Where There Be Humans
Page 26
I lengthened my strides to keep up with Pudge. In the distance, we heard the distinct barking of hounds getting closer. They were coming for us.
Grr trotted ahead, casting an occasional glance over his shoulder as if telling us to hurry. At last, the border came into view. The thick canopy of trees was a welcoming sight. My blood pulsed as we stepped over the border, the air fresher, the night darker.
“Come on. We need to get into the creek so the dogs will lose our scent,” I said.
The stream came up to my knees, ice-cold water numbing my already frigid skin. To make matters worse, the rain intensified while patches of fog drifted across the ground like an army of misty soldiers.
I moved ahead of Pudge in order to hold branches and thorns out of his way as he carried my brother. Droplets rolled off of leaves, splattering down my face and beneath the collar of my tunic. My skin stung where I’d been whipped. And each step I took sent my pack grating against my wounds.
We staggered through the bleakness for hours, trying to put as much distance between us and the human world as we could. After a while, Pudge stopped and set Dorian on the ground.
“We should stay here. Even if someone decides to follow us, they’re not going to make it far tonight—not with this storm.” He wiped his wet hair from his face.
“Let’s get him out of the rain.” I dropped our packs to the ground.
Pudge and I swept the area for downed branches and ferns, then made a lean-to for Dorian. I canvassed my pack and grabbed a blanket while Dorian crawled beneath the shelter. Once he was situated, Pudge helped me get him out of his wet garments, and we covered him up.
“Sleep well,” I said, then moved to stand guard nearby. Pudge caught my arm.
“You need to get some rest, too,” he said. “You’ve been through enough the last two days.”
“Pudge—”
“No arguments. Go lie with Dorian. Grr and I will keep watch.”
With a sigh, I pulled another blanket from my sack. “Wake me in a couple of hours so you can get some shut-eye, too,” I said.
I snuggled in next to Dorian, but sleep eluded me. Every noise made me jump. And when I closed my eyes, all I saw were the humans chasing us and Perci and Beaurick’s slit throats.
Chapter Thirty-Three
By morning, Dorian’s fever had returned. He sat shivering as we urged him to eat. Taking the spare cloak from my bag, I wrapped it around his shoulders. It fit tight, but at least it’d keep him warm.
“We need to get moving again,” I said, worried about whether or not my brother would be able to travel. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He gave me a shaky smile. “I’ll be fine. The sooner we’re away from here, the better.”
Pudge shot me a concerned glance, and I shrugged. There wasn’t much choice. If we stayed, the earl would track us down. And I didn’t want to end up back in the dungeon. Because next time, I feared we wouldn’t escape.
Dorian stood, legs wobbling beneath him. He reached for a nearby tree to steady himself, then started to push his way through the overgrowth.
I stared after him, watching him stumble along. My eyes burned with tears to see him in pain. To see what the humans had done to him.
“You coming?” Dorian turned to look at me. “I mean, you’re supposed to be the fast one, right?” A half-hearted grin formed on his lips.
Clearing my throat, I grabbed my pack and followed after him. “At least your cockiness is still intact,” I said.
Pudge laughed beside me, whistling for Grr to hurry.
“If we’re going to make our meeting point, we’ll have to pick up the pace. Honour and the others were expecting us a few days ago. So I hope they waited.” He held a pine branch out of the way for me.
“I know.” I frowned, then whispered, “He can’t move any faster. I’m surprised he’s even walking right now.”
“Then I’ll carry him,” Pudge said.
“Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to agree to that.”
And he didn’t.
We hiked through brambles, up hills, and across streams and rivers for several days. Dorian pushed himself to the point of exhaustion. At night, I’d clean his wounds and force him to eat before he fell into a fitful sleep. Then I’d spend the rest of the time staring at the rise and fall of his chest, making sure he breathed. He needed more help than I could give him.
So the next day, when the clearing came into view, I felt my body relax. We’d made it.
Pudge scanned the trees, then turned to me. “I don’t see Honour. Do you?” he asked.
Grr went still, his snout raised, sniffing the air. Then my gaze landed on a boot sticking out from behind a tree. I moved closer to find Captain Bushwell lying on the ground with a dagger in his chest. Oh, Hag.
Before I could react, an arrow whizzed through the trees, striking Dorian.
He collapsed to the ground, the sharpened wood protruding from his shoulder.
“No!” I shrieked, rushing to his side.
Blood seeped through the cloak, drenching the foliage beneath him. He groaned, his eyes wide with pain. We were supposed to be safe. We were supposed to go home.
I leaped to my feet, biting back tears as I dragged him behind a nearby fallen tree.
Grr launched himself into the brush, snarling. Then I saw Vane and Birdie’s brother, Barthe, and Cray with several other goblins. They’d ambushed us.
Barthe notched an arrow, and it struck Grr in the back. He whimpered, falling in a tangle of thorns. My chest constricted, anger searing through me like a hot poker.
I ripped my dagger from its scabbard and, with a snap of my wrist, sent it spiraling across the clearing. The blade stabbed into Barthe’s jugular. He wilted like a bloodred flower beside Vane.
“You’ll pay for that, halfer,” Vane shouted.
Unsheathing the Sword of Avarik, I rushed forward. “You’ve messed with the wrong goblin.”
Vane staggered back, then raised his own blade. The two came together like a clap of thunder. I brought my sword down, and he maneuvered his up to block.
I spun, jabbing and striking at him. He continued to defend himself, backing away until he was pressed against a wall of brambles. Hostility ran cold through my blood, and I swung my weapon once more.
But Vane ducked, rolling away from me. I anticipated his move, and with a quickness I didn’t know I possessed, I jumped through the air, coming down right on top of him. With my blade pointed toward the ground, I plunged it into his chest.
A look of surprise flashed on his face as he twisted with agony. “You,” he whispered.
“Yes. Me.” I glared. “I told you someday I’d take you down.”
A drop of blood slid from the corner of his mouth, and his head tipped to the side. He was gone.
Swords clanked together around me, bringing me back to the reality of the situation. I watched Pudge take out two more goblins. But there were another three prepared to attack. Not wanting them to run, Pudge and I circled them, swords held high. And with easy movements, we finished them off.
I stared in disbelief at the carnage. We’d killed goblins. Our own kind. Why were they fighting us? Putting my weapon away, I hurried to Captain Bushwell’s side, my eyes burning with angry tears.
His lids fluttered open. “Ivy, you’re here.”
I dropped down beside him, touching his face. “Sir, we’re going to get you out of here.”
He raised a bloodied hand to mine. “No, it’s too late for me. Get the prince to safety.”
“We can’t just leave you,” I cried, leaning down so my head touched his. This was my mentor; he was supposed to be invincible.
“You have to, Ivy. The corruption r-runs much deeper.” He coughed, sputtering blood onto his chin and tunic. Then he whispered “Wayfarer” before he went still.
Wayfarer?
My jaw clenched, and I spun around to face Pudge.
Pudge dropped his weapon to the ground, having heard Captain Bushwell. He kicked it out of the way, then fell to his knees.
“I swear to you, I had nothing to do with this.” He tugged at the sleeves of his tunic, revealing more markings from the Hag. “My loyalty is to you and to the Hag.”
“Your brother was the only other person who knew we’d be here. Just like he was there when the humans captured Dorian. And your father—he wasn’t allowed in the meeting when the king announced I’m his daughter. Not to mention I found the Hag’s Crest in his blasted room. I—I think that’s why Captain Bushwell stayed back. He knew something wasn’t right.”
Pudge paled. “Dragon’s breath,” he said. “Ivy, I didn’t know. I promise you. You mean more to me than anyone, and I’d never do anything to hurt you. But are you sure Honour had something to do with this?” He stood, eyes pleading with me.
“Captain Bushwell would not lie to me about something like this.”
“Then Honour will pay for this. You have my word.”
His words rang true. He had been the one constant in my life.
“I believe you,” I whispered, then bent to gather his sword. Swallowing hard, I handed it to him, and, after a moment, I moved to check on Dorian and Grr. “They’ve lost a lot of blood. We have to get help.”
“First, we should hide the bodies.” Pudge gestured to Vane and his fallen comrades. “The last thing we need is for Honour to know we’ve figured things out.”
“Fine. Toss them in the river.” I hoped the fish tore them to shreds. They didn’t deserve any better. Captain Bushwell did, but right now, I didn’t have time to bury him. I gave him a silent promise that I’d send someone back for his remains.
Once we finished discarding the corpses, I bandaged both Dorian and Grr while Pudge made makeshift stretchers out of sticks and blankets. We needed a healer. And there was only one place we’d find one.
“We have to take them to the elves. We’re too far from home, and if they don’t get help soon, they’ll die.” I lifted Grr’s heavy body onto the stretcher. “Dorian is promised to their princess; they’ll have to take him in.” Or so I hoped.
Chapter Thirty-Four
My arms and legs ached from dragging Grr’s stretcher. I cringed each time we went over uneven ground, jarring him. He lifted his head, whimpered, and lay back down.
“We’ve got to be getting close.” I glanced at our surroundings. But every tree looked the same as the last. It was like the woods swallowed us and we were tangled in a never-ending twist of thornbushes and gnarled oaks.
“I’m not so sure.” Pudge stopped and wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. “It feels like we’re going in circles.”
Glittering shafts of light sparkled; the trees pulsed as if they had come to life. There was magic in the air. Then I noticed the marks from the stretchers trenched into the ground as the powerful haze lifted. He was right—we’d been here before. Which meant we’d been circling for hours.
The hair on the back of my neck prickled as if we were being watched. My fingers inched closer to my sword.
A raven burst from the treetops, sending leaves fluttering to our feet. Its harsh cry jarred me.
I jumped. “Stupid birds.”
The snapping of twigs came from behind us.
“Thought I smelled the stench of goblins.” A tall, elegant elf stepped from behind an enormous white oak. His dark hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, his skin glowing bronze. Sea-colored eyes swept over me and Pudge, and the whole time the elf kept his bow and arrow trained on us.
Pudge snorted. “So that must’ve been the swish of your skirts I heard in the woods.”
He drew back his bowstring while Pudge unsheathed his blade. This wasn’t a good idea.
“I think you missed your turn off at the donkey stalls,” the elf said. “They’re back that way.” He gestured to the direction we’d just come from.
The next thing I knew, I had the Sword of Avarik in hand, ready to fight if need be.
He chuckled. “They’ll take you down before you strike.” His eyes moved to the trees.
My gaze followed. We were surrounded by elves. Some sat on branches, blades and arrows pointed at us. Others appeared in the woods and stepped from behind the bushes.
Dorian groaned.
“We need a healer.” I lowered my weapon. “That’s the reason we’re in your woods.”
The elf frowned. “We don’t help just anyone.”
“He’s not just anyone.” I pointed to my brother. “I demand an audience with Princess Sashine. She’ll understand.”
He stiffened, taking a step closer so his arrow was even with my eye. “Why do you ask for her?”
“Because he’s Prince Starshooter,” I said.
“Stand down, Roland.” A woman dropped from a tree. When she stood facing me, I recognized her almost immediately as the elf from the market. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Ivy Starshooter.”
She smiled, gesturing for the others to lower their weapons.
“You are the sister of my betrothed?” Her eyes gleamed with knowing.
“Yes. But we’ve met before,” I said.
“Did we?”
“In the market, you gave me a bow— How…how did you know I’d need it?”
“You were about to embark on a journey, young goblin. It seemed like a useful gift.”
Somehow, I believed it was more than that. But I wasn’t about to argue. I shifted my gaze to Dorian and Grr, then back to her. “Can you help us? My brother sustained injuries in the human world. I’m afraid if he’s not treated soon, he’ll die.”
Princess Sashine knelt next to Dorian, her hand caressing his face. “Come. We haven’t much time,” she said.
Pudge and I moved toward the stretchers, but the princess waved us off. “No, my people will take care of it.”
Within moments, they led us through a gateway of gnarled roots and rowan branches. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at a palace made of trees and rocks. Windowless towers in high-up branches stared across the entire woodland. Great archways were carved in the trunks of maples, with hallways made of vines and polished stones.
Leaves skittered at our feet, the wind sweetened by the scent of honeysuckle. Along the pathway, we passed marble statues and fountains gurgling with water.
Sashine guided us up a set of stairs that wound around the largest oak I’d ever seen. Half of Gob Hollow could’ve fit inside it. My mouth gaped as my gaze traveled upward to the stained glass ceiling depicting elfin warriors upon horses. Balconies overlooked a great pool of water, which ran beneath the roots of the tree. Two boats drifted by, transporting elves to other houses along the river.
When we came to an ornate door carved with roses, Sashine stopped. “We’ll take care of your brother and dog in here. Follow Roland; he’ll show you to your quarters.”
I hesitated, not wanting to leave Dorian. “Maybe I should stay with him.”
She shook her head. “No. You need to get cleaned up and rested. There’s nothing more you can do for him—you’ll only be in the way.”
Pudge caught my arm, pulling me after him and Roland. “She’s right. You’ll do him no good if you’re run-down and sick.”
With a sigh, I followed our elfin guide to my room.
…
After a hot bath, meal, and a nap, I sat on the edge of the oversize bed, tugging on a pair of clean breeches. My eyes scanned the enormous room and the wooden tub near the balcony overlooking the courtyard below. A mahogany armoire with carvings of roses sat across from the door, an ornate candelabrum positioned on top of it. The bed shifted as I stood, the lilac curtains brushing against my cheek.
I adjusted the dark green t
unic, admiring the golden leaves embroidered on the sleeves. My gaze fell on the suit of armor standing against the far wall, two large swords bolted in a cross pattern behind it.
“If it wasn’t for the slight tinge of green in your skin, you’d pass for an elf,” Roland said from the doorway.
“Yeah, and if I didn’t have the tinge and pointed ears I could’ve passed for a human, too, but you see how well that worked out for me.”
“Point taken.” Roland stepped inside. “Sashine wanted me to retrieve you and bring you to the Great Hall.”
Grabbing the pair of brown knee-high leather boots, I slipped them on and trailed behind Roland. When we came into the hallway, I saw Pudge waiting for us. His brown hair flopped in his eye, his biceps bulging as he uncrossed his arms.
I sucked in a lungful of air, pretending to examine the tapestries being held in place by vines. Roland glanced between us with a smile.
“Are you two betrothed?” he asked.
“No,” we both said at the same time.
“Ivy’s my friend. We’re practically brother and sister.” Pudge patted my shoulder.
My heart sank. His friend? Okay, I could accept that—but his sister? My face turned hot for a second before I realized I was being ridiculous. We were best friends. Just because I felt something for him didn’t mean he returned the sentiment. And when we got back to Gob Hollow, I knew I had to face the Choosing Ceremony. I wondered if Pudge would still choose me.
Soon we stepped into the Great Hall to find Sashine seated at a long table with her council. She stood as we approached.
“Have a seat.” She pointed to three empty chairs across from her.
Pudge pulled my chair out for me, and I plopped down, my eyes falling on the object in the middle of the table.
“This is the arrow we pulled out of your brother—it’s goblin made.”
The accusation in her voice unnerved me. Still, I met her gaze. “We were attacked by some of our own. An ambush set up at our meeting point.”
Worried looks were exchanged between the elves.