Chapter 22
Cal and his wife, Alaine, were some of the nicest people I had ever met. Then again, I hadn’t gotten to enjoy my adult life much anyway—always afraid to grow too close to people out of fear that they would discover Milo and I’s secret.
Life in Salheim appeared to be much more at ease than life in Ralheim.
Though the town was aware of the war, the fact that they weren’t featured on any maps kept them out of the worst of it.
Namely because Cal was almost certain Adis was unaware of their true size since his father had changed the maps before his birth.
Of course, he knew there was a group of people living in the woods, and many inhabitants followed the law and submitted their second and third children to Adis, but I got the distinct impression that only some families reported.
How they selected who would give their children to the viscount was unclear, but the glance that passed between the brothers during the conversation had told me I wasn’t ready to know. At least, not yet.
Now, as we sat around the table eating a hearty and delicious stew which practically melted on my tongue, Cal’s attention turned to me. “So, Runa, tell me about yourself. Otho here was very tight-lipped this afternoon.”
My gaze found Otho’s dark one, wondering how much I should share with Cal.
“Runa is a private person,” Otho answered for me.
At least now I knew that whatever side Otho was on, it didn’t include Cal.
“I must know, Runa,” Alaine interrupted, likely trying to change the subject, “where you got your eyes from. They are just so unique! I’ve never seen anything like them.”
It had been days since I had been able to look into a mirror, but I didn’t need one to know that she was asking about the gold rim around my brown irises. A subject I definitely wasn’t going to speak about.
“I was born in Ralheim,” I stated, reverting back to the previous topic of conversation as a lesser evil to the eye question.
“Unfortunately, my parents passed when I was fifteen, so I don’t know a whole lot about my family history, other than the few things I was told as a child.
” It wasn’t a lie, and I hoped it would be enough to stop their prying.
I had a feeling that the Purge, which had taken my parents from me, was not a thing here, so I left that part out.
“Runa and I will head back to the front lines tomorrow.”
I dropped my fork at Otho’s words. Just thinking about crossing through the town that had tied me to a pole, was enough to cause me to nearly choke. I had thought we would stay here longer based on what he had said when we had walked into town earlier that day.
“So soon?” Cal asked. “You just arrived today.”
Otho nodded. “I’m not on official leave this time. I had to pick up Runa in the plains.”
I struggled to swallow my next bite of food, wondering when the stew, which had been decadent just moments before, became too thick. Well, at least now I knew that Cal had very little actual information about what his brother did. Which meant I would have to ask about our real plans later.
“We will pack you some provisions for the journey back,” Alaine offered before looking me up and down. “Also, since you didn’t bring any other clothes, you can borrow something of mine to sleep in if you like, Runa.”
I hadn’t thought about what I would sleep in, as I had become so accustomed to just sleeping in my clothes.
But now that I thought about it, the thick gown, which was now quite tattered from my run in with the people of Bru, would not be the most comfortable for sleeping. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
For the rest of dinner, Alaine, Cal, and Otho mostly joked about the old days. And though Otho smiled and even laughed from time to time, I could tell it wasn’t his real smile. It wasn’t the one I had seen in the laundry room that day he was covered in blood.
There was something more going on here. Something Otho hadn’t told me.
And I needed to figure it out, fast. Before I gave Otho any more information he could possibly use against me.
Because, at this point, I wasn’t sure he was actually on my side.
I was running through the forest, Milo at my side. It was nice that we could finally run together, now that we no longer shared a single identity.
Those peaceful thoughts didn’t last long, however, because when I looked behind me, I found none other than Viscount Adis on our heels, his eyes set on Milo’s back.
I don’t know how it was possible, but our progress forward stopped, even though we were pumping our arms and legs as fast as humanly possible.
Then Viscount Adis leaped for my brother, his arms outstretched—
Wait, I had magic.
Without thinking of the consequences, I lifted my own hands to blast away the viscount with my air magic. The puff of air left my hands, but before I could celebrate, an arm wrapped around my middle, dragging me back. There was a look of horror on my brother’s face—
I jolted awake, gasping for air, only to find there really was an arm around my middle. I frantically struggled, fighting to get away—
“It’s me.” Otho’s voice was strangely calm in my ear. “I’m going to let you go now.”
As soon as my waist was free from his hold, I scrambled forward, twisting to press my back against the wall while I took in the situation.
I was on the floor, on the edge of my makeshift bed, Otho kneeling by my pillow.
His own bed was empty, the blankets ruffled to indicate he had indeed been sleeping before he disturbed my sleep.
My eyes narrowed. “What were you doing?”
His gray gaze narrowed right back, and I fought to not let my eyes stray to his exposed chest. “I think the better question is, what were you doing?” He indicated toward the bed. “I was sleeping peacefully when I was suddenly awoken by a windstorm which was strangely confined to only this bedroom.”
The color drained from my face, and I peered down at my hands. Had I been performing magic in my sleep? I shook my head. I had tested out the wind powers before and they weren’t that strong—
“Just tell me where you got the books for magic.” His gaze was intense, but my gift revealed he wasn’t surprised.
That sentence alone answered so many questions. I swallowed. “So, you know about Seid magic then.”
“Unfortunately, yes.” His voice was flat, emotionless. His fingers picked at the edge of the blanket.
I briefly debated making a run for it but knew I wouldn’t make it far. Since he already seemed to know more than the average Ralheimian I decided it didn’t matter anyway. “Viscount Adis has several books.”
Now it was my turn to watch as the color drained from Otho’s face.
It was dark in the room, but the light from the two moons filtering in through the window was enough to see the stricken look on his face.
“No . . . it can’t be.” He sat back on his heels, relaxing his defensive pose.
Still, I remained pressed against the wall, on edge.
“He only has minor magic. I read him empathy, metallic attraction, and the wind power you saw before you left.” I sighed. “Collum read him persuasion—I wasn’t in the room for that.” Something I regretted now that I was a spy.
His gaze shot to my face, searching it for something. “You’re a reader.”
I nodded. There was no point in denying it when we had already come this far.
“It’s why Adis kept me after you said I was too skinny for the army .
. . Wait, how do you know about readers?
” My voice had steadily grown louder during the sentence, and now Otho lifted a finger to his lips, tilting his ear toward the ceiling to listen for a moment before continuing.
“Adis’s father worked to bury these towns, and the truth of how magic passed from person to person, but he neglected to bury all the memories.”
His words were heavy, and I wanted to ask who he had known, or if he had lost his own parents to the Purge, but I kept quiet instead, pointing to my irises.
“The gold rim appears when someone has first been read magic. Adis had me reading to himself, Markus, and Syrus. He said he is not above using magic to win the war.”
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he licked his lips, seeming to be at a loss for words. Then, “He’s going above my head then.”
I dipped my chin, remembering how Adis had mentioned Otho’s aversion to magic. “He said that, yes.”
As if in a trance, Otho rose from the floor, crossing the room to sit on the bed and dropped his head into his hands. “Did he say how many books he had?”
His voice was low, but I still heard him. “No, but he had several. My cousin, Collum, is also a reader,” I specified, just in case he wasn’t aware of that fact. “So he is likely having her read to him even now.”
“I need to stop him.”
“If it’s any consolation, he didn’t have any of the really deadly powers. At least, not to my knowledge.” The moment the words were out of my mouth, I knew they were a stupid consolation. I had absolutely no idea what he was having Collum read to him now.
Or what he had found in my absence.
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you back to the front-line camp, then I need to head back to Ralheim.”
Neither of us spoke for a long moment, realizing that Otho was likely in just as much danger as I was when it came to Adis.
In the silence, I noticed that my throat was parched, likely from the windstorm I had created earlier. “I need some water.”
Otho motioned toward the door. “There should be cups next to the pump.”
I nodded, slipping out and closing the wooden door behind me.
I tried to keep my steps quiet as I crossed the floor to the pump.
The clay cups were right where Otho said they would be and I snagged one, placing it under the mouth of the pump as I used my other hand to pump the handle up and down.
Clear water splashed into the cup. Once it was full, I lifted it to my lips, drinking it all down before placing it back under the pump.
A hand covered my mouth.
What was Otho doing? Was I drinking too loud? I rolled my eyes, waiting for him to remove his hand. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I watched as his other hand came and took the cup from my hand, placing it next to the sink before wrapping around my waist.
Maybe it was because I had just had Otho’s arm around my waist when I woke up, but the moment it was there, I knew without a doubt this wasn’t Otho.
I began to struggle, attempting to push the hand from my mouth so I could scream.
“If you wake the couple in the other room, we will have to kill them.”
My mind paused on the word we. There was more than one person behind me.
Not wanting poor Cal and Alaine to suffer for my mistake, I nodded, fighting back tears.
That was all the attacker needed to begin walking me toward the door. We passed the bedroom on the way, and I both hoped that Otho would come rescue me again, and at the same time, I knew if we were both captured, then there would be no one to stop Adis.
No, I needed to let these men take me. Otho was the one everyone was relying on.
Once we were outside of the house, the two moons revealed what I couldn’t see from inside.
There were more than ten men standing in the small area in front of Cal’s house.
They had horses, but not a type I had ever seen before.
They were smaller, with skinnier legs, likely designed specifically for traversing the woods.
I immediately wondered if it was Cal who had turned me in, but then I brushed that thought away.
He wouldn’t do that to his brother . . . would he?
There wasn’t much time to think before I was roughly pulled onto the front of one of the hoofed animals, the man holding me remaining at my back, and we were off.
Whatever the animals were, they moved lithely through the forest with such ease I was almost shocked.
Sensing my question, the man behind me murmured, “Antelopes—quieter and better at maneuvering than horses.”
Now that he wasn’t whispering, I listened closely as he spoke, hoping to recognize his voice, but nothing came to mind. I wanted to turn and look at him, but his arm remained firm around my midsection.
Instead, I just focused on the forest around me, trying to figure out if we were headed back toward Ralheim, or forward toward Malheim.
I didn’t have to wonder long, though, because when we broke out of the woods, the sun was just beginning to peek over some of the tallest mountains I had ever seen.
Though I was currently being held captive, I couldn’t help but take in the beauty of them as they glinted purple and pink in the early morning sun.
I had never seen something so beautiful or majestic in my entire life.
Ralheim, though quaint, was a town built on the plains.
“Welcome to Malheim,” the man at my ear whispered ominously. “The land of many mountains.”