Chapter 7
Sebastian: An Unexpected Attack
The morning came far too quickly for Sebastian’s liking. Before he was quite awake, he found himself sitting in the driver’s seat of a horse-drawn cart, packed to the brim with materials and tools that he had always dreamed of owning but knew he never would.
As overjoyed as he was about the chance to work with them, Lucy’s presence in the seat next to him tempered his enthusiasm.
Unlike the day before, when she’d dressed in breeches and a tunic, she now wore a high-necked gown that did absolutely nothing for her figure.
She was far too pale and the dark circles under her eyes told him she had slept little the night before.
Lucy caught him looking at her out of the corner of her eye. “What is it?” she asked, twining her hands through her curls so tightly Sebastian was afraid she’d tear it out.
“Are you alright?” he wondered, frowning at her.
Lucy gave him a forced smile that pricked his heart. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, perhaps you could tell that to your hands. They appear to be trying to yank your hair out by the roots,” Sebastian said softly, taking the offending hand in his own.
Lucy’s face went scarlet. “Oh. Right.” She cleared her throat. “Shouldn’t we be going?”
Sebastian released her and picked up the reins. “Ah. Right.” He gave them a small flick and with a jolt, they began to move. “But don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us.”
Lucy wouldn’t meet his eyes as her hands returned to her hair. “Of course it wouldn’t be so easy,” she mumbled.
“Is it your family? Are you worried about them?” Sebastian asked, training his eyes on the road. “Because I already asked Oliver to send a physician to check on Shiloh. And Lady Quinn sent a message that she went to see your Gran personally last night.”
“Oh. That was…very kind…of both of you,” Lucy said.
Sebastian shrugged. “Not really. I just don’t like to see you worried.”
Lucy stared at him. “What was that, Sir Sebastian?”
“Forget about it. It was nothing,” he said, his wings betraying his anxiety.
“No, it most definitely was not nothing,” Lucy protested.
“Yes, it was,” Sebastian insisted. Time for a change of subject. “By the way, who was that guy out in the gardens with you last night?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Lucy stiffened, her fingers clutching the bench they were sitting on. “What guy?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb,” Sebastian scoffed. “Oliver mentioned his cousin caught you and some man in the garden after midnight last night. I didn’t know you knew anyone else in the palace.”
“Joanna was right,” Lucy muttered. She drew the red cloak around her, despite the warmth of the day. “Oliver is a bit of a blabbermouth when he’s around her.”
“He’s just worried about you. We both are,” Sebastian said, his eyes sweeping back and forth along the path. They were entering a part of the road that trees overshadowed. According to reports from the other guards, it was a favorite spot for bandits and vandals.
“You don’t need to worry about me. You know I always find my way,” Lucy mumbled.
“I do. But I also know you’re not acting like yourself. So? Who was he?” Sebastian prodded.
“Just someone from the pack,” Lucy shrugged.
“Oh? I didn’t think we had any werewolves in the palace.
” Sebastian frowned. In fact, he was sure of it.
The month before, he and Oliver gone over a list of all the castle inhabitants, as a favor to King Alastair.
According to that list, there had been no werewolves living within the palace walls.
At the time, Oliver had pointed it out as a major failure in the king’s diversity objectives, which was why the point stuck in Sebastian’s mind.
“He doesn’t live or work at the palace,” Lucy said. She chewed on her bottom lip. “He—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a cry from above distracted them. A second later, a hooded man in green leaped onto the back of the cart. “Stop the cart immediately!” he ordered.
“Not happening,” Lucy said, her eyes flashing.
Quick as lightning, the man drew a bow and nocked an arrow. “I will not ask again, Red Riding Hood.”
Sebastian frowned at the nickname, but drew back on the reins. The horses obeyed the command, slowing to a stop. “You’re making a mistake, sir.”
“I don’t think I am,” the man said, his lips quirking up in a smile. “You, out of the cart. Red, stay where you are. You’re coming with us.”
“You must be crazy if you think I’m going with you,” Lucy retorted, standing up. “And you can’t have the cart either.”
Two more hooded men in green stepped out of the woods and approached the cart. “Don’t make this difficult, lo-lu,” one of them said. Sebastian frowned. He knew that voice. Why—
“Get stuffed,” Lucy snapped. She withdrew a knife from up her sleeve. “Leave us alone.”
The same hooded men scoffed. “You don’t have the guts, Riding Hood.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Sebastian said, his eyes darting between Lucy and the man. “Luce—”
“Enough of this.” The man at the back of the cart gestured with his chin to the two on the ground. “Bring the girl. I’ll deal with the Fey.”
The two men jumped up onto the cart, startling the horses.
Sebastian grabbed the reins, trying to get them back under control.
At the same time, the two men grabbed at Lucy.
She whirled on the first one, stabbing him in the leg.
He screamed in pain and wrenched away from her, taking the knife with him.
Simultaneously, the second ruffian grabbed hold of her elbow, wrenching her arm behind her back. “Hood, I could use a hand here,” he shouted at the third man.
“Get off of her!” Sebastian shouted, abandoning the reins. He tried to pull the man away from Lucy. The man elbowed him in the face, sending him sprawling backward.
“Sebastian!” Lucy cried in horror. The man with the bow leaped over the supplies in the back of the cart and began helping the other bandit manhandle Lucy off the cart. She fought against them, but they were stronger than her. They pulled her down from the cart.
All of a sudden, a change came over Lucy. Her body began to twist and shrink. Scarlet fur replaced skin and hair. Within seconds, the girl was gone, a small red fox standing in her place.
“What the—” the first man gasped. His companions only watched as the fox twisted out of the two bandits’ grasp and disappeared into the woods.
Sebastian took advantage of their surprise. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed for the sword in the floor of the cart. Within seconds, he had it drawn. He leaped out of the cart and held the sword at the first man’s chest. “I think we were in the middle of something,” he growled.
The other two men wrenched their eyes away from the woods. They paled at the sight of the sharp sword. “Whoa, Thad, I didn’t sign up for this,” the third man said.
“Dragon’s teeth, yes, you did,” the second man said. “Tom, if you—”
“I’m out,” the third man, Tom, Sebastian guessed, said, before fleeing into the woods.
“Tom, get back here!” the man at sword point shouted. He shook his head. “Coward.”
“Yeah, you just can’t get good help around here these days, can you?” Sebastian said.
“My friend, we’re running out of options here. We should go,” the first man asked, glancing at the other.
“Just wait a moment,” the second man replied. “Let me think.”
The first man looked like he wanted to protest, but before he could, he fell to his knees, yowling in pain. The second man, spooked by the first’s actions, took off into the woods, screaming something unintelligible.
Sebastian looked around for the source of the first man’s pain. To his amusement, he found a small red fox that had latched on to the man’s ankle. Blood covered its maw, but it held on stubbornly, tightening its grip on the man every time he so much as flinched.
Sebastian retrieved a coil of rope from the cart and used it to bind the man’s hands. “You can let go now, Lucy. He can’t hurt either of us now.”
The fox looked dubious, glancing back and forth between Sebastian and the man. Sebastian gave her an encouraging nod. “It’s okay. I’ve got him.”
The fox gave a tentative nod and released the man’s ankle. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” the man said.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Sebastian warned. “I’m taking you in to the proper authorities.” He moved to remove the man’s hood.
“Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the man said as Sebastian moved closer.
“I don’t think you get a say and what I do and don’t do,” Sebastian said. “Unless, of course, you’d like my friend here to give you another nip.”
“Your kitsuné friend is going to need some help herself in just a second,” the man said.
“Unless I miss my guess, that was her first transformation, which means she’s going to return to her human form in a little less than thirty seconds.
After that, she’s going to be exhausted.
Well, more tired than she already was. So, if I were you, I’d get her up in that cart and drive away. ”
“Yeah, and what do you suggest I do with you? Just leave you here?” Sebastian growled.
“I would.” The man gestured to his still-bleeding leg.
“I’m not going anywhere on this, at least until I see a healer.
And eventually, my men will come for me, even if the others were slightly less than courageous.
And there will be a lot more of them next time.
So it’s time to ask yourself a very important question: do you really want to protect the girl or prevent me from escaping? ”
Sebastian hesitated just a second too long.
In a blink, Lucy had transformed back into a regular, mortal girl, albeit with blood down the front of her worn gown.
She stood for a moment on trembling legs, before they gave out.
Sebastian cursed and sheathed his sword.
“Get out of here,” he said over his shoulder as he gently gathered Lucy into his arms. “If you value your life, you’ll abandon this road and find another place to accost travelers. ”
Lucy shook her head, struggling futilely against his grasp. “No, Seba—”
“Don’t worry, Little Red. We will meet again, I’m sure of it.” The man gave an awkward little bow with his arms still bound before he melted into the forest. Sebastian watched him go before turning back to the cart.
“You shouldn’t have let him go,” Lucy said as Sebastian helped her into the cart before climbing up himself. He placed his weapon beside him. Lucy’s head lolled slightly as she continued, “You could have collected the reward on his head. I heard they were offering fifty gold coins for bandits—”
“It wouldn’t be worth it. Bringing a prisoner with us to Umber would just bring us unwanted attention.
And he was right. The other two cowards would have followed us, and they would have brought reinforcements, which would probably have led to another battle.
You’re in no shape to fight, love.” Sebastian gathered the reins in his hands and gave them a sharp flick.
“Let’s get out of the woods and I’ll find someplace to stop so you can change clothes. ”
Lucy nodded, her head resting on his shoulder. Sebastian stole a look at her. Her eyes were already half closed. He resisted the urge to put his arm around her. Instead, he returned his eyes to the road, letting his mind wander as they continued the journey in companionable silence.