THE COST OF SAFETY
WREN
My heart climbs into my throat as the dark shape draws near. My palm grows slick, and my breath comes in short bursts.
Is this it? Is this the moment my life comes to an end? If so—
My thoughts trail off as a beautiful young woman with ebony skin and black hair falling in waves past her shoulders emerges from the forest. Dressed in a dark crimson gown and a black cloak lined in midnight fur, she is clearly a noblewoman.
She slows, taking in the scene with wide eyes that slide from the Hunter to me and then the twins. Her mouth moves, a hushed “Oh,” and then she looks back at Gabriel.
There’s a shink as the Hunter sheathes his sword, and then the oddest thing happens.
For all his power and strength and ruggedness, he chuckles.
The deep, low sound sends tingles running down my treacherous spine, and my stomach flip-flops.
Gods above, such a good sound has no right coming from a man like him.
Does he know how confusing he is? How everything he does has me warring with myself?
“Ladybug,” Gabriel says warmly, stepping towards the newcomer. He moves with ease, and if his arm is bothering him, I can’t tell.
“Gabe.” The noblewoman’s smile is warm, and the familiarity with which she speaks to him makes my stomach twist. “Fancy meeting you here, in the middle of the forest.”
Gabriel snorts. Snorts!
I glimpsed this side of Gabriel in the short time when we first met before he found out who I was, but it disappeared after that. It’s difficult, reconciling the Hunter I know with this man making sounds of amusement.
“Well, you know how it is. Sometimes, I like to take long walks in the woods.”
The lady laughs, the sound tinkling and sweet. “And you’ve picked up a few strays, it seems.”
“I have.” He nods, the ghost of a smile flickering on his lips.
Violet shoots a look at me over her shoulder. “Who is she?” she mouths.
I wish I knew.
“No idea,” I murmur.
“Were you followed?” Gabriel asks.
The woman steps closer. “No.” She reaches into her cloak, withdrawing a crumpled piece of paper. “I got your message.”
A multitude of questions swirls in my mind.
Who is this woman? How and when did Gabriel get her a message?
And perhaps most importantly, why is she looking at the Hunter with kindness?
Are they friends? Or—and this makes my stomach churn angrily, as if I ate something spoiled—are they something more?
I tighten my empty fist, my nails pressing half-moons into my palm. Burning suns, I despise that last idea.
I’m not sure why the thought of Gabriel having something with this woman bothers me—he’s his own person, and he can do as he pleases—but it does.
Before I can ask one of the many questions hovering on the tip of my tongue, branches shift behind the woman. A black head pops out from behind a bush, and silver eyes that are pools of moonlight meet mine before sliding to the Hunter.
The panther trots out of the forest as if it owns it, going straight towards Gabriel. A beaming grin stretches across the Hunter’s face, and he looks happier than I’ve ever seen him.
Gabriel drops to his knees with an ease that shouldn’t be possible for a man his size. Spreading his arms, he makes a “come here” motion with his hands. The panther bounds towards Gabriel, who wraps his arms around the enormous cat, hugging the feline tightly.
The predators embrace, a sight to behold.
In Saltwater, Gabriel told me the panther was his, but it’s one thing to know that and another to see them together. The cat nuzzles Gabriel’s neck, the movement reminding me of Truffle, the rescue I was forced to leave at home when I ran from my fate. My chest tightens.
There’s a tug on my sleeve, and I look to my left.
“What’s going on, Birdie?” Violet asks, looking between Gabriel, his panther, and the mysterious lady who is watching everything play out with a bemused smile.
“I honestly have no idea,” I say, bewildered.
“The panther is purring,” Marie whispers from behind me, peeking around my other shoulder. “Honestly, I think it’s cute. Don’t you?”
Cute.
Can deadly predators be cute? Maybe the panther is, in a sleek “I could kill you in two heartbeats” kind of way, but Gabriel?
I can’t fathom describing a single thing about him as cute.
He is many things, attractive in a rough “I spend a lot of time in the woods and like it” sense of the word, but he isn’t fucking cute.
Maybe it’s just me, though.
Eventually, Gabriel pulls back. The panther rubs against his leg, still purring, before it turns those moonlit pools towards me and my sisters. There’s a spark of recognition and intelligence in the creature’s eyes that doesn’t quite make sense. It dips its head in my direction. A greeting.
“You are such a good girl, Mist,” Gabriel praises, scratching behind her ears. “You did such a good job.”
Her purr grows even louder as Gabriel rises to his feet. She shuffles beside him, moving in step with him.
“Your damn familiar scared the living daylights out of me when she appeared this morning, Gabe,” the noblewoman chides, chuckling softly.
“She climbed in my bedroom window and pounced on the bed, dropping the note on my lap. I nearly leaped out of my skin. You’re lucky I left the window open last night. ”
Okay, wait.
Hold on a fucking moment.
How does Gabriel’s panther know where this woman lives? Where her bedroom is?
That churning feeling is back, and worse than ever. I feel angry and like I could throw up at the same time, and that’s before I look over to Gabriel. He’s smiling at the woman, all warm and kind and filled with an emotion I can’t describe.
Why is he looking at her like that, and why do I hate it?
“I’m sorry to interrupt this meeting,” I say. “But who are you?”
“Oh, Esyn forgive me. How rude of me.” The lady smiles warmly, and gods, I don’t like how relaxed and at ease she is. She extends a hand in my direction, stepping towards me. “I’m Maia.”
I eye her offered limb for a moment before moving away from my sisters and sliding my hand into hers.
“Birdie,” I say, using the same name I gave Gabriel when we first met.
Was that only a handful of weeks ago? It feels like several lifetimes have passed since he and I first met. I suppose that when one’s life is constantly being threatened, time has a way of shifting.
One of the twins, Marie, I think, makes a startled sound, but she doesn’t correct me. I’m glad. I don’t want to risk giving out my true name to this stranger. Right now, thanks to the Wanted posters with my name and sketched likeness on them, it isn’t safe to be Wren Lilith Nightingale.
It may never be safe to use that name again. Yet another thing my Mark has taken from me.
My heart twists, and an unexpected pang of grief runs through me. Who knew there was so much weight behind a name? I’d shove it into my box to deal with later, but it’s broken. Smashed.
Just another problem to add to my growing pile.
Maia’s eyes sweep over my glowing Mark before she turns to the twins. “And who are you?”
A hitched breath comes from behind me. “I’m Violet,” says my more boisterous sister, edging out from behind me, “and this is Marie.”
My other sister peeks out from behind me, waving.
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Maia says, and she seems sincere. She steps back, chewing on her bottom lip before glancing at the Hunter. “But I must confess, Gabe, I’m a little confused.”
“Oh?” He lifts a brow.
“I thought you only needed one horse.” She frowns, crossing her arms. “And the supplies you asked for . . . I didn’t bring enough for all four of you.”
My brows crease as I try to follow what she’s saying.
Gabriel nods. “I know. That brings me to the second part of my favor.”
A beat of silence, and the air thickens. Unease swirls inside me.
“I wasn’t aware there was a second part.” Maia glares at him, her voice tenser than before.
“Let me explain . . .” Gabriel steps towards the woods, gesturing for his friend to follow. After a moment, she does.
They confer behind a tree, their heads bent together, and I try to follow as best I can. Gabriel whispers something too low for me to hear. A moment later, Maia gasps, gesturing and shaking her head wildly.
“Maia, please. I need you to . . .” Gabriel growls, the rest of his words too hushed for me to hear.
Hissed words. Angry whispers.
The argument continues, and that bitter feeling writhes within me. This is a disagreement between two people who know each other very well, and I dislike that far more than I should. Violet and Marie whisper, but I don’t pay them any attention. My eyes are glued to Gabriel and his friend.
Several minutes pass before Maia sighs and rubs her temples. She glances our way, a solemn look on her face, before she nods.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” she says more loudly, moving towards us. “But you owe me for this, Gabe. What you’re asking won’t be easy.”
My hackles rise, and unease floods my veins. What in the gods’ names have they agreed to, and why does it feel like I should’ve been involved in the discussion?
Gabriel’s words from earlier race through my mind. I can’t let you go. Not again.
A chill runs through me, and I rub my arms. Why is Gabriel so invested in me?
“I know. Thank you, Ladybug. I’ll owe you one,” he says.
She huffs, rolling her eyes. “Well for starters, you can stop calling me that.”
He makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. “I’ll see what I can do. You’ll let Theon know?”
I narrow my eyes, glaring at them as anger bubbles in my veins. What in the gods’ names have they agreed to? Who is this Theon? Each question piles on top of the last until it feels like they’re a leaning tower ready to tumble inside me.
Frustration races through my veins, and my forehead burns.
“Excuse me?” I wave my hands, barely noticing the blue sheen reflecting on them. “Can someone tell me what the fuck is happening?”
Maia looks at my forehead, and she swallows. I should probably be concerned that she’s going to report me to the king, but I’m far more concerned about the current situation.