Chapter 27 Volantia
Volantia
Caspian lifted his face from a skinned body, the muscles red and glistening in the moonlight.
The lower half of his face was smeared in red, and his lips curved upwards into a smile that was evil incarnate.
His canines were pointed, and his silver eyes were bright, like the eyes of a cat, glowing in the dark.
He stared at her unblinkingly and whispered, “You’re next, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
She lay in bed for a few moments, trying to convince her brain that it wasn’t real. It had just been a dream. She flipped her pillow over to the cool side and pressed her head against the silk, but it did little to reassure her. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she closed her eyes heavily.
Caspian had killed the last mistress that he had.
Even though Asmodeus had not said the words, she was sure of it.
Her eyes snapped open.
It was still dark—a glance at the windows revealed she had woken up in the middle of the night.
Deciding to take advantage of her early rise, she threw off the covers and quickly scrubbed her face. After donning her cloak and messily plaiting her hair, Elizabeth scrawled a quick note to Fiza, which she left on the writing desk, and swung a large bag over her shoulder.
The sound of her boots echoed across the flagstones as she made her way through the halls and slipped out of the castle. She passed a few servants in the halls, still awake at this hour, but none spoke to her, and none stopped her.
Elizabeth mounted Draugr and used her book of maps to guide them west, in the direction of Volantia, the largest city and capital of Arboras.
Volantia was where the King of Arboras and the kingdom’s richest nobles lived. She hoped that in Volantia, she would be able to sell a few of the ballgowns that the local dressmakers had been uninterested in purchasing here.
She thought it would take her only half a day of travel to get there, but due to the mountainous terrain, it proved to be a much more strenuous journey than she had anticipated.
The path became too steep and treacherous for both horse and rider, and she was forced to dismount and walk Draugr several times.
The pathway wound through the mountains and grew narrow at several points, with steep cliffs.
Even Draugr eyed the sharp drop off and behaved himself, following her in an uncharacteristically docile manner.
The forest air grew thick with the smell of mulch and pine, and cold enough to bite as they slowly ascended in elevation. The road west took them through a dense forest, high up in the mountains, the trees forming a thick wall on either side of the road once more.
Night came sooner than she had hoped, and she was forced to stop at a wayside inn, tucked deep in the forest-covered mountains.
At the inn, she kept her hood up the entire time, but she needn’t have, for no one bothered her there. There were only two other travellers, and they kept to themselves.
The next morning, she feasted on eggs and a crust of stale bread at the inn and found where she had left Draugr tethered outside.
She glanced northeast, towards where Caspian’s castle lay nestled in the mountains.
Guilt twisted her stomach into knots.
It was possible Caspian would be displeased with her for leaving for so long, but they didn’t have their night together for a few days yet. Plus, he had said she could do as she pleased.
She wondered if he would punish her for flouting his protection and gallivanting off into the countryside.
Her cheeks warmed at the idea. While she had enjoyed his particular brand of torture, she had no assurance he would do the same thing the next time and didn’t particularly want to make him angry enough to find out.
Draugr snorted and stamped his hooves, appearing impatient to get back on the road.
Elizabeth shook her head to clear her thoughts and swung her leg over her horse.
They made their way back to the road that wove through the forest and continued heading west.
Draugr sped up to a trot without any urging from her, and seemed displeased whenever they stopped, as if his wild heart could have run forever.
Elizabeth stopped to stretch out the stiffness in her legs from being in the saddle for so long, grimacing and massaging her legs. Draugr snorted impatiently beside her.
Fetching a shallow bowl from her pack, she set it on the ground and poured some water from her waterskin into it, raising her brows. Almost grudgingly, Draugr stuck his nose in and took several draughts of water.
That done, she sat on a rock and drew some nuts and jerky out of her pack for a quick snack. Draugr butted her gently with his nose.
She rolled her eyes and patted his neck. You have to rest, or you’ll collapse from exhaustion!
She threw the words down the bond between their consciousnesses, which had begun to wax stronger each day. It was becoming more familiar, easier to slip into Draugr’s mind. Draugr flattened his ears and blew out a gust of air. Annoyance and irritation radiated down their bond.
Grinning, she forced the two of them to take a proper break, urging Draugr to graze in a patch of grass before returning to the road.
She made it to Volantia just as the sun reached its midday peak over the horizon.
Volantia was similar to Veridas, with its spindly black buildings covered in ivy and greenery. The palace was built on the highest peak, so tall it reached into the clouds. The structures around the palace grew gradually shorter, making the whole city appear pyramidal from afar.
Volantia was set on the highest peak of the mountain range and offered an uninterrupted view of the Phthalo Sea that stretched dark and green as far as the eye could see. They were up so high that the forest-covered mountains around Volantia looked like rolling hills by comparison.
Passing through the curling iron gates, she attempted to board Draugr at a stable for the afternoon, but he tried to bite the stable hand when she turned to leave. The whites of his eyes showed, and her poor horse radiated fear. She tried to calm him, stroking his nose and murmuring reassurances.
I’m not abandoning you. I’ll be back very soon.
She imagined warm waves of calm washing over her. She slowed her breathing down and stayed until Draugr quieted.
The stable hand eyed her horse warily, as if he didn’t particularly want to board a troublesome stallion. She smiled and nodded, handing him the reins. Draugr blinked and swished his tail, finally allowing the stable hand to lead him off.
Leaving a copper in thanks, she turned on her heel and strode into the city.
Walking into the bustling city square, her lightened mood from Draugr’s cooperation quickly soured.
The streets were filled with well-dressed commoners going about their day, and they seemed well-fed, smiling, and happy.
Things she had once taken for granted but now missed like an ache in her chest.
Everywhere she looked, couples strolled arm in arm. One pair caught her eye—commoners so obviously in love it made her stomach twist with something bitter.
She lifted the hood of her cloak against the chill, not wanting to smile or invite conversation with any passersby.
Her cloak covered her from head to toe as she wandered the streets like a wraith.
She walked through crowds of smiling people with her dark and somber mood, making her feel like an unwelcome imposter in someone else’s home.
A shop window came into sight, boasting an extravagant black ballgown with a bodice encrusted in rubies. The shop belonged to a high-end dressmaker, the kind that serviced the nobility who attended balls with kings and queens.
Elizabeth stepped into the shop, and a tinkling bell sounded. She lugged a heavy bag behind her, which was packed with two neatly folded evening gowns.
The dressmaker was a tart woman who became friendly and chatty when Elizabeth showed her the gowns she brought.
The dressmaker’s eyes lit up when she examined the skirts of one of the gowns that was encrusted with hundreds of tiny sparkling crystals that made the fabric appear to shimmer in the light.
“These are exquisite. I have clients who’d pay handsomely for work like this. ”
The woman’s enthusiasm grew as she assessed the craftsmanship of the sewing on the bodice. “I’ll take them both,” she murmured, counting out gold.
“I could get these stones for you, if you wanted something similar,” Elizabeth ventured casually, draping the skirts to better display their sparkle.
The dressmaker pursed her lips. “Hmm … I might be interested.”
The dressmaker handed her a small sack of gold for the two gowns and scribbled something on a bit of parchment, handing it over with raised brows. “My address, if you happen to hear where your last dressmaker got those crystal beads.”
Elizabeth smiled warmly and slung her now-empty bag over her shoulder. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to let you know.”
When she turned to leave, the dressmaker placed a hand on her arm. “Be careful out there now, miss. You have a ride home?” she asked, concern evident on her face.
Elizabeth swallowed the dread bubbling in her stomach. “And what is it that I need to be careful of?”
“There have been disappearances lately. Young women like yourself have gone missing,” the dressmaker said quietly. “The last girl ... she looked just like you. Tall, pale, light eyes.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They found her in the woods with her throat torn out.”
Elizabeth felt sick.
“But what kind of animal would do that?” she asked faintly.
“We don’t know. Could be a large beast, could be … now I don’t mean to spook you, but you look new here. In Arboras, we have legends of monsters that lurk in the dark.”
“What kind of monsters?” she asked breathlessly.
“Horrible creatures that are said to feast on human flesh and drink blood. They are thought to be demons walking among us, creatures born of evil that prey on women, especially.”