Venom

by Bex Hogan

  He’s about to say something when another voice cuts across the night air, this time one I do recognise.

  ‘No. You let her go.’

  I’ve never been so pleased to see Rayvn, even if the only reason I can think of for her being here is that she’s been spying on me during my patrols.

  The four of us remain frozen in a peculiar tableau, all blades and spears raised.

  ‘We just want to talk,’ Jax says eventually, raising his hands in surrender.

  ‘Then why did you attack me?’

  ‘Your reputation precedes you, Viper,’ the man behind me says, and my skin prickles. They really do know who I am.

  It’s not like I’m actually going to hurt Grace’s brother, so I decide to make the first move and lift the blade away from Jax’s neck. Once I’ve done so, the dagger quickly disappears from my neck and eventually Rayvn reluctantly lowers her spear.

  I step away to stand nearer Rayvn, and eye the Guardians warily. ‘All right then, talk.’

  The man beside Jax pulls his mask down, and instantly my goodwill vanishes. The last time I saw this man he was at my wedding, a stranger lurking in the shadows. My main link to the man who nearly killed Torin.

  I launch myself at him, and so unexpected is my attack that he’s knocked to the floor. The only reason I don’t seriously hurt him is because both Rayvn and Jax are there in seconds, pulling me off him, shouting for me to calm down. They hold my arms still while the man gets to his feet, wiping the blood away from his lip where I managed to land at least one good blow.

  ‘You recognise me then.’

  I can’t believe it. He’s smiling.

  ‘You’re a dead man, but if you give me the name of your accomplice, then I might consider killing you swiftly.’

  His smile falters. ‘What? Who are you talking about?’

  ‘The man who tried to kill Torin. He was yours, yes?’

  Now the smile is entirely gone. ‘No.’ Like Jax moments ago, he too raises his hands as a sign of no harm intended. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t know the Prince was attacked.’

  ‘Liar.’

  He shakes his head. ‘I’m not lying. My name is Mordecai. I’m a Guardian of the Royal Bloodline. I came to your wedding simply because there were rumours that the remaining survivor we’d been searching for was still alive, and was the Viper no less. Once I’d seen you, I knew our search was over, and came home to report to my superiors.’

  I have no reason to trust him, and yet the sincerity of his words is clear. Though I really don’t want to, I believe him. Grudgingly.

  ‘So how did you know I was here?’

  It’s Jax who answers. ‘Our advisor felt a shift in the air. He sent us.’

  That has my attention. ‘Your advisor?’ There’s only one kind of person who could detect such a thing, and my thoughts leap instantly to Esther. ‘A Mage?’

  Jax hesitates. ‘Perhaps these are conversations best left for the journey?’

  I frown. Since the moment I recognised Jax, I knew that my stay with my family, with the mares was over, that my duty had come to reclaim me, and yet his assumption rankles me. ‘What journey?’

  ‘Why, to the Twelfth Isle, of course,’ Mordecai says. ‘It’s time to take you home.’

  Olwyn throws extra logs on to the fire, but no heat they provide can warm the cold atmosphere in the hut.

  Jax and Mordecai, now standing in the small room, haven’t been afforded the same welcome I received. Rayvn woke her sisters and Mama, knowing they needed to be part of this conversation, and Pip was sent out for the first time since her injury to resume the patrol. The rest of us are now settling to a discussion I fear won’t end happily.

  ‘So you really had nothing to do with the attack on Torin?’ I know they want to talk about my future, about taking me away from this hallowed place, but right now I want assurances. And Mordecai has to answer some questions before I’m going anywhere with him.

  ‘I swear to you, I know nothing about it. I travelled East alone, witnessed your marriage, and once I was certain of your true identity, left to return here. After I threw off that man you had follow me.’

  I bristle at the thought of anyone describing Bronn as ‘that man’, even as my heart aches to think of him at all. ‘Yes, and how exactly did you manage such a feat?’

  ‘I have exceptional skills.’ Mordecai is all smiles.

  Jax rolls his eyes. ‘He had an enchantment from our Mage, to make him invisible from any pursuit.’

  Mordecai nudges his arm, but Jax only shrugs.

  ‘It’s not like I needed it. Even without it I would have got away,’ Mordecai says a little more defensively than is needed.

  ‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ I fold my arms and stare at him, hating him for using magic against Bronn and making him doubt himself.

  Jax seems less inclined to annoy me and shoots his companion a look to shut him up. ‘I am sorry to hear about what happened to your husband. But what made you think Mordecai was involved?’

  ‘Because from the moment I saw him at my wedding, he stood out as trouble. I knew he wasn’t there to celebrate. That’s why I sent –’ I stumble, not wanting to say Bronn’s name out loud here as if somehow that would make all that happened between us more real – ‘that’s why I sent someone after him, to find out his intentions. Meanwhile the assassin came for Torin. And he was skilled, far more than any mercenary. Two strangers seemed too much of a coincidence, so I assumed you were working together.’

  ‘Well, if he was skilled, I can see why you’d think of me,’ Mordecai says and everyone stares at him. ‘What?’

  ‘Someone tried to murder her husband,’ Jax says. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t speak for a while.’ He turns to me apologetically. ‘Forgive my friend, he’s an insensitive, arrogant ass, but his heart’s in the right place.’

  ‘And what place might that be?’ Mama’s voice is dripping with suspicion. ‘What is it you young men want with our Marianne?’

  ‘She is our queen,’ Mordecai says, serious now. ‘We’ve devoted our lives to finding her so that she can be restored to her throne. It’s time for Marianne to return home.’

  ‘She is home.’ Rayvn’s defence is unexpected and from the look on Mama and Olwyn’s faces, they share my surprise. If Rayvn notices, she ignores us. ‘This is her home.’

  ‘With respect, her place is at the palace.’

  ‘With respect,’ Olwyn says curtly, ‘this isn’t your decision to make.’ She rests her hand gently on Rayvn’s arm. ‘Or ours.’ She turns to me, not quite managing to hide her sadness. ‘What do you want, Marianne?’

  Dear Olwyn, always brushing her own desires aside to do what’s right. I’m so grateful for her asking. I only wish I had an answer.

  ‘Who is your advisor?’ I ask Jax rather than Mordecai. I still can’t bring myself to trust him entirely. Or like him. ‘Are they a Mage?’

  Jax glances at Mordecai who gives a subtle nod. ‘Yes, we have a Mage working with us,’ he admits. ‘It was him who sensed your presence once more.’

  Simultaneously my heart falls and rises. It’s not Esther then, and the mystery of her whereabouts continues to worry me. But also, there is another Mage, waiting to meet me, who could teach me everything I need to know. I hadn’t dared hope there were others.

  Then it dawns on me exactly what he just said. ‘What do you mean “once more”?’

  ‘You’ve been here before, yes?’ When I nod Jax continues. ‘He sensed it then, which is why Mordecai went east to find you. Believe me when I say we mean you no harm. We’ve sworn to protect you.’

  He holds my gaze and I see him silently begging me to come with them. I can tell he has many questions for me about Grace and my heart aches just thinking of how I’m going to crush his hopes. He doesn’t know it yet, but any reunion they could have had was stolen by the same man who stole my life from me.

  Of course I’m going with them. Once I learned of the Mage, there was never
any question. There’s nothing more I can do for Pip now; her recovery will continue perfectly without me, and going to the Twelfth Isle is better than aimlessly searching this island for Esther. This Mage of theirs may be able to instruct me in magic, and the Guardians may be willing to help me fight back in the East. It’s my best chance of returning to the islands, to Torin, before it’s too late.

  I move to crouch beside Mama, and take her hand in mine. ‘I have to go with them,’ I say, not wanting to hurt the old woman. ‘I need to try to save the East, to save my friends.’

  Mama pulls my hand to her lips and presses it there tightly. ‘I know you do,’ she says, her voice trembling with emotion.

  ‘I know I said I’d stay until Pip was fully recovered—’

  ‘The child is going to be fine. You saw to that. It is right that you go.’

  ‘I’ll come back,’ I say, meaning every word. ‘I won’t be gone for ever.’

  The smile she gives is so sad it breaks my heart. ‘You’ll be gone long enough.’

  ‘Will you be safe?’ Olwyn says, her eyes flicking coldly towards Mordecai and Jax.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry, she’s more than a match for those two,’ Rayvn says with her trademark reluctant admiration.

  ‘In fairness we weren’t trying that hard.’ Mordecai sounds offended.

  ‘You didn’t need to fight me at all,’ I say, pointing out the obvious.

  ‘Actually, you started it,’ Jax says. ‘I was just defending myself.’

  I’m about to object, but then I wonder. Was I so quick to attack first that I misjudged the situation? ‘I thought you were here to hurt the horses.’ I’m not going to apologise to them.

  ‘Just like a Snake – hot-headed.’ Mordecai says it with a smile, but it still annoys me. They may be my Guardians, sworn to protect me, but they know nothing about me, or who I am.

  Olwyn ignores him too, pulling me into a tight embrace. ‘I will miss you,’ she says softly.

  ‘You too.’ And I hold her even closer before releasing her.

  There’s an awkward moment where Rayvn and I regard each other, wondering if enough has happened in the last few minutes to thaw the frost in our relationship, but we’re interrupted before either of us can decide.

  ‘You girls should go with her.’ Mama’s words are so quiet I almost miss them at first. She’s reaching her hands out, and her granddaughters take them. ‘You two were not made for the mountains,’ she says, though the words clearly pain her. ‘I believe Marianne came here to take you away as much as anything else.’

  Olwyn and Rayvn look at me, their mouths slightly parted, a shared conflict obvious to anyone.

  ‘We can’t leave you, Mama,’ Olwyn says.

  ‘I’ll still have Pipit,’ she says. ‘That child was born to this life, she lives and breathes it. And she’s strong enough now to resume her duties. But you two have never truly been happy here, and though I love you for trying I wouldn’t be doing my duty as your grandmother if I didn’t release you from your obligation and set you free.’

  They are both frozen, seemingly reluctant to seize the opportunity for fear of what they’d leave behind.

  Though it’s far from my place to interfere in this family’s business, I sense Mama’s desire for me to speak up. Because I agree with her. They should come with me – I want them with me. And so strong is their sense of duty that without a little encouragement, neither will be willing to leave.

  ‘Nothing is for ever,’ I say, echoing Mama’s words to me and gently urging them to take this chance. ‘You can return home whenever you want.’ Though my instincts tell me their roads lead far from this place, to new and dangerous adventures.

  Olwyn and Rayvn look at each other, silently communicating, a sisterly conversation comprehensible to no one else. Eventually Rayvn smiles and Olwyn reaches to hold Mama once more.

  ‘Are you sure?’ she asks.

  Mama’s cloudy eyes blink tears away. ‘I don’t need sight to see that both of you are ready to leave. It’s time, my dears. It’s time.’

  Rayvn goes outside to fetch Pip and what follows is an emotional blur of packing, tears and farewells.

  When it’s my turn to say goodbye to Pip, I lift her chin up and force her big, scared eyes to meet mine. ‘Are you going to be OK?’ I keep my voice low, so no one else can hear us.

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘They’ll come back to see you,’ I say, hoping to encourage her. ‘And maybe one day you can join us?’

  But Pip is shaking her head. ‘No, you don’t understand. I will miss them, of course, but that’s not what I’m worried about. Without them there’s only me to protect the mares.’ She pauses, her fear clear for me to see. ‘What if I’m not good enough?’

  I squat down so our eyes are at the same level and I fix my most earnest gaze on her. ‘You are more than good enough, Pip. Never doubt it. That night with the ice lions? You stood and defended those horses with your life and you would have succeeded if we hadn’t interfered. You are kind, you are loving and you are brave. Believe in yourself, like we all believe in you.’

  She nods and then leans over for one last embrace. ‘Come back one day,’ she whispers in my ear.

  ‘I will, I promise.’ And I mean it with every fibre of my being.

  Mordecai and Jax patiently wait until we’re ready to go, and though I wonder at one point if we’ll ever tear Olwyn away from Mama, Rayvn is desperate to leave now she has permission. I look at her, fierce and wild, and think, not for the first time, how well suited she’d be to life at sea. On the Maiden. I turn away, not wanting to think of my ship, and more specifically the people sailing her.

  Finally, when there are no more tears to be shed and no more words to be said, we head off into the early hours of the morning, with a backward glance from Olwyn and me, and none from Rayvn.

  Fresh snow has fallen since we came inside, and the ground crunches satisfyingly beneath our feet. Mordecai and Rayvn lead the way, with Olwyn directly behind. I walk between her and Jax, who is bringing up the rear of our little party. It’s only as we reach the treeline that I hear the whinny. We all turn our heads to the left to see the dominant mare trotting towards us.

  She’s come to say goodbye.

  No one else in the group moves, Jax and Mordecai visibly transfixed by the beauty of the mare, but I step forward, knowing she’s here for me. I press my hand to her muzzle and she brushes it with her lips as we rest our foreheads together, breathing in each other’s air.

  ‘Thank you,’ I whisper. ‘For finding me.’

  The horse nuzzles me in response.

  ‘I’ll come back,’ I say, scratching her chin. ‘But look after Pip and Mama, won’t you? They’re very special to me.’

  I pat her soft neck, buried beneath the tangle of mane, and kiss her lightly on the nose before I turn back towards my friends. They’re all giving me that strange look that makes me uncomfortable – the look of awe and admiration. If they really knew me, not one of them would feel that way.

  We continue our journey, starting the difficult trek down the mountain. The sun is rising now and the light washing the terrain is almost purple in colour. It’s far more welcoming than the weather was when I climbed up this way and for that I’m incredibly grateful.

  The direction Mordecai is taking us isn’t the same as the way I came; we’re heading further north, presumably to where their boat is anchored. To start with the ground is treacherous with loose stones, but eventually the incline reduces and something akin to a path emerges, and when it does I drop back a little to fall alongside Jax. As we’ve been walking I’ve sensed his desire to talk to me, to ask questions, and I decide to put him out of his misery. I can’t bear to make him wait any longer.

  We walk a few strides together before he speaks.

  ‘So you know my sister.’ He doesn’t ask, just states the obvious.

  ‘Yes, I knew Grace.’

  Jax tilts his head towards me, his eyes filled with res
igned sorrow. ‘Knew?’

  I rest my hand on his shoulder. I can tell he’s known for a while that I had nothing good to tell him, my silence speaking the words for me. But now he wants explanations.

  ‘She was my family, the closest thing I’ll ever have to a sister,’ I say, wishing my throat would stop retracting whenever I mention her. I take a deep breath. ‘She was murdered by the man who raised me. I’m sorry.’

  Jax’s eyes glisten, but no tears fall. ‘I thought as much. I’ve felt no connection to her for a long time, and feared …’ He stops, his voice now tight with emotion. ‘But when you saw me, recognised me … well, I hoped …’

  He turns his head away from me now and I reach for his hand, though I barely know him. But he’s Grace’s twin and we share the loss.

  ‘Tell me what happened.’ He still doesn’t look at me, which makes it easier. Because it isn’t a short story and I want to do Grace’s life justice. So I tell Jax how Grace saved me, so many times over – how she took me from being a scared little girl afraid of her own shadow and trained me into a warrior. How she taught me to stand up for what was right. How she loved me simply for myself. I explain how she came to live on the Maiden, and how, once she realised who I was, she stayed to raise and protect me. I tell him everything about Captain Adler and how he put a bullet through Grace’s beautiful head without a second thought. That her body rests on this very island.

  By the time I finish the story both Jax and I have shed a few tears. The rest of our group have distanced themselves from us, understanding our conversation is private, though I know I’ll need to share it with them in the fullness of time.

  ‘She was successful then,’ Jax says finally, once he’s collected himself. ‘The first of the Guardians to find the true heir to the bloodline.’ He sounds proud, before his confusion breaks through. ‘So why didn’t she want us to find you?’

  I hesitate. ‘Grace was afraid you’d force me to take the throne, and we both knew that wasn’t what I wanted.’

  Jax looks sharply at me. ‘You don’t want the throne?’

  ‘No.’ There’s no point lying about it. ‘I’ve never wanted power or control. I would be a terrible ruler.’