Chapter 24
Max
When the next morning arrives, we’re packed with substantially less volunteers and hurry into the forest, Dark Fae leading us through.
The same rules apply. Do not go anywhere alone. Stay within the group. Be vigilant.
After the attack, all of us are taking their claims to heart. No one wants to run into another beast unprepared. All of us want to finish this and get out.
Walking through the cursed forest takes days as we hunt for the home base. The paths are overgrown, most barely wide enough for a horse to travel. We have to pick our path carefully, grass so high we don’t know if when we step down, there will be ground or something deadly.
We barely stop to rest during our trek. The Eternal Night Forest is so dark, there is no telling of time here. A few of the volunteers become disorientated and the Dark Fae are forced to tie them to the horses to keep them from running away.
And because of the tiring travel, it’s left very little time for me to talk to the heir. After his cruel words, I’d rather not remember how I bared my soul to him and he shut everything down with such coolness, my fingers felt frostbitten.
“We’ll stop here,” he calls back, sweeping his gaze over the ragged group. They land on me for a brief pause before looking away. “Stay in the shadows.”
Glancing around him, Tay drops from his horse to my side, unpacking our items. In front of our group, is a bright expanse of sun, my eyes watering from the sudden onslaught of light.
“Lilthus Ridge,” he explains, hefting the bag over his shoulder. “The Furies apparently make nests in the sunny, rocky cliffs, poaching from the skies to snatch unsuspecting travelers. They don’t take anyone in the shadows.”
My mouth parts, sliding from the saddle. “Truly, Furies?” Furies are winged beasts, with beautiful female faces but the bodies of hawks, with vibrant red and orange feathers.
It’s said they only snatch evil men, using them to mate with before devouring them whole.
But it’s just a myth. “Where did you hear that?”
Since our conversation by the fire nights ago, we’ve had an unspoken agreement. He’ll avoid talks of my magic and I won’t use it in front of him.
It’s easier that way.
Tay gestures to the men. “News travels fast among them. The rumors of Furies are told to little boys before bed as a warning to treat women right.”
Glaring at a few men who turn a leery eye onto me, I mutter, “Seems the Furies have been lax in their job duties.”
He nods, though he doesn’t respond. He knows how Humans behave, how these men in particular do, but he’s not ready to condemn them yet.
I love his naivety, but he can’t believe some of these men wouldn’t meet the fate of a Fury. Right?
Carefully, Tay takes out his copper summoning bowl, following me to the small pond next to the campsite. I throw my tent down as he dips the bowl in, adding a few drops from a vial in his pocket.
The water in the Blackwoods Coven can be used as communication but only within itself. By combining some water with the water of this pond, Tay’s hoping to speak to his sister. It’s faster than hawks.
“Have you spoken to her?” I ask, voice soft.
Tay looks down, guilt twisting his face. “Not since the night of the welcome ball. I sent her a message when we agreed to the treaty but it’s been silent on her end.” His silver eyes look up at me, frowning. “How mad do you think she is?”
“On a scale of one to when you broke her favorite doll?” I wince in sympathy. “Probably higher considering you gave the Dark Fae water and are in the middle of the Eternal Night Forest with a bunch of Humans.”
Nafre will be mad at the terms Tay set out, but she’ll be worried about where we find ourselves. Tay is second and his magic is needed.
She doesn’t need me.
“Are you sure—”
“We stay,” he cuts off, setting up his tent. “I made an agreement and I’ll honor it.”
“And if Nafre demands you home?”
He doesn’t answer, choosing to finish his accommodations and grabs the copper bowl, staring down.
Finally he looks at me, shoulders heavy with worry. “Then I’ll honor my Matriarch’s command. But until then, I’ll honor my word. We stay.”
Sighing, I watch his flap close and my stomach growls. We’ve not had more than dried fruit and nuts since being on the long journey and the smell of gamey fowl and hearty root vegetables wafts into the air.
Following my nose, I stop at the communal fire, a few men dishing out portions.
It’s nothing more than stew, but I’m too hungry to care.
Grabbing two bowls, I turn from the group to find a place to rest, only for a man dressed in dusty blue leathers to block my exit, arms crossed.
His thick blond mustache covers most of his upper lip, and his dirty hair is soaked to his skull.
By the set of his mouth, he’s not happy to see me.
I stare, hidden by the folds of my cloak. Can I pull my daggers with both hands full?
“That food’s for volunteers,” he tells me, voice gruff. “For those who help. Who pull their weight. What makes you think you can have at it?”
Remaining quiet, I stand still. Taylay has been the one to gather us food and as the only one with helpful magic, they must have been fine with him partaking.
But me, a woman? Not so much.
“Are you dumb, girl?” He steps closer and I feel my magic swirl in my gut, hissing like an angry cat. It knows this man’s intentions and it doesn’t like him.
“Dumb? No.” I scoff, sidestepping his form. “Currently wishing I was deaf? Probably.”
He curses me out, lunging for the bowls. Hot stew sloshes over the sides, burning my cold hands.
“Watch it,” I bite out, my fingers staining red as the magic rises. “I’ve been on this raid since we first began. There was no argument over food then.”
“That’s because we had enough to go around.” His beefy hands plant on his hips. He’s thick like a tree. “Now we’re rationing. Food is for those who actually contribute something to this campaign.”
A blatant lie. With the casualties, there is enough food to last for some time.
“Are you saying I don’t contribute?” I ask, voice dry.
“I’m saying as a woman,” he says, leering at my chest, his rancid breath fanning over my face. “There are certain contributions you can make to this raid. Cleaning, sewing, cooking.” His eyes heat and my magic burns in my veins to hurt him. “Other things.”
I snort. “Not fucking likely.”
Turning away, he swipes the bowls from my hands, the precious stew mixing into the mud beneath my boots.
Snarling back at him, he hauls me close, crooked teeth pinning me with a dirty smile as I shake with rage. “You’ve got a smart mouth for an advisor. What else can it do?”
I don’t bother to look at the volunteers. No man will interfere. By now my fingers are a dark crimson and in my head, I focus on his heart. It’s full of corrosion and ill-care. I could sneeze and he’d drop.
“Beside make you cry?”
He laughs. “Feisty. But for food, I wonder what I could make you do?” He seems to weight the options and my fingers bend, ready to attack.
“I bet I could force my cock down your throat, if it means eating for the night, huh?” He pulls me close and I hold my breath.
“Would you be a good girl for me, advisor?”
“Try and see how good I can be,” I taunt, teeth bared. If he tries anything, consequences be damned, I’ll use my magic and end his life.
His men laugh at my fight and his smile turns wicked, edged with a viciousness that reminds me of Lord Ashton.
“Then let’s give everyone a show.” He shoves me away and I stumble, tripping over the bowls. He begins to unfasten his belt. “You just need someone to teach you how to speak to a man.”
On Cella’s crown, I will not be forced to do anything by this man.
Raising my hands, I let them bend and crack, let my magic flood my system. His heart hammers into my ears, a war drum and I gladly listen to it. Soon, I’ll snap it in half.
A sword swings in front of me, stopping just shy of slicing the lord’s neck.
“What is the meaning—”
“Count yourself lucky, my lord,” Kaden intervenes, voice hard. The amber of his eyes are darkened by his shadows, the thick wisps blowing off his shoulders like a cape. “Another word and you’d be dead.”
Disgusted, he glances to his half-done pants. “Cover yourself before I make you an eunuch.”
Kaden turns back to me, clamping a hand around my hovering wrist. “Don’t.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, incredulously. “He tried—”
“I know,” he interrupts, never letting me move away. “And he deserves your wrath. But I don’t need to remind you of what will happen if they know what you are.”
“Last time I checked,” I growl, tugging free of him. “You threatened to tell them what I am. Why do you care if I stay hidden now?”
“Because,” he breathes, a hand falling to my stomach as if to ground me, “You are worth so much more than that pathetic excuse of a male. You will not forfeit your life for petty revenge.”
Glaring, my cheeks flush, his touch searing my soul.
“So, I just let him get away with it?”
He smirks, the black swirling inside his eyes, terrifying and beautiful all at once.
“No, kitten. You let me handle it.” His nose brushes my cheek, inhaling me once. “They know me as a monster. So let me be one for you.”
Tapping my belly, he continues. “Focus here. Reign in your power. Let it rest. I can handle this.”
As I inhale, the heir turns back to the lord, as he adjusts his pants.
“I should slice your neck and leave you for the creatures in this forest to feast upon,” he murmurs, tilting his head like a predator. “In fact, I still might.”
“Heir Kaden,” the lord pleads. “She is just a woman. Not anyone for you to worry over.”
“She is a woman you do not touch,” he seethes, picking him up with his magic.
An inky black hand grips the lord’s neck, swinging him into the air, cutting off his words.
“She is under my protection now. If you touch her, look at her in anyway that’s less than respectful, I’ll cut out your eyes, rip out your tongue and tie you to a tree for a beast to find you.
” He shakes him, face furious. “Understand?”
He drops the man, looking to the rest of the crowd. “That goes for all of you. Stay away from her.”
Turning toward me, he notices the pale pink on my fingers, leaning to whisper in my ear. “Is it done?”
I nod, sealing the magic away with one final shove. “Yes.”
“Good girl.”
The fallen lord sits on his knees, coughing, face red. Kaden smiles like a feline, hand at the small of my back. “Apologize.”
The lord’s eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
My mouth parts in shock. What?
“Apologize to the advisor. Or,” he levels the sword at his neck, “die. A simple choice really.”
Freezing, I await the lord’s decision. No one has ever made someone apologize to me. In the Coven, when I was teased and bullied, more often than not, the Witches looked away.
Here, the heir is making sure I’m respected. The barrier between us from the first night, cracks and my heart opens to him again.
Hastings stands, bowing sniffling, mind made-up. “I apologize, advisor, for my words. Please, take whatever you need from our camp.”
Once the words are uttered, Kaden shoves him away in disgust. The Dark Fae guards break up the crowd as I turn to the heir, eyes searching. “Why?”
He kicks the fallen bowls, sneering at them. The lord apologized and the heir still isn’t satisfied. “Because he’s offended someone I very much like,” he explains. “And I don’t take well to people insulting those who I like.”
That crack splits wide and I blink away happy tears.
“You need to be more careful.”
The good mood vanishes. “Really?” I drawl, hand on my hip. “I’ve just had a night from hell and now, you want to lecture me?”
Kaden smirks. “I’m not lecturing, but you need to be aware. These men will use anything against you— because you are a woman and now because they associate you with me. That includes your magic.” He casts a dark look among the camp. “Do not eat their food. They’ll try to poison you.”
“Because of you defending me?” My stomach growls again. How will I eat?
“Because I made one of their lords apologize to you.” He looks down at my belly. “I’ll leave food for you. For now, try to rest. We’ll be leaving first thing in the morning on a new trail. Hopefully the army is just off of it.”
Turning on his heels, I huff, spitting out, “I liked you better when you were ignoring me.” At least then I didn’t feel so conflicted.
That smile deepens. “You’re lying. I can smell it.”
By the time I arouse from a deep nap, still sticky with sweat, there is a silver tray just inside my tent, with a bowl of pale red soup, hearty brown bread and glass of red wine.
I should ignore gifts from tricky Dark Fae. I know enough about herbs to detect poisonous ones but it’s the fact he bothered at all, that he took the time to care, that has me sitting on the ground, devouring it all.