Chapter 10
ten
Though it was only a few marks past midday, Vade said they needed to make camp.
They’d reach Ricaboro tomorrow, but there was a shelter in the woods he knew of.
With the smell of imminent rain and gray skies, Orelia didn’t mind stopping early.
Her legs were still getting used to the hours of walking and her body healed quicker when they paused.
Vade had been softer toward her today but gave no verbal indication that he was sorry for nearly choking her to death. She supposed him giving her more rabbit for breakfast and not asking to have his map back was his way of apologizing.
She expected a small village, or at least a trading post, but when they came upon a rocky fortress barely the size of a hut, Orelia frowned.
Vade sent his shadows through the slats in the wooden door. A few seconds later, the tendrils snuck back into his fingertips. “It’s empty.”
“Your shadows can tell if someone’s in there?”
“I feel around the space, and if someone is wherever I’m looking, they try to sever my shadows with a weapon or harm them with magic.”
Orelia ran her palm along the smooth, brown stone half covered in vines. “Does it hurt when someone does that?”
“No, it’s more like pressure.”
For once, his tone was neutral, not scolding or irritated. He was actually being . . .pleasant.
Vade pulled on the fraying rope handle and stepped inside. “This is a place for travelers to spend the night. There are a few scattered throughout the continent. This one’s not my favorite, but it’ll do.”
Orelia poked her head in and was immediately hit with the scent of sweat and musk.
Two small, pillow-less beds with bits of twigs and grass on them lined opposite walls.
She couldn’t tell if the beds had actual mattresses or were a jumble of thick blankets stacked together.
When she sat on one and it felt like sitting on a slab of stone, she got her answer.
A blackened circle of ash inside a grouping of stones sat in the middle of the single room, marking the place for a fire.
The shelter was windowless, holding in the stagnant air, but there was a hole in the middle of the ceiling large enough for smoke to escape.
Not much, but it was safe from the elements.
Vade sat on the bed across from her and began unpacking his cookware and whetstone. She knew his routine by heart now.
Wake up.
Make breakfast.
Walk.
Stop for lunch.
Walk some more.
Make camp.
Sharpen knives.
Sleep.
With as little talking as possible.
Orelia craved the shade of the trees and the rain-scented breeze, so she set Bute’s jar on her bed and excused herself.
When she stepped outside, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. There was an edge to the woods that hadn’t been there earlier. A strange sense of something closing in around her. She turned to go back inside but a rough palm covered her mouth.
Someone dragged her away, snorting like an animal in her ear. She thrashed as hard as she could as whoever, or whatever, pulled her away from the shelter. Orelia clawed at the hairy arm wrapped around her body and finally got the clammy hand away from her mouth.
Before she could scream for help, Vade burst through the door, almost blowing it off the rope hinges. His eyes went straight to the knife now digging into her neck, and a low rumble of warning emanated from his throat. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
A gruff, inhuman voice spoke in her ear. “Take one more step and I’ll cut her open.”
Creatures with piglike snouts and small tusks came out of the trees, but their faces were otherwise human.
They walked on two legs, bent like a deer’s with hooves for feet and small, bushy tails.
Their dust-covered bodies were coated in coarse boar’s hair, and each held simple, homemade weapons in their human hands.
Orelia had never read about, or heard of, the creatures. Her heart pounded in her chest.
Vade said with unsettling calm, “Been a while since I’ve encountered Freebeasts.”
The five human-pig-deer creatures cautiously descended on them in the way deer approach water looking for submerged predators.
Hot breath tickled her cheek. “I know you, fae. You’ve been in these woods before.”
“Funny. You must not have been that memorable, because I have no recollection of meeting you, swine.”
A pig’s snort sounded in her ear. “Just as much of a prick as you were the first time, Death’s Shadow.”
Vade’s lips quirked. The nickname certainly fit him well.
The Freebeast lifted her chin with the tip of his knife. “What’ll you give me for her?”
“I’ll let you keep your life,” Vade said with an annoyed sigh.
Another defiant snort. “Money, fae. I know you have it just by looking at you. How much is her life worth to you?”
Calculating eyes watched the scene unfurl, blunt weapons waiting to bash their brains in.
Vade wouldn’t let her die, but it was six on two, and she wasn’t sure what to do.
Her arms were pinned, though she might still be able to reach the knife Vade had given her in her belt, but then what?
She didn’t want to kill anyone; she just didn’t want to be killed.
“I don’t have much,” Vade said. “Got robbed a few nights ago.”
“Lies.” The Freebreast nicked her skin, and she winced.
Vade’s calm composure faltered, and a heaviness swept through the woods. She’d learned the sensation was the weight of his power being readied. A slight twitch of his fingers confirmed it. “Prick her skin again, and you’ll regret ever doing so.” His voice was dangerously low and menacing.
“Then give me money.”
Vade surveyed the others one by one. A flash of uncertainty crossed his face, but it was gone when his eyes met the creature holding her hostage. “I know you beasts don’t have any sense of decorum, but it’s bad manners not to discuss this situation like civilized beings. Why don’t we negotiate?”
“Enough with the fancy talk. Hand over the money, or she dies.”
The tiniest shadows slithered out from Vade’s fingertips, and she couldn’t tell if any of the others had noticed. “How about I just kill every one of you filthy, odorous fucks instead?”
Snorts erupted, weapons raised into the air, egging him on. They wanted a fight.
The beast smoothed her hair back from her face with his rough fingers. He stuck his snout in her hair and inhaled. “Mmm, strawberries.”
Orelia’s face bunched in disgust as she tried to get some distance from him and failed.
“We Freebeasts don’t like to spill such pretty blood.” He pressed his knife to her temple, cutting her skin.
Orelia hissed.
“But if you won’t pay, I’ll do it.”
Vade lashed out with a shadow, but a beast to her right knocked it away with his spear. He tried again, but the spear was too quick.
“Have you forgotten that didn’t work last time?” another said with a sharp snort.
The fae donned a cocky grin. “Worth a shot.” He took a step back and inhaled deeply. “But this’ll work.”
Vade slammed both palms on the ground, sending a shockwave of bright light rippling across the earth.
Her hair blew back in the gust, the knife fell from her temple, and something wet hit her neck.
When the shockwave had passed and the gale was no longer, there were no Freebeasts, only puddles of crimson where they’d once been.
Entrails hung from branches, dangling like pink and red ribbons.
Chunks of meat fell from the sky and landed all around her with sickening, wet thumps.
Something brushed against her foot, and she looked down to see a severed hand rolling away.
Orelia screamed. She touched her face, panicking, smearing warm blood across her skin in streaks.
“Oh, gods . . .” She nearly vomited. “Oh . . .oh, my gods.” Everywhere she looked, the forest was painted in red death.
Pieces of furred flesh decorated the trees like Yulemas ornaments.
Orelia stumbled, stepping on more body parts that squished under boots.
She tripped on a torso and fell back into a hard body with a yelp.
Vade righted her with a firm grip on her shoulders. “Just a little blood, that’s all.”
“They’re . . .they’re . . .” No matter how many times she blinked, the crimson woods wouldn’t turn back to green. “Skin, and the bones, and the . . .” Her voice trailed off, and her knees nearly gave out.
She was going to be sick. Orelia looked at her shaky, bloody hands, and her breaths came in short pants. “I have to clean this up. I can heal them.” She stumbled through the desecrated forest looking for any survivors. “Okay, I just need some rags, a-and some water. A bandage or—”
Vade grabbed her shoulders. “Look at me. They’re gone.”
Her eyes darted between his. “There’s medicine in the cabinet above my workstation. I just need rags, a-and—”
“Hey, they’re gone,” he repeated, giving her a quick shake.
What was he saying? She tried to think of other supplies she needed but kept blinking furiously, attempting to formulate a clear plan. “Get the blanket from, from Teegan, and then—”
“Fuck.”
“Find Teegan and—”
She was still talking as Vade put her hands around his neck, then wrapped his arms around her back. “Hold onto me.” Black eyes were looking at her, but she didn’t know who they belonged to.
He squeezed her tight and launched into the sky.
Orelia screamed, eyes clamped shut as her stomach dropped and wind whipped her hair around her face. Only once the wind had died down did she stop shrieking.
“My gods, woman, did you have to scream right in my fucking ear?”
Orelia peeled her eyes open. Vade’s wings were out, flapping in steady beats, keeping them hovering. She twisted her neck, noticing they were surrounded by clouds.
“Don’t look down,” he said.
She did.
“Oh, gods! Put me down! Put me down right now!” They were so high up that the rivers looked like pieces of blue string.
She flailed, limbs going every which way. Orelia accidentally elbowed him in the face, and a rough, “Fuck!” flew out of Vade’s mouth.