Chapter 12
Ryder’s offer to take me to see the Divinity Oracle has been replaying nonstop in my mind the past three days.
Once the shock wore off, I was finally able to accept the truth of the words written in the hidden message.
More than anything, I wanted to just forget about it all and go back to the way things were before I found out, but my mind won’t allow it.
If there’s any chance of me getting answers, I need to take it.
“Were you serious about taking me to see the Oracle?”
Ryder swallows his bite before answering. “Yes. We can go tomorrow night if you’d like.” There’s a kindness in his eyes that feels foreign. “That is, if you’re ready.”
I hesitate. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready, but waiting won’t change that.”
“We’ll leave tomorrow when I get back from the kingdom.” Ryder pushes his plate away and stands up. When he comes back to the table, he has the piece of parchment with him. “Three drops of blood. Think you can handle that?”
“Yes,” I scoff, grabbing the letter from him.
He hands me a dagger from his thigh to borrow since mine are still stuck in one of the body targets from earlier. There’s a twinge of pain as I twist the tip into my finger, but I do my best not to show it.
The others lean in close as the blood drops from my finger onto the paper. Within seconds, the words that have been decoded fade away, revealing a map in their place. The three drops of my blood come together and move around the map until eventually coming to a stop.
“The Dread Woods,” Ryder mutters. “That must be where the Oracle is.”
“What are the Dread Woods?” I ask, looking up at the others, who have grim expressions on their faces.
“They lie just east of here in the Dead Lands. No one has ventured there for years. Anyone who dares to enter, doesn’t come back out,” Artemus answers in a low voice that makes me shiver.
“This definitely makes things a bit more difficult.” Ryder folds his hands under his chin.
“You don’t want to go now, do you?” I don’t mean to sound so defeated, but it’s how I feel.
“I didn’t say that.” He turns to me, putting his arm on the back of my chair. “This won’t be like the caves. These woods are crawling with creatures you’ve never even heard of. We won’t be able to just waltz through them with only a cloak this time.”
“I understand.”
He looks me in the eye far longer than I’d like before turning to the others.
“We’ll be gone for two days, maybe longer. I’ll make sure everything in the kingdom is handled, but I’ll be counting on you guys to hold things down here and in the realms.”
“Don’t worry about a thing.” Artemus glances between us. “Just stay safe.”
“Here, put this on.” Ryder tosses me a leather waistband to wrap around my stomach.
“Turn around.” He gently moves my hair over my shoulder before fastening the back of the band.
It almost feels as though I’m wearing a corset with how tight it is.
I watch him walk over and grab my daggers as well as another set.
“I hope you won’t have to use these, but just in case.
” He tucks each one into the designated spots around the waistband before handing me the last one to secure on my thigh.
“Don’t forget this.” Artemus hands me my father’s letter, which now contains a map. “Once you land in the Dread Woods, you’ll feel a pull in the direction you need to go. Your blood is now tied to the location of the Oracle, so listen to it.”
Ryder looks me over one last time.
“Unlike the caves, the woods aren’t warded, so I’ll be able to vaporate. Don’t stray any further than arm’s reach, understand?”
“Got it,” I agree with a nod.
“See you guys in a couple of days,” Ryder says to the others as he wraps his arms around me.
A breath later, I open my eyes to find a dark forest with twisted trees. The dense fog only adds to the unsettling feeling creeping up my spine.
“Which way?”
I notice a light tug, calling me to go left and point down the thick forest. “That way.”
As we follow the path, crows caw overhead.
These trees are nothing like the ones back in the realms. Instead of standing straight, they curve into thick arches and circles, wrapping around one another.
Dark green patches of moss coat the branches that are sparse with leaves.
The fog and haze make it impossible to see too far ahead.
Within the first five minutes, I’ve already stepped into a puddle of muddy water and stumbled over a raised tree root.
At this rate, it’ll be a miracle if I make it the whole way without face-planting.
As we take in our surroundings, neither of us says anything. Each time a crow sounds, my heart jumps a little. Every so often I hear bustling in the distance and hold my breath until I’m convinced nothing is going to pop out.
“How are you feeling?” Ryder eventually asks, breaking up the silence.
I’m taken aback by his question. I really haven’t allowed myself to think much about how I feel.
“Honestly? I’ve kept a lock on my emotions. Part of me is worried we won’t be able to find the Oracle or that it won’t give me the answers to my questions. I’d rather not get my hopes up.”
“I can understand that.”
“Have you been in these woods before?” I ask, eager to change the subject.
“Once, many years ago.” He looks down at me with a strained expression. “Let’s just say it was a very unpleasant experience.”
“Not that I’m ungrateful, but why did you agree to bring me here? It’s not like you owe me anything.”
“Aside from my own curiosity, you deserve to get some answers.” He stops walking and turns to me. “And despite what you may believe, I’m in your corner.”
“Well, thank you. I can’t say I trust you, but you’ve earned some points,” I tease in an effort to lighten the serious mood.
“Oh, thank The Mother!” Ryder sighs dramatically. “How many am I at now? Between taking you to the caves, teaching you how to create a flaming sword, giving you the book to translate the letter, taking you to the lake, and now this, I should be sitting pretty.”
“You might be if you didn’t also kick my ass in training, leave me to wonder if you’d come back at the cliffs, interrupt my alone time on the roof, and have an incessant need to know how I feel.”
“Fair enough,” he shrugs. “I enjoy a good challenge.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” I turn to him, and he laughs.
It’s weird to think that less than a year ago Ryder was someone I feared, and here we are engaging in playful banter.
I still have my guard up around him, but every once in a while, I find myself lowering it just slightly.
Neither of us have had the easiest upbringing, and there’s a sort of comfort in that.
Despite everything he has been through, there’s a part of me that is impressed he doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps.
But even though his father is a cruel and vile ruler, he is still his father at the end of the day.
The internal battle he must constantly fight is one that I don’t envy.
I catch only a glimpse of panic on Ryder’s face before I’m knocked to the ground. Drool drips onto my cheek as the enormous beast bares its razor-sharp teeth inches from my face.
“Ryder!” I scream his name, but from the sound of it he has his hands full.
My forearms ache as the beast’s paws pin me in place. The curved claws dig deeper into my skin, and I release an ear-shattering scream. If it had wanted to, it could’ve taken my head off by now, but it seems to want to draw out my death. I flip my head to both sides but can’t see Ryder anywhere.
A snap of its jaw turns my attention back to the creature.
From what I can see, it appears to be some kind of chimera, but it’s hard to tell.
Its face reminds me of a lion, but there are two horns protruding where ears should be.
The beast’s fur-covered tail strokes my cheek, and I flinch at the touch.
It seems pleased with my reaction, feeding off of my fear.
I try to pull my arm from its grip, but the weight is too much.
It leans in and our eyes meet, stopping my heart completely.
Just as it opens its deadly jaw, shadows lash around, pulling me from beneath the beast. I’m still on the ground when I see its body split into two, falling away from each other like a slice of bread cut from a loaf.
Ryder breaks my view when he crouches down in front of me. His eyes dart around my body.
“Let me see,” he orders, sticking out his hands.
I put my arms out in front of me, and it’s the first time I’ve seen the wounds for myself. Blood trickles down the deep gashes on both of my forearms. My black jacket has been completely shredded where the claws cut through.
“I don’t think it reached the bone, but they’re deep.” Ryder rips strips of fabric from his cloak and begins to tie them tightly around my arms. “We should go back.” He shakes his head like he’s mad at himself for not protecting me, but I can see over his shoulder he was outnumbered three to one.
“No! I didn’t come this far to turn back now,” I argue.
“If it had been a couple more seconds, you’d be dead.” His face is tense as he finishes tying off the fabric.
“But it wasn’t.” I lean in, drawing his eyes to mine. “I’m fine. It’s just a few scratches.”
They aren’t just a few scratches, and now that the shock has worn off, the pain is raging, but he doesn’t need to know that. If he knows how much pain I’m really in, he’ll take us back, and I’ll never get my answers.
I stand up and brush myself off. “Come on, we’ve got an Oracle to see,” I insist, reaching my hand out.
He’s reluctant, but he takes it.
“There’s that Reign stubbornness I love so much.” His voice drips with sarcasm, and it earns him a laugh.
“Regretting your offer to bring me here already?”
“More than you know,” he says in a low murmur as his gaze drops to my poorly bandaged arms.