Aeden placed her hands on either side of Tedric’s temples. Tedric’s taut body ceased fighting and relaxed instantly, and Finriel sighed with relief.
“Keep him under that spell,” Finriel ordered, and reached her magic out once more.
The work was painfully slow and tedious, the bone moving barely an inch at a time as Finriel maneuvered it through his flesh. She groaned as her magic faltered, and she sucked in a breath as the bone shifted and bumped closer to certain death. It would have to be pulled out right against the artery, unless she sent it in the opposite direction and extracted it from a different location. But that would take too long, and Finriel could already feel her magic starting to waver with each pull and shift she made. Finriel cursed as her hand slipped and dread made her freeze as the bone wobbled and stopped directly upon the artery. The slightest wrong move and it would be over.
“What is it?” Aeden hissed.
Finriel did not dare open her eyes, but instead focused her energy on holding the bone in place as best she could. Her entire body was beginning to feel like lead and she knew that her energy would soon be too depleted to finish extracting the bone.
“It’s touching the artery,” Finriel whispered. “I need you to keep him as still as you possibly can.”
Aeden made a muffled noise in response, and Finriel pulled again. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest with every passing second. She willed her magic to stay as steady as possible, pouring every last ounce of her energy and power into making the bone bypass the artery without severing it.
Finriel’s mind was beginning to fog with fatigue and she strained against it, shaking her head to force it away. She could not afford to be tired, not now. There was not much left to go now …
The bone slid out from beside the artery and broke through skin with a sickening pop. Finriel stumbled onto her backside and blinked her eyes open to find the blood-spattered bone sticking out slightly from his shoulder.
Aeden let out a sigh of relief and a smile bloomed across her lips. “You did it,” she gasped.
Finriel smiled weakly as she took in another gulp of air and let her head fall to the side. Her vision swam and her entire body screamed for rest, but she ignored her body’s demand and pushed herself back up.
“Not quite yet,” she answered.
She reached her hands out and, with a final surge, forced her magic out to maneuver the bone back into its rightful place. Her hands shook terribly but the bone obeyed and moved back into his arm with a sickening sound and found its place within the once shattered bone.
“Okay,” Finriel croaked, “now I did it.”
11
Tedric
The world slowly shifted back into focus as Tedric blinked his eyes open, finding himself in a clearing illuminated by meridiem and a crackling campfire. Stars peeked through thick branches overhead, and the slowly waning moon helped light the night sky. He closed his eyes in an attempt to remember what had happened, until a dull throb in his right arm made him look down and fall back into reality. They had fought the chimera.
Something brushed against his shoulder and Tedric flinched, only to realize that Aeden was kneeling at his side, a damp cloth held in her hand. He simply stared at her meridiem-lit face, shock and confusion swimming through his skull as she watched him with an unreadable expression. Her green eyes slid down his face as she leaned over and gently pressed the cloth against his arm, which was covered in green powder. A waft of familiar rot floated into his nose and he recognized it as the veloria root she had used on his forehead with the shapeshifter.
“Thank you,” Tedric managed to rasp, still watching Aeden’s angular features as she silently cleaned the veloria root from his arm.
The cloth against his skin stung slightly, but it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt during the sleep from which he hadn’t been able to wake. He hoped the torn flesh underneath the compound was healing well. He couldn’t remember what the wound had looked like when the chimera had first stabbed him, but he guessed that it hadn’t been a pretty sight. Aeden simply got to her feet and glanced away as she dropped the damp cloth onto the ground by his head.
“I should get you some water,” she replied in a monotone voice.
She turned abruptly and set off toward Lorian and Krete, who were huddled by the small fire only a few paces away. Sparks crackled from the flame and flew into the air, dancing upon the slight breeze with a swirl of smoke. Tedric watched Aeden bend down to speak to Lorian in a hushed voice and sighed. He shook his head and returned his attention to his arm. He had been so foolish to go underneath the beast like that. He was lucky to even be alive. Aeden returned moments later with Tedric’s water skin clutched in her hand. She silently handed it to him, still not meeting his eyes. Tedric grunted with effort as he reached up with his uninjured arm and gave her a small nod of thanks before he began to drink. Tedric made an effort not to moan with relief as the water filled his mouth. His throat had felt like a dried up stream ever since he had woken, and the feeling of the cold liquid trickling down his throat felt like a gift from the goddesses themselves.
Aeden settled to her knees and reached down to grab the cloth from the ground before continuing to clean off the veloria. Her face was slightly paler than Tedric remembered, her violet hair messy as it escaped from her usual braid in large pieces. She was even more beautiful now that he could examine her closely. Tedric silently cursed himself as unruly thoughts of her full lips tempted to swirl through his mind. The pain from the wound must have messed with his brain for him to think those sorts of things.
“Thank you,” Tedric said again, his voice sounding more even now that his throat was no longer an equivalent to the Crubian desert.
Aeden shook her head as she took a small wooden box from her cloak pocket and opened it, revealing an unfamiliar purple powder.
“Healing your arm was all Finriel’s doing,” she replied softly, and began to press the powder along his arm.
Tedric blinked in surprise and craned his neck to where Finriel’s huddled form sat heavily against a tree by the fire, her body wrapped up tightly in her cloak as she stroked Nora, who was sprawled out beside her. The large hood of Finriel’s cloak shrouded her caramel eyes, so Tedric could not tell if she was simply resting or if the procedure she had performed on him had taken a larger toll.
“She used up a lot of magic saving you,” Aeden continued, and Tedric turned back to look at her. “Your arm was nearly in shreds and the chimera broke your arm in a spot—” She paused for a moment before continuing, “There was a shard of bone lodged very close to an artery. Extracting that bone and mending it without killing you took up most of her energy.”
Tedric frowned. “Finriel must have more magic than most if she was able to manage that.”
Aeden gulped and looked away, and he could tell that she was hiding something from him. He waited for her to speak, and after a moment, she said, “She has battle magic.”
“How?” Tedric breathed in disbelief, and the ground tilted slightly from the sudden knowledge. “We could all be sent to the Nether for treason with that information.”
Aeden shrugged. “She wielded fire against the chimera after you were injured. She will not speak any further about it though, Krete and I have tried.”
Tedric glanced at the witch once more, and found that he felt no animosity toward her. She had saved him, and for that he owed her his life, even if knowledge of her abilities now put all of them in danger.
“How quickly will her magic recover?” Tedric asked.
“It depends on how strong she is.” Aeden shrugged. “But from what I have seen, I think she will be fully recovered by late morning.”
“I need to thank her,” Tedric answered, “but you kept me from feeling most of the pain, and for that I really am grateful.”
Aeden met his gaze, her piercing green eyes sending a shiver down his spine. “I should have done more, but my magic only goes so far as relieving pain and fear,
as well as putting someone into a deep sleep.”
She shrugged, and Tedric found himself placing his good hand on her knee. Aeden tensed at the touch, and Tedric quickly withdrew his hand.
“I likely would have died from the pain alone if you had not done what you did.”
Aeden looked away without an answer and began to withdraw a tightly wrapped ball of cloth from her cloak. Tedric didn’t know why his spirits dropped slightly when she began to wrap the cloth tightly around his arm and shoulder without a response.
“How are you doing, mighty commander?” Lorian asked with a grin as he approached Tedric and Aeden from their small camp.
Tedric managed to smile back and shrugged. Pain sliced through his shoulder and Aeden tightened her grip around the bandage. Tedric cursed loudly, the pain sweeping even through the various poultices and spells.
“I will take that as excellent,” Lorian said, and stopped behind Aeden. “You look terrible.”
“I’m sure that you wouldn’t look much better if you’d been a handshake away from death,” Tedric replied.
Lorian scoffed and took a step closer. “Look at me, I will be handsome even when the Nether greets me with open arms.”
Aeden snorted and their eyes met again. Tedric was the first one to look away this time, the strange feeling in his chest overpowering the brief wave of pain.
“You need to get warm and rest. Can you walk?” Aeden asked.
Tedric nodded. “It’s my shoulder that’s injured, not my legs.”
Lorian came around to help on his other side as Tedric sat up, and the thief and the fairy helped him to stand. The world tilted under his feet and Tedric stumbled backwards a step. Aeden and Lorian steadied him easily and he shook his head. They led him toward the crackling fire and helped him sit on a patch of moss across from Finriel. She didn’t lift her head at their approach, and Tedric could now tell from the steady rise and fall of her chest that she had fallen asleep. Krete was lying beside Nora, his head resting upon her flank as he too slept, his small cap over his eyes.
Lorian settled down next to Tedric and took out a loaf of bread and cheese from the satchel, handing the food to him. “Do you still want to hear my story?”
Tedric ripped a chunk of bread with his teeth and nearly groaned in relief and gratitude for the food. He met Lorian’s gaze and nodded once, a strange curiosity washing over him.
Lorian shrugged. “Once you hear everything, you may think of me differently.”
Tedric snorted. “I’m not so quick to judge. I swear that even if I do think of you differently, I won’t treat you as if I do.”
“Lying is a thief’s move.” Lorian grinned. “I must be rubbing off on you already.”
Tedric chuckled and took another bite of bread and cheese, wincing as his shoulder pinched at the movement. There was a moment of silence, and Tedric almost thought that Lorian might not speak again.
“My mother was an elf and the sister of some conceited elven duke. My father was a human from Notharis, a city near Mitonir.”
“I know of the city.” Tedric nodded. He had visited Notharis for a day after escorting the Red King to a council meeting in Mitonir, the capital of Farrador and home of Arbane, the queen of the elves.
“My parents met on a hunting trip and fell in love instantly,” Lorian continued. “Elves don’t respond well to interracial relationships, so when my mother’s family heard the news that she was in love with a lowly human, she was disowned from the family and banished from Mitonir.”
Tedric watched the emotions wash and wane from Lorian’s face as he told his story, a strange feeling of brotherly protectiveness washing over him as Lorian spoke.
“My mother gave birth to me three years later, and we lived a poor but relatively good life. I met Finriel there and we became fast friends. We would spend every moment together and we thought that we were inseparable.” Lorian paused and took in a deep breath before continuing, “Something terrible happened to her ten years ago, when she was ten and I was eleven. I couldn’t help her, even though it was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I was captured by a band of thieves shortly after and never saw her again.”
“Until now,” Tedric murmured.
Lorian nodded. “Until now, and she thinks that I left her because I didn’t care if she died. It’s far from the truth, but it’s the only story that she’ll believe.”
A lance of sorrow for the thief hit Tedric in the chest and he reached up his uninjured arm to pat Lorian on the shoulder.
“So you became the worst thief to ever exist and found yourself in the dungeons of Crimson City before being put on this mysterious journey,” Tedric said in an attempt to lift Lorian’s mood.
Lorian gave him a weak smile and nodded. There was a moment of silence, and Tedric jumped when Lorian spoke again. “Tell me, why did you suggest me to the Red King for this quest?”
Tedric raised his brows in surprise and answered easily. “I saw your expression when my men and I captured you in the throne room. You didn’t want to carry out the job, and you certainly did not want to steal the bloodstone.”
“No sane man would,” Lorian replied with a grin, and Tedric returned the smile before continuing.
“I was brought to a private meeting when the outbreak of the beasts occurred in Proveria, as one of the riders from the night watch had come to the king with the three pages. The Red King immediately requested that I find two capable bodies for the quest, and my first thought was of you.” Tedric paused and ran the hand of his uninjured arm through his sweat-dampened hair. “I knew that you had the face of a man who wanted to do better than what he was given, and I knew I had to give you the opportunity.”
“How kind of you,” Lorian replied, but Tedric could sense sincerity behind his sarcastic comment.
“I’ve been given very little in life,” Tedric murmured, and flicked his eyes to Aeden’s form upon the ground, but her closed eyes and even breathing made it clear she too was asleep. He sighed. “I will always pray for people to be presented with opportunities to help them become great, and so I tried to do that for you.”
Silence filled the air and Tedric pondered Lorian’s story. He was a halfbreed and a thief, and yet one of the best men that Tedric had ever met.
Tedric sighed and shook his head. “We all have our wounds and stories that shape us. It’s not about forgetting those stories, but reshaping them into a lesson instead of a burden.”
Lorian chuckled, “I never expected for such a wise man to be hidden beneath all of that muscle.”
Tedric smiled. “You barely know me, but you will soon come to realize that I’m more than just a simple soldier.”
12
Finriel
Nine days passed in a daze of walking slowly and resting frequently. Tedric’s shoulder had healed considerably, but Finriel was adamant about him going easy on it. She didn’t want her difficult work to be ruined by any foolish movements.
Sweat trickled down Finriel’s neck as they maneuvered through a quick moving stream, the large black rocks giving her some stability as she led the way across. The water was surprisingly warm and she was able to bite back a surge of panic as the phantom grip of hands around her neck faded. Grunts and panting sounded behind her, and Finriel took a final step through the quick water before she was on dry land, the stream their marker of leaving Millris Forest. A large expanse of pale open land greeted them now, and a dry breeze blew strands of hair around her face.
Finriel turned and ignored the heavy weight of her wet boots as she watched Aeden deftly pick her way across the stream, followed by Tedric, Lorian, and Krete at the end of the line. Nora paced along the edge of the stream, a loud meow of indignation coming from her maw and making Finriel roll her eyes in exasperation.
“Come on, don’t be a baby,” Finriel called to Nora, who meowed once more.
Nora paused, resting her weight upon powerful hind legs before she sprang forward, leaping cleanly across the wide stream and l
anding with a puff of dust at Finriel’s side.
“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Finriel said, and scratched Nora behind the ear.
The mogwa closed her eyes at Finriel’s touch and a loud purr emanated from her throat.
“She’s as impressive as they say,” Aeden commented as she stepped onto dry land, her boots squelching as she waddled to Finriel.
“They are creatures of hunt.” Finriel shrugged.
“How did you find her?” Aeden asked, and Finriel met her eyes.
“I left Keadora to live in Farrador with my ward when I was six years old,” Finriel began. “The day before we arrived in Notharis, we came across a small village. There were shouts and crashes coming from one of the homes and I went to see what was happening. After slipping out of my ward’s grip and running into the stranger’s home, I found a small grey creature darting around the house, destroying every last corner.”
A smile found its way to Finriel’s lips as she recounted the story, the image of Nora as a small kitten still vibrant in her mind. “I managed to use my magic to catch her attention, and within moments, Nora was sleeping upon my lap. She was barely three months old at the time, mind you, so she was about the size of a fully grown house cat.”
“Did you steal her?” Aeden asked, her tone curious.
“No.” Finriel laughed, and turned her attention to watch the three men scramble and curse their way across the remaining few steps of the stream. “The villager gave her to me within seconds of Nora calming. He explained that he had bought her from a traveler in Mitonir, but he hadn’t realized that the traveler had brought her from Naebatis.”
Aeden shivered. “Travelers have always made me uncomfortable.”
“You’ve met a traveler?” Tedric asked from where he now stood at Aeden’s side.
Of Liars and Thieves Page 12