35. Ash
Ash
Belda allows me to see her face by removing her veil.
She’s in her late fifties, with the phases of the moon tattooed in a line over the bridge of her nose.
Those tattoos are called moon marks, and werewolves who practice alchemy wear them.
Werewolves aren’t supposed to practice alchemy.
Only humans can do that. This means she’s practicing dark alchemy.
“How did you get here?” I hiss as the cold causes a brain freeze. I howl in pain while my eyes twitch.
“We’re in her wagon, Ash,” Blade says. “We’re not in the castle anymore. It wasn’t safe.”
Stab. Stab. Stab.
Dull knife to the head. This pain will kill me.
“Repeat that,” I say.
“We’re passing through the Midlands.”
We must’ve left in haste. I trust Blade has made a judgment call. “I take it we never made the train ride.”
“We did not,” Blade says.
“Where are the Stormcrest sisters?”
Silence.
I take a moment to try to focus on locating Runa, but my head hurts and my body is broken. My effort to locate her isn’t all a waste. Past the stabbing pains, I’m able to hear my pack mates chatting outside. “Please tell me all my pack is with us.”
“They are. Everyone made it out.”
“Don’t spoon-feed me tiny pieces of information. Explain to me what the hell happened.”
Blade appears in my line of sight. “I’ll tell you everything after you’re out of danger.”
“I’m fine.” I expel a bucketful of gunmetal-gray fluid. Dark alchemy.
“There, there, killer.” The healer pats my shoulder. “Rest again.”
“Can’t rest. Won’t rest until I know what happened.”
The healer injects me with the cold liquid again. “Tell me when your fire returns,” she says.
“The fire isn’t gone,” I tell her. “It’s dulled.”
“Maybe you should listen to her and rest,” Blade says.
“I’ll rest after you explain why we fled the Stormcrest castle like a bunch of cowards.”
“I would like to point out,” Blade says, “that you were attacked by the enemy in enemy territory where we were surrounded and outnumbered.”
“Then we should’ve been allowed to fight to the death.
But the Regulator intercepted. Now I have a bone to pick with him and the Stormcrest Alpha.
Not to mention with Soren. I want a rematch.
On the field, in a fucking arena where everyone can witness the moment I rip out his throat and feed it back to him. ”
“If the arena event is ticketed, I want free tickets for Nana and me,” the woman says.
“They withheld the healer, hoping you would die of poisoning or at least weaken enough for the Wardens to kill you.”
“Wardens?”
“The Peacebroker isn’t coming alone. They were going to kill you.
I wouldn’t be able to defend you without killing everyone in the castle.
I didn’t think that would be a good idea since that would wipe out the entire pack.
Runa included.” Blade runs a hand through his hair.
“Runa isn’t immune to my element.” He clears his throat. “I tested her.”
I test my restraints. They don’t give. “How did you test her?”
Blade’s silence tells me everything.
“Did you hurt her?”
“Runa is fine and well. I swear.”
“But?” I genuinely want to pull his teeth out for making me ask everything.
“We used the family escape tunnels,” Blade says. “That’s how we got out.”
I sigh. “That means Runa committed treason, and she can’t return.
Not until we receive a pardon. Poor thing.
Gave up a lot for me. Tell her I want to see her.
” Why can’t I sense her? Must be these damn alchemy meds.
I didn’t need them in Stormcrest territory, and now I’m back on them, loaded like some drug addict.
“Remove these restraints,” I tell the woman. “I don’t want Runa to see me tied to the bed. Blade, how’s my hair?”
Blade stares.
“Better comb my hair and clean up my face so I don’t look like a total loser when she walks in here.”
“She wouldn’t leave her sister behind.”
No. No. No way. “Her sister was supposed to come with us.”
“Time was of the essence.”
“Are you telling me we left her behind?”
“No, she decided to stay. I tried to persuade her to come. She wouldn’t.”
“For fuck’s sake, Blade. If she won’t leave without her sister, then you take both of them.
Take the horse, the donkey, and the pet gerbil.
I don’t care who or what; everyone is coming with us as long as Runa comes.
My friend, they’ll question her about the incident, and she’ll have to answer without protection.
If her father finds out she snuck us out, he’ll consider it a betrayal and let the humans do whatever they want with her. ”
“Not sure about that. I have a feeling her brother attacked you when he found out what you did with her. And you did fuck her, didn’t you?”
“Our enemies promised me a bride. I am taking Runa Stormcrest as my bride.”
The woman presses a hand over my chest. “He’s getting hotter,” she says, sounding weary. “The fire kindles.”
I tug against the restraints until something tears.
“Knock him out,” Blade urges.
A needle pricks my neck. My fire travels up my veins to fight the new intrusion, but the dark alchemy is too strong and begins to freeze the blood in my veins.
“You airheaded wolf,” I hear the healer say as I sink into darkness. “We all know what this male is capable of when someone hurts his family. What do you think he’ll do for his moon?”