Of Blood and Deceit

by Rachel A. Collett

  “Put your weapons down, you idiots,” Melia hissed, and hesitantly they obeyed.

  Reese pushed his horse forward, standing sentinel between me and more than a dozen armed soldiers. He glared them down.

  Cyris’s ragged breath caught my attention. I peered at him as he struggled.

  “Stop, Ilianna. You don’t need to kill him. Just come away.” Castiel took one cautious step forward. “It’s alright.”

  “I wasn’t going to kill him,” I mumbled, the words barely intelligible.

  “Then come away from him. Everything’s going to be alright.”

  I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. “Why do you keep saying that?”

  His head tipped to the side.

  “Ilianna?” Melia slid from her saddle to stand next to her prince. Concern twisted her features.

  “And what—what are you doing here?” I asked.

  No one cares about Ilianna Drakara. No one ever has. Lucan’s words echoed over and over again.

  Castiel gestured with his hand, and the other soldiers, led by Melia and Reese, directed their horses toward the ruined cottage. They checked the dead bodies and surveyed the total damage. Only Melora, now in her mid-twenties, stayed on her horse, watching me with expectant eyes. Her blonde mohawk braid flowed down and over her shoulder. She looked like her daughter in every way.

  Why were they here? Why had he come?

  I tipped my head back and scanned through the canopy of leaves to find the moon beyond. Suddenly I shivered, my breath white against the chilled night. Without more than a muffled groan from the branch she chose, Ketrina landed in the boughs above.

  “You told me I had three days, remember?” Castiel asked.

  I nodded.

  The prince watched me, concern etched in every line of his handsome face. “I was done in two.”

  I choked against the emotion that tumbled from me. In the next second, I was in his arms not knowing how I had gotten there. My heart shattered, leaving me exposed. Raw. I was on display for everyone to see.

  He wrapped me even closer. He smelled of leather and spring, his body warm and comforting. The strength of his arms as he trailed gentle strokes up and down my back was a soothing balm amid the torrential storms of my soul.

  I didn’t have the strength to look too closely at the meaning behind Castiel’s revelation, or even my own behavior. Whatever his reasons for being there, it didn’t matter. Castiel was with me. And he acted like he cared. Maybe not in the way I cared for him, but he cared whether I lived or died, and that meant something.

  “This is very moving, and all, but…” Cyris’s slow drawl pulled me out of my meditation. Despite the warmth of Castiel’s body, my skin chilled. “Might we move to other more pressing matters?” He sat up slowly and rolled his neck side to side, then stretched his long arms, as if testing them. It was strange that this was his new form, but red eyes glowed from the depths of Lucan’s face.

  Castiel stiffened beneath my touch. “Melora, remind me why we’re not killing the wraith?”

  The seer dropped from her saddle and strolled to the wraith. “He’s invaluable,” she said, but she kicked the wraith’s boot lightly with the tip of hers.

  Castiel grunted before turning his attention to me, his expression grave. He searched my face, but what he sought I didn’t know. “You’re pale,” he said. “You must be starving.”

  I blinked. “I—” I had no idea how long it had been since I’d eaten, but food was the last thing on my mind. “I’m fine, for now.”

  I twisted in his arms. He still hadn’t released me, for which I was grateful, but I peeked beyond his shoulder to the wraith only a few yards away. Melora squatted in front of Cyris. From a leather bag slung around her shoulders she pulled a curious device—cylindrical, with an odd-looking scope attached. She thumbed his eyelids open to scan his pupils.

  He growled and pushed away her ministrations. “Enough, old crone. I don’t need your strange medicine.”

  My brows raised, but Melora only laughed. She tapped the device on his bent knee. “This is not medicine, and you’re older than I am, you geezer.” She straightened and held a hand out for the wraith to take. “Tell me what went on here and what the mortal knew.”

  “Wait.” I shifted in Castiel’s embrace and gently pressed against his chest. He understood my meaning and released me. Cold invaded the moment we separated. “Is—is Lucan dead?”

  “The assassin is no longer.” Cyris’s brows lifted as he scanned me. “There’s a bit of soul that remains, but not much, and what’s left begs for death.” It was still Lucan’s voice, and yet not. The slow way Cyris spoke and his languid, calm air were different from the once precise, surgical movements of the assassin.

  “That doesn’t sound like Lucan to give up so easily,” I said.

  “And why did you kill him instead of taking him captive?” Castiel asked.

  “I’m only as physically strong as the body I take. I wouldn’t have been able to overcome him in my old form. He would’ve kept coming for Ilianna, and he would have killed her in the end.”

  “If that’s the truth—”

  “It’s the truth,” the wraith interrupted, shifting to his knees. “I have no reason to lie to you.”

  A cold wind whipped through the trees and set my teeth to chattering. Castiel moved to the saddle bags on his horse and withdrew a small wool blanket. He placed it over my shoulders. I shivered, pulling it tighter around me.

  “Cyris works with me,” Melora said. “We’re not killing him because he’s the only one who can shed light on what’s coming.”

  I shuddered. “The Wraith Queen?”

  She nodded. Cyris accepted her help and pulled himself up. He slapped the dirt from his hands. “This Lucan knew nothing more than his men, although his memories of going to Ardenya confirmed what we suspected.”

  “Ardenya?” I looked to Castiel. “Isn’t that—”

  “The kingdom the ambassador is coming from. Yes,” he answered.

  Melora grunted and shoved the instrument back into her leather bag. “We’ll go over that later. We must face the battle in front of us.”

  “And this wraith is necessary?” Castiel asked.

  She nodded. “Cyris has been my informant for almost thirty years.”

  The prince eyed him warily. “Did you know he was a prisoner in our dungeon?”

  “Of course. I put him there.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I’m telling you now. Don’t let the others know what he is. As far as they’re concerned, he’s yet another traitor from the home of Eira.” Her eyes shifted to mine. “That shouldn’t be too hard for them to believe.”

  Even though I had disassociated from my kingdom—rejected it as my own—her sting hit home. Shame colored my cheeks and sank like mud into the pit of my stomach. Had the kingdom of Eira fallen so low? But it had not always been so. Not according to our history books.

  The seer took the reins to her horse and clicked her tongue. The animal followed her instantly. Cyris trailed behind, heading towards the shack. Already, Castiel’s men had constructed a fire that blazed bright beneath the shadows of the dark forest.

  “We should get you warm,” Castiel said. He gently placed a hand at my arm to guide me, but I shifted away. His gaze narrowed. “What’s the matter?”

  “How did you find me?” I asked, my voice no louder than a whisper.

  He took a deep breath. “We got word of your abduction earlier today, and I came.”

  “And that’s it? You knew where I was?”

  He shrugged. “I went off a hunch.”

  I twisted to better see him, but still he kept me close.

  “A little more than a hunch.” He tapped his boot against the trunk of a tree. “Before I knew you were missing, we of course were working on finding those who murdered in your name. I started the mission by separating the unit to speak with each of the deceased family members. Strangely, when we f
ound them, they were more relieved to hear their kinsmen were dead, and they had no additional information to give.”

  “What?”

  He nodded. “Every single one. In fact, the only relative to mourn over the loss of these victims was Oscove, and he disappeared before being questioned. So I searched for him.”

  “Did you find him?”

  He tipped his head to the side. “The only Oscove we found was an eleven-year-old boy.”

  My brows cinched together.

  “But people did remember his brother. Nolen Odessa: an eccentric hermit that went crazy after the demonic wars. The townspeople said his wife ran away with her children to her sister’s house in the next town over. We rode there, and I was able to speak with her. She carried a locket with a picture of her husband, and shockingly—”

  “Nolen was Oscove,” I finished for him.

  Castiel flinched. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “You’ll see.” My eyes drifted to the shack where scores of sketches peppered the damaged walls and floors. “Oscove said my people knew me as something else—not the Demon Daughter.”

  He shook his head. “That I don’t know, but when we get back, I can look into it as well. We’ll figure it out, Ilianna. It will take time, but we’ll figure it out. Together. Can you trust me?”

  My mind ached along with my body. “Can I trust you? You’re here. And you did all of this—”

  “You gave me a direct order, Your Highness,” he said, interrupting. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”

  I almost smiled back. “So I’ve been gone for two days?”

  “This is the third day.” His expression grew wary. “My brother soon expects our return. We need to leave if we’re going to get back in time for your celebration, but will you tell me what happened and how you were abducted?”

  I rehearsed to him everything that I had remembered the night of my capture, although I left out seeing my attacker’s tattoo. Mikael would pay for his actions, but in my own way and time. For now, the prince would know that Weylan and Lucan acted alone.

  Castiel touched the binding that protected the slash wound on my hand, his jaw muscles tense. Soft finger turned my hands to expose the rope marks on my wrists. “Why did you let them bind you?” he asked.

  I almost laughed. “What choice did I have?”

  “Don’t you remember the first harvest in Rhyolyn and what you did to that tree? Your touch alone worked better than even my magic.”

  I opened my mouth to object, but then I recalled the night of my abduction and the brush I was able to draw to me through some connection.

  When I told him of my practice, a smile touched his eyes. “When you realize your true magical potential, you’ll be truly terrifying.”

  It was meant as a compliment, but it hit sorely upon my gut.

  “Your abductors would never have stood a chance,” he continued, but I had to change the subject.

  “I believe they used Gedeon’s sleeping potion,” I said.

  His face dropped. He cursed beneath his breath, dragging his fingers through his hair, “I know what you’re thinking—”

  “I don’t think Gedeon helped. I think Lucan and Weylan stole it from him.”

  Castiel let out a breath, nodding. “I am so sorry, Ilianna. I should have been there.”

  “Nonsense.”

  His eyes flashed to mine.

  “You discovered who was killing in my name—”

  “You discovered that,” he interrupted. “Without me.”

  “But I wouldn’t have if Weylan and Lucan hadn’t acted in your absence. They probably knew it was their only chance.”

  Again he swore, using a much more colorful dialog, his face turning a dark shade of red.

  Hesitantly, I touched his cheek. “Thank you.”

  He pulled my fingers from his face and kissed their tips. “Nonsense.” His voice was amazingly gentle. “When I finally found you, you had almost everything under control. Your parlor trick did most of the work.”

  I knew he wanted to ask how I had done it, but what could I say? The Demon Daughter was not under my control. Far from being angelic, she was chaos. She was power, and not the kind Castiel taught from.

  But I couldn’t give her all the credit. “That wasn’t done by my parlor trick,” I said, pointing toward Nolen’s home, or what was left of it. “Ketrina.”

  His eyes grew large upon the wreckage. He hummed. “I wondered where she had disappeared to, but that makes sense.”

  “Gomez and Verity?”

  He shook his head. “They’re back with my brother. Ketrina has a mind of her own. After delivering the king’s message about your abduction, she took off. You know I don’t exactly control her. Obviously, she went to find you herself. See? You didn’t even need me.”

  But I did. More so now than ever. The acknowledgment never made it past my stiff lips. “She probably saved my life. You both did.” A shudder rippled the skin on my back.

  Concern broke through his calm demeanor. “Let’s get you warm.”

  I allowed him to guide me to the waiting fire, but it wasn’t the cold that affected me. My parlor trick had saved me from a bad situation, but I had no idea how I had incited the reaction. There was no incantation, no summoning. She had just come.

  Castiel stood me near the fire. However, before I could even enjoy its heat Melia drew me away, a change of clothes slung over her arms. She led me toward Nolen’s shack. I stopped.

  “No. Not in there.” I had seen enough of Nolen’s artistry to last a lifetime. I didn’t need the Demon Daughter’s eyes watching me as I stripped nearly bare to change. Melia watched me, waiting for a reason, but all I could manage was, “You’ll see.”

  She shrugged, shifting directions. I followed her behind the shack to change with her as guard. “They’re not clean,” she said, “but I assume they’re better than what you’re wearing now.”

  Gratitude filled my heart as the cold night seeped through the thin nightgown. “Thank you.” Her travel-worn leathers fit better than expected. When I finished dressing, Melia nodded her approval.

  Castiel surveyed the inside of Nolen’s home with Melora and Reese. Melia went to join. I warmed myself at the fire instead.

  Soldiers carried Nolen’s body from the forest and buried him with the other dead, and my heart chilled. He had tried to save me. The Demon Daughter, at least. To set her free. I wasn’t sure what that meant, or why it was important to him, but I was oddly grateful.

  Reese’s warm presence pressed against me. He gently bumped my arm, nearly knocking me over, and held out a chunk of bread to me. A tiny yellow wildflower draped across the top of it. I peered into his dark eyes, so surprisingly kind…

  I shook my head.

  Confusion crossed his features. “What’s the matter? Are you not hungry?”

  I took the bread from him, careful not to let the flower fall. “Why are you so kind to me, Reese? You always have been.”

  He huffed, again nudging me with his elbow. “I don’t think I have much of a choice, do I?”

  My shoulders dropped. “My magic is not controlling you.”

  “No, but my conscience is.” He faced me, lifting my chin with one finger. “My mother always told me I could read people better than anyone. Said I had a nose for sniffing out the good from the bad. Do you know what my nose tells me about you?”

  “What?” I asked.

  His brows creased together as he scanned my face. “Despite what I’m sure you’ve been told in the past, you’re a good person, Ilianna. Better than most.” He gently picked up the wildflower, so small in his hands, and tucked it into my hair just above my ear.

  I frowned, trying to touch where he placed the flower. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  He tsked, pulling my hand away, then he tapped his nose and winked. “Always trust the nose. Now eat.”

  “Thank you, Reese,” Castiel said, coming from the shack with
Melia.

  Reese nodded.

  “We cannot stay here,” Melora said from behind.

  I whirled. How had she gotten so close without me knowing?

  Her face glowed eerily, highlighted by the flames of the fire. “We must get back to Meyrion.”

  “You sense this?” Melia asked, one hand on her mother’s arm.

  “I do.”

  “Very well,” Castiel said, and he glanced at the nearest soldier. “You. Put out the fire. We leave now.”

  The soldier flinched. Casting his voice low he said, “But sir, what of the spirits?”

  Another soldier afraid of the spooks that haunted the forests.

  The seer answered. “The spirits will avoid us tonight.”

  The soldier nodded and left to follow Castiel’s orders.

  Melora’s eyes grew distant as she stared up at the stars. “We have one in our midst more cursed than they.”

  It was spoken so the others didn’t hear, but my gaze shifted toward Cyris as he stared into the dying flames.

  The others quickly set to work, dousing the fire with dirt and stamping out the embers. Castiel and Melia collected as many drawings as they could from Nolen’s home. Melora whispered something in the wraith’s ear. Curious, I neared with silent steps.

  Using some sense special only to her seer ears, Melora raised her head and nodded. “Princess.”

  I froze. My gaze narrowed. “Why do you change your appearance so much? Do you like to frighten everyone?”

  She flashed a set of brilliant white teeth. “Do I frighten you?”

  I lied. “No.”

  Cyris snickered.

  The seer cut him a sharp glance before answering. “Unfortunately, Princess, that is a misconception. I do not enjoy spooking the common folk.” She cast her eyes round about, then nodded me to approach.

  Tucking my fear, I edged nearer.

  She whispered. “The truth is, I don’t control my age.”

  “What do you mean?

  “Just what I said, girl. You’re a magician. Your lifespan is much greater than a normal mortal. You’ll live two hundred or more years. You will age slowly. I did as well, but as for a seer’s lifespan, it’s yet unknown. I may be an immortal. I have no clue. My body rejuvenates daily, but lately it’s been… malfunctioning.”