Chapter Six Garrick
Chapter Six
Garrick
My anger glowed white hot at the memory of the blood painting her skin. Feylan was getting bolder, and I was getting weaker,
and part of that was her fault. If she’d stayed out of the woods, then I wouldn’t have had to expend considerable time and
energy rescuing her.
Unless that had been her plan all along.
I’d felt her testing the protection charms on the bridge, and I’d watched to see what she would do. The innermost charm was
new, and it was designed to prevent her from leaving—or at least, from leaving easily. But despite having the power to break it, she’d let
it painfully rebuff her then had stared at it warily.
Much like she was staring at me right now.
I should be trying to charm her into giving up her secrets, but I was strangely reluctant to confirm that she had been sent
to find me, and that made her incredibly dangerous.
I leveled a glare at her and told her a partial truth. “If you are unhappy with my hospitality, then you are free to leave
whenever you like—from the castle, that is. I will remove the protection I put in place for your safety, but you’ll find the
wood is less likely to let you go. And there are worse things than chagri lurking in the trees, waiting to snatch up an unwary
mage. I’d rather you didn’t make them any more powerful, but the choice is yours.”
If she decided to leave, I wouldn’t stop her, but I would ensure that Feylan couldn’t use her, either—by whatever means necessary.
She met my gaze, bold and reckless. Her dark hair was braided away from her face, giving me a clear view of brown eyes sparkling
with fire. I wanted to drag her closer and feel that heat for myself.
I frowned. I’d been alone too long if the first attractive person to glance in my direction could heat my blood. And, in truth, I had been alone too long, until loneliness was just another ache, largely ignored but never absent. My judgment couldn’t be trusted.
Until I knew who had sent her, and why, I had to keep my distance.
“Two questions.” She held up one slender finger. “Is chagri the type of beast that attacked me?”
When I nodded, her right hand flexed, no doubt remembering the burn of poison.
She swallowed a grimace. “Second question: the forest won’t let me go?”
Skepticism and suspicion laced her tone. I clenched my fists and let my gaze rove over the distant trees. “No. It hoards mages
like kings hoard gold.”
“Then how do you get out?”
My lip curled as I fought the urge to snarl at her. When I met her eyes, her spine straightened, but she didn’t step back.
She had courage, I’d give her that. Whether or not that was enough remained uncertain. “I don’t,” I said, answering her question.
She frowned. “Then how long have you been trapped here?”
“A long time.”
“How does the forest keep you in?”
“Magic,” I snapped, patience thin. Admitting weakness went against my every instinct, but on the off chance that she wasn’t
one of Feylan’s already, she needed to know the truth. “The forest is sealed. Anything magical that enters can no longer leave.
Occasionally, a villager will wander in and get eaten, then they’ll send in some weak, hapless mage to fight the ‘monster.’
All they do is feed the forest’s magic with their deaths. Any more questions?”
“Just a few dozen,” she admitted, her tone dry as dust. “Did someone hire you to deal with the chagri?”
“No.”
“So why did you . . .” She trailed off then shook her head with a grimace. “You were there because I’m the ‘weak, hapless mage.’” Her laugh had a bitter undertone that I didn’t care for. “Have chagri been attacking villagers?”
My jaw clenched at the reminder of my ongoing failures. “How many people are missing?”
“I don’t know about the other villages, but in mine, a huntsman was attacked after he foolishly entered the forest at night.
He was able to drive off the beast after it bloodied his arm, but he didn’t get a good look it, so I don’t know what kind
of creature it was. However, I’m starting to think it wasn’t a chagri.”
“They sent you into the woods to die because one person thought he fought a monster in the dark?” Shattered fucking stone, did they want Feylan to win? The villagers should be protecting their mages, not sacrificing them because of rumors.
Her sigh spoke volumes. “They were . . . insistent, yes, but ultimately, it was my decision. I would’ve happily let Hector fight his own monsters, but I didn’t want a child
to be snatched next, and I’m the only one in the village with magic.”
“Magic you can’t control. Why didn’t they send anyone with you? Surely your village has more than one huntsman? Or anyone
at all trained to fight?”
She winced and dropped her gaze. Pain shattered through her expression for a moment before she smoothed it away behind a bland,
placid smile.
I hated it.
“When you put it like that,” she murmured, “I’ll admit it doesn’t sound great, but I’m sure they thought I could handle it.”
She swallowed, like the lie tasted bitter on her tongue, but then forged ahead. “And I did. Kind of. If there are more monsters,
and I can’t leave the woods anyway, then perhaps I can prevent them from hurting anyone else.” Her gaze flickered hopefully
back to mine. “It would be easier with help.”
“No.” I would not let her near any of the monsters in the wood. She’d barely survived the chagri. Without fully trained magic,
she would be dead before she realized she was under attack.
She accepted my refusal without a whisper of complaint—which caused an irrational spike of irritation—and pivoted to a new topic. “Then will you escort me to the edge of the forest so I can try leaving?”
Frustration simmered through my veins. “It’s a waste of time.”
“It might be,” she agreed easily, “but I have to know. How many times have you tried to escape?”
That strike landed true and rage sharpened my voice into a blade. “Enough to know that it’s a waste of time and energy, and
I have neither to spare. You’re welcome to try, but I doubt you’ll make the border on your own.”
Her eyes widened. “You won’t go with me?”
“No.”
Stubbornness brought her chin up. “You promised to keep me safe.”
How long had it been since someone had dared to argue with me? Desire slid through my veins, hot and dangerous. Only long
practice kept my expression even as I gestured toward the castle. “I made no such promise. I said you were safe, and this is the safest place in the forest. If you choose to leave the protection I’ve provided, then that is your
decision.”
“You won’t go with me even if my death will feed the forest’s magic?” she dared to ask, rebellion clear in her expression.
It wouldn’t—I wouldn’t allow it—but telling her that was not likely to convince her to stay. Her fate was in her hands, and
I was done with this conversation. “Do as you will,” I bit out, then turned and entered the kitchen.
After a moment, Grim followed me. I sat at the table and summoned a bowl of stew and a loaf of bread, but all of my focus
was on the woman just outside the door.
The woman who, it was increasingly clear, had no idea who I was.