by Candy Crum
It took a few moments, but the remnant finally agreed. "For now. In the future, I make no promises."
Looking around, the governor realized that was the best he was going to get. If he said no, another hundred remnant would come into the city and take it right now. If he said yes, he stood a chance of having the time to rebuild the city and make it strong enough to withstand another invasion.
"Understood. Our truce will last no less than a year. Is this agreeable?" The governor watched as the remnant nodded his head. "You have a deal. I'll ride for Arcadia tonight. In a week's time, meet me here, outside the city gates. I'll tell you what I've found out. I doubt I can hand her over right then, but I have a feeling the Chancellor will be more than happy to help me once she knows a traitor is in her city."
The remnant smiled. "Let's hope so."
The governor didn't like the sound of that, not in the least. The remnant turned and walked away, taking his men with him and leaving their dead behind.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Maddie hated being in the Academy. It wasn't at all what it was supposed to be. She despised it even more now than she did before, and it was rotten as hell. She wondered if it was because she was just used to the old ways, as terrible as they’d been, and now things were supposed to be better and different.
Those who had stood up for the city and fought against Adrien were now standing at the side of his daughter, having no idea who she was.
It wasn't like Maddie or Amelia could tell everyone Talia’s true identity. How would they prove it? Granted, once someone knew her secret, she looked just like her father, but that wasn't enough.
There was no way to verify Adrien was her father, but Arryn had figured it out.
Arryn knew. She might even have been able to prove it, but she was gone. It would be impossible to find her, and she might not be coming back anytime soon. Maddie was worried she might not come back at all.
She still hadn't completely ruled out the idea that Talia had tortured her to death, but she didn't want to tell Amelia that. The Chancellor was much closer to Arryn, so it was affecting her more.
As she made her way toward her class she overheard hushed voices, one of which sounded like Jackson’s. It wasn’t difficult to have a quiet meeting in the Academy halls at the moment because they were mostly empty.
Some students hadn't yet come back after the battle, and the rest were already in class. She was a little late, and it seemed that Jackson and whoever he was talking to had taken advantage of what they thought would be an empty hallway.
She approached a corner and stopped, standing just out of sight while listening to their conversation.
"You heard what Talia said, though," Jackson said. "If we kill anyone else, it could mess with Scarlett’s hold on everyone. They might not believe Arryn was guilty anymore."
"Yeah, but we need strength. Don’t you feel weaker? It's been a while. We need blood. Talia needs us to be strong for her, and we can't do that if we're growing weaker. Besides, I've already thought about what she said. We just have to find the perfect victim. Someone who was close to Arryn at one time."
There was a pause, and when Jackson finally replied, she could hear the excitement in his voice. "That's true! We can get what we need and give Talia what she needs without risking anything bad happening. We’ll just have to find someone who was connected to Arryn. All we have to say is that Arryn’s motive for killing that person was because she believed they betrayed her."
The thought of anything happening to anyone else at the hands of these monsters weighed heavily on Maddie. She didn't want another murder to take place, especially if she could do something to stop it. After several moments, Maddie took a deep breath, quietly exhaling as she readied herself for what she would do next.
Amelia had given her strict instructions to keep her mouth shut about being on Arryn’s side, but if she kept quiet now, someone could get hurt.
Maddie tiptoed back several feet before walking forward again, allowing her steps to fall loudly enough to echo through the hall. She stood tall with the confidence she had always shown as she rounded the corner.
"What are you two doing out here?" she asked, almost sneering at them.
Now that she was standing in the open, she saw that it was Caydon, one of the twins, who had been talking with Jackson. She hadn’t recognized his voice, but she definitely recognized his face.
Caydon laughed. "I could say the same thing for you. You're just as late as we are."
Maddie pointedly rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she took a step forward. "I'm none of your business. Have fun doing whatever it is you're doing."
It wasn't like her to be so rude, but she knew it was necessary if she were to be successful. Giving them a sarcastic smile and a rather half-assed wave, she turned to walk away.
She heard several whispers behind her before she very clearly heard Caydon say to Jackson, "I know it. Trust me. She's the one. Just watch; I'll prove it."
Maddie wasn't completely certain, but she hoped that meant she'd caught their attention. She heard footsteps approaching behind her, so she stopped and turned, making sure to appear annoyed as she did.
Just as she'd suspected, both of them stopped when she did, and their eyes—particularly Caydon's—were locked on hers. "Yes? Did you need something?"
"So, how do you feel about all this Arryn stuff?" Caydon asked.
Her brows furrowed. "That's why you stopped me? To ask me about her?"
The men looked at one another for a moment before turning their gazes back to her. "Yeah. Just curious. I heard you stood up in the middle of her class and cheered her innocence. I heard the accusations upset you quite a bit."
Maddie looked at him incredulously. "And that matters, why? She's gone now. Ran out of the city."
Caydon smiled, and the very sight of it gave Maddie chills. He was an attractive young man, but his good looks were marred by his terrible attitude and quest for power. He made her sick.
Caydon made a small gesture with his hands. "Actually, it matters a lot. See, Arryn is a murderer, I mean, in case you hadn't heard. And how could you not believe it? As far as I'm concerned—as far as we are concerned—if you stand up for her, you're no better than she was. You're a traitor to Arcadia, too."
Maddie smiled, taking a step forward. "If that were the case, we’d have had Jackson's head on a pike long ago, wouldn't we? I mean, he has very publicly cried out for the old ways. For Adrien's ways. Given that Adrien quite literally tried to destroy the city, wouldn't that make Jackson a traitor for supporting the former Chancellor’s unbelievably stupid ideas?"
Jackson's expression turned slightly angry; he was obviously offended at her suggestion. "I think you should watch your pretty little mouth," Jackson warned. "Arryn's not around here to protect you."
Maddie's eyes narrowed as she locked her eyes on Jackson. "Was that a threat?"
Caydon shrugged, a wry smile on his face. "Take it however you want it, little girl."
"Yeah," Jackson added. "You're in the minority now. You might want to watch your back."
Maddie lashed out without warning, her knee successfully finding Jackson’s balls. Before her foot had even settled back to the ground, her eyes turned jet black. Jackson cried out and hit the floor, and Caydon's eyes widened as he looked from his friend to Maddie. When he saw her eyes, he took a step back.
"I'm not sure threats are the way for you to go, boys. In fact, I find it strange. Arryn is supposedly guilty of murder, but I'm the one who needs to watch my back when I support her? Hmm. One would almost think that maybe she wasn’t guilty at all. Maybe it was someone else."
Caydon opened his mouth to protest, his expression telling her it was more than likely to be a threat or insult, but she stopped him. Raising her hand, she said, "In the words of another once-accused traitor and now hero-of-the-city friend of mine, you douche nuggets don't know who you're messing with."
With an overly confident smile, Maddie turne
d and walked away, already plotting how to get to Amelia without being seen. Her plan had worked, and now her life was in danger. She would need to make sure this opportunity wasn’t wasted—and that she didn't get herself killed exploiting it.
***
The icy air burned Arryn's skin, but it wasn't nearly as cold as it had been before. As she laid there, trying to will herself to open her eyes, her last few moments of consciousness fluttered back through her memory. She sat bolt upright and clutched her throat as she remembered the tiger’s jaws locking around both it and her head.
Looking around frantically, she studied her surroundings, quickly realizing she wasn't where she had been when she passed out. Now, she was in a rather large cave, the walls, floor, and even ceiling of which were covered in ice, giving it a beautiful blue color.
It was as if someone had created a frozen bubble inside the bluest water.
Outside the mouth of her current resting place, she saw snow pouring from the sky so heavily she could barely see through it. A low grumble from across the cave caught her attention, and she turned to see the mama tiger standing there staring at her.
The cat’s mouth was hanging open like a dog’s when it panted. She didn't know much about cats, and she wondered if maybe they were like snakes. Did tigers taste the air as they breathed? Why would she need to pant in such cold weather?
"Did you save me?" Arryn asked. The tiger plopped down in response, laying her head on her massive paws. Her eyes never left Arryn.
A chill swept the air, and Arryn suddenly remembered that she’d strapped the ram and leopard pelts to her back. She pulled both free, unrolling the first one to lay on the cold ground; she would use the other for a blanket. She only hoped the tiger wouldn't realize she'd skinned a leopard to keep warm.
Would she be mad about it?
Part of Arryn wanted to trust the tiger, knowing that if she had wanted to eat her, it would have already happened. But that didn't mean she hadn’t been brought here as future food. After all, the tiger would eventually get hungry again.
Another part of Arryn focused heavily on the fact that she hadn't used any magic to subdue the tiger, nor did she have the energy to do it now. It was quite possible the tiger would attack at any moment, especially if it was for the survival of her cub.
Arryn had no idea how long she'd been unconscious, but she suddenly remembered the food she'd stashed in her cloak pockets. She silently prayed the meat hadn't thawed from her body heat and the berries hadn't been crushed.
She felt around in her pockets and quickly realized she hadn't been unconscious for long. Both the berries and the meat were still frozen, though the berries had started to soften a little. She sighed in relief, popping a raspberry into her mouth to let it thaw so she could eat it.
Even though she was protected from the elements in a cave, the temperature was too low for her to stay there for long. She had no idea why she hadn't frozen to death already. Her body had been so weak when she’d passed out that it had seemed quite unlikely she would be able to survive.
In the cave, almost everything was dry. She would need to start a fire. Slowly and very unsteadily she stood, never losing track of the mama tiger as she looked around for anything she might be able to burn. Toward the back of the cave, where it was darkest, she saw what looked like the roots of a tree.
How a tree could have grown up here was beyond her. Though, it was still very early spring. The top of the mountain wouldn't have grown warm yet. It was possible it got temperate enough in the summer months that plant life might grow well.
As she went over to the roots, she heard little footsteps and a loud growl. Turning on her heel, she saw the tiger cub running toward her before Mama snatched her baby up by the back of his neck and carried him back to their warm spot on the ground.
Arryn sighed in relief as she realized she wasn’t being attacked, and continued toward the back of the cave to investigate the roots. Not only were they dry, but they would provide more than enough wood to create a fire. In fact, there was plenty to create several fires, which would keep her warm for days if she stayed here. The root system extended deep into the walls, so taking the visible roots wouldn't do enough damage to kill the tree.
As with most things she'd discovered lately, the best course of action was to use a combination of physical and nature magic. Several minutes later, she brought back several chunks of wood and placed them in the area she believed would be the best for building the fire.
She had looked at the ceiling to make sure no icicles overhung the area. The last thing she wanted was to melt them enough to drip on her fire or break off entirely and impale her or the tigers.
Luckily, most of the icicles had formed toward the front of the cave, though there were quite a few sprinkled around the inside as well, none of which would pose a problem in the area she had chosen.
Arryn looked around for anything she might use to light the fire with, but was left with only a few rocks that she wasn't sure would work and sticks she had pulled away from the roots.
After setting up the makeshift firepit, she began rubbing the sticks together to start the fire. Her hands were incredibly cold, so she wasn't exactly sure how skilled she would be right now.
She caught movement from the corner of her eye and glanced at the cats. The mother had gotten up and was now slinking around the cave watching Arryn's every movement.
As she tried to create enough friction to start the fire with the sticks, the bulk of her attention was on the several-hundred-pound animal stalking her. Unsurprisingly, Arryn's hand slipped and a sliver of the wood went through her palm.
"Gah! Fuck me!" Arryn cried, grabbing hold of her hand and inspecting the wound.
There was a loud growl of protest from Mama. Arryn looked at her, angry. "If you're going to eat me, just fucking do it already! Do you have any idea how hard it is to focus on not stabbing yourself while also making sure you don't get eaten at the same time?"
The tiger grumbled but didn't move from where she stood. Her body was still in a semi-aggressive pose.
"Yeah, I didn't think so! I used the last bit of my energy to save your son's life, and you're being a real bitch. So, either eat me, or lay the fuck down with your baby, because I have shit to do. Not all of us are covered in fur."
The tiger seemed to scowl at her as she slunk back across the cave and flopped down next to her cub.
Arryn huffed in irritation as she turned her attention back to her hand, grabbing hold of the sliver and yanking it free. She clenched her jaws tightly, groaning deep in her throat to keep from crying out again.
Dark red blood steadily trickled down her hand from the deep wound, but she just wiped the blood on her cloak and did her best to go back to work. After several minutes, several more mistakes, and quite a few more curse words, Arryn finally achieved the spark she needed.
Once the fire had been started, it was easy for her to use just enough magic to make it thrive, since it took far more energy to create flames than it did to sustain them. Soon, her fire blazed, and she smiled as she felt the heat warming her. The smoke rose and coated the angled roof of the cave before drifting out into the outside air.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of meat and laid it on a flat rock at the edge of the fire. The rock would heat up fairly quickly and thaw the meat enough to allow her to ram a stick through it and cook it over the fire. It wasn't a perfect solution and it wouldn’t be as neat a job as she could've done in the forest, but she was doing the best she could with the resources she had.
As she stared at the fire, a flash of something went through her mind. She shook her head and tried to push the strangeness of it away. Only a few moments later, however, it happened again, only this time she saw an image.
She saw herself from across the room.
Her gaze immediately went to the tigers, who were lying across the room. They were both watching her. It was the oddest thing she'd ever experienced, but she did her bes
t to brush it off.
She looked at the mother and son, then reached into her pocket and put two more chunks of meat on the rock. Those wouldn’t need to be cooked, only thawed.
They were her last pieces, but she knew they would be just as hungry as she was. She had the raspberries to snack on as well.
Once the meat had thawed, she tossed the tigers’ share across the cave to them. Mama inspected the meat, giving it several sniffs before allowing her cub to partake. Arryn began cooking her own piece, excited at the prospect of a full belly.
She was pulling her dinner from the fire when another flash went through her mind. This time, she watched herself pulling the stick from the flames. Once again, her eyes darted to the tigers in confusion.
She took a deep breath and blew it out, doing her best to focus. "I'm just really tired," she said to herself.
Biting into the cooked meat, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She couldn't wait to get back to the forest. She was going to eat fruit by the handful, as well as a bowl of nuts. And wine! She planned to get good and trashed with the Chieftain. It would be a celebration. A homecoming.
After she’d finished eating, Arryn laid down on the ram’s skin and covered herself with the leopard’s pelt. While waiting for the skins to warm up, she continued to dwell on all the things she planned to do once she was back in the forest, and even what she planned to do once she was back in Arcadia after the city had been saved.
As she closed her eyes and settled into the warmth of the pelts, she advised the tigers, "You missed your chance earlier. You’d better not eat me while I'm asleep. I wouldn’t be happy about it. I promise you the worst indigestion of your life if you do."
She'd only just dozed off when she felt something touching her. Opening her eyes, she saw the tiger cub nuzzling her chest and belly, trying to get under her covers.
