Chapter Thirty-Five
Avari
An old red-brick house came into view, and my pulse spiked. A murder. A senseless act of cruelty. The more I tried to understand what could drive someone to kill in cold blood, the less sense it made.
River’s awareness guided us to a narrow footpath cutting through an acacia forest. With no other way forward, we parked the car and continued on foot. The gravel path was narrow but mostly level, and we reached the scene within twenty minutes.
Sweat rolled down my back, pooling at my nape beneath the braid. The house didn’t look like a place where someone had died. A stream murmured beside it, too calm, too serene. It was difficult to believe something so terrible could have happened there.
I stepped toward the sound of the water just as a protective layer of River’s power wrapped around me. I turned in time to see him sprint away.
He shot past the house, fast enough to stir the air in his wake, locked onto whatever he had sensed.
I ran after him.
My boots hit gravel, then dirt, then roots. The ground blurred beneath me. My lungs burned almost instantly, my body lagging far behind his speed.
My thighs turned to lead, my shins burning with the sudden exertion.
That’s when I saw it.
A figure.
Wrapped in a flowing burgundy cloak, the fabric snapping violently behind them. The hood was threaded with thin bronze chains that clinked and shimmered with every stride.
They veered left, and I forced my legs to follow. My breath came too fast, too shallow. My chest burned, a metallic taste coating my tongue as harsh wheezes tore from my lungs. It only made me push harder.
I sped up. Steps turned into yards, yards into what felt like miles. Just as I began to close the distance, a sharp pain lanced through my side, and a coughing fit dropped me to the ground.
I couldn’t get enough air.
I dragged in breath after breath, forcing my lungs to cooperate before pushing myself upright and stumbling forward in the direction River and his target had disappeared.
I was a failure. No wonder River didn’t want me anywhere near danger. I would only slow him down.
Who was that? And why hadn’t River simply called out instead of giving chase?
Birds sang above me, oblivious to everything below. My heartbeat eventually steadied to their bright, careless rhythm. Though it slowed, it remained heavy with fear. This had to be connected to the murder.
A glint of light, four acacia trees to my right, caught my attention. It flashed in the sunlight, drawing a circle of starlings above it.
Uncanny.
Something I could only associate with… witchcraft.
Shivers ran down my spine. No way… witches couldn’t be behind everything bad that had been happening in the realm. At least, I hoped not.
The closer I got, the clearer it became. A moonstone. One of the most versatile crystals in witchcraft.
I glanced around and shooed away the hovering birds. Whatever it was doing couldn’t have been harmless, or it would have repelled them.
I reached into my pocket, but there was nothing I could use. With no other choice, I snagged my T-shirt on a sharp branch and tore off a strip of fabric. Muttering a quick barrier spell over it, I carefully wrapped the crystal before slipping it into my pocket.
I wasn’t risking whatever energy exchange this thing had been meant to trigger. The way Ortensians used crystals in the war was only a fraction of what true crystal magic could achieve.
Something rustled behind me. Leaves crunched under heavy footsteps.
‘You okay?’ River asked, a little out of breath.
It shouldn’t have, but it made me feel better about myself.
‘Yeah. You?’
‘Fine. Who the hell was that? It’s like they vanished,’ he said, baffled.
‘Why did you chase them?’ I asked before noticing what he held. ‘What is that?’
River’s expression tightened. ‘A dagger. I saw them stabbing it onto the side of the house.’
He held it out for me to inspect. The hilt bore markings I’d never seen—shimmering specks of silver energy trapped within carved grooves of the bronze.
‘Do you know what it might be?’
I shook my head. ‘I found a crystal as well. It’s bewitched.’
‘What are witches even doing here? This is so far from the border with the Gem Fields… I’m sorry, Ava, but we need to head back. I think I need my army on this. And I need to speak to the Air Queen; she might know more.’
‘Of course,’ I said quickly, hating the way discomfort spread through me at the mention of contacting the queen. Everyone spoke of her beauty. ‘Why would she know more?’
His attention drifted somewhere far away. ‘The women I overheard said it happened a couple of times in her kingdom already.’
Gods.
‘Do you think it’s some sort of invasion?’ I asked, keeping my voice low as though it might somehow make the threat less real.
‘I seriously hope not. Because then the war might expand to half of Medeis.’
The drive back felt endless. Worried and on edge, neither of us could focus on anything else. There were moments when I thought River might pass out from exhaustion, but he held on.
I fought off sleep until my head started lolling forward again and again. Eventually, River reclined my seat and made me rest.
I didn’t object; I didn’t have it in me. Though I did mumble, a little accusatory, ‘Why wouldn’t you have any portals installed across such a vast stretch of land?’
‘We only install them for communities that want easy access to the court and other lands. They could have one if they wanted, but they don’t,’ he said, running a hand through my hair. ‘Sleep. By the time you wake up, we’ll reach the portal.’
‘You won’t rest?’
He smiled. ‘I’m used to running on very little sleep, Ava. Close those pretty eyes and dream of me.’
‘Just twenty minutes, okay? Wake me and I’ll keep you company.’
Light tapping woke me in the stationary car. It was dark outside; I didn’t even know what day it was anymore.
We hurried through the portal to the Fogoyan castle, and Maddie met us on the other side. ‘Michael and Miriam returned shortly before you,’ she said. ‘They’re waiting in your office.’ She offered me a small smile before disappearing.
I seriously wished I could shadow-jump us upstairs. The sprint from earlier had turned my legs into something soft and unreliable. Clutching the balustrade for dear life, I caught River biting back a smile, so I punched his shoulder.
‘Physical exercise was never my strong suit,’ I whined as he chuckled.
‘If you ask me nicely, I can carry you.’ He looked far too pleased. ‘Offer me something better, and I might even do the bridal style.’
‘The whole white dress and getting carried isn’t really my style anyway,’ I shot back, which earned me a sharp eyebrow raise.
‘What is your style then? Because I know it isn’t running to the altar,’ River laughed, and I considered pushing him off the stairs. He probably wouldn’t even break anything.
‘Nah, I will arrive on Anya and have her burn anyone who laughs at my sore muscles to cinders.’
Something playful flickered in his eyes. ‘Vengeful. I like that. Just know I can’t be killed by fire. You might have to adjust your plan.’
‘She could just stomp you to death.’ A wicked smile curved my mouth. ‘She has pretty kick-ass claws too. She could tear you to shreds.’
‘Huh. Looks like you gave it some thought?’ His words came out as a soft purr. ‘I would rather you pin me down instead, princess. Let’s not get your scary beast involved.’
Anya huffed in my mind at what she assumed was praise.
‘Interspecies mating suddenly isn’t your thing?’
‘Interspecies? You’re at least part fae. And I can assume you have… familiar parts.’ River winked. ‘With all due respect, I’m not quite sure that I would rise to the occasion with your dragon.’
‘Oh no. Is that an age thing?’
‘I already told you once I can rock your world, little witch. Get your ass through the door, or I just might,’ he said, brushing his chest against my back as we entered his office.
The tension inside the room stripped away the playful mood, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Miriam greeted us with a scowl. Surprisingly, Michael’s expression looked taut and grim as well.
Perhaps chaos was finally catching up to us.