by Juniper King
I shook my head, looking at the now empty spot where the doe had been. “You two saved my life when you had no reason to.” I stretched a hand in front of me. “And you brought me out here, with no other reason than to make me feel better. You couldn’t make me feel worse, I’m just happy you survived.”
I yelped in surprise, and Ayres attention sparked.
The wisp I’d forgotten about crawled down the back of my shirt, and down my spine. I still wore the hunter’s giant shirt, so the little spirit had quite a lot of room to move around. It trailed around my side just below my breast and down my stomach, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at the ticklishness, falling backwards and writhing in the thick grass. The little wisp finally found the bottom of the shirt and quickly escaped back towards the water.
After my fit of giggles, I looked over to see Ayre staring down at me, mirth now fully reflected in his eyes. “I can see what he sees in you.”.
“What?”
“Hmm?” he deflected. “We should head back. That lazy ass is probably up by now. Most likely fending off a brutal hangover.”
When we got back to the cabin, Aksel was preoccupied with cooking a pot of something over the fire stove, another bottle of alcohol gripped in his hand.
“I’ll give you two a minute,” Ayre whispered, giving me a little shove inside and closing the door behind me before I could object.
The door clicked shut and my heart sank a little with it.
Before I could turn around for my cowardly retreat, Aksel’s eyes found mine as he took a swig from the bottle.
“A little hair of the dog, eh?” I said trying to break the awkward silence, immediately cringing at my own awkwardness. “I’m sorry about last night,” I blurted in a second attempt. “I was acting stupid, and I… It won’t happen again,” I said to the wooden floorboards.
Peeking up, I found Aksel staring at me.
“No harm done,” he said after a lengthy pause, his voice husky.
I closed the distance between us, still a little hesitant to be close to him. I peered into the pot on the stove, it looked like lumpy, bubbling mud with some carrots mixed in. My nose crinkled. “That looks appetizing,” I tried lightening the atmosphere.
Aksel took another swig of the liquid, gripping the bottle by the throat.
A sigh escaped through my nose. I wasn’t very good at this. I thought about what Ayre had said earlier. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Aksel quirked an eyebrow.
“This isn’t your fault,” I said, parroting the words Ayre had said to me earlier. “It wasn’t your fault that the city burned down.”
The quirk in his brow abruptly changed to a deep furrow. His gaze fell to the floor.
“I’m sure you did everything you could,” I continued, trying my best to let him know I didn’t blame him. “You saved me from those flereous and got us safely out of the city.”
“You lost everything and you’re trying to make me feel better?”
Maybe he didn’t realize it, but his company and care last night had quite possibly saved me. Before I’d made such a stupid move. I was just returning the favour.
“What can I say, dejection doesn’t really suit you,” I forced a smirk.
His lips quirked into a half-smile of his own. After a moment he put the bottle on the counter and held out his hand. “Come here.”
This was the second time I had been beckoned by a Super this morning, but I obliged. I walked around the small counter and Aksel swept me into his arms, he placed a kiss on my head and hugged me tightly. I could feel my face heating against his chest. “Aksel?”
“I promise I’ll keep you safe, Selynna,” he whispered. “No matter what.”
10
We were lucky there had been canned stew left in the abandoned cupboards, though I can’t say I was thrilled with the idea of eating the unappetizing looking slop. My growling stomach was the only reason I grabbed a dish.
The three of us hovered around the tiny kitchen picking at our food in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. Aksel leaned against the counter, eating straight from the pot, and Ayre had taken up a chair across from me at the little table.
The room was silent but for the sound of bowls and utensils scraping together. I stirred the lumpy brown goo in my bowl, entranced by the movement of my spoon leaving trails through the thick mush.
With some difficulty, I had managed to shove my despair down deep, burying it for the time being. After spending time with Ayre, I realized how sad and pathetic I had been acting. I had taken time to mourn, and there would be more time in the future, but right now was not that time. Aksel and Ayre were both trying their best to support me when they had virtually no reason to, the least I could do was be receptive to their attempts. Tears and despondence didn’t help anyone.
But now, without the grief clouding my mind, the next most immediate issue rattled around in my head, just as haunting and overbearing as the misery had been.
Where did we go from here?
Truth be told, there might not even be a ‘we’ for much longer. My life may have been uprooted and destroyed, but theirs hadn’t changed. I didn’t know where they would go from here—I hadn’t had the courage to ask—but they would continue on as they had before they’d even set foot in Woodburne.
And I would be left to relocate somewhere and try to start a new life.
But I didn’t really have much say in the matter, now, did I? I couldn’t force them to stay by my side.
I brought the spoon up to my lips and absently rolled the lumpy slop around my mouth.
Even if we did come across a nice town, could I honestly live a normal life after this? Even if I was able to eventually get over what happened, there was still a bounty on my head.
Aksel had said I was probably safe, but there was no way of knowing for sure, he’d just assumed. Hunters could be ready to descend on me like the blade of a guillotine, chasing me down until the prize was claimed. I would always be looking over my shoulder.
And I would always be a danger to those around me.
I swallowed the tasteless food. “I want to find out who put the bounty on me.” My voice seemed to echo through the silent room.
Ayre paused with his spoon in his mouth, eyes wide as he turned to gape at me.
“You what?” Aksel asked like he genuinely hadn’t heard me.
“I need to know who caused all of this,” I said to my bowl.
Though the flereous had set the flames, Ilane was at fault for ruining my life and stealing the lives of so many others. But who was the person behind the scenes, pulling Ilane’s strings? Who was the one who started this bloody chain of events in the first place?
On the surface I’d lived a happy life with Branek, and Jess, and the kids, but deep down, when I was alone, the ugliness of reality reared its ugly head. The kids would get adopted and live happy lives, Jess would get married and have her own children, with less room in her life for me, and I would just stay the same, living on the second floor of The Sluggish Nymph until I grew old, never getting married or having children, because no one in a small, Super-hating town would ever want me.
I’d never had much of a future ahead of me, but theirs had been stolen from them.
My life had always lacked direction, well, now I had a direction. Now I had a target to throw everything I had at.
“And what exactly are you going to do with that information once you get it?” Aksel asked.
“I just—what do they want from me? What am I to them? How do they even know about me? Do they even care that because of them, two psychopathic flereous decimated an entire town of innocent people?”
Aksel grimaced at my words, brow creasing. “Selynna, I can understand where you’re coming from. But your friends wouldn’t have wanted you to risk your life to avenge theirs.” He must have seen the trepidation in my eyes because he continued. “The world of bounty hunters and mercenaries is dangerous. You’ve never even stepped
out of your town before.”
“Plenty of people have left their towns without getting killed,” I bit back.
“Those people didn’t have a bounty on their heads.”
“You don’t think I can handle it?” I bristled.
“Have you ever been on the wrong end of a mercenary’s sword?”
Of course he already knew the answer to that question. I stayed quiet staring him down, trying to keep my conviction strong. “So you’re suggesting I should just go about my life and do nothing? What about Ilane? He’ll just get away with what he did?” I asked egregiously.
“He won’t ‘get away with it’, Ayre and I can deal with it,” his voice getting louder to match mine.
“Not without me. I’m part of this too. I’m the reason for all of this!”
“Selynna—”
“I know it’s dangerous, but I can handle it.” My nails dug into the palm of my hands as I clenched my fists on the countertop.
“Like you ‘handled’ Ilane and that flereous?” His words weren’t unkind, but they stung. The truth always did.
I hung my head, feeling like an absolute disgrace—weak and useless. Aksel knew I would be nothing but a burden to them. There was nothing I could do to be of use. I couldn’t effectively use my magic for anything more than flipping a switch or tossing something across a room. I wasn’t ready to be thrown into this world of Supers and bounties and mercenaries. And Aksel had known that all along.
But this wasn’t their responsibility. I couldn’t let them do this alone.
“This time I’m ready. I won’t make the same mistakes again. I’ll learn to use my magic, I’ll be useful,” I said with absolute certainty.
Aksel’s attention slipped back to the pot in his hand. I turned to look at Ayre, but he couldn’t make eye contact with me either. I looked down at my own hands and was hit with a sudden memory of them covered in soot and fine cuts. A tear of frustration splashed on my knuckle.
What would I do? I couldn’t track down these people on my own. Without Aksel and Ayre’s help, I was like a child fumbling through the darkness. I wouldn’t even begin to know where to start searching.
“If we let you come with us,” Aksel broached, my head whipping up at his tentative prevision. “You go by our judgment. You’re still potentially on the wanted list, you don’t go off anywhere on your own.” His eyes were hard, leaving no room for negotiation.
Though I wasn’t exactly proud of the desperation I showed, I couldn’t help I nodding frantically in agreement.
I would find the person who set the bounty. I would find them, and they would pay for what they’d done.
The sun was already high in the sky by the time we left the hunter’s cabin. After we finished eating and the guys had showered, we traveled with a steady pace towards Rochdale.
The path we followed eventually led out of the forest and into a huge open field with a few small farms scattered around the meadow.
My pace slowed to a stop and I gaped at the scenery stretched out before me. I had never seen such open and unused space before. Woodburne had been surrounded by forest, and the interior of the town had been cramped. For the first time in my life, I could spread my arms out and really breathe.
It took a moment for me to notice that Aksel and Ayre had continued walking and I lurched forward to catch up with them.
Several horses were running across the hills in the distance, and cows meandered through the fields, chewing cud and flicking their tails. I had seen horses in town before because of all the mercenaries and merchants who rode in on them, but there had been no cows in Woodburne. We hadn’t had enough space for large farms or keeping animals, our meat and dairy products had been imported through trade. This was the first time I was seeing a cow in person; they were kind of cute.
I saw a few chickens closer to the barns too, but that was less exciting since there had been several people who had kept chickens in Woodburne.
Even the smells were new and interesting.
After twenty minutes or so of walking through farmlands, we finally came upon the edge of town. Rochdale’s population was about double that of Woodburne’s and it showed.
The dirt path we’d followed from the pasture led directly into the town, morphing into a cobblestone road. As we walked through the streets, the shops and buildings we passed seemed to be laid out in a grid-like pattern—way more structured than Woodburne’s haphazard layout of buildings—eventually opening into a large, open market square with a variety of kiosks. The market had a similar feeling to Woodburne, except ours was smaller and didn’t have a large fountain in the middle of the circular hub.
It was clearly the gathering point of the town, bustling with people shopping, socializing, and children playing in and around the fountain.
I couldn’t help the flutter of excitement I felt at being here.
It looked like some of the shops also had residences overtop, with several balconies decorated with potted flowers and knickknacks draped over the railings.
To the left, leading out of the downtown area, there was a winding road leading up a slight hillside, on top of which were more buildings, residences perhaps?
No one paid us much mind as we walked through the downtown, pretending to blend in. Aksel was still in his human shimmer, as I’d taken to calling it, and Ayre tried his best to keep a low profile, wearing unflattering jeans and a baggy shirt from the hunter’s cabin, though women still whispered and gaped as he ambled by. Even while lying low, I think he reveled in the attention.
The cobblestone road was much kinder to my bare feet than the forest path had been. I’d tried to find a pair of shoes before we’d left the cabin but there was just no way any of the hunter’s would have fit me. I had managed to find a belt, though. One that wrapped around me two times over. I fashioned it around my waist to make the shirt into a kind of makeshift dress. Overall, I probably looked like a poor street urchin. At least I was freshly showered.
As we passed by two middle-aged women on the road, I overheard a piece of their conversation. “Did you hear about the fire in Woodburne the other day—”
Aksel slipped his arm around my shoulder and led me forward, away from the exchange. “Are you ready?” he asked louder than usual. What was he so excited about?
“Ready for what?” I looked around. Ayre was nowhere in sight, I hadn’t even noticed him wander off. I asked where he went.
“Ayre is getting other supplies. We’re in charge of clothing.” He handed me the large empty duffel he’d been carrying since we’d left the cabin.
“Why do you keep making it sound like such a daunting task?”
Aksel looked at me like a teacher waiting for their student to figure out the answer on their own. “Do you have money?”
“Does it look like I have money?” I answered in an equally patronizing tone.
He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on his face.
“Wait, are you suggesting we’re going to steal clothes?”
“How else did you think we would get them?” he goaded with his usual smile.
Gods, sometimes I wanted to smack him. I suppose sweet and considerate Aksel had gone back into hibernation, to be replaced by his more annoying counterpart. And yet that grin still had the power to make me feel all hot and bothered inside.
My lips pursed together, mind back on task. I had never stolen anything in my life.
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot how much of a goody-two shoes you were.”
I balked. “I’m not a goody-two shoes—how do you even know that term?”
“You’ll find I know a wide variety of human phrases,” he replied with a smug look.
I rolled my eyes. “So, how exactly are we going to do this?” As much as I didn’t like the idea, I realized it was necessary. And, morality aside, I was never one to back away from a challenge.
“Well, that depends,” he said cryptically.
“Depends on what?”
“Wheth
er they’re male or female.”
I stared at him trying to decipher his meaning, but all he gave me was a sly smirk, waiting.
His idea hit me, and I gaped at him. “No. Are you saying you want me to flirt with a shopkeeper while you rob them blind?”
His grin grew wider. “I’m saying I want you to attempt to flirt with the shopkeeper while I take what we need. Think you can handle that?”
I was actually incredibly uncomfortable with the very idea. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had intentionally flirted with a man. I bit my lip.
Wait, what had he meant by attempt?
I was still bristling when we approached a small clothing shop. We stepped up the few stairs onto the small porch and Aksel discreetly peeked through the dusty window.
His lips broke into a conspiratorial smirk. “Well, looks like you’re in luck.”
I blew a strand of hair from my face as I leaned against the wall. I had been pacing until I realized how suspicious that must look. But what was I supposed to do? Aksel had told me to wait outside for five minutes while he ‘worked his magic’ with the shopkeeper.
Nerves ate away at my stomach, making me feel ill. I clutched the strap of the large duffel hanging from my shoulder. Taking a deep breath, I pushed from the wall. This was not something I was looking forward to.
The little bell above the door chimed to announce my entrance. I glanced up to see the two of them near the back corner of the store in the men’s section and luckily there was no one else in the shop. The woman didn’t even turn to see who had entered her shop. I slinked over to the women’s side at the front of the room and began liberating my own clothes first.
The shopkeeper’s high-pitched giggles were like knives in my ears as they rang through the shop. I took a slight risk and focused my attention on the two of them. The shopkeeper was an attractive girl roughly my age, maybe a little older, wearing a flirty expression and consistently making unnecessary physical contact with Aksel. Her long hair was up in a high ponytail, cascading down her back in a blonde waterfall. Her posture was straight, prominently displaying her large breasts.
