by Chanda Hahn
“I have children.” The man gestured to the wagon behind him. “Their mother’s gone. If something happens to me, they’ll starve.”
“If Somnielle falls, then it won’t matter where you run to, the blight will follow.” The guard puffed up his chest and stared down at the wavering father. “If you don’t stay, I’ll have you arrested.”
The father’s bottom lip trembled, and he lowered his head in shame. “I’m a coward,” he admitted.
The guard sneered in disdain and gave an ugly gesture. He spurred his horse onward, kicking up mud onto the wagon’s occupants. The father tried to wipe the offending mud from his youngest daughter’s face.
We watched the same scene play out with each street we passed. Only a few of the fae would stay behind, for other kingdoms weren’t as accepting of their kind. As afraid as they were to stay, they were even more terrified to leave.
There was hope. I could see it when the people looked toward Liam in his fur-trimmed red cloak, his head held high, his gold helm gleaming in the sunlight. He was a beacon in their worried hearts. A symbol much more powerful than I realized. When he passed, people paused, looked on with awe, and pointed. Some bowed, old women cried, and a few clutched their hearts.
I looked toward Devin, his own face was solemn, his lips pressed together and his chin high as he followed in a line behind his commander.
I gathered just as much attention from the crowd.
“Look, Mama, a princess.” A young girl with braids pointed and waved at me. My heart raced as I smiled and gave a small wave back. A completely different reception than the one I had back home.
“Yes, dear, she probably is.”
We stopped outside a small white stucco inn called the Sleepy Gnome. I hadn’t even dismounted when the front door burst open. A cute brunette with dimples and doe eyes rushed out and stopped awkwardly on the first step, her hands pinwheeling so she didn’t fall into the street.
She wagged her finger at Devin. “You sure took your time. You promised me a date when you passed through again.”
“Anna!” Devin flashed her his most debonair smile and straightened his shirt. “That I did, that I did. And I may very well still keep my promise if you can put us up for the night?”
She turned, smoothing back her hair, and glanced at our small troop. “Oh, and Sir Liam as well? We’d be honored. Come in, get settled. If I’d have known you were coming, I’d have baked you my famous sweet potato pie.”
“Oh, love. If you’d known I was coming, you would have baked so much food I’d have no choice but to marry you.” Devin chucked her under the chin, and she blushed prettily. As soon as Anna went inside, Devin held up six fingers and pointed to his toes.
“Liar,” I mouthed at the inside joke.
“Yeah, but I almost had you fooled.” He grinned cheekily.
“Not for a minute.” I smiled. I didn’t need to read auras to know he was lying. Devin was a born charmer, pretty smile and smooth lies. I knew better than to fall for that dimpled face. He loved the chase. I don’t think he’d be one to settle down soon, if ever. He would always be a free spirit, and I admired that about him.
It wasn’t an overly large inn, but they could accommodate everyone, as long as some men didn’t mind sharing rooms. I heard Berk mumbling that there were four men in his room.
Anna was sweet enough to show me to a small attic with a single cot. The space barely had enough room to stand because of the slanted ceiling.
“I feel bad for sticking you here, but we rarely get so many people at once. I lent out my room, so my sister, Dana, and I are already doubling up. Since you’re the only lady, I thought this would work for you.” Anna fussed about the room, knocking down cobwebs and trying to straighten the curtain rod that had half fallen down.
“It’s perfect, Anna. I enjoy being away from the rest of the group. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Anna beamed and then leaned in close to whisper confidentially. “So, what can you tell me about Devin? Are you two courting?”
I shook my head. “No, he is too rambunctious for me.”
She fiddled with her apron and gave a knowing smile. “Ah, so you like the quiet ones.”
An image of Liam came to my mind, and I blushed. “I do.”
“Do you think if I had hair like moonlight and eyes like yours, then maybe I’d get him to settle down?”
It wasn’t the first time that my unique hair color or pale eyes had come up in conversation. Living in my house where my sisters’ hair color ran from golden to deep red to raven black, my hair color seemed bland in comparison. I never considered it to be anything special.
“Thank you for the compliment, but I don’t think you should change yourself to please others. Now, if you do it to please yourself, that’s different. Love yourself, and others will take notice and love you—for you.”
Anna grasped my hands, and I expected to wince from her touch, but I received nothing. Not even a stray thought or image. I stared at our clasped hands in awe and was reluctant to let them go.
“Can I trouble you for one more thing?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I gave her my list of ingredients for the burn on my wrist. It had scabbed over, but I wanted to continue to treat it so it wouldn’t leave a scar. She promised to see what they had and gave me a wink. “I’ll have my Oma come visit you.”
“Thank you, Anna.”
When she left, I noticed there wasn’t a true lock on the door, but a wooden latch that swiveled and dropped down. The gap in the door was quite large and hardly left any protection.
A candle mark later, an old woman knocked on my door and let herself in. Her back was as crooked as her nose, and her eyes were as wizened as her skin. She muttered in an old language that I hadn’t heard and fussed over my wrist. I thought for sure she would get out the ointment, but she ran a finger over my injury and I felt a tingling sensation. The skin healed.
A hedge witch.
“Gut?” she asked.
“Yes, gut,” I repeated, semi-recognizing the word.
She grinned, showing her missing teeth, and then emptied her colorful carpet bag onto my bed.
“Ves,” she muttered over and over, and tossed out chicken bones, red candles, and a hex bag.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand?”
“Gut, gut.” She spun, holding out an old wooden spindle with golden thread. I stared at the spindle and felt drawn to it, my hand automatically reaching for the tip. At the last second, I withdrew my finger and looked at it through narrowed eyes. There was something magical about it, and I knew to be wary of taking enchanted items from strange, old women.
Oma didn’t seem to like my refusal of her gift. She held it up, pushing it into my hand, forcing me to take it. As soon as I did, I felt a hum of magic, and dropped it onto the bed.
Oma jutted her chin out at me, her wrinkly finger wagging as she launched into a long tirade.
Anna happened to return when her granny was in the middle of her rant. I looked up to Anna with desperation in my eyes.
“Oma! Was se?” Anna asked.
Oma repeated her conversation and Anna listened intently, her head bobbing every few seconds, followed by a long sigh.
Anna packed Oma’s things into her old bag and paused when she saw the brittle white bones. “Ew, I hope she didn’t give you chicken bones. She always believes those will bring the bearer luck.”
I held up the spindle.
Anna laughed in relief. “Yeah, I don’t know where that came from, only that she’s had it forever. I’m surprised she gave it to you.”
“I can’t possibly take it, then.” I placed the spindle on the bedside table, and Oma stamped her feet angrily.
Anna looked up in alarm. “No, you need to take the gift, otherwise she will be upset, and it will take hours to settle her down.”
My fingers curled around the spindle, and Oma’s loud stomping faded away. She gave me a bright, toothy grin, and pin
ched my cheeks.
Anna laughed. “Oma said it will bring you luck. It’s made of firethorn.”
Firethorn was rare and only found deep within the fae woods. It was a giant tree with thorns that ran a foot in length, this spindle carved from one of those thorns. To a sorceress, it held immense power . . . or rather, it would in the right person’s hands. In mine, it only hummed.
I bit my lower lip and regretted not having my powers. My head dropped, and Oma noticed my change in mood.
Oma spoke to Anna in a hushed voice before the girl turned to me, and declared, “You haven’t lost it.”
“What?” I asked.
“Whatever it is you apparently lost.” Anna shrugged. “She’s not one for details, and says she needs a nap.”
Oma shuffled out of the room, and Anna helped her grandma down the steep stairs. I let Oma’s words resonate with me. A candle mark later, Anna returned with a tray of food, and the girl seemed hesitant to leave.
“Can you tell me something,” I asked. “What do you know about the heir of Rya?”
Anna plopped herself down on the edge of my bed and crossed her feet. She placed her chin in her palm and gave me a look. “There isn’t one.”
“Oh . . .”
“I mean, there isn’t one anymore. It could just be rumors, and considering who it’s coming from, I don’t really know what to believe.”
“Go on.” I waited patiently for her to continue.
Anna took a deep breath. “Oma used to work at the palace a long time ago. When Dana and I were little, she told us a story about King Pharrell and his true love.”
“You mean Queen Maris?” I said.
Anna shook her head. “Not the queen. He had an affair with a beautiful fae woman. It’s said, the newly married king was out riding one day, and he came upon a young fae woman sleeping in the forest. He fell madly in love and would sneak away from the palace and his queen to come visit her every day.”
“I can see why they would keep this silent.”
Anna nodded. “It was a scandal. The king married Maris out of duty, but he loved the fae woman. He even snuck her into a hidden wing in the castle and kept her presence secret from the queen. The young fae woman begged to return to her forest home, saying she couldn’t stand to live within the cold, lifeless walls of the palace.”
“That’s so sad,” I said.
Anna nodded. “The king locked her in the tower, and rumor has it, she became depressed and took her life.”
My fingers dug into the quilt of the bedspread. “No,” I gasped.
“A few days later, a dark storm blew in, and with it, Tatiana, Queen of the lesser fae court. She came seeking vengeance.
“Queen Tatiana said the fae woman was her handmaiden and friend, and she didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered. The king denied it, claiming loudly for all to hear that he had loved the woman, and still did. Tatiana called him a liar and vowed to curse his kingdom and take from him what he cherished most. His firstborn child. Days later, a child was born in secret to King Pharrell and Queen Maris. Fearing that Tatiana would take their child, the king ordered an attack on the fae court, killing everyone in it and burning it to the ground. Believing that the fae queen was a casualty of the attack, they thought themselves safe from her curse.
“On the day of the child’s christening, Tatiana returned, clothed in black and covered in burns. She claimed that because of the king and queen’s betrayal, she would not only take the child, but the kingdom from under them. A great battle ensued between Tatiana and a court sorcerer, and when the battle cleared, both the fae queen and the baby were gone.”
Goosebumps ran over my arms, traveling up to my neck, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it were really true.
“But again, there’s no proof any of it ever happened.”
“What do you believe?” I asked.
Anna sighed wistfully. “I think it makes a dramatic bedtime story.” Her voice lowered, and she leaned in to whisper. “But there are a few people, Oma being one, that believe the blight marks the return of the king’s heir, and that this is the curse coming to fruition.”
“Yes, it sounds possible,” I said, unsure. Reaching for a piece of bread, I took a bite and chewed.
“But those are just rumors from crazy old ladies.” Anna stood and wished me a good night’s sleep before excusing herself.
She left, and I closed the door, flipping the flimsy wood bar down. Thinking over the story and its possibilities,.
I had curled up on my cot and was almost asleep when I heard a soft knock on my door.
“Aura.”
I recognized Liam’s voice.
Ignoring the knock, I pretended to be asleep. But that lock did nothing to keep someone out. Liam slipped a thin knife between the crack and flipped the lock and let himself inside my room. I sat up and glared at him, but I couldn’t be mad for long. The attic was made for short people like Oma and me, not for giant knights like Liam. As soon as he ducked under the short doorframe, he had to tilt his head so his ear touched his shoulder. It couldn’t possibly be comfortable.
“What do you want?” I asked, trying to mask my amusement.
Liam sat down on the edge of the cot so he could look at me upright. He frowned and reached out to brush a stray strand of hair out of my face. His finger rested on my cheek, and he didn’t pull away. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek into his hand. Missing him, even as he sat on the bed next to me and touched my face. I felt like there was a giant crevice between us.
“There’s something you should know.” His voice was raw with emotion.
I looked into his eyes, and I saw the regret he could not hide.
My voice hitched, and my heart raced. “What?”
“The king sent me to the Eville household to bring back a powerful sorceress to fight the blight. I was supposed to beg, supplicate, bribe—and if that didn’t work, kidnap one of the seven daughters to fight the curse on our behalf. I’ve come to the conclusion . . . I mean . . . I made a terrible mistake, and—”
“I’m not a mistake,” I interrupted. I found the lack of face unnerving, and my chest compressed with emotion. It was hard to breathe. “I’m not a mistake,” I repeated a little louder. “I am strong. I’m not helpless. I’m not—”
Liam surged forward and kissed me, his hand cradling my neck, pulling me into the kiss.
It was such a surprise that I reflexively pulled back and broke it off. I covered my mouth with my fingertips. I was at a loss for words, and I was never at a loss for words.
“I’m sorry.” Liam cleared his throat and looked over my shoulder at the wall. “You were getting emotional, and I was trying to calm you down.”
“A distraction,” I said, slowly. “I see.”
My heart broke into a million tiny pieces. He didn’t want to kiss me. He was just trying to shut me up. It wasn’t the perfect kiss. It was the perfect weapon, and he used it to stab me in the heart.
I shifted away from him, running my fingers through my hair and tucking it behind my ear, giving him my back so he wouldn’t see my heartbroken face. For once, I was glad that I couldn’t hear his thoughts. I don’t think I could have handled another rejection. I steeled my nerves, lifted my chin, and with an icy voice, dismissed him.
“It worked, so you can leave now.”
“Aura, I—”
I turned and glared at him. “You had no right.”
I was furious. My anger was boiling over at being rejected, and I used my words like a sharpened blade to injure him. To dig at his pride and put as much distance between us as possible. Because it was obvious now that Liam didn’t have feelings for me. In fact, I wasn’t sure if he even had genuine feelings. He just used me like a tool.
“You took what I would have freely given. Used my feelings as a weapon. You’re worse than the men at the brothel. Even Devin didn’t stoop so low.”
Liam paled, and I watched as my words shattered his stony exterior. I wanted to see him
crack, and he did. His hands balled into white-knuckled fists. The veins in his neck pulsed, and he stood up so fast, he smashed his head into the ceiling, causing the stucco to crack and fall all over the floor. He spun and ducked under the low doorframe, slamming the door so hard that the latch fell off onto the wooden slat floor.
I picked up the lock and held it, knowing that it was the symbol of what was left of our friendship. Broken.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning, I came downstairs and was met with a somber gathering. Anna had her arms wrapped around her younger sister, Dana, who was crying into her older sister’s shoulder.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
Anna wiped at the tears on Dana’s face and sent her into the kitchen. Her own face paled, and she wrung her hands. “The blight has reached Birchwood. It’s completely covered in fog, and a pack of cù sìth have been sighted near the town.” She shook her head, her eyes glassy. Her bottom lip quivered. “My aunt lives there, and my cousins. Do you think they’re alright?”
I held back my surprise at the news.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I said. “We will find a way to stop it.”
Liam came down the stairs, our eyes met, and he looked away. The muscle in his jaw tensed, and I could see the stress and guilt that was eating away at him.
Anna’s face momentarily brightened before she worried. “Oh no, Miss, you shouldn’t leave. It’ll be dangerous.” She reached for my hands, but I quickly lifted them out of her reach.
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure out a way to help everyone.”
Devin came in through the front door, his normally jovial face was grim. “We’re ready, Commander.”
“Let’s go.” Liam gestured with his chin, and I knew it was time.
Anna flung her arms around me, and I let myself be comforted by her hug. It reminded me of my sisters, and it was because of Anna’s family that I knew I would have to overcome my obstacles and fight the blight.
When I tried to leave the inn, Liam blocked my way.
“Aura, please reconsider staying behind. We don’t know what we are facing, and without your magic, I—you—,” he struggled to voice his concerns.
