Chapter 20 Tegwyn
Tegwyn
I don’t get much sleep.
Ivy just looks so perfect beside me, an expression of pure bliss on her angelic face. How could I even contemplate closing my eyes?
So, I stay awake the whole night, remaining on high alert. My fingers clasp the knife tightly as I listen out for every minuscule sound, like a rat scurrying behind the walls, or the other guests of the inn checking in and out throughout the night.
In the never-ending void, my mind wanders back to the moment she caught her first glimpse of the sea. The way her eyes sparkled made my black heart thump twice as fast, and now I rest my hand against my chest, feeling the organ beating within.
Except, it beats only for her now… I risked everything just so she could wade through that river of shit. I’ve never been the self-sacrificing type, as it’s not in my nature to give so freely. What is this human doing to me?
The one thing I know for certain is that I’m in big fucking trouble. My own dreams are becoming a distant memory the more time I spend with her.
Do I even still want to leave the kingdom?
All I’ve ever wanted was to make enough money to leave this godforsaken place, but if I left…
Who would take care of Ivy? She would be defenceless.
The thought of leaving her alone opens up a sinking hole in my gut, and I tighten my leather grip around my knife, keeping an ear out for the slightest sound.
It’s almost dawn. Gilded light pours in from the dusty, leaded windows, painting her face in a fiery glow, and the sight of her leaves me breathless.
It's best we make a move, and soon. I just don’t have the heart to disturb her. The sunlight brings out the velvet texture of her rosebud lips, and I yearn to feel them pressed against my own.
How would she feel about kissing the lips of a cold-blooded monster?
I caught the way she used to stare at me when she first moved into the mountain. The girl was truly alarmed by my appearance, yet her eyes have softened lately.
She smiles at me now.
But it’s all probably in my head. A woman of her grace should be with a dashing prince or a knight. Not a horned, impish faerie who looks as if he were forged in the burning flames of hell.
Her eyelashes flutter as she begins to wake, and I finally meet those starburst eyes of blue-green.
A crooked smile tugs at the corner of my lips. “Sleep well?”
She yawns, rubbing the grit from her eyes, and even of a morning, she’s as precious as a newborn fawn.
“What time is it?” she asks.
“Too early…”
Ivy peers at me blearily, a small smile teasing the corners of her own lips. “How about you? Did you sleep well?”
I shrug. “Not complaining.”
Her eyes widen at my response, and then her blonde eyebrows furrow. “Was it me? Was I snoring?”
A laugh spills from my throat as I rise, tucking my knife into my pocket. “Trust me, princess. It wasn’t your snoring keeping me awake…”
“Then what?”
I meet the spectacular light of her eyes, deciding it’s best to keep that information to myself. I’d probably just make her feel worse; she can’t help being beautiful after all.
I don’t need to dress, as I never took my cloak or boots off to begin with. So, I lean against the wall, waiting for her to gather her things.
Once she’s finished, we head for the door, yet before we depart, I grab my scarf, wrapping it around my face. “We’re going into the market today. No matter what happens, you mustn’t leave my side. It can get… overwhelming…”
Her skin pales, and I hate to paint that awful expression on her face, but she needs to be forewarned. There will be a lot of people where we’re heading.
“And don’t be alarmed if I suddenly turn invisible. That’ll just be my glamour.”
Her eyes waver. “Your glamour? As in a cloaking spell?”
“Yes. All Fae possess the ability to glamour themselves to a certain degree. It’s just harder for some of us.”
“How come?”
“Rogue Fae have limited abilities. Sadly, we have to budget our magic in order to survive. As you probably witnessed last night.”
I’m referring to the pitiful state I managed to get myself in. I need to be more careful. However, I would do it all again if it kept her safe.
Sorrow glimmers inside her jewel-like eyes, and she really does have a heart of gold. “That’s so sad. I couldn’t imagine having that kind of magic and hardly getting to use it.”
I roll my eyes, tossing my hood over my head to hide my horns. “The perks of being Rogue… Don’t worry. Not all of us are so unlucky. Fae like Lord Valent have unlimited magic and resources. He can glamour himself whenever he so much as desires.”
Ivy flinches at the name. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up that leannán sídhe.
She’s nervous as it is, and she stays close to my side when we climb down the rickety stairs and out onto the cobblestone, leaving the inn behind us forever.
Good riddance. It’s an awful place.
The bed was far too lumpy.
We wind through endless alleyways until we make it to the main thoroughfare, and just as I anticipated: crowded. Horse-drawn carriages plague the filthy streets, and humans bump into one another, cursing and spouting insults.
I steer Ivy through the throngs, keeping my head bent low. Even with my hood, there’s no hiding my glowing eyes, so it’s best I don’t look at anyone too directly.
I grip her arm, trying my hardest not to extend my claws in case I hurt her. Her muscles are tense beneath my fingers, and I spy the way a few men ogle her.
I resist the urge to rip out the throat of one male who looks a little too pleased to see her. I’m strangely possessive of my ward.
Shadows dance in my peripheral vision as the darkness threatens to override my senses. It’s only exacerbated when we pass by the Temple of Myr—the humans' answer to a god.
There is only one God in my eyes, and that is Maghelena, the mother herself. Not the heathen whom these humans blindly revere.
Hordes of homeless people hover along the steps of the temple, hoping for some respite from their pestilence and hunger, but as always, their God doesn’t heed their prayers.
We pass a mother with young children. The children are dressed in old rags, and at this time of year, they will surely freeze.
Ivy stops and stares at the small family for a moment, tears shimmering in her green eyes. It’s not a sight for the faint of heart.
Even I can’t stomach looking at those freezing, starving infants.
I sigh.
Just this once…
I approach the mother, dropping alms into her pot. Her eyes widen the moment she spies the coins inside.
“May Myr bless you, kind sir!”
Thank goodness for the scarf. At least then she can’t see the face that I’m pulling.
“You’re welcome, miss.”
She continues to praise me, sending more blessings from her false god. Her smallest daughter hands me a pebble in gratitude, and I stuff it inside my coat pocket, deciding I will glamour it later. I can make it look like a gold lion or something.
We finally leave the place of worship. From the corner of my eye, Ivy stares at me, flabbergasted.
“What?” I grouse.
She shakes her head, smiling strangely. “Nothing... You just surprise me sometimes.”
I’m not even going to entertain that with a response.
So I give to the poor. Sometimes...
When I can.
We make it to the market at last. It’s located inside a gated region, and we enter with no problem.
So far, so good. No one seems to notice the Fae in their midst, and let’s hope it stays that way.
Merchants occupy stalls, selling their wares to curious onlookers, and as I predicted, the lanes are crammed with bodies.
Walking at this languid, human pace is boring me to death. Why do people feel the need to stop right in front of you? Irksome.
Various accents fill the air as men from far-off places sell their exotic foods. Ivy’s eyes nearly pop from her sockets as she gazes in wonder, and all these new scents and sounds must be so new for her.
I would find it sweet if not curious. Her parents kept her sheltered her entire life, and I’m still itching to know the exact details of her past. Hopefully, I will hear news from Stannog’s cousin soon. That’s if the big, dumb oaf bothered to pass on my message.
Ivy laughs at a swordfish in a fishmonger’s stall, and I suddenly grow queasy. I was never a fan of seafood.
Too fishy.
Instead, I direct her to the fruit and vegetables, and soon we stumble upon a colourful lane of yellow, pink, green, and orange. The smile on her face says it all. “My goodness. I’ve never seen so much fruit.”
I give her a toothy grin beneath the scarf, hoping she catches the gesture in my eyes. “See? Told you that you’d like it here.”
Ivy tugs me along, and warmth seeps through my veins as she picks up fruit after fruit, laughing like an eager child, and she’s just too pure for this wretched world.
Something so pure could easily be killed, and I ball my fists, piercing my palms with my claws. No matter what, I will protect her.
Ivy stops beside me, carrying a pair of mangos, and her honeysuckle scent overrides my senses.
“Are you all right?” she asks.
“Never better,” I lie. “Come on. Let’s get you more fruit.”
I lead her down the lane, and I watch as she picks out pineapple, kiwi, and a strange pink fruit covered in spikes called rambutan.
In the end, we bought six bags, and she’s going to be spoiled for choice this winter.
I even decided to purchase her a bag of oats since I know how much she loves her porridge, and the sweet smile she gave me sent my heart spiralling.
Now we depart for the exit, and I didn’t have to use my glamour after all. The only thing I had to glamour was a handful of pebbles, which almost nearly killed me, but the merchants were none the wiser when I handed them gravel instead of gold.
All I have left is Fae gold in my pockets, so I can’t take any risks. I gave the last of my human money to that starving family.
We pass by a noisy lane teeming with animals, and Ivy begs me to stay just a little longer.
So, I acquiesce, but so long as she doesn’t ask to take anything home.
Monkeys howl, some with manes like a lion, and others with painted faces like court jesters.
Luminous parrots curse in human tongue, and I’m almost tempted to take one home until Ivy stops at a cage with the most unusual animal that I’ve ever seen, and considering I’m Fae, that’s quite the feat.
I’ve seen plenty of weird shit in my time, but this lizard/rodent takes number one place. It’s covered in scales and possesses a long, sticky tongue that looks good for slurping up insects.
“What is it?” Ivy asks.
I read the sign above the swinging cage. “A pangolin.”
Ivy giggles with delight. “I never knew animals could look like this. Look!”
I follow her gaze, spying several white bear cubs locked inside another cage, and all these captive animals are making me despondent. Humans should be the ones behind bars.
My eyes find the seven-foot man standing beside the cage. He wears the thick coat of an ice-bear. I bet that pelt belonged to the mother of the cubs.
It’s a cruel, brutal world we live in.
“I really wish they didn’t have to be inside cages. Those poor babies deserve to be free.”
Ivy sighs, and something heavy weighs upon me. She fights back tears as the bear cubs claw at the bars of their cage, and it comes to my attention then that they’re calling out to me…
I gaze around, noticing that all the animals have focused on me now, and it must be my faerie charms at work again.
It’s a blessing and a curse, I guess.
Those bears still cry for me, and they almost sound like human infants.
I sigh. Just this once…
“When I say run, Ivy.”
Quickly, I lift my hand, and with a click of my fingers, every cage pops loose.
In a matter of moments, the entire market is overrun with wild animals, and Ivy looks at me, shocked. “You set them free?”
The sky spins. I think I hit my limit. No more magic. That was the final straw.
A blue and gold macaw whizzes past us, spouting, “Run!”
I think the merchants are on to me, and I owe the bird a great deal.
Gripping Ivy’s hand, I ripple us away to safety, and once again she laughs like a goofy idiot when I find a nice, quiet lane. “That was amazing!”
I barely have the energy to tell her off, wiping the sweat from my brow. “It really was… I had no idea I could do magic like that.”
One or two cages perhaps, but not every single cage in the lane.
Animals are still running amok because of my folly, save for a few tamarins who join my side. They surround me like I’m some kind of messiah, and one even picks the lint from my cloak.
A bonobo joins us, and the young ape has nothing but gratitude inside his shining brown eyes. Then the bear cubs arrive, and several birds and parrots. I have no idea what is happening.
It's as if they know that I was the one who helped them.
Ivy watches me with shining eyes, and I try to take how impressed she is as a good sign.
First, I give to the poor. And now I liberate caged animals. I just hope she doesn’t get the wrong idea, though. I am not a good guy in any shape or form.
I’m the villain in this story… I should be inside a cage. Not these pure, innocent beasts that have done nothing wrong.
Finally, I find the strength to stand, and the animals watch sadly as I leave. Ivy takes my gloved hand, squeezing it tightly. “Thank you for helping them.”
My heart beats faster when I meet the warmth in her eyes, and I guess it was worth it just to have her look at me like that.
Though it will only be a matter of time until they’re all captured again or killed… So, I extend my magic that little further, just long enough to give them time to escape the market and find sanctuary.
Somewhere where they don’t have to live inside a cage ever again.
“The market doesn’t close for several hours. We can head back to the inn or try to hitch a ride out of the city. The decision’s yours, Ivy. What should we do?”
She isn’t listening to me. Instead, she’s focused on a pair of middle-aged women at a nearby stall.
“I hear the girl’s dead,” one mutters.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” the other replies. “I hate to think about what they’d do to her if they found her. I have a daughter the same age.”
The first woman sighs. “To think she survived all this time only to perish so suddenly. I’d never have dreamed. The Princess Ivora, alive after all these years...”