When Wishes Bleed

by Casey Bond

  He took up his bow, selected an arrow, and fired it… and the arrow landed on the map, striking the palace itself.

  I laughed. “You can’t do that again.”

  It was too perfect.

  “What would you wager that I could?”

  “What would a prince want from a witch?” I teased with a grin.

  “A kiss,” he answered confidently, as if he knew exactly what he wanted.

  I studied his target. The shot was impossible. His arrow stood in the way of his goal. “You’d have to split your arrow.”

  “I’ve done it before.”

  “Under the constraint of time? We only have…” I looked to John, who mouthed the word thirty to me. “Thirty minutes left to spend together.”

  “We’ll just have to see,” he answered, determination glittering in his eyes.

  He could probably do it. His princely self had probably taken lessons from the greatest archers in the Kingdom. He could probably hit the target blindfolded. But could he hit it if I interfered just a tad? He hadn’t forbidden it…

  “You have a deal,” I answered.

  A glance at Brecan revealed his displeasure, so I looked back to Tauren. “Good luck,” I said sweetly, moving behind him to get a better view.

  He gave me a small, somewhat wary smile, chose an arrow, and positioned himself in front of the target. He nocked the arrow and let it fly. I flipped my fingers to the right, manipulating the arrow’s trajectory, then quickly tucked my hands behind my back. The arrow soared far right of the target.

  His mouth gaped open, watching the shaft wobble from the tree trunk it had struck. He shook his head and glanced over his shoulder at me.

  I smiled at Tauren’s frustration, but he regrouped. “I’ll choose a better arrow this time,” he promised with a wink.

  I nodded encouragingly, and as he searched for one, stifled a laugh.

  Brecan smirked approvingly from afar. John lifted his fist to his mouth, covering his smile.

  Tauren shot the second arrow. I waved my hand to the left, guiding the arrow into a bush. Tauren looked flustered, but was determined to try again. He flashed a determined smile at me. “This might take a while.”

  “You have twenty-six minutes,” I teased, estimating the time left.

  I sent his next two arrows into the ground, and the third into the cypress beside mine. “I don’t understand,” he said, grabbing two more arrows and testing their weights on his fingers.

  He fired again. I nudged it just a bit. It hit the target, but didn’t strike the map. “That’s better,” he said, breathing a little easier. A sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. The pleasant, mild morning was becoming hotter as we moved toward midday.

  Tauren fired again. This time, it struck the map, but in the area of the swimming pool. The next arrow, I directed to strike in the location I estimated Leah’s room to be in.

  After that, I sent arrow after arrow to different points on the map, but never allowed him the chance to strike his target again. The moments ticked by and Tauren quickly ran out of time. I couldn’t let him win.

  A kiss? A kiss might completely unravel me, and on live telecast, no less. Finally, he lowered his bow.

  John gave us a two-minute warning.

  Tauren stared at the map and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  I stifled a grin. “What’s the matter, Prince? You started out by hitting the very heart of Nautilus, and now you can’t strike anywhere near it.” I couldn’t help but smile.

  The tele-crew began to chuckle at the bewildered look on Tauren’s face. He narrowed his eyes. “What?” he asked the group who’d gathered to watch.

  I stifled a giggle.

  “What is going on?” he asked again. Then he tilted his head and turned to me. “Oh, I see. You’ve been using a little magic to sway the odds, huh?”

  My eyes widened as he crossed the space between us. He clutched my waist, his hands tightening when they found bare skin under the seams. “I think I won the battle.”

  “You didn’t,” I argued, breathless from the look of utter longing in his eyes. “You didn’t split your arrow.”

  “Only because you kept me from it.”

  “If you were truly skilled –”

  He put his finger over my lips and my throat dried up, along with whatever it was I was about to say.

  “A kiss,” he whispered, eyes glittering. “I think I deserve it after you made me the laughing stock of the Kingdom.” He wasn’t angry, but he wanted his payment.

  “I’ll repay you. I swear it,” I told him, deftly spinning out of his grip. Those were the same words he’d spoken as he ran away from my House the night we met. I could see he remembered.

  He grinned playfully. “I’ll see that you do. With interest.”

  John yelled, “Cut!” and ran to Tauren to remove his microphone. As the three of us stood in a circle, a familiar sound cut through the commotion – the sound of an arrow’s point and shaft splitting the air. I turned to see a sharp, deadly tip spiraling toward Tauren.

  Shoving him out of the way, I stepped in front of the arrow and held a palm out, shouting a spell to stop it. The tip bit into my palm, then the arrow fell harmlessly to the grass at my feet. I clenched my hand into a ball, concealing the stinging wound left by the arrow’s tip. My heart pounded as I searched for the person who’d shot at the Prince.

  “Sable!” he shouted, leaping to his feet. “You could’ve been killed.”

  I closed my eyes and listened. Footfalls. In the woods. “That way,” I pointed. His guards were already running. They shifted to the direction I’d shouted in pursuit of the would-be murderer.

  “I can find him,” I said, closing my eyes and focusing on their every sound. All of a sudden, I was the forest. I felt him trample me. I heard his harsh breath and tasted his fear.

  “NO!” Brecan screamed. “Sable, don’t!”

  Tauren’s hand found mine. It was shaking. “Sable,” he said quietly. “Please, don’t. My men will find him.” My eyes snapped open, only to be met with molten gold ones. The Prince was frightened. His hands shook as he clasped my upper arms. “You’re okay,” he said.

  I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to himself or to me. I was terrified. For a split-second, I’d worried I was too late to get him out of harm’s way.

  Tauren looked above us where dark, low-flying clouds raced across the sky, then he glanced back at me with bright eyes. I made the change. I’d called on a darker magic and he knew it.

  “Your men won’t find him,” I rasped. “He’s already gone.”

  I eased my hand out of Tauren’s and ignored the frightened stares and worried whispers of the tele-crew.

  I unclipped the box from my waistband and was searching for a way to turn the device off when it was torn away, the microphone’s clip snapping from my vest.

  Brecan took the device and threw it at John. “We should be going,” he angrily announced. “The Prince is busy the rest of the day with other invitees.”

  Tauren shouted for us to wait, but Brecan whispered a spell and spirited us away. We reappeared in his room. “Dark magic? What if they caught it on telecast, Sable?” he shouted, raking his hands through his hair.

  “They didn’t. The cameras were off,” I answered feebly.

  “What about the telecast itself?” he demanded. “The Circle saw you promise him a kiss.”

  Clothes were strewn about his room like he’d created a twister and thrown them into the core of it. “No,” I argued. “They saw me win a bet using a small amount of magic, thereby evading a kiss. You were the one who suggested I use magic in the first place.”

  “To give yourself an advantage, not to flirt with him! Have you lost your mind? How do you think Ela and Wayra will respond to this? They’ll call for you to come home.” He threw his
hands in the air before continuing, “Maybe that’s for the best. You’re obviously getting too close to him.”

  I’m not nearly close enough! I wanted to shout. “I’m not arguing with you about this right now. I was just having fun, Brecan.”

  “It was reckless! Your silly crush almost got you killed. Someone shot an arrow at your heads.” Brecan grabbed my arm, his fingers leaving indentions in my skin.

  “Take your hand off me now,” I warned, the taste of smoke filling my lungs.

  “Or what?”

  “Or I will send you back to The Gallows.”

  “You can’t send me away.”

  My eyes glittered. “I can. And I can bind you from returning.”

  A fire blazed in his eyes, and for a moment, I wondered if he’d developed a new affinity. A knock at the door interrupted us. “Come in!” I yelled, wrenching my arm away from Brecan.

  “Oh…my…goddess!” Mira squealed. “That was amazing, Sable. Bay is pleased.”

  So, no one back home saw the assassination attempt, or the dark magic I almost conjured. I leveled Brecan with an I-told-you-so glare, which he answered with a snarl.

  “How do you know how Bay felt about it?” Brecan snapped.

  Her smile fell away. “Because I communicate with him. Through water. Don’t you talk to Wayra through the wind?” I could almost see her hair blowing in her own personal breeze as Brecan dutifully reported to her that I’d called on a darker source. Interestingly, Brecan didn’t answer Mira.

  The fact they communicated through their affinities was news to me. If they were reporting back, what else had they said? And who else overheard their conversations about me and my time here? If Mira called on Bay, could any other Water witch listen in?

  I walked out the door. “Where are you going?” Mira called after me as I strode down the hallway.

  “To check Tauren’s food.”

  And to get away from them for a while. Especially Brecan. He had no right to spirit me away. I wasn’t a child and he wasn’t my keeper. Or my hand-fasted. He was supposed to be my friend, but apparently couldn’t accept that I had no feelings for him. He was obviously unable to control his own feelings.

  I wondered if I could either, as I fought back tears of frustration and humiliation.

  And now I would have to face Tauren again. I would have to spell a room to make sure his lunch wasn’t tainted.

  I waited outside the dining room between two hulking guards. They were stationed at every door, shadowing Tauren’s every move now, thank goodness. Inside, a girl from Five with colorful swatches in her hair and wearing a bright pink dress waited for Tauren. He walked in using another door and kissed her hand as he seated himself next to her. He’d changed into a smart, sapphire suit and pressed white shirt. His hair was still damp from his archery exertions in the burning hot sun, as well as from the fright he had.

  When the staff brought their plates, I spelled the room, checked for traces of poison, and walked out of it, removing the charm and making sure he saw me slip out the door. That was code for ‘your food is fine.’

  He apparently didn’t want to accept a simple explanation this afternoon. Moments after I left the room, the door swung open behind me. “Sable?” he said tentatively.

  I turned to face him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, are you?”

  He affirmed that he was, and I could see he was no longer shaken. “Brecan was furious,” he noted.

  “I used magic on the telecast. He was worried I’d upset the Circle.”

  He nodded once, like he didn’t entirely believe me. “And did you?”

  “I upset two members, but the other two weren’t concerned.” This experience might at least convince them they needed a fifth, to settle disputes among them and to avoid such divisive stand-offs in the future.

  “My men didn’t find the culprit.”

  I told him they wouldn’t. The witch had fled, then disappeared altogether.

  He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “I have to get back to lunch.”

  “I know.”

  “Can I see you tonight?” he whispered. “Please?”

  I swallowed, then nodded my assent.

  “Thank you, Sable, for everything.”

  16

  I avoided Brecan the remainder of the day, though he checked periodically to be certain I was in my room. Mira came by to chat, but I wasn’t in the mood. Thankfully, she left me alone with my thoughts.

  I was sure the person who’d shot at Tauren was a male witch. Fate confirmed with a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn’t a pleasant or reassuring feeling. It was a warning.

  The witch was dangerous. But something darker, more ominous settled into my bones. My fingers and lips began to chill. My teeth chattered uncontrollably.

  If I hadn’t sensed the arrow, Tauren would be dead.

  That was far too close. I had to find the witch, and soon. Before he struck again.

  There was one way to ensure that if the witch managed to slip past me and succeeded in harming the Prince, Tauren wouldn’t die.

  It would require a dangerous spell, one I was happy to work if left no other choice. And unfortunately, my choices were being whittled away by the moment. This way, I might be able to find the witch if he returned to the palace to make another attempt.

  I rummaged through my trunk and pulled out my pendulum, cursing for not having a map of this place. Then I remembered the map of the Kingdom on the targets.

  Outside, the sky was gray and solemn. The first sprinkles of a rainstorm splattered the land. Droplets fell onto my arms and splashed the crown of my head as I hurried through the manicured yard.

  “Please be there,” I whispered under my breath.

  Thankfully, no one had taken the targets down. Tauren’s map was pierced in several places, but mine was pristine, thanks to my non-existent archery skills, as Brecan referred to them. I plucked the map from the bale of hay and quickly folded it to keep it dry.

  Before I reached the palace again, the sky began to weep.

  The door I’d exited from was locked. I ran to another to find it locked, too. No one was posted at it. I decided to run for the front door. I wound through garden paths and rushed down the sidewalk. When I turned the curve, I ran into someone, both of us falling backward from the impact. I landed hard on my hip.

  Rain saturated the young man’s dark hair, and when he looked up at me, I gasped. It was Tauren’s brother. I hadn’t seen him since the Equinox.

  “You must be Sable,” he said with an easy smile, chuckling as he winced, clutching his knee. “Tauren’s told me all about you.”

  I doubted that, but still. “What did he say?” I asked, standing and offering him a hand.

  “That you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. I thought he was being dramatic, but I see that if anything, he understated your beauty.”

  Tauren’s brother flashed a confident, roguish smile and clasped my hand. “Why are you outside in the rain?” he asked, water sluicing off his face in rivulets.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” I challenged.

  He gave a lop-sided grin. “I was headed out to meet someone, but the weather… it’s getting rather nasty. I doubt they would have ventured outside. I think I’ll head back in.”

  The two of us jogged to the front of the palace, up the stairs, and to the enormous doors. They were unlocked, thankfully. Two servants scurried away to fetch towels as we stood awkwardly, dripping puddles on the pristine foyer tiles.

  “My name is Knox. I’m sure Tauren’s told you all about me as well,” he hinted. I wasn’t sure what to say back, but didn’t have to worry long. Knox enjoyed dominating the conversation. “My brother is stuck with one of the women he’s not fond of at all. He’ll be sour a
fter this hour is over.”

  “Why does he bother?” I blurted.

  Knox’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, at some point, he’ll have to cull the invitees. Why bother spending time with the women he doesn’t really like?”

  Knox smiled. “Strictly for the viewing public’s entertainment. Every sector cheers to see their invitee. Plus, they like to see him with each woman. They place bets on who he ends up with, who he sends back to their sector… they pretty much bet on everything, actually.”

  When the servants returned with fluffy, warm towels, I wrapped mine around me and thanked them, apologizing for the mess I’d made. Knox thanked them as well, then waltzed into the palace like he owned the place. I suppose in a way he did.

  Where has he been during the first two days of filming? I wondered.

  As I approached my room, I saw Mira pacing outside, biting her thumbnail while Brecan pounded on the door of my room. “What are you doing?”

  Brecan snapped his head toward me and blew out a tense breath. He was upset. His pale hair blew in a breeze that I couldn’t feel or see affecting anything else. I thought Wayra was the only one who had that ability, but maybe I’d just never seen Brecan this upset.

  “Thank the goddess,” he breathed, the wind quieting instantly.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  Mira rushed to me. She looked immaculate in a sharp, black suit with a nude camisole peeking out from under the jacket. Her hair was arrow straight, the blue-gray tones shimmering in the hallway light. “We thought something had happened to you! You didn’t tell us you were going out.” Her eyes darted over me appraisingly. “You look like a drowned rat.”

  “Thank you, Mira,” I teased.

  “You have less than an hour before tonight’s festivities begin.”

  “What festivities?” I asked, trying to suppress the shivers running over my body.

  The palace had cool air pumped in somehow, but that wasn’t why I was cold. Fate’s warning was getting stronger. Did the would-be killer plan to strike again so soon? Tonight? Fate was quiet. He neither confirmed nor denied. Perhaps the plan hadn’t been decided upon yet.