“No, I think we should go back.” I huff out a frustrated breath. “If Ambush and Grave missed this on the first go, which they shouldn’t have because it’s my fathers, then we need to regroup and hammer out a plan.” I shove my father’s jacket into the empty bag and try not to think about the fact that I could be leaving my father out here without help, possibly to die from grave injuries.
I know he’s the King of the Wild Hunt, and he’s not without incredible power or skills to defend himself, but with all strengths, there are weaknesses, and no one is perfect. Not even my father.
We clamber up into our saddles and lead Shadow and Nightmare back toward Castle Tor, but this time I don’t notice the natural wonders around me. Instead, I’m submerged fully in my head, wondering who the fuck has the power to pull something like this off.
The list is even smaller than those who know how to trick the hounds. Either someone very close to him has been selling secrets about his routine, which is erratic at best to avoid things like this, or another kingdom is making a play for our territory.
“Have there been any skirmishes along the borders of our lands?” I ask Draven, keeping my focus on the path ahead, pushing branches out of my way so they don’t smack me in the face.
“No, there haven’t been any. Not since before you left. If anything, our alliances have grown stronger. The Redcaps are friendly now that Gerant is married to Isa. The Goblins have bigger problems to the north with the Unseelie trying to move in.”
“Gods damnit!” I shout the words, not caring that they echo through the forest, startling birds into flight above the tree tops.
I never should have left. If I had been here, this wouldn’t have happened.
Almost as though he can read my thoughts, Draven reaches over and nudges my shoulder. “This isn’t your fault, Jinx.”
I laugh mirthlessly. “Yes, it is. I got a letter like the one left on my father’s desk before I left. And then I got another one the night before Wren showed up on my doorstep.” My voice wavers as days of exhaustion, confusion, and guilt spill out of me. “How can this not be my fault? If I had done something five years ago, we wouldn’t be here today, traipsing through the mud without a solid lead to go on.”
“You didn’t tell me that you’d gotten a note before you left.” Draven’s voice is low, his words clipped.
I scowl. “I didn’t tell anyone anything before I’d left. And up until my arrival the other day, the two notes I’d gotten seemed to be directed only at me, no one else.”
“Just what did this note say?”
I angle a bit in my saddle so I can glare at him for his grumpy tone. “Which one?”
A low growl rumbles in his throat, and my lips twitch in amusement. “The one you first got, Jinx.”
“Oh, that one.” I shrug. “What do you want to know?”
Draven stares at me, blinking a few times as though he can’t decide if I’m fucking with him or I’m dense. He opens his mouth, then snaps it shut. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I can’t hold back my laughter anymore, and I let it ring out through the forest. “Your face!” I slap my knee. “You looked like you thought I was as dumb as a box of rocks!”
“You know what you are? Vexing.”
I press a hand to my cheek and bat my eyelashes at him. “I never thought I’d hear a compliment from you directed my way.”
“You’re avoiding the subject.”
“Am I?”
“Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll find out either way.” He nudges his horse so he trots ahead of me, and I snicker.
“I burned the letter. You aren’t going to find out shit unless I want you to.” And over my dead body.
“Why are you being so difficult about this, Jinx? Your father is missing, and you left because of a similar note left.”
“I can’t help it; you bring out the worst in me.” Honestly, try as I might, I wanted to sober and have a serious conversation that involved details and such, but my default stress relief was sarcasm, and he’s the only one out here. And he grates on my nerves even on the best of days.
“What did the letter say, Jinx?” He cuts a flat hand through the air. “No more word games.”
I blow out a breath, watching as the puff of breath rises, and then spit it out. “Essentially, it said if I didn’t leave and give up my rights to the crown, they’d finish the job.”
“What job? Context, Jinx, I need context.”
“Wren had just fallen mysteriously ill. It was determined she had ingested a small amount of poison.” Understanding dawns on Draven’s face, and I nod. “I put two and two together, and I decided it wasn’t worth it. With everything else that had just happened, there was no way I could have led the Wild Hunt and run a kingdom.”
“What else happened?” Draven’s tone is softer, as though for once in his life, he doesn’t want to push me.
“It’s not relevant to this.” And honestly, I didn’t want to talk to Draven about how my best friend had slept with my fiancé. Even after my forced chat with Arianna, the sting of betrayal is fresh and makes me feel as though I’m a wolf backed into a corner. I have no idea how I’m going to react, only that it won’t be pretty for the person standing in front of me.
We break through the trees at the edge of the forest, and Castle Tor’s dark spires loom in front of us, the ever present fog draped around her like the arms of a lover. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be as happy as I am now to see the front gates of my childhood home again simply so I can end this uncomfortable conversation.
I flash a grin at Draven before clicking my tongue at Shadow and taking off at breakneck speed. “Race you back!”
I ignore his curse behind me and revel in the smell of wet grass, the wind in my hair, and the feel of moving faster than I ever could on my own. Adrenaline pumps through my veins, clearing away any past sadness or doubts, and I thunder into the courtyard, cackling like a lunatic. A few of the stable hands grin wide at me as they see me, and I smile back, enjoying the simple reminder of what I used to do every time I came home from a hunt, high on the thrill of catching the oath breaker, riding so fast my eyes teared up.
I dismount and hug Shadow around her neck. “Thanks for that, girl, I needed it.” I hand her reins to the stable master and thank him before making my way into the castle, purposefully not waiting for Draven to catch up with me.
My mind is spinning with everything I’d told him, and everything I hadn’t said. I’m sure some would call me a coward for not owning up to what had happened, but honestly, I just didn’t want to relive it over and over again. And that’s exactly what would happen if word got out that the oldest daughter of the King of the Wild Hunt, and heir to the throne, had been cheated on, and instead of eviscerating them both for the slight, I’d left.
“Jinx, wait a moment,” Draven shouts behind me, drawing attention to us, and I spin on my heel, wide-eyed but ignoring the looks we’re getting from other hunters filing into the main hall.
“What is it now?” I ask him, unable to curb my annoyance that he just killed the buzz I had going from my ride.
He jogs up to me and steers me into an alcove just inside the main hall doors, his rough hand warm on my skin. He shuffles his feet but keeps eye contact with me for a second too long, his expression unreadable. His wide shoulders block most of the room from my view, and likely me from anyone else’s prying eyes, and for the first time in my life, I’m thankful he’s built like a brick house.
“Are you going to tell me why you stopped me? I’m on my way to find Maxen and Kapriel so I can fill them in and get started gathering a larger hunting party. Which, by the way, is something you should be doing with your men as well.” And hide away from you for a few hours so I can figure out my damn feelings about the past and the future.
His thumb rubs circles just above my elbow where he’d placed it, and as soon as I notice the movement, my body does too. I inhale a breath, and his scent sends a shiver of pleasure throug
h my system. Damp leaves on a forest floor, myrrh, clover, and a hint of citrus. It’s not what I would have expected him to smell like, but then again, it’s not like I’d spent much time imagining it either.
“Why are you in such a rush to get away from me, Jinx?” Draven mutters the words low enough that only I can hear them as a few people walk past us, craning their necks to see what’s going on. Bunch of busybodies.
I laugh harshly. “You know, I asked myself the same question about you after you joined my father’s personal guard.” I jerk my arm out of his grip and cross my arms over my chest.
Draven takes a step back and appraises my defensive pose. “What do you mean, I ran away from you? You were training, and I was guarding your father, and we just fell out of sync as far as our schedules went.”
I smile, tightlipped. “You’re right. My bad. Sorry for the misunderstanding.” I’m not going to admit that when he’d first stopped hanging out with us, I’d always keep an ear out for his deep laugh or the heavy sound of his footsteps on the stone floors. I’d been young and unsure and not willing to trail after him like a brainless twit, desperate for any crumbs he’d throw my way. “If you’ll excuse me?”
I don’t wait for his response this time as I step around the first man I’d ever had a crush on who clearly hadn’t returned the sentiment, and walk away with my head held high and my heart just a little crumpled around the edges.
13
The moment I’m around the corner and out of Draven’s line of view, I let my shoulders slump a bit and blow out a deep breath. I’d thought for sure that when I came back here, old feelings wouldn’t resurface.
I thought I’d made peace with everything during my five years away and that nothing would phase me the way it had when I was younger.
I was wrong.
I’m not paying attention to where my feet are taking me as I walk through the hallways leading back toward where most of the hunters live in their own wing of the castle. A muttered curse grabs my attention as I pass my father’s office, and I pause, straining to hear any other sound.
Papers shuffling and the whoosh of a wooden drawer in his desk being opened propels me forward, and I shove open his door with my left hand, dagger held in my right, but stop dead when I see who’s in there.
“Edern? What the hell are you doing skulking about in here? I almost skewered you with my knife!” I pin my older brother in place with my stare. He’d jumped back from the desk when I’d shoved the door open, and his face had gone from slack jawed shock to anger, and now he’s schooled it back into a composed sort of annoyance that I’d only ever seen directed at me or Wren.
“Jinx, I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” Edern glances quickly from me to something on my father’s desk, distracted.
“Yeah, we found something out in the woods that’s led us to believe that we’ll need a bigger hunting party so we can fan out as we search.” I hike a thumb over my shoulder. “I was just on my way to tell Kapriel and Maxen. Care to join me so I don’t have to explain it over and over again?”
“I’ll be right behind you. I just need to finish up here.”
I tilt my head, unsure what exactly it is that he would need to finish up in here, but shake off any suspicions. I’m sure he’s just keeping things running smoothly in our father’s absence. “Okay, I’ll see you in a few then.” I pause, my hand resting on the doorjamb. “Anything I can help with?”
He waves me off with a smile. “I’ve got it covered, little sister. See you in a few.”
I leave the door to my father’s office open and walk down the hallway toward the back wing that’s six levels tall and spans most of the back gate, housing the deadliest force this side of Faerie. The smell of boot polish, leather, dirt, and wet dog tickles my nose, but it makes me smile wide.
There were no rose petals in the water over here, and if you were ever too clean, brushing against one of the walls would fix that in a second.
When I was younger and desperate to be out from under my mother’s thumb, I’d relished each and every rough edge to this section of the castle. Boisterous laughter, the sharp slide of a blade on a wet stone, fists meeting flesh as they spar, and the yips of hounds is a sweet lullaby as I move through the halls.
“Oy! Wee huntress! I’d heard you were back.”
I stop in my tracks and spin to face the familiar voice. Only in a place full of hulking men who are taller than my five-foot-eight-inch frame by a foot, would I be called little. “Bartol, oh how I’ve missed your way with words.” I walk forward and hug my old mentor. He squeezes me so tightly the air in my lungs whooshes out.
He’s not as young as I remember him, and there are definitely a few more scars on his arms than the last I saw him, but he’s still just as tough looking as always. His salt and pepper hair is cut short and flat on top, his lean stature giving away no clue to how deadly he is. He always told me to watch out for the smaller ones because what they lack in brute force, they make up for with strength of will and pure crazy.
“I suppose you aren’t here to see me, are you?” he asks, holding me out at arm’s length and looking me over. He pokes at my bicep with a painful jab and frowns. “You’re not as sturdy as you were when you left.”
I throw back my head and laugh. “Yeah, I let some of my muscle mass go down. Apparently, a woman who looks like she can wrestle you into submission isn’t as normal in the human realm as it is here.” I shrug. “I had to blend in, so I did what I thought was best.”
He grunts. “You never should have left in the first place.”
I sigh, not wanting to get into my varied reasons for leaving. “I promise, once father is back, I will sit down with you over a beer and tell you everything. But please, trust that I knew what I was doing.”
The older guard narrows his powder grey eyes at me, more wrinkles than I remember appearing on his face as he does so. “Aye, you had the best instincts, so I won’t push.” He rubs his hands together. “I heard that you’re here for a larger hunting party.”
I blink at him. “Word sure has spread fast. I haven’t even spoken with Maxen and Kapriel yet.” I let Bartol steer me out of the room and down the hall.
“Draven came through here about two minutes ago and told me to be ready at first light to head out.” He scratches at the stubble on his jaw and eyes me as he speaks. “He mentioned that you found something out there that was a bit disconcerting, but he wouldn’t go into details until we had everyone together. Something about not liking to repeat himself.”
I snort. “Yeah, I just told Edern the same thing. He was in father’s office when I walked by.”
“What was he doing in there?” Bartol squares his shoulders, and I shrug a shoulder.
“I assumed he was doing something to keep everything moving and working smoothly around here. Was I wrong?”
Bartol waves a hand, brushing me off. “Not to worry, I’ll check in with him later and see if there’s anything I can do to help him.”
Raucous laughter thunders down the hall at us, and I pick up the pace, dying to know what has two of my best friends howling like a bunch of wolves.
Bartol nudges my side. “Run along. I’m going to grab a few of my men, and we’ll be right there.”
“Sounds good!” I quicken my pace and round the corner into the main common room to find Kapriel and Maxen in the middle of a group of hunters, both of them holding onto each other as they laugh and clutch their stomachs. I notice Draven standing in the corner of the room, his mouth a thin line as he watches the hilarity.
Always the life of the party, that one.
“Is someone going to tell me what’s so funny? Or am I going to have to crack a few skulls to find out?”
“Jinx!” the group turns and yells out my name in chorus.
I shake hands with most of them and hug a few of the men that I’d been closer with, accepting the jibes and giving them right back. The excitement starts to die down, and I slowly make my way to Maxen an
d Kap, both of who have smiles practically splitting their faces in two.
“What have you two gotten up to while I was gone?” I plant both hands on my hips and shake my head at them, trying to keep my lips from twitching.
They each point at the other and shout, “He started it!” at the same time, and dissolve into laughter again.
“The mention of a ten-legged hound started these shenanigans.” Draven’s deep voice rumbles behind me as he stands close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off of him, and every muscle in my body tenses.
“Ah, that explains it.” I step to the side, untrusting of my own reaction to his proximity right now.
“Of course that would make sense to you,” Draven mutters, but before I can respond, he clears his throat and whistles loudly. “Now that we’re all here, everyone shut the hell up so we can go over our game plan.”
I barely bite back my snide remark about his uninspiring start to his speech, but I do it. Draven starts going over the details about when we’ll leave, where we’ll be headed, and how long we’ll be gone.
“Jin!” Kapriel whisper shouts my name, and I turn to look at him, dropping back from Draven’s side to stand next to him.
“What’s up, Kap?” I ask him, keeping my voice low so I don’t interrupt Draven.
“What the hell happened out there?” Kap asks.
I rub a hand down my face and sigh.
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse.” I look up at my surrogate brother. “There’s a lot of things that are pointing in a direction that makes me uncomfortable at the moment, but I can’t talk about it here.” I tap my ear. “Too many people that could mention it to someone that shouldn’t know.”
Kapriel nods. “Later then.”
“Yeah, once we’ve organized this group of misfits, I’ve got to wash up really quick, then we can grab some chow and turn in early.”
A Reluctant Huntress: Tales of the Wild Hunt | Book One Page 9