by Olivia Ash
But she didn’t want to leave. At least, didn’t think they could.
A thought occurred to her. Perhaps they knew of the heirs. It couldn’t hurt to ask. They seemed forthcoming with other information. If they didn’t know of the heirs themselves, they may have known who to ask.
“Do you know of anyone else from outside of the mountain coming here, when she was a baby?” Sophia asked, pointing to the girl.
The woman looked at her daughter then back to Sophia. Her eyebrows met and she shook her head. “No.”
Dead end.
Regardless, she would find out what happened to them. One way or another.
“Thank you for your time,” Sophia said and gave a warm smile. “Hopefully, you will have quite some time before the thugs come back. I pray you find a way to seek refuge elsewhere.”
The woman smiled and nodded and took Sophia’s hand. “Shankoo. Shankoo.”
She gave the woman a hug and then turned to face her men. “Let’s keep moving.”
“No. Stay. Rest,” the woman said and nodded to them with a smile as Sophia faced her again. She beckoned for them to follow, and they did, to a small area behind the house, big enough for them to set up camp.
Sophia turned to the woman and smiled. “Thank you.”
The woman nodded and returned to the house.
Chapter Fifteen
Ezekiel
After receiving bedding, a nice warm meal, and wood for a fire, Ezekiel sat on his makeshift bed reviewing the notes in his book, ruminating on what he had learned so far. He noted that he was weakened since arriving at the mountain, which was to be expected. Honestly, he couldn’t believe that they had survived this long since the stories always spoke of the magic being too rich and moved quickly.
He figured Andreas would be fine, considering he was a creature of the mountain. It just made sense that he would live longer than humans. But him and Edric, though… they should have definitely been dead by now.
Musing over the idea as he watched Sophia sleep, he realized it had to be her keeping them alive. Her powerful magic must have had some part in keeping them alive, but he had no idea how much longer that would last, whether it affected her to spend her magic on them, and if there was any reversing the effects.
He used his magic to reach out to her, gently checking that she was okay and not feeling any ill-effects of the mountain magic, but her power hummed in response, stronger than ever. Interesting. This would definitely be something to note in his journals. As encouraging as it was to sense Sophia’s strength after being here in the mountain for this long, he knew that he didn’t want to test it further and put her or any of the other men at risk.
One thing was for certain—they needed to get out of the mountain, and fast. Before it was too late. Besides, there was a creature stalking Andreas. A monster that lived for the hunt and never stopped hunting once it caught the scent of its prey. The last thing this group needed was a vexsnare arriving at their camp with innocent people present. He had no doubts that was the creature that Andreas saw in the distance. The look on his face had betrayed that much. If only he knew of a way to remove that curse from his newfound brother. They would have one less thing to worry about here in the mountain.
Tryce, the dick that he was, was a force to reckon with, for sure. But that didn’t mean Ezekiel didn’t have a few tricks up his sleeve that given enough time and preparation, he could use to take him down. Winston along with him.
He watched Sophia sleep for a time and chuckled at the way she snuggled with the sword she stole from the thugs. Damn, he adored his warrior woman. She was stubborn to a frustrating fault, feisty, and full of fire, but she was his. She gave him a family again. Someone to love and cherish beyond himself. He switched his gaze to Andreas and Edric. They were trying to catch some sleep themselves while he had first watch. They were his family too. His brothers. He smiled to himself, appreciating them for all that they did. Each and every single one of them.
He finally had the family he longed for, men he would fight and die for. Things he thought he would never have. And he would be forever grateful to Sophia. Never did he give a moment’s thought over whether or not he would die for her, because he would do it in a heartbeat if it ever came to that.
Because of the bond he shared with her and the other two men, sharing her was a small price to pay. Especially when those men were as good-hearted as they come. Especially when those men were Edric and Andreas.
Chapter Sixteen
Edric
Edric groaned as he sat up, not feeling well. The magic of the mountain slowly poisoned him, and the effects hadn’t gone unnoticed. He was the only one without access to magic, and it seemed like he was the most vulnerable to it. Drained, queasy, he fought back the urge to vomit and forced himself to lie back down. He recalled a time during his training when he and the rest of his barracks had eaten tainted meat and fell ill. He thought then that he would die. What he experienced now made that one event pale in comparison. This was worse. His life was literally being drained. He would exchange this for that moment back in his younger years and appreciate that it would be only temporary.
Sophia appeared in his blurring vision and pressed a wet rag to his forehead.
Ezekiel appeared behind Sophia. “If I can find it nearby, there is a specific type of mushroom that I can turn into a short-acting remedy. It may help to quell the effects of the magic wreaking havoc, for a time.”
Edric nodded weakly. Anything to curb the effects of what he was feeling would be a blessing. Sophia smiled at him then looked over her shoulder at Ezekiel. “Please be quick and safe. Take Andreas with you.”
“I was already going to begin with,” he said. “Can’t have Zeke here falling over or something.”
Ezekiel groaned and said, “Let’s just hurry up and get back. It will take a while for the potion to cure.”
“You got it,” Andreas said. Both he and Ezekiel turned and walked out of sight.
Edric closed his eyes and focused on Sophia’s touch. She was on her knees next to him. He opened his eyes long enough to shift his body and laid his arm over her lap, cupping her waist with his hand. He loved her more than he ever thought was imaginable. Her blond hair was always in a braid of some sort, but this time she had it down and it cascaded around her shoulders like liquid gold. Her beautiful blue eyes were like the sky on a summer’s evening and deeper than any ocean. Yet, he could see she was worried for him. He hoped that he would have the strength to help get her through this, even if, in the end, he may not.
Warmth pooled into him.
She gently touched his face, and his eyes shot open. He took in her stare and wondered why his illness was suddenly fading.
It’s got to be her.
She smiled, and his lips responded with the same as he pulled her down to him, kissing her with ravish need. Something primal awakened within him, and he needed to give into that need. To be better. To be whole. To be one with her. The animal inside him took over, and his hands moved on their own accord, tearing at their clothing until nothing was left to separate them.
He ran his hands over the length of her torso and back up to cup her breasts. She moaned, and his erection pulsed.
Flipping her to her back, his mouth collided with hers and then he trailed his kisses along the length of her body, pausing at the supple flesh between her thighs. He mouthed the area, flicking the hardened mound with his tongue and eliciting a few gasps and a moan in return.
Gods, this woman…
He growled against her opening before slowly sliding in a couple of fingers, exploring the warm wetness inside her.
“Please,” she whispered, and he chuckled, nice and dark. Only for her.
Complying, he rose higher, resting his hands on her hips as he teased her entry with the tip of his cock. Her blond hair fell loose from its braids and cascaded along the bedding and her shoulders like wheat fresh from the field. Her eyes deepened, and the love and need he wanted to see
in them stared back at him.
Emboldened by his newfound health, he pushed the tip of his dick inside her and pulled it back out, repeating the gesture a few times to see the pleasure on her face. Lowering himself to her, he slid completely inside and groaned.
At first, he moved slowly, savoring the delicate, delicious sensation that came from making love to his woman. But the primal need within him took over again, and his thrust became more rushed.
Each touch—each minute he spent with her, made him feel better. Rejuvenated. Back to his old self. And he loved her even more for it. She was his life. Her power and love would help him make it out of the mountain alive.
His orgasm drew nearer as her breaths quickened and her thighs tightened around his waist. At the first sound of her pleasure, his climax reached its height and he released his own pleasure, kissing her as he finished.
Rolling to his side, he pulled her close and stared at the stone ceiling while he caught his breath.
“Guess we found the trick to your health,” she said and giggled against his chest. Her warm breath tickled his skin.
He kissed the top of her head and said, “I guess we did.”
Not long after, Ezekiel and Andreas returned. They stopped at the foot of the bedding and crossed their arms.
Andreas said, “If you wanted some alone time, you only had to ask.”
“Instead of making us think you were at death’s door,” Ezekiel added.
“I was,” Edric said. “It was Sophia that healed me.”
“Uh huh. Sure.” Andreas chuckled and shook his head. “At least the trip wasn’t an entire waste of time.”
Sophia sat up, pulling the fur blanket around her while she fumbled for her shirt. “Why is that?”
Ezekiel said, “We may have found Lady Naomi’s castle.”
Edric sat up and started pulling on his own clothes. “Then it’s close by?”
“Yes. We saw the towers just above the trees. About half a day’s worth of travel,” Ezekiel said as he and Andreas turned their backs to allow Edric and Sophia privacy to dress.
“Then I think we should go check it out,” Sophia said. “We can see if we can track the heirs from there, and maybe we can finally find a guide to help us.”
Edric agreed, and now that he felt better after sex, he was eager to get on the move.
Chapter Seventeen
Sophia
Ezekiel was right. It didn’t take them long to get to the castle, remaining a safe distance away to avoid being detected.
Castle was an underwhelming word for what stood before them. A massive structure with arch-shaped windows reached high toward the stone ceiling, with a tower on each corner. What sky that filtered through openings in the rock above let light cascade over the whitewashed stone that shone blood red.
Sophia wondered if that was why people referred to their ruler as the Blood Queen.
The main gate at the front rose in a high arch on the face of the wall, and black spikes jutted out from the top. Stakes that stuck out from the ground held pieces of broken bodies. They lined the road to the gate, most likely as a warning to those who approached.
A deep chasm flanked the one side of the massive structure, a rock wall flanked the other.
By what she could see, there were hundreds of humanoid creatures forced to labor for the woman, just on the outside of the walls. There was no telling what number was inside. There were a significant number of thugs too, using whips, backhands, and swords to keep the people in line.
One slave in particular didn’t even look much older than nine or ten. Her whole body quaked as she worked. But that didn’t seem enough for the thug with a whip. He lashed out at her, and the poor girl fell to her knees only to be kicked in the gut and fall to her back. A few others started to collapse, too thin and weak from lack of food and more than likely water. These slaves were treated no better than cattle.
Sophia bit her lip and clenched her fists. These were the people who were ripped away from their homes and families and made into slaves. The injustice toward them really boiled her blood, and she wanted to rush into the fray and free as many as she could before being captured herself. But cooler heads needed to prevail in this delicate situation. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene and have the slaves killed off for her actions.
No. She needed to be logical about this.
Ezekiel pointed to a group not within chains. “It’s possible we can get one of them to help lead us into the castle. But the likelihood of being betrayed is high.”
“Maybe we can offer them something in return,” Andreas said. “Barter with them.”
“Even trade?” Edric asked.
Andreas shrugged. “Well, as even as we can get.”
Edric shook his head. “These people are slaves and likely scared for their lives. No one here will lead us in. We’ll have to wait for someone heading this way. A barter could be possible then. But then, what do we have to barter with?”
Ezekiel said, “It will probably be a spell I will have to cast, or a favor Sophia will have to perform.”
Sophia shuddered. She didn’t like the idea of having to perform a favor. But she had to get her men out of the mountain before they withered away. Sex may have helped Edric, but there was no telling if it would work with the other men, and she didn’t think she had it in her to constantly be on her back each time the men grew weak from the magic.
“Whatever it comes down to, we will find a way to make it work. For now, let’s make a camp out of sight and come up with a plan in case no one comes this way,” Sophia said and twisted on the balls of her feet to step back into the thick of the grove.
SOPHIA
They found a small clearing not far from the path that led them to the castle. While Edric and Andreas checked the perimeter for anyone lurking nearby, Ezekiel gathered some firewood, and Sophia set up the beds and stones for the firepit.
Once settled, they regrouped and had a short discussion of the next step in their plan to finding a way into the castle. Sophia had a feeling that would be where the next clue to getting out of the mountain would be, but she wanted to make a plan on how to first get in. To do that, they needed to do a little recon.
“We could split up,” she said. “Take opposite sides and see if there are any secret entrances or maybe find a way to scale the side of the castle and get in that way.”
Edric seemed to think about that for a moment. Sophia could tell that the effects of the mountain magic were already starting to reappear in his features. It was almost indiscernible, but the glow of the fire from dinner seemed to bounce right off his skin. Not entirely sinking in or warming the color of his cheeks. “It could work,” he said. “But we’d have to be careful.”
Andreas said, “Sophia and I can take one side. You and Zeke could take the other.”
Sophia nodded. “Yes, and we can meet back here in a couple of hours to share what we have found.”
Ezekiel looked up from his furious note-taking and said, “I can cloak myself and Edric so we can go undetected. What are you going to do?”
Sophia said, “I am an expert in stealth, having been trained by Grindel to do such things without being detected. Andreas can use his wraith form if needed.”
He seemed satisfied with her response and she felt better having a plan to follow. He nodded. “Sounds like we have a plan. Now, when do we leave?”
“Later, after the guards and slaves go inside,” Sophia said. “Until then, we can take turns with the watch. One of us can keep an eye on the castle while the other stands guard over the camp. The other two will sleep, or at least try.”
The men nodded, and she sighed with relief. “I’ll take first watch.”
“I’ll take the camp,” Zeke said.
“All right,” Sophia said. “Edric and Andreas, you get some sleep. We’ll wake you in a couple of hours to switch.”
With everyone in agreeance, Sophia stood and made her way toward the edge of the camp
looking over the castle grounds. She was one step closer to finding the heirs. Everything within her being knew it.
Chapter Eighteen
Andreas
The chasm to the left of the castle made for an excellent vantage point on an extremely dangerous level. At least that’s what Andreas thought as he and Sophia made their way carefully across the steep edge overlooking the canyon below. Edric and Ezekiel took the other side, to see if they could find a secret way into the castle from there.
But they weren’t going to knock on the door and ask for entry. Not with the possibility that they would end up on the business end of a pike and hung out to be the next warning on the castle’s pathway. Oh no. They were going to sneak in and see if they couldn’t find out what was really going on behind the wall and maybe get an answer to the location of the heirs.
They made excellent time getting to the castle. Now, the real fun began. Getting in.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A prickling sensation covered his skin. And a rush of adrenaline coursed through Andreas, and he pushed Sophia into a chasm along the rockface.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyebrows knitted together.
But he couldn’t respond. He was in full instinct mode.
The vexsnare had found them, and the magic in Andreas’s blood boiled with dread.
He pushed Sophia farther into the chasm as the creature drew near, sniffing and shuffling below them.
Sophia gasped and whispered, “It’s the vexsnare, isn’t it?”
