by C. A. McHugh
As though sensing their mistress’s displeasure, the imps all growled in unison and bared their teeth at Raimel.
“Down, puppies, unless you want to wrestle with the Lone Wolf.” Raimel nodded toward Ceryst.
He rested his hand on the hilt, but didn’t draw his sword. He’d rather not slaughter the creatures unless he had to, even if they were demons.
Noli turned to him. “Lone Wolf? As in Sir Ceryst of Klone?”
He nodded. Ever since he’d been falsely accused of being the Raven Bringer, he’d rarely uttered his former title. The only reason he’d acknowledged her deduction was that Raimel had already established that she’d had an up-close-and-personal relationship with the real Raven Bringer.
She gave him a once-over with those dark eyes of hers and gave a dismissive snort. “Definitely not him.”
“I’ve been trying to say that for years, but nobody listens to me.” Raimel bounced off the table and approached Noli. “Back to His Majesty’s business.”
“I’m not interested,” she said cutting him off. “But I will consider sending a tribute to Dromore once the snow melts, and if that’s all—”
“Noli, listen to me.” He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve always looked out for you, even sixteen years ago when you were as small as your charges out there. When His Majesty proposed this to me, I did my best to talk him out of it, but he has a good idea, so please, hear me out.”
Her chin quivered for a few seconds. She continued to avoid his gaze, though, and shoved his hand off. “You have one minute.”
As if on cue, all her imps circled them.
Ceryst stayed against the door, but prepared to intervene.
“We need someone on the inside.”
Her face twisted into an angry scowl. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I told him you wouldn’t go for it.”
“Damn right, I won’t go for it. Let’s pretend he didn’t spend a year torturing me in order to bring me to his cause. Let’s forget how he only wanted to exploit my ancestry. Let’s consider the one thing that will never allow me to leave this place.” She pointed to the door. “Actually, I can give you eighty-seven reasons, and they all need me.”
Raimel let out a low whistle. “Eighty-seven, huh? How many of them are actually yours because you are one sexy mama?”
She slapped him.
Ceryst fought to contain his laughter. Finally, someone who found Raimel’s jests as annoying as he did.
Raimel rubbed his cheek and sulked. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“You deserved it. Now get out.”
He shook his head. “In all seriousness, you need to hear all of His Majesty’s message.”
She crossed her arms. “You still have fifteen seconds.”
“He said if you didn’t, he’d go after your charges.”
Anger flashed across her face, and her eyes started to take on a faint red glow.
And it suddenly all made sense.
No wonder the Raven Bringer wanted Noli on his side. She probably possessed some of the same abilities Raimel did.
Which was why she would be a very tempting ally to place within his ranks.
“If he orders anyone to lay a single finger on any of my charges, I’ll rip it off and use it to build my own throne.”
Raimel acted like he was wowed by her threat, but he kept on. “Careful, Noli. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, but if someone else did, you know what His Majesty is capable of doing. And we’d both hate any children to be harmed because of your pride.”
“It’s not pride. It’s self-preservation.” She turned on her heel and pressed her fingers to her temples, massaging small circles into the flesh. “Why can’t you do it?”
“Because I’ve been kicking his ass ever since he announced his return, including giving him a little splash of liquid fire a couple of months ago.”
“I bet that pissed him off.”
“Are you kidding? He absolutely loved it. So much, in fact, that he killed Master Binnius’s sister in retaliation and then sent his apprentice after me to seize control of my mind and knock off his virginal knightliness over there.”
Ceryst rankled at the insult. He may have been knightly, but he most definitely wasn’t virginal. “Watch it, Raimel, or she won’t be the only one throwing knives at you.”
She gave him an appreciative smile. “I knew I liked you.”
“Will you two let me finish?” Raimel moved around to face her again. “For all he knows, you’re ready to join him. After all, I’m the one who kidnapped you after he started teaching you, right? It was completely against your will.”
“The only thing that was against my will was his forcing me to summon for him.”
Not surprising to learn she knew dark magics, considering the pack of imps she had as pets. Ceryst’s knightly code urged him to follow the law and arrest her for multiple reasons, but then he remembered he wasn’t officially a knight anyone. He was a wanted criminal, just like the two of them.
“Do you know what I think this is?” she asked, her body as stiff as a coiled snake about to strike. “I think this is a ploy to get me to leave Tenby so he can place his own men here again. He’s been out to get me ever since I left Dromore and struck out on my own. He’s jealous of what I’ve built here.”
“Believe that if you must, but I should remind you that he’s given you far more mercy and leniency that he has with others who’ve walked away from the pledges. I mean, he let you live. That’s a huge thing.”
“Are you ever serious?”
“Of course, but you know what kind of circumstances that bring out that horrible quality in me.”
“And what if I go in and he sees right through me?”
“Then he’ll probably kill you, but I suspect he’ll let you live. You have some value to him.”
Noli turned toward the closed door, her breaths quick as she stared past Ceryst to those on the other side. “I can’t leave them. They’re mine. I rescued them from the street and promised to care for them.”
Something about the way she was on the brink of tears tugged at the heart Ceryst had long since hardened. She might not have been completely human, but there was more humanity in her than most humans he’d come across.
He took two steps toward her, his voice softer and humbler than he’d heard it be in years. “This must be a tough decision for you, and if you need my assistance taking your charges to safety, I’ll gladly offer it. I may not be a knight anymore, but I will still defend the innocent. However, if there is some way you can help us defeat the Raven Bringer, then you will have more than just my gratitude. You will have ensured the safety of the kingdom for your charges so they might not ever know what you have endured.”
“Not to mention amnesty from His Majesty,” Raimel added behind her.
Perhaps from both kings. Aerrin would have to pardon her if she helped defeat the Raven Bringer.
She looked up at him with those striking eyes, only now they didn’t appear so cold and unnatural. They glowed with the warmth of appreciation. “Thank you, Sir Ceryst.”
Then she turned back to Raimel, once again adapting a tough, unyielding stance that befitted a leader of thieves. “Tell His Majesty that I will consider his offer, but I need to time to ensure my charges are well cared for in my absence should I accept his mission. And regardless of my decision, I will send him the tribute he’s entitled to.”
Something about her statement left him wondering if that tribute might be a hundred poisoned knives in his back.
Raimel, however, appeared relieved by her answer. “I’ll pass it on to him. In the meantime, keep that ring on until you’re ready to face him.”
Something about the way she drew in a sharp breath told Ceryst that she might not ever be able to face the Raven Bringer, and he wondered what she’d gone through. His attention shifted to Raimel. He’d seem the physical scars left behind, but neither one of them had ever dared to bring up
the damage the Raven Bringer had inflicted on his friend’s soul.
“And you be a good little lap dog for your mistress,” Raimel continued, pointing to the imp closest to him.
The imp snapped at his fingers.
“Charming little buggers,” Raimel muttered, stepping around it to get to the door. “If you need anything, you know I have your back, Noli.”
“But who has yours?” she asked.
Raimel jerked his thumb to Ceryst. “Him.”
Ceryst gave a wry smile. After all these years, he couldn’t deny that he’d defend his friend with his last breath.
He opened the door to find Wendris, the girl whose lesson had been interrupted, and several others standing outside with weapons drawn. He started to draw his sword again, but just when he was about to accuse Noli of setting them up for an ambush, she cut in front of him.
“You will let them leave without incident, understood?”
One by one, the kids dropped their weapons.
Wendris stepped forward. “We thought they were here to hurt you.”
Noli laughed, the tough confidence she’d greeted them with returning once again. “Do you really think these two could hurt me?”
A growl of protest rose into Ceryst’s throat, but Raimel wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pushed him toward the stairs. “Lovely seeing you again, Noli, and thanks for the hospitality.”
But when Ceryst cast one more glance over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Noli standing with her eyes closed, her face twitching as though she were trying to fight off her nightmares. It was something he was all too familiar with, and he pushed Raimel aside to say one more thing to her. “We never know what we’re truly capable of doing until the moment we are tested.”
Maybe she could infiltrate the Raven Bringer’s forces and help stop him that way. Maybe she could teach her charges how to fight off demons and protect the city. Just because she didn’t jump to accept the mission didn’t mean she couldn’t help them in other ways.
She leveled her gaze at him and gestured to the children crowded inside the building. “I’ve already been tested enough, and this is what I’ve chosen to do.”
“And I wish you every blessing in your endeavor.”
“As I do for yours, Sir Ceryst.” The corner of her mouth quirked up into a half-smile. “You know, you’re not the ass I thought you would be.”
“No, that honor belongs exclusively to Raimel,” he replied in a dry manner.
Her smile widened. “I will let you know if I discover anything here in Tenby.”
“Much appreciated.” Raimel moved between them and tried to push Ceryst toward the stairs. “Let’s go. All these kids are making me break out in hives.”
Ceryst planted his heels until his friend pushed even harder, and then stepped aside.
Raimel stumbled forward but managed to catch himself before he tumbled down the stairs. “Not funny.”
“You should know better.” But he ambled forward, feeling for the first time in years like a true knight.
Chapter 13
Seroney was following the other three when Aerrin made a sharp turn off the main road to Gentilmead and cut across a field. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” Nyssa replied over her shoulder.
Seroney stumbled through the tall grass and frantically tried to keep the rest of her group in sight before she lost them in the great wet sea of grain. Even though Arcana was known for its spring-like weather, the wind that day came in chilly, blustery gusts. Cold rain had fallen all week, swelling the rivers and streams, soaking their clothes as they traveled. This might have been typical for other parts of the kingdom at this time of the year, but not in Arcana. The change set her on edge, and she constantly scanned the cloudy skies above for any sign of a raven.
They’d gone about a mile when the ground gave way beneath her cold, numb feet. She slid down the slick clay bluff in a most unladylike manner on her behind, her cloak and dress ruined by the mud, and skidded to a halt at the raging river’s edge.
Leandros offered to help her to her feet. “Sorry about that. I guess we should have warned you about the bluff.”
Aerrin was already twenty feet ahead upstream with Nyssa tailing close behind, their pace urgent. Neither one of them stopped when she fell.
Her guard rose even higher. “Any more surprises, Leandros?”
“None that I can think of. Let’s catch up before they leave us behind.”
They jogged to within a few feet of Aerrin and Nyssa and settled into a brisk walk. Seroney remained vigilant. The lack of clear answers to her questions told her Aerrin wanted this trip to be as secretive as possible, which made her sharpen her senses for any signs of danger.
As they continued upstream, the bluff grew higher and higher, soaring to nearly fifteen feet above them. Aerrin stopped when they reached a group of small boulders and turned inward to the bluff before disappearing. Nyssa followed, and it wasn’t until Seroney was at the exact stop where they turned that she saw where they went.
After many centuries, the Gentil River had eroded a small cave into the bluff.
And they were not alone.
A tall, lanky man stood just outside the cave by the others, ignoring the rain that soaked his clothes and the angry river that inched closer and closer to his feet. When his gaze met hers, she froze. His clothing was worn and torn, and it did little to conceal the small arsenal he carried. But it wasn’t the weapons that worried her. It was the way he moved—swift and silent like a predator on the prowl. And the longer she stared at him, the more she suspected he was more than he seemed.
A cocky grin appeared on his lips. “So you finally decided to introduce us to the ladies, eh, Aerrin?”
“Seroney. You’ve already met Nyssa” Aerrin nodded to each of them as he introduced them, but the man’s gaze lingered on Seroney.
The man raised both eyebrows. “I’m delighted to finally meet you. Aerrin’s told us so much about you.”
How much, though? She gave him a tight smile that barely masked her unease, but at the same time, he intrigued her. His long hair almost reached in his waist in a style favored more by elves than humans, and his warm brown eyes sparkled with mischief.
She spoke with the same tone she used at her father’s governmental functions. “And you are?”
“I’m Raimel.” He pressed his hand to his chest in mock disbelief when she didn’t respond. “You mean Aerrin has never told you about me?”
“No.” This time, she made no effort to hide her irritation. She was cold and wet, and this fop was keeping her from entering the only shelter in the area. She sidestepped him and followed Aerrin and his friends into the cave.
Only to be greeted by a man wielding a sword.
Within the span of a breath, she cast a disarming spell that fizzled off the weapon. Both Aerrin and Raimel shouted for him to stop, but he started to charge.
She backed away, searching for another spell that would stop him without harming him. It was the man Aerrin had been talking to that night—Ceryst of Klone. She had no desire to cause a rift between her and Aerrin by unleashing a nasty spell on the man he trusted. Instead of aiming at him, she launched her next spell at his feet. The ball of green magic morphed into a tangle of vines that wrapped around the knight, restraining him from attacking her.
The knight fought even harder, snapping the vines as quickly as they grew.
Raimel jumped in front of her to act as a shield. “Bad wolf! Down!”
“She’s a friend,” Aerrin added, moving to stand next to the knight. “I brought her here because I trust her.”
Ceryst made no effort to hide his suspicion as he glared at her. It was almost as though he could see through her disguise.
She covered her amulet with her hand to reassure herself it was still in place, but refused to back away. She was a master mage, and if he continued to threaten her, then she could easily put him in his place. She doubled her efforts, tighte
ning the vines around his limbs and torso. “I’ll release him if he agrees to be civil.”
“Woo-hoo-hoo,” Raimel said, his tone playful, “she has the queen act down.”
Ceryst responded by snapping another vine. “I’ll be civil…for Aerrin’s sake.”
She waited for Aerrin to confirm it was safe to release him before she suspended the spell. The vines fell in a limp puddle around the knight’s ankles.
“She attacked first,” he grumbled before he finally shifted his attention from her to Raimel. “Why do you always have to get in my way?”
“Because I know you won’t hurt me.”
“You only think I won’t hurt you.” He slid his sword back into its sheath. “You just haven’t pushed me far enough yet.”
“I love you, too,” Raimel replied before blowing him a kiss and giving Seroney a wink. “He’s really quite a softie once you get to know him.”
Then he crossed over to the weak fire in the center of the cave and shook the water out of his long brown hair like a dog, spraying the knight.
“Watch it!” Ceryst bumped the other man with his shoulder as he retreated further into the cave. “I’ve never seen it rain so much. I hear they’re lining the streets of Gentilmead with bags of sand to keep the water out of the buildings.”
Aerrin nodded. “This is too much like the blizzard we had in Dromore during the Longest Night.”
“I wonder if Master Binnius will cancel classes if there’s a flood.” Leandros tossed his cloak in the corner and stretched out by the fire.
“I doubt it.” Nyssa picked Leandros’s cloak up and shook the water out of it before hanging it up to dry next to her own cloak. “I heard he’s upstairs in his office with some of the other master mages trying to figure out a way to stop the rain.”
“He is,” Seroney answered. She’d even met with him in private this morning to discuss possible rituals that would restore Arcana’s normal weather. The land had come unbalanced, and it would take an intervention from Ayselus, the goddess of nature, to undo it.
She shifted her attention back to the man who’d just attacked her. “Why didn’t my disarm spell work?”