Chapter 21
Oh, fuck! Why had she said that? Why had she told him she thought she loved him?
The smug look on his face as he was leaving, after a heart-pounding kiss that took her breath away, made her realize what she’d actually said to him.
And he had the audacity to throw her words back in her face as he left her to wait for his return.
She was a formidable warrior in her own right.
Val and she had been trained by some of the toughest women who had ever existed in Umbraland.
The witches who raised them had been chosen for a reason.
Even Grawl didn’t dare go near them. After being raised as one of them, Liv and Val could hold their own.
But something had thrown Liv for a loop. If they were the badasses that they’d been raised to be, how had Val even been captured by Lord Thrait? The only explanation was that she’d allowed it to happen. But why?
The question continued to haunt Liv as she waited on Rise’s return. Yet, as an hour came and went, there was still no sign of him.
“Well, Nick, looks like we’re needed to get Rise out of whatever mess he’s gotten himself into.” She patted the horse’s neck and watched as he blinked his eye and nodded as if he understood. He stamped his feet, as anxious as she was to get to Rise.
For the first time, she mounted without Rise’s help, and took the reins.
With the slightest flick, Nick moved forward slowly.
She gave him a kick to urge him to go faster, just as she’d seen Rise do, and Nick took off at lightning speed.
She lowered her head, close to his own, monitoring their progress over each lift and lower of the horse’s head.
Yet, as the castle grew closer, a lone figure ran toward her, throwing looks over its shoulder as if it were being chased.
As the figure became clearer, Liv realized whoever it was was too small to be Rise.
As the figure grew closer, Liv saw it was a woman in long skirts that were tripping her up in her haste.
Liv pulled the rein to guide Nick directly toward the woman, clearly running away from the castle. She slowed Nick as she neared the woman. She could hear the loud sobbing over the thrum of Nick’s hooves on the hard ground.
Once, she was just a little ways from the woman, who was more interested in what was over her shoulder than in front of her, Liv pulled the reins up and back like she’d seen Rise do.
The horse reared on its hind legs for a moment, almost causing Liv to fall backwards.
Somehow, she managed to hold on, wrapping the reins around her hands and tightening her thighs around Nick’s body.
Nick’s hooves met the dirt once more just as the woman screamed and dropped to the ground, going to her knees in a heap of a crying mess.
Liv slid off of the horse and approached the woman, holding out her hands to show she meant no harm. Finally, the woman lifted her gaze and immediately smiled.
“Liverity Strongwill? Are you really her?”
Liv wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Who was this woman? Could she be trusted?
“How do you know who I am?”
The woman pulled herself up to her feet quickly. “I’m Esvie. I’m the reason you’re here.”
Confusion still made Liv hesitant to accept the woman’s statement on face value. She looked just as Decelia had described her, except for the fact she was caked in dirt and grime. But how did she know they were sent to rescue her? Had Rise simply left Liv out of his plan?
“Where is Riserion?”
“They have him! He freed me, but he said he couldn’t leave yet. Something about his vengeance.”
Grawl was here. Liv knew it instantly. Was that why Val had let herself get caught? It had to be. It would be just like the hot head she was to want to face him alone.
Yet, could Liv even trust this woman who claimed to be Esvie, someone she’d never personally met, and had come running from the castle alone?
“How do I know you are Esvie?”
The woman looked confused for a moment before nodding her head in acceptance. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I’m sure Decelia, that hard-headed woman who leads our people since our king was taken from us, sent you with a description of me. Did she tell you about my birthmark?”
She had. Without waiting for Liv’s reply, the woman lifted her muddy skirt and showed Liv a mark that was clearly in the shape of a three-inch male body part, as if it had been drawn there by some prepubescent youth. Satisfied that this was indeed Esvie, Liv gave a sharp nod.
“You’ll be glad to know that Atta is safe with Decelia, bringing home lots of monstrous pets.”
Tears began to roll down Esvie’s face once more. “I can’t wait to see what else he’s found.”
Liv handed Nick’s reins to Esvie. “Do you ride?”
At Esvie’s nod, Liv gave her instructions for how to find the portal and get back to her people.
“But Rise told me you should come with me! He said not to let you go to the castle.”
“Are you going to stop me?”
Esvie gave a shake of her head.
Once Liv was satisfied that Esvie knew the way back, she watched her race off on the back of Nick until she couldn’t see her any more. She wrapped her bow around her and began making her way toward the castle.
Somehow, Esvie had been able to bring Liv a red armband, the kind Rise had been supposed to bring back for both of them.
She wrapped it around her upper arm like the mercenaries that had passed them while they were hiding.
Hopefully, no one would bat an eye at her as she crossed the threshold into the castle.
Surprisingly, not only did people allow her to walk right through the castle gate, but most got out of her way as quickly as they could. It was clear the mercenaries hadn’t been a welcome addition to the castle.
Once inside, Liv sensed the manic energy that filled the air. This place was on edge. Was this all because of the supposed wedding? Was it because of Grawl’s presence?
Whatever the reason, Liv needed to find Rise first. Then, they would get Val to safety. Once they’d secured all of that, they would regroup, find the curse breaker, hope that Tavorius really was in Umbraland, and then, they’d face Grawl together.
It was a long to-do list, and so much could go wrong, but not a step could be skipped.
Now, where would they have taken Rise?
An uproarious shout split the air.
I’m on my way! She hoped her message carried to him loud and clear.
She was certain he’d heard her when his next shout echoed through the streets to her.
“Leave. This. Place. Now!”
She threw his words back at him.
Over my dead body.