the flaring burn of the itch.
‘I can summon animals, control their will.’
The smile slid from her face, her eyebrows raised.
‘You control animals?’
I nodded.
‘Get Pumpkin,’ she said to one of her lackeys.
She dragged me up by my top, and I yelped as the hooves approached. A small cart pony shook his head, lifting his sad brown gaze to meet mine. He shook out his shaggy blonde mane, so stark against the russet of his coat.
‘Prove it.’
Gritting my teeth, I thought of Matthias, my desperation to ensure his safety. I reached inside and found the silver tethers of my faltering gift. The pony turned his head.
‘It’ll work better if I ride him,’ I said.
She snorted. ‘Fuck off. You’ll stand here and get that little bugger to rear up.’
Issuing a silent apology to Pumpkin, he rose up on his tired hind legs. There was a temptation to get him to strike the hunter, but I wouldn’t risk them punishing the pony.
‘Nice trick,’ she said, crossing her arms. ‘Now make him stand on his front legs.’
‘He’s not a circus horse,’ I snarled. ‘He’ll walk in a figure of eight.’
Pumpkin obeyed, leaving a perfect trail in the dusty ground.
She nodded, before craning her neck to the hunter behind her, a tall, lean female with short black hair and empty eyes.
‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’
A wide grin split up the other hunter’s face. I swiped another trickle of blood from my upper lip, grimacing. Hunters who’d just run across a lone Anomaly who could summon the beasts? I was a living, breathing pot of gold.
‘It won’t work,’ I cried, my voice breaking. ‘How do you think I ended up like this?’
‘And yet, you’re still alive after facing one of those cursed buggers.’ She turned to the hunter behind her, slapping her hand on the woman’s shoulder before striding off.
‘Tie the witch up, then heal her, all except that battered ankle of hers. We don’t want her running off. We’ve got ourselves a new weapon, lads. One we can beat if it fails.’
‘Shit,’ I muttered as rough hands grabbed my face and blessed relief flooded my torn body.
Pissing off the hunters was the only thing keeping me going as they dragged me closer and closer to Graig Du. The land was increasingly barren as the black mound of rock jutted like a poisoned thorn from the ashy earth.
‘Two days, witch,’ Hettie, the hunters’ troll of a leader spat at me. ‘Two days and you ain’t even brought one paltry ’fol our way?’
I wriggled against the tight ropes around my wrists, desperate to scratch the itch. ‘It may have escaped your notice, but we’re the only pricks out here.’
She slapped my raw cheek, and I winced.
‘You’ve got one day to bring me a diafol or I’ll take my dagger to that pretty little face of yours. See how much your precious husband loves you then.’
I bit down on the side of my cheek to stop myself from answering the bitch back.
She shoved me to the ground, while she and the other hunters set up camp.
I glared at her massive back, watching her huge muscles roll as she gathered the remnants of wood from the wagon to get a fire going.
I’d no chance of beating her and the others, and although they hadn’t worked out I was partially sighted, I was at a massive disadvantage.
My nostrils flared as I imagined the look on her face when I had her stripped from the Guild.
Who did they think they were protecting out here?
From watching them, I realised these were no fearless fighters offering salvation from the corrupted beasts to the villages and towns hounded by Vyrus’s demons.
They were chancers. Greed-filled mercenaries who came to the middle of nowhere, where they were more likely to come across a diafol.
Cashing in on the skins, while protecting no one.
Darkness fell and sleep evaded me for the third night on the run. I turned onto my side, tears fighting their way out, and stared into the inky void. The frigid air filled with their snores and wheezes. Whoever was on guard duty hacked and spat.
As far as I knew, I was travelling further and further away from Matthias.
The old familiar emptiness cracked and widened in my chest once more as I lay there, wondering if I’d ever see him again.
I closed my eyes, swallowing hard as a sob rose up my throat.
For all I knew, he’d given up, returned to his palace.
Or perhaps he was at Graig Du right now, terrifyingly close, mourning my death while searching for Vyrium.
I bit my bottom lip hard as I thought of Ifan.
Was his attack personal, or, as I suspected, were his aims to remove Matthias from the throne?
He’d already tried to kill the queen. Was he prepared to kill his brother and king?
Maybe he’d already got to him. I swallowed the tears back.
I’d know if he were dead. Surely I’d know?
Closing my eyes, I pictured his beautiful face.
Had I ever told him how I could spend eternity watching the gold flecks in his eyes flicker in the sunlight?
Or how I used to spend half our childhood stealing glances, wondering if he’d even noticed I loved him?
I sighed, sending the words out to the sliver of moon, praying to Evella he was looking up at the same light now, sensing my thoughts.
I needed him to understand how the mere whisper of his fingers sent a force greater than lightning through my blood.
Did he have the slightest clue how much I regretted how we’d been denied the time to give in to the desire blazing through me whenever his lips found mine?
That my final thought on this cursed planet would be of him and him alone.
Did he know how I craved him? Admired him? How he’d held my heart and soul from our first moment?
‘I love you, Matthias Elmswood,’ I whispered, closing my eyes and speeding my words to the fading silver crescent.
A tear broke free, hitting the ground, and I sighed, before a hunter scratched, letting out wind. Gods, could this get any worse? I stared into the darkness, waiting for the new dawn.
My brows knitted together as I listened to the camp.
Something wasn’t right. Carefully, I shuffled and peered around. From the sounds of various snores and grunts, it appeared their guard had fallen asleep, but I had to be certain.
With my pulse spiking, I carefully sat and squinted into the night. Were they all asleep?
Pumpkin snorted. I may struggle to see, but the pony didn’t.
Sending out my gift, the pony answered, nickering softly, his head bobbing in response. They slept!
I was about to hail him, but froze the thought before it left my mind.
His hooves would surely rouse one of the hunters.
I’d have to get to him. I shuffled to my knees, my heart roaring in my ears.
Filling my lungs, I moved first one foot, then the other, till I stood in the thick woollen socks they’d begrudgingly given me.
I whimpered at the flash of pain in my throbbing ankle.
My bound hands trembled as I stretched them out to balance me.
I’d no idea if anyone would see me, or even if I’d trip on them.
I reached out to Pumpkin, who snorted in answer.
Following the thread, I padded my way towards the pony, halting at every grunt. My body prickled, anticipating a pair of heavy hands grabbing me at any second. Sweat formed, chilling my skin in the frigid night air. I almost sobbed with relief as a warm nose, soft as velvet, nuzzled my cheek.
I tested the rope binding me, thanking Evella as I found it already fraying and thin enough for Pumpkin to chew through.
He willingly obliged. I closed my eyes as his teeth gnawed the rope, certain this was the point where my escape failed.
When they’d punish me, but the rope slipped silently from my torn wrists.
A few seconds later, I sat on his back, running my hand down his neck and leaning forward to place a kiss on his head. As the pony left the camp, I couldn’t be sure whether his hooves or my thundering heart would wake them.
After a few moments, I exhaled heavily, unsure when I’d last taken a decent breath. We had to get some distance before we broke into a canter. I had to be far enough from the hunters, and the arrows I’d spied in their wagon.
I cursed as the first splinter of blush spilt over the shadowy horizon, announcing the dawn.
The landscape was mortifyingly barren. As soon as they woke, they’d know I’d escaped and, although I wouldn’t see them, they’d certainly see me.
I peered back over my shoulder, squinting at the hazy outline of the wagon growing blurrier with every step the pony took.
I squeezed my thighs, and Pumpkin broke into a trot.
He was taking us towards Graig Du, where I’d be able to hide in the caves. My chest tightened. I was going to do this. I’d be free as soon as I—
Angry shouts carried across the desolate land, and I cursed Evella. I wasn’t going back to them. If they wanted to take me, I’d make sure I destroyed them first.