At first, heat crept to my face at my state of undress, but at the sight of the rune on his hand, the blood drained from my face. I’d assumed Aelbrin was a friend, for he often shared kind words with me, and brought me a bright red rose during each of his trips. He always wore gloves when he visited, which is why I’d never seen the rune. He’d told me tales about a Mother Tree who protected a tribe of people. They drew magic from her roots and thrived in her shade until a legendary firedrake came down from the mountains and burned the Mother Tree.
The enchanting stories he’d told me fled, and our brief flirtation seemed a trick of the past. My fingers curled once more, readying the magic that flowed within. “Do not come any closer,” I hissed.
Pain laced up my side when I spoke.
Aelbrin’s hazel eyes remained calm until his gaze followed my stare to his hand. A flush rose to his cheeks, and he hid the rune within the folds of his cloak.
I was both surprised and intrigued at his embarrassment. The mark on his hand—the symbol of a snake with a forked tongue—clearly indicated he was a knight of the Dark Queen. Had she sensed a change in magic and sent a knight to deliver me? Even though I liked him, I should end him where he stood. If I had the courage.
My jaw tightened, and I waited for the magic to well up inside me like hot flames licking through my innards. My magic often felt like a storm, using threads of the wind to rip everything apart, but if I focused, I could also use it to bring things together.
Nothing happened.
Angry tears pricked my eyes. I was naked, exhausted, and worst of all, I had destroyed the temple and killed the Sisters of the Light. I was too weary to perform magic in my time of need. The enchantments had never failed me before. Why now?
“I know what you think,” Aelbrin acknowledged.
His voice whispered like the leaves of autumn falling from the trees to grace the forest floor. That voice that sent shivers up my spine and a longing in my heart.
“I serve the Queen of the Wildwood,” he said, “but she didn’t send me here. I was patrolling the southern end of the forest and saw a wave of magic. The queen will send someone to investigate. If you wish to escape her notice, you should leave.”
I stared. Did Aelbrin intend to help me? Or simply warn me away?
“I cannot leave,” I choked out. “Not until I know what happened here. It’s my fault the sisters are gone, and I need them to complete the ritual!”
Aelbrin had already turned to leave, but when I spoke, he glanced over his shoulder.
His eyebrows lifted. "Did you do this?"
Averting my gaze, I nodded woodenly. Magic was a curse.
Aelbrin glanced at my hand and the curve of my fingers. “Will you burn me too?"
My head ached as I shook it.
He slipped the cloak from around his shoulders—revealing a pattern of swirling runes on his arms—and approached me. The silky material slid across my body, cool and warm all at the same time. My numb side throbbed and warmed as blood flowed again. His cloak smelled like the wood on a moonless night, warm and intoxicating with a heady compulsion.
“Mistress Yula, you must come with me, for they will be here soon and they will be ruthless.”
I tilted my head back and met his piercing stare. There was something about him that made me feel calm even though my magic was simply an empty husk.
“They?” I asked. “Who are they?”
His hazel eyes flickered to the wood, and his lips thinned. “The teeth of the forest. Orc-kind. They will seek out any survivors and take them to her.”
My hand went to my throat, my gaze tearing across the meadow, searching for the invisible enemy. “What about the village? The people?”
His eyes dimmed. “The temple is gone. The Queen will kill them.”
“It is my fault,” I whispered.
He said nothing, only slipped his hand under my elbow, helping me to my feet. Tears blurred my vision, but I set my jaw and forced myself to stand. A wave of pain washed over me as my numb side awoke, sending pinpricks down my fevered skin.
“Mabon is coming,” I lamented as the full weight of what I’d done settled on my shoulders.
Again, I raised my eyes to the Aelbrin’s strong face. There was something compelling about him. Something within me called out to him, and I dropped my gaze.
I could not trust him. He belonged to Her, a knight of the Dark Queen whose power protected my village from the devilish creatures of the forest that sought human blood. But only if she received the blood and sacrifice she demanded, something I could no longer offer, not without the Sisters of the Light to perform the ritual.
Would the Dark Queen allow evil to roam free? She would. I knew it in my bones.
I turned toward the village, guilt heavy in my heart. “I must do something. The people cannot suffer because of me. I need to make the Queen see reason.”
“There’s no reason with her,” Aelbrin said.
I faced him, determination steeling my spine. “Then I will make a bargain with her.”
His gaze drifted to the wood where thick trees rose, gray and green, shutting out all light. The thick smell of musk wafted from the forest, and I followed his gaze, noting the intricate webbing that wrapped around the dark trees like a blanket. Plump vines curled around oak and ash trees which grew so close together, it seemed impossible to walk between them. Dry leaves covered the forest floor along with scattered nuts and bramble. Despite the warmth of the cloak, I shivered. It was not wise to enter the domain of the Dark Queen.
My heart quailed at what I would ask of Aelbrin, but I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders, determined to accept responsibility for my actions. I would do this one last act to wipe my slate clean of the trail of misery I left behind. Magic brought nothing but grief, but perhaps if I traded years of service, my magic, or even my soul to save the village, I could forgive myself for my past. Loss enveloped my heart with grief, and the forest blurred before my eyes.
A muscle in Aelbrin’s jaw ticked, and a sigh escaped his lips. “Time is short. If you wish to make a bargain with the Dark Queen, I will take you to her court. I warn you; her woods are not for the faint of heart.”
My lip curled at his words. Did he underestimate my strength? “Take me there. What do you require as payment?”
His eyebrows arched. “Payment? I serve the will of the Dark Queen. You should know that she will be very glad I have brought you to her court, but only because you possess such powerful magic.” He leaned close. “Know this. She will see you as a tool. You will need to bargain well.”
I stepped forward and cringed as the numbness faded from the left side of my body.
His eyes went soft. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” I put out a hand to keep him at a distance.
"Stay close, then,” he said with a glance at the wood. “If you want to live.”
The evil creatures of the forest would be close. Surely they wouldn’t harm Aelbrin, however. Not the knight of the Dark Queen.
Still, the very thought of what lurked in the shadows sent a chill down my spine. But I took a deep breath, fighting against a squeeze of panic, and followed him into Wildwood.
Chapter 3
The smell of sulfur came to my nostrils and faded as we traipsed into the dense wood. I clutched a hand around the cloak to keep it from billowing out. My bare feet tip-toed across the uneven ground. Although my soles were tough, broken twigs bit into them, and unexpected rocks forced me to fumble for balance. After a time, I found myself panting.
As I walked, my thoughts returned to the Sisters of the Light. I understand why they kept themselves apart from the world. Magic was a great power, and it also made me a target. Often, families of those with magic were held hostage or blackmailed in exchange for the use of that magic. I had fallen to that fate and put those I loved in danger. It was only because of my power-gone-rouge that the Sisters of the Light had vanished, leaving no one to protect the village.
N
o one except me.
Aelbrin moved ahead, quickly and silently like a forest cat prowling after delicious prey. The sunlight shone dimmer here beneath the canopy, rendering his bronze skin a shade dark as night and from time to time I saw the mark on his hand glistening in the dim light. I bit back words to concentrate on walking, but curious thoughts whispered impatiently in my mind. Where did Aelbrin come from? Why did he serve the queen?
“Mistress Yula,” Aelbrin's voice floated back to me on a stale breeze.
I itched a scratch on my arm. “Please. Just call me Yula.”
“Yula,” he repeated.
My name sounded like music on his tongue.
“I recall you traded in wool, not magic. The villagers must hold you in high esteem for your abilities,” he assumed.
The last thing I wanted to talk about was myself. My tone came out hard and clipped. “Yes. And no. When the villagers discovered I have abilities, they forced me to train with the Sisters of the Light. My magic is supposed to protect the people from the forest.”
He ducked under a low-hanging branch and glanced back at me, his eyes alight with curiosity. “You have great magic. I’ve sensed it before, and I sense it now. Are you sure you will not change your mind and return home?”
Filtered sunbeams blinked through the forest, and for a titillating moment, Aelbrin’s profile lit up in the delicate light.
A fluttering sensation passed through my chest, and a sudden urge to trail my fingers over the swirling runes on his skin came over me. Before today, I’d allowed myself to dream about the man who brought me roses. But now the truth of our circumstance and the truth of who he really was pressed up raw and realistic. I was a mage. He was Her knight. Any dreams I’d once held of stolen kisses and star-crossed love suddenly seemed a lifetime away.
My voice turned rough to hide my attraction to him. “You do not understand. I do not have a home to return to.”
Aelbrin gave a brief nod, his face returning to a mask of indifference. Then his focus drifted down my body to my bare feet. He gestured impatiently toward them. “Why didn't you say something? Your feet will be torn up walking through the woods.”
“I did not notice,” I mumbled in bewilderment.
“Will your magic conjure shoes for you?” he teased, reaching up to snatch a strip of bark off a tree. Setting his teeth, he tore it quickly and held out the mutilated strips.
Surprised at the gaiety in his tone, I bit back a laugh. “Magic is not used for creation, only to bring energy together. I can push away objects and pull them back together. I can change the shape of matter, especially herbs, salt, and blood. I can call on the wind to bring forth a storm, but I cannot create shoes with a snap of my fingers. Although that would be convenient.”
Aelbrin flashed a lopsided grin at me, and the transformation lit up his stoic features. I swallowed hard as he rested his bulk against a fallen log and tip-toed his fingers down its side. His fingers stroked and searched in such an intimate way that heat rose to my cheeks.
Blushing, I looked away, furious at myself for the weakness I felt.
Aelbrin pulled moss out of the crevices and packed it into the shallow boats of wood he'd created from bark. “Here,” he held them out to me. “These will keep your feet from experiencing too much discomfort. I keep extra supplies in a cave nearby and will likely find something fitting for you there.”
First a cloak and now shoes.
“Thank you.” Our eyes locked, and I gave him a genuine smile.
To distract myself, I reached out to take the shoes and unwittingly brushed his sun-kissed hands. A tingling sensation went through me, and suddenly I saw visions.
Aelbrin dragging people out of a fiery structure.
Aelbrin fighting a scaled creature that breathed fire and tried to consume the people he'd saved.
Throwing his arms around a woman who looked like him, the same sharp nose and deep-set eyes, possibility his mother? Or sister?
The Dark Queen riding out of the forest and banishing the firedrake but requiring souls in exchange for her actions.
Aelbrin yanked away, nostrils flaring, his voice rough. “What did you do?”
My cry died in my throat. Aelbrin’s tales hadn’t been tales at all. They’d been stories about his life.
My voice softened with sadness for him, but curiosity bloomed. “Was that your past? Your people?”
Aelbrin's face closed, and his eyes went dark. Lips set in a grim line, he dropped the shoes and marched away.
I tugged on the wooden slippers but still had to run to catch up with his long gait.
His hands were balled into fists, and when I caught a glimpse of his face, his jaw was set and his eyes steely with resolve.
Words tumbled out of my mouth with urgency. I had to know.
“What did I see? That was your past, wasn’t it? You offered your service in exchange for those people’s lives. Didn't you? That’s what I want, to make a bargain with the Dark Queen, to offer myself to save the villagers.”
“You shouldn't want it,” Aelbrin growled, tossing his words over his shoulder. “Committing your life to the service of the Dark Queen will cost more than you know.”
“I have nothing left to lose,” I protested. He could not tell me how to live my life.
He paused and spun around so quickly I almost ran into his chest. Rough hands came up and gripped my shoulders, and his eyes were dangerous, disapproving as he glared at me. He angled his tousled head closer to mine, making sure each word sank in. “You have your soul, untarnished, unblemished. You should keep it that way.”
I stared at him, gaze roaming over the lines of his face. I moistened my lips with my tongue. “I have no other choice.”
He shook his head, eyes haunted yet unrelenting. “We always have a choice, and yours should be to find another way.”
I trembled under his gaze, under his touch. When he lifted a hand and brushed my black hair out of my eyes, my heart pounded so hard I thought he might hear it. His finger lingered on my cheek, trailing a line down to my neck. His gaze flickered from my eyes to my mouth, as though asking permission to kiss me. I opened my mouth to respond and felt something bite down on my foot.
Panic seized me, and I slammed my palms into Aelbrin’s chest, shoving him away from danger. Waves of magic poured out of my fingers, blasting into the creature whose jaws clamped down on my ankle. Hot pain rippled through me as the creature let go with a hiss, but it was too late.
I growled when I saw the snake, thick as my arm with a diamond-shaped head as big as my hand. A chant rose in my mind, and my lips moved soundlessly. My fingers curled, twisting the snake into knots.
“No,” I faintly heard Aelbrin’s strangled cry.
My ankle throbbed as I lifted a rock and smashed it on the adder’s head. When I faced Aelbrin he stared, slack-jawed.
He scraped his fingers through his disheveled hair, making the ends stand up even more. “What have you done?” he whispered.
I glared from him to the dead snake. “Don’t tell me this was your pet.”
I’d heard of such oddities; the wild creatures of the wood would tame poisonous and dangerous beasts to do their bidding.
Aelbrin shook his head. “Not mine, the Dark Queen’s. She will demand payment in exchange for his death.” His eyes went cold, lost in a fated horror.
“I am aware, but it is still my choice,” I protested.
“We will worry about that when the time comes.” His gaze trailed down to my bare leg. “For now, we need to worry about you.
Weariness overcame me, and I suddenly felt faint. I reached for the nearest tree because the explosion of magic had exhausted my already spent body.
Aelbrin pressed his hand to my waist to steady me. “Listen. Night falls quickly in the woods. We should seek shelter before the orc-kind take over. My watch post is not far from here, and the Dark Queen does not expect my report for a few more days. Let’s rest there and get rid of the venom.”
/> I wanted to disagree. We should press on so I could save the villagers as soon as possible. But another wave of tiredness passed over me, and my vision went fuzzy.
The poison. I needed to draw it out of the wound before it spread through my entire body.
I lifted two fingers. “Do you have a knife?”
His grip on my waist tightened, and his lips turned down into a frown. “Are you mad? If we cut open the wound here, we are done for. The creatures of the night hide in the shade. Once they smell your, you will be finished. We need to make for shelter.”
“But the venom will set in,” I protested. I attempted to push him away, but my limbs shook with weakness.
“Your magic is spent,” he said gently.
Before I could object, his powerful hands swept me up into his arms, and he set off through the forest.
The poison affected my vision. I knew we traveled uphill and at one point. Aelbrin began to climb, his breath coming hard and fast as he worked. The corded muscles in his back moved under my hand, and a surge of emotion. I wanted down. It was inappropriate to travel in a man’s arms and went against everything I’d learned from the Sisters of the Light.
My willpower faded when we reached a hidden cave and ducked behind the branches of a willow tree to enter. Somewhere, I thought I heard the music of water, perhaps a nearby creek.
Aelbrin placed me on a pallet and set to work. He opened my wound, bled out the venom, and closed it with an herbal paste. I lay still, eyes too heavy to open even a sliver, lulled by rough fingers softly caressing my face.
“Sleep, my beauty,” Aelbrin whispered, his voice so close I felt the heat of it on my lips.
Without a fight, I surrendered to his command.
Chapter 4
The whispering sound of music woke me. I jerked, struggling to sit up. My gaze tore around the room, and then I recognized it, the gentle, aching lullaby.
Queen of the Wildwood Page 2