by Lisa Daneils
“What could have done this?” Her question was murmured into the wind around her.
The closer they got, the more gruesome the scene became. Some of the roofs of the demolished homes were covered in red, and she looked away as soon as she realized what it was. Feeling nauseous, Bridget kept her eyes averted until they reached the ground. As soon as they landed, she slipped off of Liam. Some of her hair had come out of her hairstyle and the tendrils moved around her as she ran to a tree. Leaning against a small birch, Bridget threw up. A warm hand brushed against the back of her neck, pulling the hair out of the way as she continued to heave up breakfast.
“Are you alright?”
Bridget continued to hold her stomach, the reflex trying to push up food that was no longer there. Liam rubbed her back. “It’s okay. You do not have to come with me. The sight will only be worse from the ground.”
Feeling foolish, she stood up and wiped away the remnants from her mouth. “No. I did not come her to be ill. Please just give me a few moments to compose myself and I will be ready to enter.”
Liam’s arms encircled her. “You don’t need to force yourself. This is not an easy sight for anyone to look at. Some of us just grow more accustomed to it out of necessity. I don’t want you to feel that you are any less capable just because you can’t stand to look at what they did.”
For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the comfort of his arms. Then, taking a deep breath, she pulled back. “Thank you, Liam, but I said that I would help, and I know more about these villages than you. Perhaps you can recognize the signs of their magic, but I have actually spent time at the places where we are going. I walked the streets and visited the homes of the people, so there are things that I might be able to notice that you couldn’t. I cannot bring them back, but I can at least try to keep this from happening again.”
Liam brushed a hair out of her face. “Stay close to me, and if you cannot take it, I will get you out as quickly as possible. Alright?” His eyes were so gentle, it was difficult to remember how threatening they had looked when they first met.
She nodded her agreement, then took a few minutes to compose herself. When she was ready, they moved into the city.
He had been right—it was far worse up close. Body parts could be seen around the small village, but no full corpses. Occasionally, Liam would steer her attention in different directions, pointing out little things that indicated the forms the shape shifters had taken.
“They entered as bears and tiger or panthers. The people here didn’t stand a chance. But I’ve seen the corpses of at least a half dozen of the magic users as well. This must have taken a large toll on them.”
Bridget said nothing. She had not noticed any full bodies. Feeling that she was spending too much time trying not to see things, she settled her nerves and began to try to look at the details. It’s just like trying to tend Brandon after he got knocked off his horse during the Battle of Brighton. Focus on the little things, not the large ones.
As soon as she finished refocusing her mind, Bridget found it easier to pick up on the little things. First, she noticed what Liam had meant by things that just looked wrong. One of the signs that had marked the apothecaries appeared to be standing in midair, the letters not spelling anything in particular. Like someone had etched letters on the sign without regard to order. Her eyes moved down and under the sign was something that looked like a fleshy mess.
A hand wrapped around her upper arm before Bridget could really look at the thing under the sign. “I think that they may have been targeting that home in the middle.” Liam’s voice was clear and unaffected by their surroundings.
Bridget followed his finger. “Yes, that would make sense. The elders lived there. During an attack, they would have been the ones to provide orders to the fighters.” She approached the structure, knowing this was the one she had noticed first, the one covered in blood. She unconsciously swallowed as she neared it. “Looking at the destruction to the exterior, I would say that one of the elders must have managed to raise the alarm.”
“That would explain a lot. Having failed to silence them fast enough would have resulted in a less predictable reaction on their part. Do you think that it is possible that anyone might have been able to escape?”
“My father and brother said no one survived any of the attacks.”
“I know what they said, but I want your opinion.”
The idea that anyone might have survived the horrors inspired some hope. “I couldn’t say from here, but… if I check the paths out of here, there might be signs. I doubt my family would have spent much time looking.” She gave a strange smile. “They never were very good at understanding the people, so they wouldn’t know what to look for. I bet they went to surrounding villages to find survivors. But after something like this,” her eyes moved around the village, “I think that any survivors would be too afraid to enter another village. They would not want the attackers to follow them.”
Liam took her hand. “Which way do you think they would have gone to flee?”
Bridget looked around, her eyes refusing to examine anything too closely as she tried to remember where she had played with some of the other children over a decade earlier. Tightening her grip on Liam’s hand, Bridget walked toward a small path that was almost invisible in the ruins of the village. It was impossible to tell if there were recent footprints, so she simply continued down the path until they reached a dead warrior. With a gasp, she turned and looked away. Liam stepped between her and the body. “It’s okay. I will lead now.”
Following a hidden trail, they eventually reached a small cave. Several children were huddled in it, looking too thin, but otherwise unharmed. Bridget tried to comfort them while Liam pulled aside the oldest survivor. The boy couldn’t have been more than 14 years old, but there was a look about his face that showed he had been aged from the experience. Based on what he learned, Liam was able to learn more about what had happened, and that there were other survivors.
The next few hours were spent retrieving boats and supplies for the survivors to head to the capital. They would need to go upstream a ways, but they would come across a town where they would find the necessary aid while word traveled to the king.
Bridget stood clutching her shawl around her as the villagers made their way up the river. She felt cold despite the sun’s rays.
“Are you alright?”
She turned to see Liam watching her. “I think we should move on. There may be others we can help.”
A beautiful smile etched across his face. “Of course. Come.” He took her hand and gently led her away.
Chapter 9
The Repercussions of a Moment’s Distraction
By the end of the day, Bridget felt incredibly drained. They did not find any other survivors at the other two places they had gone. Having spent so much time at the first village, they had not accomplished nearly as much as they had planned.
Upon reaching the inn, the princess felt ready to cry. The events of the day had taken a pretty emotional toll on her, and she was beginning to see her father and brother in a very different light. On the one hand, she could appreciate their trying to shield her from such atrocities. Still, she felt that it was necessary for her to have a better understanding of what was wrong so that she could provide some sort of support.
A hand slipped around her waist just as Bridget was about to pitch to the side. “Careful.” Liam was holding her up. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up. You have been shivering almost all day.”
When Bridget stumbled with her next step, Liam picked her up and carried her into the inn. She leaned against him, not paying attention to her surroundings as her mind went back over everything she had seen that day. It was only when she felt her body being placed on the bed that the princess pulled her mind out of that dark place.
A warm hand brushed against her face. “Should I leave you be for a little while?”
Placing her hand on his, Bridget sat up and l
ooked at her new husband. Offering a weak smile, she said, “No. I think right now I really don’t want to be alone.”
He sat down next to her. “They will bring up a little food so you can eat something. You must be hungry by now.”
Bridget moved next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. Liam wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. She murmured, “I’m not very hungry at the moment. That may change once I smell food, though.”
He chuckled, “I can believe that.” His hand moved up and down her arm in an effort to warm her. “Do you think you will be up for another day of it tomorrow? If not, you can stay here and I will investigate the places we did not reach today.”
“That doesn’t seem right, though. I said I could do it, so I should.”
“To be fair, you didn’t know what you were getting into.”
“That is an understatement. But I don’t regret it. As heartbreaking as it was to see what they did, I now know what it is my father and brother have been fighting.” She looked up into his eyes. “And I have more of an idea of what you are facing to help them.”
He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering a little longer against her skin. Bridget closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation.
A knock at the door caused Liam to sit back a little before standing up and opening the door. “That must be the—”
He didn’t finish speaking. Several men rushed into the room, knocking Liam to the floor. Bridget began to scream when a cold hand was slapped over her mouth. She was dragged to the window and several of the men jumped out ahead of the one holding her. Just before she was pulled through, Liam shouted to her, “Do what they say! Whatever they say, don’t fight them.” The last thing she saw was about half a dozen men standing over Liam, weapons drawn as he clumsily pulled out his own sword.
“Liam!” she shouted at the window as the inn faded into the distance.
When the men stopped, they put her down. Two of them stood apart from the others and began to mutter. Their faces started to lengthen, and the pain etched on them made her look away for a moment.
A hand roughly grabbed her face. “No, no, princess. You were curious about what real power looked like. Take in the glory of what a real shifter can do.”
Unable to look away, Bridget saw the entire painful process. One of the men died as the transition neared completion, his screams ringing out in the night.
“Typical.” A woman stepped out of the forest. “Never send a man to do something that a woman can do better. Camilla, show these pathetic creatures what a real magic user can do.”
Another woman stepped out of the forest, her body covered only by a few skimpy pieces of clothing. Every curve and muscle was obvious as she strode forward. She shook her long, tangled locks and began to transition into something much larger. The princess quickly realized that the woman was attempting to shift into a dragon. From the look on her face, it must have been absolutely excruciating, the high-pitched shrieks bellowing into the cloudy night.
Whimpering, Bridget tried to move back. “Now you know what real power is,” a female voice hissed in her ear. “Tell me that your so-called shifter lover can manage anything half so magnificent.” The woman’s nails dug into Bridget’s shoulder, causing her to cry out.
When Camilla finished, there was a ragged-looking dragon standing before them. The look in its eyes was like looking into the depths of despair. She roared and shot fire into the air, the sound more like a cry of pain than power.
“She was a bear not two hours ago.”
“Please stop. You will kill her this way.”
“It will be worth it. I wouldn’t expect a pampered little creature to understand what we have been through, what your lover’s people have done to us. But we will show you before you die.”
Bridget felt herself being lifted off the ground and she was carried toward the half-crazed dragon. The woman holding her shouted, “Take her to our base.”
The dragon roared, her wings beating painfully slowly as she tried to lift off the ground. After what felt like an eternity, Camilla managed to get off the ground and flew at Bridget. The woman who had been holding her stepped back and laughed maniacally as Camilla’s talons sank into Bridget’s shoulders and carried her into the darkness.
Several times, the dragon pitched forward and seemed as if the pain was going to send them both crashing to the ground. Terrified, Bridget closed her eyes and grabbed onto the talons. They dug deeper into her shoulders.
It was impossible to know how long the terrifying flight lasted, but it ended when Camilla released Bridget several feet off the ground. Bridget slammed into the ground, her momentum sending her rolling along the dirt. Camilla had lost control and went crashing into the trees around the encampment. Some of the people present went running toward her, to do what, Bridget had no idea. Hands roughly yanked her off the ground and pulled her in several different directions before a low voice cut through the night.
“How dare you treat one of our guests that way.”
Bridget was dropped to the ground, barely keeping herself from hitting it face first. Looking up, she saw a man dressed in what looked like minor royalty. He leaned down and offered his hand. “My dear, you must be tired. Please come with me. I will feed you, clothe you, and show you a life that you could not have imagined.”
Her eyes cast around her at the murmurs. Giving her head a little shake, she said, “I want to go home.”
The man laughed before leaning over and forcing her to her feet. “If that were true, you would not have come out here to witness our work. I admit that it does not paint us in the most favorable light, but once you hear my explanation, you won’t be able to stand the lies of the inferior shifter who has been your companion.”
Liam’s words to her rang in her mind, and she wanted to shake them away. How could she agree to this?
Liam’s voice was much firmer, and she could remember the look in his eyes when he gave her the conditions of joining him. If I tell you to do something, I want you to promise that you will do it. No questions, and certainly no debate.
It was difficult, but that had been the condition and she could not go back on it. With a small nod of her head, she agreed and took his arm as he offered it.
Trying to focus on what he was saying, Bridget found their surroundings distracting. Many of the shifters hissed at her as she passed. Their leader smiled and made a weak attempt to placate them. “Please, she is a guest here. Let’s keep our minds open. If we can sway one human to our cause without having to force the potion, we will begin to find acceptance. And acceptance will make conquest that much easier.”
When they reached a small building in the middle of the encampment, the leader opened the door for her. “In here, you will be reborn. I hope that you will do so willingly, but we will only wait so long before losing patience.” Giving her a push, he stepped in behind Bridget and slammed the door. The smell was foul, and it was all she could do to keep from gagging.
Before he had a chance to say anything else, the ground beneath them shook.
In the dimly lit room, Bridget could see a look of surprise on the man’s face. “There are no faults here. The land should not be able to shake.”
Loud shouts from outside of the building made both of them look to the door. The man raced outside. Bridget looked around to see if there was anyone to restrain her. When there was no other movement, she ran to the door.
As soon as she was outside, chaos met the princess’ eyes. The shape shifters were trying to shift as the leader yelled at them. Turning to look at what they were facing, she saw a dragon, large and looming over them. His eyes were scouring them, as if he were looking for something.
“Liam!” Bridget shouted his name without giving it a thought.
His head whipped around and there was a low rumble from the depth of his chest. The ensuing roar caused all of the people closest to him to drop to the ground and cover their ears.
Bridget noticed movement out of
the corner of her eyes. Before she could run, a hand wrapped around her arm. “You are coming with me. I’ll not have any more—”
The leader didn’t have a chance to finish as Liam breathed fire into the air. The heat around them was intense, and the man automatically dropped Bridget’s arm to shield his face.
Rage flashed across the leader’s face, and he drew his hands back. Bridget watched as a blue light began to form in his hands. She had no idea what it meant or what the man planned to do, but the princess was certain that Liam would not be able to withstand a blast from such a strong concentration of their magic. Without thinking, Bridget grabbed his arm, yanking the man off balance.
“What the—” The leader’s words were lost as the light burst around them. Immediately, Bridget felt like she was freezing to death. The leader began to drag himself away from his prisoner. Calling out to some of the nearby followers, he ordered them to retreat with him into the woods.
Liam leapt over the remaining men, his attention focused solely on Bridget. Landing just a few feet from Bridget, he didn’t even seem to notice that the men were running away from him. Lowering his wing, Liam left himself vulnerable as she tried to scramble onto his back. Pain shot through her shoulders as she tried to pull herself up. A gentle motion tossed her onto his back, and the princess scrambled to sit in the right place. Pressing her face into his neck, she cried, “GO!”
The power of his body coursed through her as they lifted off the ground impossibly fast. Men were knocked around like dolls as they rose higher in the air. When she looked down at the ground, it seemed to be shaking. Upon seeing Liam, she had thought that he had caused the ground to shake when he landed, but now she wasn’t so sure. The way the people on the ground moved suggested that it was due to the ground moving, not the wind from his wings. As they flew away from the encampment, a loud noise attracted her attention. The last thing she could see was the central building collapsing, spewing dust in several different directions.
