by Sam Ledel
“You’re despicable,” Aurelia finished before spitting in the man’s face. He turned his cheek, then wiped his chin clean. The smile he wore churned Jastyn’s stomach.
The fire blew out behind them, and the room turned cold. A wind from nowhere picked up, sending several pieces of frayed wood across their path.
“This little reunion has been fun,” Drest said, holding out his hands, palms up. Two cherry-sized flames sparked above each one. “Now, come with us, Aurelia. We have unfinished business to attend to.”
“I’d rather go to the Otherworld than go anywhere with you.”
Coran let out something that sounded like a mixture of a gasp and a squeal. He and Jastyn exchanged glances. What was Aurelia doing? It was the three of them against an extremely unhinged-looking man and a pair of elves. The odds were not in their favor.
“I do suggest you come with us, Princess.” Drest’s eyes were completely white now. His cheeks jutted out, making his face look unnaturally disjointed.
“Or what?” Aurelia replied, her voice loud over the whipping wind.
The man sneered. The elves stepped back when his voice came out in a yell. “Or else you’ll be picking up what’s left of these pathetic excuses for peasants with a broom!”
The air left Jastyn’s lungs as his head tilted and his voice dropped.
“Your choice.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aurelia stared into the white emptiness where Drest’s pupils once were. She stepped back, flush against Jastyn and Coran. She could feel Jastyn’s right hand twitch and knew she was itching for the blade tucked against her boot. Aurelia considered the idea but knew that, ultimately, Drest would have his way. She tore through her mind and tried to conjure every defense spell she knew. But each one had been taught to her by Brennus, who had learned them from Drest. He had always been the best at magic. Everything she knew, he knew first.
She stalled.
“Why are you doing this?” she called over the roar of the wind, now an invisible cyclone lashing at her hands and knees. She slapped aside splinters of wood that blurred her vision.
Drest waited a moment before responding. “Your brother never deserved to be king.”
“And you do?”
“I will return this realm to its once great state.”
“Once great state?” Coran muttered.
Drest scowled in his direction. “There was a time when humans ruled every inch of these lands. We didn’t have treaties delegating fae grounds over nearly half of our territories.”
Aurelia frowned. Jastyn, however, spoke before she could. “The fae were here first. These are their native lands.”
Drest turned on Jastyn, resembling a menacing predator leering over its food. “This is none of your concern, filthy Odium.”
Jastyn’s face went pale, then pink when she caught Aurelia’s gaze. Before she could even think about slapping the words from Drest’s mouth, the slim-shouldered elf, in a melodic voice that seemed to break the rage spinning around them, called out.
“Princess!” In movements so swift Aurelia felt as if she was witnessing a hawk strike its prey, he sent a ball of spell-fire at his companion, who collapsed. Nearly simultaneously, he leapt onto Drest’s back, a string of elven cries filling the air. His nails, suddenly bright blue, dug like daggers into Drest’s shoulders, forcing a screech so loud the wind around them ceased, each fragment of wood halted in midair. Jastyn and Coran gripped each of her arms as Aurelia locked eyes with her former fae captor. His thin lips parted.
“Run.”
Aurelia grabbed hold of Jastyn and tore from the room. Drest swung at them, but the elf twisted his legs like talons, dragging Drest’s mighty torso down to the ground. She caught a glimpse of Drest reaching for his sword before Jastyn pushed her forward.
“Hurry, this way.”
The three of them leapt over the still-burning remnants of the wall and sprinted back through the main room. All of the tables were upturned, and one of the mead barrels had been punched in so that the drink flowed like water from a broken dam. Any fae who had lingered earlier was gone.
“Quickly,” Jastyn said behind her. Aurelia didn’t look back. Once outside, she broke out into a run, Coran and Jastyn flanking her.
“Where do we go?” she asked, glancing between them as they hit the first line of trees.
Jastyn seemed to take in everything at once: the moss crawling over twisted roots, the fading stars overhead, and the approaching light of dawn.
Dipping her right shoulder, she said, “Follow me.”
Aurelia and Coran trailed after her. Aurelia tried not to wince with each step on her left leg. She was glad Jastyn had wrapped it earlier, which saved her from the long-reaching branches and thorn-filled shrubs. Each step radiated pain from her knee to her ankle. She pushed the pain to the back of her mind, forcing herself to focus. Eventually, she was able to fall into a rhythm, landing nearly exactly where Jastyn had thanks to her boots leaving deep impressions in the leaf-scattered ground.
After what seemed like ages, they stopped.
“Somebody needs a break,” Jastyn said through a grin, one hand on her hip. Coran bent over, both forefingers dug into his sides.
“It’s just a cramp,” Coran said, exhaling. “Do you reckon we’ve lost ’em?”
Jastyn nodded. “For now.”
Aurelia smiled, catching Jastyn’s gaze before she nodded at her leg.
“How are you doing?”
“Fine,” Aurelia said quickly. “It feels fine.”
Jastyn squinted, then bent over and pinched the knee between her forefinger and thumb. Aurelia cried out, swiping at Jastyn’s hand.
“Why in the gods would you do that?” She gripped her knee, which throbbed with such force, her eyes watered.
Crossing her arms, Jastyn said, “I’m impressed you made it this far. I’m afraid the wound is deeper than you thought.”
Aurelia huffed and straightened, being sure to put more weight on her right side. “I still don’t see why that was necessary.”
Smiling, Jastyn wandered a few yards away, digging in her satchel as she walked.
“Don’t mind her,” Coran said, his breath finally caught. “She’s stalling because she’s not sure where we are.”
He barely put his hand up in time when Jastyn threw an apple at his face. He caught it, took a step, and chucked it back at her.
“I’m not lost,” Jastyn said after scooping up the apple from the grass, brushing it against her tunic, and taking a bite. “Just…give me a minute.”
They were quiet as Jastyn munched and stared at what seemed to be nothing. Aurelia allowed herself a moment to admire Jastyn, appreciating her strong legs that ran up to a slim waist and even narrower shoulders. Her arms were crossed, and her free hand ran absently down her braid. Despite her slight frame, she looked absolutely majestic against the early light streaming in from the east through the hundreds of tree trunks lined like guards on all sides of them. Drest had to have been spewing lies, Aurelia thought, still watching Jastyn. It was impossible that somebody so proud, so sure of herself, could be what he claimed.
Then she remembered her conversation with Coran. The horse master, Elisedd, was her stepfather. Aurelia countered her own thought quickly. Women of the kingdom could remarry. Her great-grandmother even did, so she was told. It wasn’t uncommon and certainly not against the laws, as long as one’s husband was lost to Death. Another memory surfaced, this one of her conversation with her mother. The one where uttering even the smallest implication of Jastyn’s existence had resulted in silence and denial.
Jastyn’s weight shifted so that she stood with one hip jutted out slightly. The morning light framed her body, making her look completely at one with the Wood.
Aurelia shook her head. It couldn’t be. Odium Children were unheard of in modern times. The laws had done their duty and cleared the kingdom of them decades ago. It was silly, she decided, to even consider that they still existe
d. Especially in the form of the stunning woman standing before her.
Coran took a seat against the base of the tree while Aurelia joined Jastyn. “Perhaps we should continue,” she suggested, unable to deal with the whirlwind happening inside her mind. “I don’t know how long Drest can be held off, but I doubt he will be occupied for long.” Scanning the light dusting of freckles that ran across the bridge of Jastyn’s nose, Aurelia watched her watch the depths of the Wood with such concentration, she wondered if Jastyn could see into some other world. Her eyes raced all around as if tracking an invisible creature.
Taking another bite from her apple, Jastyn said, “That’s some friend you’ve got.”
Aurelia stiffened. “Drest is not my friend.” She shielded her eyes as the sun rose higher, forming beams of light that shot between the trees and cast long shadows that reached toward them in greeting. Her wrists stung, and she absently rubbed the red skin. “It’s still difficult to fathom this was his doing.”
“He planned this?”
“I think he must have. It was he who took me during the remembrance ceremony. I suppose he has the elves on his side, too.” Memories of the invasion sent pain down her leg. She recalled the cries of agony from the villagers as arrows plunged deep into unsuspecting victims.
“Not all of the elves.” Jastyn swallowed a bite. “That one from before gave us a head start.”
Aurelia tilted her head at the notes of a morning dove. “Yes. I wonder why.”
Shrugging, Jastyn threw her apple core out of sight. “Whatever the reason, I’m grateful.” She paused, and Aurelia knew the next question before it was even asked.
“Were they the only ones…when you were with them?”
Aurelia, suddenly weary, joined Coran against the tree. He and Jastyn were quiet when she answered. “They were the only three I ever saw. But each night, right before sundown, Drest would disappear. He’d vanish into the Wood and wouldn’t return until first dark. I think he was collecting something, but I never could tell what. He would bring whatever it was back and share it with the elves.”
Jastyn, who had turned to listen, kept her piercing gaze unblinking. Aurelia, flustered, fingered the rags around her knee. “That’s all I know. I’m afraid…I wasn’t aware of much else.”
“That’s okay, Your Highness. You’ve been through a lot.” Coran reached out a grubby hand, resting it for a moment on her arm.
Aurelia smiled, then looked back at Jastyn, who seemed to be looking through her. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she’d lost herself in a dream.
Aurelia yearned to know what was happening inside her mind. She had never met anyone who seemed to think of a million things at once yet show hardly a flicker on her face. What kept Jastyn so preoccupied each second of the day? Surely thoughts of her sister and the cure she needed were enough to worry about. She ached at the idea of Jastyn sitting beside her sister, day after day, unable to do anything. The image shifted, surprising Aurelia with a vision of herself alongside Jastyn. Together, they traipsed through the Wood in the search for the cure. The idea alone sent a stirring to her stomach. Immediately, she shook it from her mind. Aurelia knew Jastyn wasn’t the type to trust anybody easily. The mere suggestion that she had something to offer in search for the cure would surely fall on deaf ears. Perhaps, Aurelia thought, she simply needed to try harder to convince Jastyn that she was no longer alone in this.
Crouching, Jastyn ran a stray branch through the fallen leaves. “You’re right.”
For a moment, Aurelia panicked. Had she spoken her thoughts aloud? Did Jastyn know she wasn’t eager to leave her yet?
“I’m right? I didn’t realize…”
“We should keep going. I say we walk east until the sun is overhead. Then we’ll find food and water and set up camp. Your father and mother were headed north, but I have a feeling they’ve diverted west. If we camp half a day, that should give them time to catch up to us.” Standing, she tossed the branch aside.
Exhaling, Aurelia asked, “What about Drest? What if he catches up to us first?”
“I’ll set a protection spell around our site. I know a strong one. It should stave off any unwelcome visitors.” She adjusted her satchel and started off.
“Hear that, Your Highness?” Coran said, standing, too. “You’ll be back at the castle in no time.”
“Wonderful.” Aurelia hoped her smile was convincing. The idea of returning home, however, didn’t strike the chord of anticipation she had felt only a few days before. She was sure she would be happy to see her mother and father again, yet she could not—despite her best efforts—envision herself in the castle. She could not see herself walking its vast halls, the halls that were now forever devoid of her brother’s voice. She could not imagine sitting at their table, dining on legs of lamb while one chair sat eternally unoccupied. She could not see herself being happy in a place brimming with memories of death and destruction.
Worst of all, she suddenly could not fathom what she would inevitably have to do when the time came: ascend the Diarmaid throne and lead the Kingdom of Venostes as its rightful queen.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Later that evening, Jastyn shook out the blanket from Coran’s satchel, laying it across the ground in the stretch of forest they’d claimed for the latter half of the day following a five-mile march. While the waning sun provided sufficient warmth behind a thick layer of clouds, Jastyn knew that with summer fully upon them, the combination of the coming night and inevitable rainfall would bring the cold.
“Shall I collect wood for the fire?”
Aurelia stood with her hands on her hips, the sleeves of her tunic hiked up above her elbows. The skin around her wrists was a lighter pink now, indicating the raw skin was starting to heal. However, the lashes from where she must have been bound were still visible, a screaming red reminder for what she had been through only days before. Aurelia’s mouth was scrunched in concentration, and Jastyn watched, amused, as she bent over a large, rotted log next to a nearby tree. Jastyn waved off Coran, who was about to say something. Aurelia grimaced when she crouched to pick up the log, and Jastyn made a mental note to look for the herb she had mentioned to aid in mending her knee.
Aurelia shrieked and leapt backward. The log she had reached for crumbled in her hands, and a herd of beetles scuttled out.
Upon seeing Jastyn doubled over with laughter, Aurelia wiped her arms in a huff. She marched back over to their spot, brushing her long hair behind her shoulders. Lifting her chin, she calmly stated, “Those were of the brachinus species, I believe.” She wiped her hands on her pant leg. “The golden ground beetle, if I’m not mistaken.”
Exchanging looks with Coran, Jastyn snickered. “I recommend drier wood, Princess. It’ll burn better.” Aurelia nodded, then ventured off again. Jastyn watched her, scrutinizing the limp in her gait before scanning the remaining contents of her satchel: the king’s gift was next to a bundle of elderberries, her old cup, one apple, and half a crust of bread. She would have to hunt soon if they were going to have enough sustenance to carry on.
Under his breath, Coran muttered, “Are you sure we want a fire?”
Glancing at Aurelia, who was out of earshot, Jastyn felt suddenly defensive. She wanted to ensure Aurelia’s safety, but Coran had a point. It would be dark within an hour. While the light and warmth would be welcoming, a fire was risky. They’d be sending up a beacon to Drest and his cronies.
Nevertheless, a miniscule voice Jastyn didn’t recognize grew louder in her mind: What would make Aurelia happy?
Realizing she hadn’t answered, Jastyn gestured to the thick tree line surrounding them. “We’ve got plenty of cover out here. You’d have to be an eagle-eyed fae to see through these.” Coran eyed her. “We’ll keep the fire small,” she added. “Besides, I know a spell Eegit taught me; it should mask any light or sound coming from our camp.”
Coran shrugged, plopping down near his satchel. “If you say so.”
Jastyn perused their
surroundings as Coran set up a circle of stones for their firepit. There were no obvious signs of activity. She smelled no smoke, heard no breaking of fallen branches, and felt no signs of the Dark Fae. He hadn’t appeared anywhere except in her dreams the last two months. Maybe, she thought, he would leave her alone for good. Despite his warnings that her search for the cure would be useless, Jastyn knew there was no other option if she wanted to save her sister. He could try and frighten her all he wanted. It only drove her frustration and desire to see this mission through. Exhaling, she shook out the tension that had built in her arms.
“I’m going to set the protection spell,” she called over her shoulder, making her way to the edge of trees around their camp.
Coran gestured to Aurelia, who looked as if she were losing an arm-wrestling match with a knotted pile of branches. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Once she was a good forty paces from their site, Jastyn held up both of her hands. She recalled the incantation Eegit had taught her five winters before, when Eegit was having trouble keeping foxes from stealing her meat. She fell into the memory of her younger self standing next to Eegit, who stood with her arms up and her palms facing out as if she was going to push against a wall. Mimicking the memory, Jastyn focused on the energy inside her own body and the life surrounding her in the Wood. Her saol sparked to life in front of her hands, the soft blue light flickering in greeting. She uttered the incantation Eegit had taught her: “An fhuaim agus an solas a ghlanadh,” then began the slow process of encircling their camp, careful not to stray from the path her feet set between the trees.
When she had nearly completed the final iteration of the incantation with her starting point in view, rustling among the low-lying ferns made her falter. Forcing her eyes to stay locked on her saol, she turned her mind to the sound of shuffling feet five paces behind her left shoulder. The step wasn’t light enough to be elven but wasn’t the heavy tread that would accompany Aurelia’s pursuer from the public house. Her left hand inches away from connecting the protection circle, Jastyn froze and listened.
