by Ciara Graves
Jeric’s words whispered through my mind again. He said I had to stop them. Stop them and use him. Had he meant Aiden? He was a healer. What use would he be to me in taking out Mariana and her new assassin? I gripped the porch railing until splinters bit into my hands. That assassin bastard. I strained to remember everything from the moment I came to in Jeric’s study, but the images were foggy. My escape was a bit more vivid. I remembered being in the truck and driving into the darkness. There was no memory of the crash.
“Iona?” Aiden asked.
I stiffened. Had I told him my name? “How do you know who I am?” I asked, bracing to attack if he wasn’t simply a healer. He could be one of Mariana’s many spies, for all I knew. I still had no idea where I was or how he’d found me. I thought I’d been in the middle of nowhere.
“A friend of mine who helped me treat you, she recognized you as King Jeric’s head guard. The late King Jeric,” he added quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“We all are,” the goblin behind Aiden said as he lifted his mug in salute. “He was a good fae.”
“And now he’s a dead fae.” My words ripped through me like a knife, but I didn’t show the pain, not to these two unknowns. “I have to go back.”
“Go back?” Aiden shook his head and rushed to block the porch steps, though I had yet to make a move for them. “You’re still healing. The poison nearly killed you. Rest is what you need right now.”
“I’ve already wasted too much time. I need to find his killer.”
He held out his hands and blocked me from moving at all this time. It didn’t appear like he knew how to fight. The last time I’d attacked him, he hadn’t been able to fend me off. With as weak as I was right now, I doubted I’d be able to get past him. The hesitation in his eyes said he thought I could still wipe the porch with him.
“You can’t go back there. You can’t really go anywhere.”
“He’s right,” the goblin said. “You should listen to him. It’s not safe for you right now.”
“What are you talking about? I need to track down Jeric’s killer.” I shoved at Aiden. He barely moved, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t flatter yourself, healer. It’s the poison.”
His lips twitched in a brief smile. A worried frown took its place. “You don’t know what it’s like out there. Leaving now will be a death sentence. You need to stay out of sight.”
“Why?” I went to shove him again, and then I spotted the bruising around his neck. They were a day old, maybe two. “Did I do that?” I hadn’t remembered that. It was possible, if I was in the grip of such a harsh poison.
“Uh, no, that wasn’t you.” He cleared his throat, rubbing the bruises gingerly. “Fae guards came looking for you. We managed to hide you from them, but needless to say, they think you were here at some point.”
“You got those protecting me? Why didn’t you just hand me over?”
Henson wouldn’t have attacked a healer. It could’ve been another guard who’d lost his temper. I could’ve been in custody already. Granted I’d most likely be dead, but still. I’d be closer to the ones who killed Jeric.
“You’re wanted for the murder of King Jeric,” Aiden stated. “The fae in charge is not a good guy. I wasn’t about to hand you over, not after what you told me.”
“Wait, you said I’m wanted?”
“Treason,” he said. “They’re telling everyone you killed the king. That you turned on him.”
I acted without thinking. My hands fisted in Aiden’s shirt and I spun him around, slamming him into the front porch railing. “I did not kill him,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I know,” he said, not fighting against me. He waved the goblin off when he moved to break us apart. “I know, Iona. I believe you.”
“Why? Why do you believe me?” I demanded. Anyone else would’ve simply handed me over, but he risked his life and those of his friends for a stranger. “What do you gain from hiding me out here? What game are you playing?”
“No game. I’m just the healer who found you on the road.” He reached for my hands and gently unwound them from his shirt. “You’re not a killer, Iona.”
I scoffed and yanked my hands away. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you’re still recovering. I know the entire royal guard is hunting for you and blaming you for a death that wasn’t your fault.”
He was wrong. It was my fault. Voices shouted accusations inside my mind as Aiden’s face swam in and out of view. I pushed past him hard enough to make him move and bolted off the steps. Gravel bit at my feet. Woods surrounded the cabin.
Aiden called to me, but I hardly heard him over the din of shouting taking over my mind. I took off in a random direction, dodging trees and tripping over roots jutting out of the ground. A branch caught me in the face, but I continued on, blood dripping down my cheek.
My foot caught on a stone and sent me sprawling through the underbrush. I smashed my head on a boulder.
Darkness came over me.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in the nightmare.
As the scene played out again, the undeniable truth hit me. This was real…
I came to in Jeric’s study. Everything was blurry, and the voices around me were muffled. Jeric’s yell cut through the haze. He was standing a few feet ahead of me. A figure stood behind him holding a dagger to his throat. Jeric attempted to get to me, but the dagger cut into his neck.
“Don’t,” a male voice snapped from behind Jeric. “We don’t want this to happen too quickly.”
Jeric’s hands fisted at his sides. I pushed to my feet, woozy. A sharp stinging started at the back of my neck. Drugged. The bastard drugged me. My hands went to my hips, but my blades weren’t there.
“Looking for these?”
I squinted, then growled to find my dagger was being used to hold Jeric hostage. “Back away from him now unless you want to die.”
The figure remained hidden in shadow, but the hair on the back of my neck stood.
I knew exactly who he was. “Venkalth.”
His evil laughter filled the study. “Iona. You remember me.”
“Hard not to. You really think you can come in here and murder the king?”
He sighed. His face, over Jeric’s shoulder, was pale, those eyes filled with malice. “Who said I was going to kill him? I mean, I am going to kill him, but alas, it won’t be me they blame.”
“Iona, behind you,” Jeric shouted just as something bashed into my head.
I grunted and whirled around, claws swiping at someone’s face. I struck skin, and he cursed as he staggered back. I went after him, but hands reached out and grabbed hold of me. They slammed me into the floor, kicking me in the gut, avoiding my face.
Jeric yelled again. and then Venkalth was bellowing.
I spotted their figures through the legs of the fae beating me down. They fought over the dagger, then Jeric was free. He barreled into the fae around me and hoisted me upright.
Venkalth was right behind him.
I threw Jeric aside and just barely missed being stabbed by my own dagger.
I grabbed Venkalth’s wrist and spun him around into the wall.
He sputtered curses as he came at me with both daggers. They slashed through the air, but I was too fast. I kicked out his feet and sent him crashing to the floor.
I reached for Jeric’s hand and made to drag him out the door, when it suddenly slammed shut in front of us.
A key rattled in the lock from the outside. I bashed into it with Jeric, but it wouldn’t budge.
I was about to take us out the window when Jeric grabbed hold of me and threw me to the side.
He gasped a split second later.
I pushed off the floor, eyes wide in horror to see my dagger protruding from his chest.
“No,” I whispered, then shouted as I bolted to him. “No!”
Hands stopped me from reaching Jeric as he sank to his knees. Blood stained his shirt.
V
enkalth stepped behind him, placed the second dagger to Jeric’s throat.
“Long live the king,” Venkalth whispered.
“Iona,” Jeric breathed as I continued to fight to get to him. “I love you.”
I screamed as Venkalth dragged the dagger across his throat.
Jeric bled out right before my eyes. There was another sharp prick at the back of my neck, and then I was falling over, watching Jeric’s body topple down beside me—
“Iona? Can you hear me?” Gentle hands held me upright. “Iona, open your eyes.”
“Dead,” I gasped as pain exploded through my chest. “He’s dead.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t,” I cried viciously, trying to get away.
It was Aiden beside me. His caring eyes filled with worry as I continued to attempt to push off him. This time, he wrapped his arms around me, holding me in place.
“It’s my fault,” I ranted. “It’s all my fault. It should’ve been me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The fight, I remember the fight.” I sucked in air, shaking my head as those final moments replayed. Whatever the second drug they dosed me with must’ve made me forget, but I remembered now. “Venkalth. He had Jeric. We fought. We were almost out of there, then he threw me aside and took the blow meant for me. He died because of me.”
“You said they were there to assassinate him. They would’ve killed him either way. It’s not your fault.”
“You don’t know anything. Anything.” I made to stand, but my feet wouldn’t respond to my commands. Aiden was brushing my hair aside. I winced.
“Sorry. You hit your head. Might need stitches.”
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah, sure. Let me just leave you out here to die after I spent a week saving your life,” he snapped.
It was the first time I heard the healer raise his voice.
His cheeks reddened, and he coughed. “Sorry. It’s been a rough week.”
“You think?”
Those gentle eyes hardened, and then his gaze flicked to something behind me. His resolve seemed to stiffen as he helped me to my feet and supported me as we walked back to his cabin. He’d seen something, but when I looked, there were only trees.
“You don’t have to do this,” I told him, fighting back the urge to break down completely. I was head of the royal guard and at the highest rank of my guild. I did not break down. I did not sob and cry on the shoulder of a stranger, no matter much I wanted to. I swallowed back the agony of Jeric’s loss and focused on my anger instead.
“Never said I did, but it’s what I’m doing, so deal with it.”
“So you’ve got a feisty side, after all,” I mused.
That small smile appeared for a second. “When the need arises.” We were a few yards away from the front porch where the older goblin sat, drinking his coffee.
“Iona, I know you want to charge out there and kill quite a few people, but I’m going to ask you to wait. I might not understand exactly what you’re going through, but you’re not strong enough for what you’re planning.”
“And when will I be?”
“I don’t know. All I ask is that you give yourself time to heal. Physically and mentally.”
His last words had me tilting my head. Did he know about me and Jeric? He couldn’t. No one aside from Henson knew the truth. Marianna could’ve spread rumors, but how would they reach a healer who resided in the middle of nowhere?
“Three days,” he said suddenly.
“Three days for what?”
“Give me three days of watching over you to ensure the poison is truly gone, and then you can go kill whoever you need to.”
I was about to say hell no, when Jeric’s voice whispered in my ear, Do it, Iona.
Typical. Even in death, he was finding ways to drive me crazy.
“Deal,” I said. “But no more.”
Aiden seemed pleased enough with that answer.
I rolled my eyes at him. I’d need to find new weapons anyway. As he turned back toward the cabin, I spotted those bruises on his neck again.
“The guards who came here, did you recognize any of them? Get a name?”
“No, but the one who did this wore all white with a black coat.”
“Shit.” I ran a hand over my face. “You tricked him into thinking I wasn’t here?”
“Not sure he fully believed me, but yeah. I did. Why? Who is he?”
“He’s the one who poisoned me,” I informed him as my anger reached a new level. “And he’s the one who killed Jeric. Now, I’m going to make him wish he was never born.” I stormed past Aiden and into the cabin, mind turning as I worked on how I was going to kill Venkalth before he hurt anyone else.
Chapter 8
Aiden
Iona’s head wound did not require stitches, but all the same, I wasn’t keen on letting her fall asleep for a few hours afterward.
Orion hung around even when I told him he could go. He seemed intrigued by Iona and after a while began asking her questions while I cleaned up my mess of a cabin. I hadn’t expected her to respond, but after a few minutes of tense silence, she gave him one-word answers.
I listened in, trying to make it look like I wasn’t. I arranged books on the shelves, putting them back in order by subject, then by author. Orion’s first few questions were about Iona and whether she had any family. Those were very short, quick answers. Sounded like she had no parents and no siblings. She became part of the Fighters Guild when she was very young. Even younger than when I joined the Healers Guild.
“It’s the only life I’ve known,” she said quietly.
I glanced over my shoulder.
She was curled up on the couch, her petite frame appearing even smaller as she stared out the front window. “I was chosen to become a guard.”
“How did you become head guard?” Orion asked. “That is a great honor. As a half-goblin, I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
“It wasn’t. I was lucky they even allowed me on royal grounds, let alone permit me to guard the king. Our guild leader had a hand in my placement,” she told him. “But it was Jeric himself who made me his head guard.”
“You must’ve given him a good reason.”
“I saved his life.”
This time, I did turn all the way around. The sadness in her words was too much for me to act like I wasn’t paying attention. Iona picked at a thread on my worn couch, not making eye contact with either of us.
“His motorcade was attacked. The rest of the guards were killed. I managed to keep him alive until backup came.” She explained it like she was delivering a report, but her dark eyes overflowed with the weight of what she lost. “The next week, he appointed me his head bodyguard against the wishes of his council. And well, that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
Orion smiled gently as he settled back in the black, threadbare armchair. “Then you found more than you both bargained for. Am I right?”
Iona glared, and I tensed, ready to throw myself between her and the old goblin. She made no move to attack him, but the intent was on her face. “Don’t.”
“No one is going to judge you here,” he assured her. “It’s tragic what happened to him and I am deeply sorry for what you’ve lost. I think you and Jeric together would’ve brought this kingdom into a new age for all fae and goblins.”
“Well, it looks like that’s not going to happen. You know why? Because he fell in love with someone like me,” she snapped sarcastically and pushed off the couch. “That’s the only reason he’s dead. Not because of the policies he was trying to push through, but because he practically told his council that he found a wife. Someone knew it was me, and they hired Venkalth to kill him.” Her lip twitched as she stared Orion down, as though daring him to say anything else.
The tension grew until my phone rang. I jumped at the harsh ring, then quickly reached for it on the worktable. “Yeah?”
“Aiden, I hope you’re not b
usy,” Matilda said, sounding shaken. “It’s Felicity and the other kids.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
“She woke this morning with a fever. It’s only gotten worse. Four others have it now, too, but we don’t think it’s the pox. I’m not sure what it is. None of them stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time,” she rambled.
“Matilda, take a deep breath. I’ll be there as fast as I can, alright?”
“Thank you, Aiden.”
I hung up and snatched up my leather healer bag. I searched through the tonics and balms, but I had no idea what I was dealing with. I grabbed handfuls of every herb and ingredient I had, tossing them haphazardly into the bag.
“Aiden, what is it?” Orion asked.
“Matilda said the kids are falling ill again,” I muttered, kicking myself for thinking I’d cured them. “Don’t think they had the pox after all. Or maybe it’s a new strain. I don’t know, but I have to get to them…” I trailed off when I spotted Iona out of the corner of my eye. She seemed curious as she watched me. “If I leave, will you give me your word that you’ll stay here and not run off to get yourself killed?”
“Where are you going?”
“Timber Falls,” Orion answered for me. “You know it?”
Iona nodded slowly. “Heard of it.”
The way she said it told me she’d done more than that. Had she been there before? When she was growing up? She was a half-goblin. She would’ve been welcome in most goblin communities, since many fae wouldn’t accept her.
“I’ll come with you,” she said, surprising me. It must’ve shown because she crossed her arms and arched her brow. “What? Don’t trust me around your precious charges? As long as they’re not behind Jeric’s death, I’m not a threat to them.”
“Staying here would be better. Keep you out of sight.”
“I know Venkalth far better than you do. If he’s going to look for me anywhere, it’ll be here. I’m safer in a crowd I can easily disappear into,” she argued.
“You still need to rest.”
“What do you think I’m going to do in Timber Falls? Run around and interrogate a bunch of innocent goblins? Besides, you look like you’ve got your hands full.” She shrugged and glanced around the cabin. “Be nice to get out of this place for a bit, too. No offense.”