Chapter 75
Briar
When we arrived in the dining hall, my knees almost gave out as relief swept through me. Lyra, Dromon, and Pierce were already seated at the table.
Knox escorted me to the chair beside his and pulled it out for me. “Thank you,” I murmured as I sat.
Taking some time to gather my composure, I opened my napkin and placed it on my lap before lifting my head. Across the table, my eyes locked on Lyra’s. She stared at me before her gaze fell to my neck.
I knew she couldn’t see the fresh marks, but when her brow furrowed, I wondered if she somehow sensed Knox’s brand on me. Plus, even after taking a shower this morning, I was sure they could still smell Knox all over me.
Five sprites flew in as Dromon and Pierce finished sharpening their knives and slid them back into their sheaths. They grinned at the plates full of pancakes as the sprites buzzed around, dropping off maple syrup and filling mugs with steaming coffee.
I tried to act nonchalant and as normal as possible, but sweat coated my palms and my pulse thundered in my ears. I lifted my mug and pretended to sip coffee before cutting up the pancakes. Instead of eating them, I took a bite of sausage and chewed what tasted like wood.
The sprites cleared out of the room, retreating to the kitchen, where they would eat their breakfast. It wouldn’t take long for the sleeping potion to work on the sprites.
Their diminutive size would only require a small amount before they fell asleep.
I didn’t expect to see any of them return to the dining room.
If they did, then something had gone horribly wrong.
I pretended to drink more coffee as I pushed the pancakes around on my plate and ate the food I could. None of it tasted good, but I required energy to get through the rest of this day.
The shifters devoured their pancakes and poured themselves more coffee from the decanter while they discussed their plans for the day. When Knox asked what I intended to do, I chimed in with my plan to replenish more of the herbs.
“I can help you with that… if you’d like?”
The hope in his voice and the yearning in his eyes were almost more than I could stand. I shouldn’t have done this. I never should have put this plan into motion, but it was too late to turn back now.
And it’s the only way to save yourself.
That was the simple truth. He’d keep running all over me if I didn’t break free.
I managed to smile and nod. He grinned at me in return; his beautiful smile lit his face and sparkled in his eyes. I was going to tear that away from him.
I almost vomited all over the table.
Reclaiming his utensils, he cut up more pancakes as he spoke. “The tribunal meeting is next week.”
Oh, gods, and it was going to be in Terra. I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and steadied the tremble in my hands. I’d forgotten about that when I plotted my escape.
Shit!
It’s too late to change anything. Stick with the plan; if Devnair can help, then you could be out of Terra before Knox and your mother arrive.
I hoped so. Otherwise, I was jumping from the frying pan and straight into the fires of Hell.
“How long will you be gone?” Dromon asked.
“I don’t know,” Knox replied. “There’s usually a ball afterward, but I might be able to slip away before that starts.”
“A ball?” Lyra inquired, her mouth twisted in distaste at the possibility.
“Yes, each kingdom likes to flaunt their wealth and possessions when they host the tribunal.”
“I’d prefer if they just killed me,” Pierce said, and the shifters laughed.
I was too nervous to laugh at anything and had given up any pretense of eating to squeeze my hands in my lap.
“Are we going with you?” Dromon asked.
“No. You’ll stay here with Briar,” Knox said.
Everyone stopped eating to stare at him. “You can’t go alone,” Pierce said.
“Briar will need as much protection as possible while I’m gone.”
I didn’t like the idea of him going alone either, but it wouldn’t be a problem soon. Lyra yawned before refilling her coffee.
“The shadow dragon will help keep her safe, but at least one of us should go too. You shouldn’t be alone,” Dromon said.
“They won’t do anything to me,” Knox stated.
They continued to discuss the tribunal meeting, but my attention was pulled away by Gizzi’s claws scraping the floor as he darted into the room. He ran over to me, leapt onto my lap, and scrambled up to my shoulder.
“The sprites are all sleeping,” he told me.
My hands shook so badly I was afraid they’d start bouncing off the bottom of the table. If one of the shifters got up to see why the sprites weren’t returning, or to start their day, they could sound the alarm.
Knox set his third cup of coffee down and pushed it away as he stifled a yawn. Dromon yawned and stretched in his chair.
“I don’t think this coffee is working,” Pierce muttered as he stared into his mug with one eye squinted shut.
Unknotting my hands, I slid one into my pocket to reassure myself the capsules were still there.
The sleeping potion in the food would be enough to knock everyone else out, but it wouldn’t take out Knox.
If he’d managed to break free of the harem and all the caster magic there, that potion alone wouldn’t be enough.
“Me either,” Lyra said as she yawned again and slumped in her chair. A second later, her eyes closed.
Knox stared at his plate, blinking as if he were trying to bring it into focus. Then he lifted his head to stare at me.
When our gazes met, his head swayed a little before his eyes narrowed. Understanding dawned as Dromon’s head thumped off the table. I winced; that would leave a mark.
Knox planted his palms on the table and started to rise as Pierce released a loud snore. He’d fallen asleep with his head tipped back and his mouth open.
“Wha… what did you do?” Knox asked in a slurred voice.
Lifting my napkin, I wiped the corners of my mouth with a calm I didn’t feel. I couldn’t let him know how shaken I was by all of this, but beneath my fear and guilt, anger burned. He’d betrayed my trust… and now I was betraying his.
When his claws raked the table, his jaw cracked, and orange fur broke out on the backs of his hands, I tossed the napkin on the table. If he managed to shift, the potion wouldn’t hold, and I’d be trapped here forever.
He’d never forgive me, and my punishment would be awful.
Removing the glass capsules from my pocket, I rose and slapped them against the table.
A steaming mist erupted from them; it billowed into Knox’s face before he could recoil from it.
The potent odors of vinegar and wormwood filled the air, but beneath their aroma lay the faint traces of lavender and nettle.
The sleeping potion had slowed Knox; this one would stop him from shifting… I hoped. If he were at full strength, it probably wouldn’t do anything, but I’d weakened him with the sleeping brew, and he couldn’t evade the mist.
He coughed as he inhaled it, and in doing so, he picked one of his hands off the table. The fur and claws were gone, but his orange eyes burned through the mist as he glowered at me.
When he lunged at me, his knees buckled and he hit the ground. I tried not to feel anything as I stared down at him, but guilt, regret, and sorrow filled me over what I’d done, what we’d lost, and everything we’d never have.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I set a letter by his outstretched hand. “But I can’t stay. You’ll destroy me.”
When Knox grunted in response, I realized he wasn’t asleep yet. I removed more capsules from my other pocket; they were a mix of shift suppressants and sleeping mist. I dropped them on the ground next to his face and stepped over him as their mist filled the air.
I placed another letter in Lyra’s lap and walked on to the kitchens, where I discovered the sprites sprawled around the room and sleeping soundly. I placed a third letter with Zephyr and my final one on the island near Bertie; it was for all the sprites.
Once finished, I gathered the small sword and dagger I’d discovered in a study. They were more decorative but sharp enough to kill someone if necessary.
I’d hidden them under my clothes before stashing them inside the grand piano in the music room, along with a green cloak that would help me blend in with the woods. No one ever played the instrument.
I strapped the weapons to my side, tied the cloak around my neck, and walked out of the castle with Gizzi on my shoulder. In the inside pocket of the cloak, I’d hidden a vial of another potion. Before leaving, I reassured myself it remained there.
Once outside, I went to the stable to saddle Magnazius. Stealing Knox’s horse only added insult to injury, but I’d formed a bond with him and trusted him to get me to Terra.
“I need to go to Terra,” I told Magnazius as I mounted him and pulled the hood up on my cloak. “I have the map memorized.”
“I know how to get there.”
That was better than I could have imagined. “Then let’s go.”
As he walked, I pulled out the other vial, uncapped it, and sprinkled some over myself, Gizzi, and Magnazius. I was sure that Knox would know I’d gone to Terra, but this potion would change our scents and make it harder for him to track us.
If necessary, I could also cast a glamour to change my appearance, but I didn’t want to arrive in Terra as someone else. The last thing they needed was that much of a reminder that I was a caster.
I didn’t look back as I steered Magnazius around the back of the castle and to the door in the wall that I exited through when harvesting the willowcap mushrooms. Careful to keep Magnazius off the earth moss, I opened the door and led the horse outside before closing it behind me.
I glanced at the sky in search of the shadow dragon, but didn’t see him anywhere. That didn’t mean anything; he could split into hundreds of shadows, be all around me, and I’d never know it.
If he did come for me, I hoped Knox’s brand would offer me some protection from the dragon, but there were no guarantees. Maybe he’d recognize me from the cemetery. But it didn’t matter if he did or not; I wasn’t turning back.
Unwilling to put Wildwood at risk, I’d only given a low dose of the sleeping potion, which meant I only had two, maybe three hours before the shifters woke and Knox started hunting me. Given the depths of Knox’s power, it could be less time before he woke.
I didn’t look back at the castle as Magnazius trotted into the forest. Wildwood, Knox, and this place were all a part of my past. My future lay ahead, though I had no idea where it would lead me.
There was still somewhere I had to go first. I steered Magnazius through the trees and on toward Archie’s grave. I didn’t have much time, but I had to say goodbye to the boy.
“You’re back!” Archie squealed into my head.
“I’m back,” I said. “But I can’t stay. I have to leave. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”
Cool air brushed against my arm. “Are you coming back?”
The sad hope in his voice caused tears to prick my eyes. “No. I can’t stay anymore. I have to go, but I’ll carry you with me in my heart. I know that’s not much, but it’s all I can do.”
“Oh.” The cold air drifted away. “Be safe.”
“I’m sorry, Archie, I truly am.”
He didn’t reply. A tear slid down my face as I nudged Magnazius, and he plodded into the woods before breaking into a trot.
I wiped the tear away as I lifted my chin. I couldn’t stay, and I couldn’t save everyone. I wasn’t sure I could save myself, but I was going to try.
It’s time to be the thorn, Briar, I reminded myself.
And that’s exactly what I’d become.