by Bailey Dark
“No,” I say quickly, eyes wide. “I’m not – well, I am – but I’m Verity.” They look at me blankly. “The Curse-Breaker. Altair’s betrothed.”
The soldiers are quiet for a moment before bursting into raucous laughter. The woman wipes away a tear and waves a finger at me. “That’s good.” She smiles. “Good, but stupid.” I sag with relief, a tentative smile blossoming on my face. The woman stands, dusting off her trousers and sheathing her sword. “Kill her. And the familiar.”
Serus darts behind me and my hand strays to cover my strange new friend. “No,” I say, heart pounding wildly as they stalk towards me. “Please, take me to Altair – he’ll tell you who I am!”
The woman rolls her eyes. “I won’t escort an enemy of my King to his doorstep. You’re a poor assassin, aren’t you?”
“You’re a fool if you think Altair won’t be furious when he hears of this,” I spit out, anger flaring. “Do you want to be the ones who killed his beloved? Do you really trust that I’m not who I say I am?”
They hesitate, eyes darting between each other. I fall silent and watch intently as they debate silently amongst themselves. Serus is behind me, its body pressed against my back. I consider running while their eyes are turned away, but I know even if I wasn’t injured the Fae would be on me in seconds. I’m not as fast or agile as even the most average of Fae.
“Fine,” the woman says, eyes narrowing. “You’ll live, just long enough for us to verify you are who you say you are.”
My shoulders sag with relief and I drop my chin to my chest. “Thank you,” I murmur.
“Don’t thank me, Bloodbane.” The woman glowers at me. “One move out of order and you’ll find a blade in your gut to add to your wounds.”
One look into her blazing gray eyes and I know she means it. I nod, praying Serus won’t do anything to set the Fae soldiers on edge. The soldiers pass by me with nothing more than a cursory glance. I struggle to my feet while they hoist light packs onto their backs. One of the men takes a swig of water from a bladder and suddenly my throat is burning with thirst. He catches my eye and tosses it to me.
I catch it clumsily with my free hand and take long, full swallows. The water is like liquid gold to me and I feel my limbs lighten immensely. I take a deep breath when I’ve finished and shiver when my arm flares in pain. The soldiers eye the poorly bandaged wounds on my arm and leg. Without a word, they turn their backs on me and start tromping towards the setting sun. I glance up at the dying light before following them.
Chapter 18
Altair
“I first met Sadal when I had barely turned six hundred,” the first Bloodbane says, drinking yet another full goblet of spirits. “He was young and a touch kinder then. He was nothing like I thought he would be.”
I wait, listening impatiently while she describes their long love affair. For two days I’ve waited for her to tell me how to kill Sadal. She spoke very little, instead visiting for long hours with Cleo in the dungeon and then sleeping for the rest of the day. But we’re losing time. Most have my scouting parties have returned with news that the demon army stretches from the cliffs to the fields and is only days away.
I draw Verity’s dagger from my belt and lay it on the table in front of the witch. Her eyes drop to it and she sniffs curiously. “What can you tell me about this?” I ask, interrupting.
Her eyes narrow and she purses her lips. “Such poor manners,” she mutters.
“I don’t have much time,” I say sharply.
She picks up the blade and studies it lazily. “Who does this belong to?”
“Verity,” I say softly. “The woman who broke my curse.”
“Ah, the Bloodbane.” She smiles softly.
My lips twist into a scowl at her words but I school my face. “She tried to use this to stab Sadal, why would she have done that?”
“Because this blade can make him mortal,” the witch says. “A poorly constructed spell, but a complicated one, so I suppose her work was adequate.”
I narrow my eyes at her critique of Verity’s spellwork when the most significant information is what the blade is capable of. “Turn him mortal?”
“Yes. It appears your Verity had her own plans for Sadal. The blade won’t kill him, that comes next.” She sets the blade down and pushes it towards me. “Hold onto that. You won’t find another.”
I feel a hint of pride in my chest at Verity’s decision. She was never a victim; she always finds some way to claw out of whatever trap she’s in. “Finally.” I smile. “Some good news.”
“When he’s mortal, cut his heart out with that blade and burn it,” she says fiercely. “It’s the only way.”
I nod. “I will. Thank you.”
“Listen, boy.” She leans forward. “There’s more to know. You need to see the entire picture.”
I don’t make a retort to her calling me boy; she’s eons older than I am. “More than how to kill him?” I ask, cocking a brow.
“Sadal was a new god, a young god when we met. He had almost unlimited power and he wielded it like a child. It was simple convincing him to give me and my sisters power we so craved,” she says, a shadow behind her eyes. “But slowly, he grew more and more terrible. He fell into his role as the dark god easily after a time and then nothing I or my sisters could do would satisfy him.” She shudders.
I narrow my eyes, thoughts flitting to the evil I know Sadal is capable of. Judging by the bruises I’d found on Verity’s body when we made love, I fear he may have done the same to Verity.
“I left before he was too powerful for us. I saved as many of my sisters as I could, but by then Sadal was recruiting new brides and he could overpower us. We lost many of our sisters in that escape. I’ve watched him carefully since then using my seerstones. There is something darker than Sadal.” Her eyes are somber, and I see a glint of fear in them.
“I’ve seen them,” Thal says quietly.
I glance over my shoulder towards him. He’s clean now, dressed stylishly with his hair combed back. “Saw what?” I ask warily.
“The things that Sadal serves,” Thal explains.
I a chill washes over me and my skin pricks with goosebumps. The witch is watching me. “Have you ever considered why Sadal would scourge everything and kill everyone instead of ruling them?” She asks. “There are others who wish to possess this land.”
“Who?” I toy with the hilt of the dagger.
“They don’t have names.” She shakes her head. “We call them Shades.”
I close my eyes, processing this new information. “Thal. What did you see?”
I can feel his eyes on me, and I know he’s afraid. “Darkness. With eyes. Hundreds of eyes.”
“Shit,” I mutter, dragging a hand over my jaw.
“There’s more,” the witch says. I raise my hands in defeat and laugh mirthlessly. “It’s about Verity.”
My laugh fades and I turn intense eyes on her. “What?”
“Verity is important to Sadal. She is unlike any Bloodbane that has ever lived. No child has ever lived that grew in a Bloodbane womb, filled with Bloodbane power but not beholden to Sadal,” the witch says, her voice gentle.
“Her mother couldn’t have been Bloodbane,” I say uncertainly. “She’s a human. She grew up in their realm.”
“A thousand years ago a mortal man wandered into this realm. He fell for a young Bloodbane and she loved him back. With her magic, she extended his life long enough for them to enjoy hundreds and hundreds of years together. He fathered a child with her,” the witch explains. “When Sadal found out about the relationship and the child, he killed the father.”
I inhale sharply in surprise and I feel a pang of pain in my chest as I imagine this history playing out. I can see Sadal now, his black eyes furiously locked onto the small babe in her father’s arms.
“The mother sent the child to the mortal realm. How much do you know of Verity’s childhood?”
“Not much,” I admit. “She grew up wit
h her mother and father outside of a city.”
“Verity has had countless lives,” the witch says. “Though she only remembers one.”
My brows lift in surprise at her words. Reincarnation is impossible, not even necromancers can fully work such a complex spell – the best they can do is reanimation. “Impossible,” I say sharply.
“She is almost a thousand years old,” the witch goes on, ignoring me. “Her memories are false, nothing more than pretty writing on the pages of her mind so she can live a normal life. A safe life.”
I shake my head disbelievingly. “How can that be? She has parents. She had a fiancé. She was a librarian. How could mortals not have noticed the woman who hasn’t changed?”
“Memories are erased, new ones are created.” The witch shrugs. “Her mother is a powerful witch with powerful friends.”
“Is,” I say flatly. “Who is she?”
The witch’s eyes bore into me, as if to tell me I already know. My eyes drift towards the oak-paneled door and I sigh heavily. I rise, striding past the witch and out the door without a backward glance. I hear Thal start after me, but he stops before the door slams shut behind me. My mind is swirling, thoughts jumbling together.
It doesn’t take much for me to believe that Verity truly is the daughter of a Bloodbane witch. It would explain why she was the only one who could break my curse. She’s different than the other Bloodbane. She was born with power, rather than gifted it by Sadal. Now, she has twice the power because of the words he forced her to say.
I stride down the steps leading to the dark, damp cells beneath the fortress. My footsteps are clipped, echoing off the walls. Her history would also make her half-Fae, which would give her an abnormally long life, though not immortality. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. With her long life, Verity and I could spend thousands of years together before either of us wasted away to time. The smile slips from my face when I remember the promise I made to Erzur. I’ve doomed Verity and myself to years of sorrow and regret. But I have to save her and my people. I do what I must.
In the back of the dungeon is a small cell with a single occupant. I crouch, eyes piercing the darkness to see Cleo stretched out like a cat in the corner. Her pale blue eyes flash when she sees me. We’re silent, looking at each other until finally Cleo speaks, “Have you come to gawk, or do you have something important to say?”
“Your daughter,” I say quietly. “Did you know it was Verity?”
Cleo’s eyes go impossibly wide for an instant before she snarls. “You lie.”
I shake my head. “It’s the only reason she was able to break my curse, and why Sadal wants her so badly.”
“You’re a liar,” she hisses, crawling towards me. “My daughter is dead.”
“Who told you that?” I ask softly.
Her eyes narrow. “Maaz.”
I’m silent, letting her consider the truth of my words. Of course, Maaz and Sadal would want Cleo to think her daughter is dead. It would give Cleo nothing to fight against them for. For all her years of loyalty, Maaz and Sadal had ripped away her child and the man she loved. In the darkness, I watch as Maaz’s fury builds. Her pale blue eyes, Verity’s eyes, are fierce, staring off into the distance. She glances at me, lips curling with anger.
“Sadal has her?” She asks and I can feel the anger in her voice.
“She’s in the ether,” I say, gut clenching. “Sadal abandoned her there after she tried to kill him.”
Cleo’s lips split into a vicious grin. “So, she has guts after all.”
“How do we get her out?” I ask, fingers wrapping around the iron bars of her cell.
“You don’t,” Cleo says simply. “Only someone with immense power can open portals in and out of the ether. Only someone like Sadal.” Her eyes slip towards me. “You say she covenanted with Sadal? Was the covenant consummated?”
I narrow my eyes, heart clenching painfully at the thought. “I don’t know. Why?”
“You would know.” She sits back. “Verity would be in immense pain if Sadal had.” I shudder. She stares at me, eyes filled with sorrow. “There’s hope for the two of you. She doesn’t fully belong to him yet. We can save her – free her.”
My lips part in surprise at her words. The clenching around my heart is tighter now, hope blooming in my chest. I douse it quickly, remembering Erzur. I duck my head. It doesn’t matter if I can never be with Verity. I can at least help release her from Sadal’s clutches.
“Will killing Sadal save her?” I ask.
“No.” Cleo chews her lip. “The covenant has to be broken in the Blood Well. I know how. The problem is convincing Sadal to do it.”
“Surely there must be something,” I mutter.
Suddenly, I hear loud footsteps on the stairs and Thal runs into the dungeons. He skids to a halt beside me, an uncertain expression on his face when he sees Cleo. “Erzur is here,” he says, dragging his eyes back to me.
I rise and rake a hand through my hair. “Shit.”
“Want me to distract her, cousin?” Thal asks, cocking a brow.
I hide a grin, knowing exactly what he means. “It’s been a few weeks since you practiced your womanizing – sure you aren’t out of practice?”
“Who said there aren’t beautiful women in the wastelands?” He retorts.
My brows raise in surprise and Cleo huffs. “Men,” she mutters, shaking her head.
Thal and I turn away and the marching of hordes of soldiers reaches my ears. The sun soldiers. I turn back to Cleo and spot her blue eyes gleaming in the darkness. “I’ll get her back,” I say quietly. “I swear it.”
Cleo laughs, but there’s no joy in it. “A fine sentiment, but it means nothing.” She turns away. “I practically gave her to Sadal on a silver platter. My own flesh and blood. Don’t tell her who I am.”
I don’t answer, a wave of sympathy hitting me like a flood despite Cleo’s actions. I shouldn’t pity this Bloodbane. But I do. Thal is quiet and I know he’s calculating what exactly he just heard. I trust him to keep Cleo’s request as I will. No one will know what we know – not even Verity herself.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I push through the door and find myself facing a pair of deep brown eyes. Erzur flashes me a winning smile, dripping in disdain. Thal groans audibly when he joins me, but I step hard on his boots. He hisses and then gives her a sardonic smile.
“Queen Erzur,” I say, bowing. “If I had known you would be here so soon, I would have prepared a proper welcome for you.”
“Save the proper welcomes for kings that aren’t losing wars,” she says smoothly.
I school my face to hide the angry curl of my lip. Thal leans close to me as she passes off her heavy cloak to a servant. “She’s a piece of work, Altair. Are you sure about this?” He murmurs.
I nod sharply just as Erzur turns back to us. I offer her my arm. She wraps her hand around it like a python and squeezes. I lead her towards the war room where Moritz is already waiting. I know he won’t be pleased to see Erzur, but none of us are. It almost overshadows the satisfaction of hearing twenty thousand new soldiers marching outside.
Erzur leans close and I smell her fragrant breath. “This will be over soon. And when it is, I trust all efforts will be made to fulfill your part?” She murmurs, smiling through the veiled threat.
“Of course,” I say, hiding the anger in my voice. “My love.”
Chapter 19
Verity
I stumble over a stone as we tromp through a valley. Pain flares in my arm as I instinctively hold it out to steady myself. I hiss, teeth grinding together. I don’t want to scream or cry out in pain in front of the Fae soldiers. They hate me as it is – it’s best not to call attention to myself.
Serus drifts between my feet, glancing upwards at me. Its sharp eyes dart back and forth between my pale face and the still bleeding wounds. “I’m surprised you’ve made it this far,” Serus says lightly.
I make a face, irritation sparki
ng despite my exhaustion. “Thanks,” I say under my breath.
“Quiet,” one of the soldiers snaps, glancing at me over his shoulder.
“Do you have a healer? Or someone to stitch up these wounds?” I ask. I can’t hide the desperation in my voice. I can’t go on like this much longer.
They chuckle and one prods at me with the tip of his bow. “We wouldn’t spare a healer for you. And we haven’t the time,” he says bitingly.
A shudder wracks my body and I feel my muscles seize for an instant. I’ve lost too much blood. The shock is wearing off, leaving me to my pain and failing systems. I inhale sharply, desperately, and choke back the tears that threaten to spill. If we don’t reach Altair soon, all of this will have been for nothing. I glance at Serus, finally free of the ether. Perhaps not all for nothing.
“How much longer?” I ask, panting from the exertion of climbing a short hill.
The woman, the leader, eyes me. “Half a day’s walk.”
“Half a day,” I repeat, sighing. “Good. Good.”
“Keep up, Bloodbane. Or we’ll spill the rest of your blood,” she says over her shoulder.
I watch her crest the hill, disappearing into a copse of sharp-looking trees. “Any advice?” I ask Serus. I can feel my breath catching in my chest and I feel a sliver of fear.
“Don’t die,” it says.
I feel a small grin before I realize I’m too exhausted to even smile. Serus slips away, following the soldiers and I tramp after the strange creature. I close my eyes, walking aimlessly and stumble into the hard back of one of the soldiers. He snatches my wrist, lisp curled in a silent snarl. I open my mouth to apologize but he lifts a finger to his lips. I clamp my mouth shut, fear lancing through me.
Through the brush, I hear whispering. I listen intently, but my hearing isn’t good enough to make out the words. One of the soldiers sidles to my side. “Bloodbane,” he murmurs under his breath. “Shall we give you back to your friends, Bloodbane bitch?”
Panic wells in my chest at the thought of being brought back to Sadal. He might know even now that I’ve left the ether. I can’t go back. I won’t. I shake my head vigorously, eyes wide with fear. He looks at me curiously and then draws his dagger. I bite my lip hard, eyes locked on the blade in his hand. I feel Serus at my feet, pushing against my ankle as if to comfort me.
