by Reilyn Hardy
“So you left her.”
He nodded. “I left her. I came back here and I hid all that I wanted to forget. I was on my own.”
That was when he must have come to Newacre and I met the boy on the other side of the fence. If it wasn’t for Rhiannon, that would have never happened. He’d be dead.
“We have to keep her alive, Jace.” I said as I handed him back the picture. “Until we figure out how to get her out of there.”
“How?” He stuffed it into his front pocket. “You can’t go out there by yourself, Mae, and if I go near her, it’ll look suspicious. Who knows how many other vampires are around. I can’t do that to her.”
“I’ll do it.”
A voice came from behind and startled us both.
“You know, just because you’re part elf doesn’t mean you can just sneak up on people!” Jace snarled at her.
“Actually, it kind of does,” Miko said with a shrug at the doorway before taking a step in.
“How long have you been there?” he asked.
“Long enough to know you’re not as much of a jerk as I thought you were. It’s kind of cute, a vampire and a werewolf. Strange, but still charming, in its own way.”
“This isn’t a love story, Miko. I’m not in love with her.”
“Right, because if it were, it’d be a tragic one and that means one of you would die in the end, right? Can’t have that.”
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Because of your friend here,” she said and turned to me. She stepped toward me as she dug into her bag. Miko handed me the dragon book and the sack of Thirondel charms. “I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted,” Jace cut in before I could even open my mouth.
“Thirondel charms are worth a lot in the trade and I thought I — it doesn’t matter. Just let me help. Please.”
Tucking the book underneath my arm, I reached into the sack for a handful of Thirondel charms.
I offered it to her.
“Take it,” I said. She stared at my hand for a few seconds and then shook her head. Miko pushed my hand away from her.
“Let me earn it.”
The corner of my mouth tugged into a slight smile and I nodded. I was surprised by her, and glad at the same time. I dropped them back into the sack and put both in my bag.
She took a step back from me and studied the both of us.
“So, what is it you need me to do?” She asked. Jace didn’t hesitate. He took out my dagger and grabbed her wrist, flattening out her palm.
“Stop! I’ll do it,” I said, stepping between them. I held my hand out for him to give me the dagger. His eyes moved from her to me, and he looked at her again before handing it to me reluctantly. I took a deep breath and sliced my palm.
I tried not to wince… I did anyway.
“You’re going to give her my blood,” I said. “Just enough to keep her sustained.”
“Are you sure she’ll help?” Miko asked, she crossed her arms, keeping her hand tucked away from Jace.
“It doesn’t matter if she will. She isn’t dying in there,” Jace said. “Maybe she and I don’t see eye to eye now, but I’m not letting her die. Not after everything.”
Miko looked at me and raised her eyebrows. A small smirk appeared on her face, and I just shook my head. It was obvious to the two of us, but it was something he had to come to terms with on his own.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
harvest moon
Miko gave Rhiannon a few ounces of my blood every few days. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to help and keep her from desiccating completely.
With Nerwenye’s help, we moved out of the inn unnoticed and spent more time in Jace’s old home in Thealey. I could tell he didn’t enjoy being there but we both knew that was where we were safest.
Sometimes when I went downstairs for a drink of water in the middle of the night, I’d see him standing over photos, and clutching material in his hands. I was sure he knew I was there, the floorboards creak and it wasn’t easy to be quiet considering I wasn’t an elf, but he never said anything and I knew better than to disturb him.
Seeing him like that made me think about my dad, my brother, and even David. Returning back to our home in Valfield would tear me apart too — or the home my brother and I had with our dad in Merrowley. I couldn’t imagine what that was like for him. I just went back upstairs. I could tell when he wanted to be left alone.
* * * * *
Weeks passed, months.
Jace suggested that I don’t leave the house alone in case someone else tried to attack. I didn’t argue. I didn’t want to chance it either and I had no desire to go outside. Summer came, and it was already fading. Though here in Thealey, it never felt like it had come at all. The sky didn’t change, neither did the temperature. It was still cool, it was still dark. It might not be a vampiric town anymore, but it was still the perfect place for them.
He was still sullen, mostly at night. In the morning he always returned back to his cheerful, easygoing demeanor, even giving me some of his older brother’s old clothes to wear. Some days, he didn’t even bother arguing with Miko.
But we had made no progress. We were still nowhere closer to freeing Rhiannon than we were when we first got there. Miko said that the two of them didn’t talk even when she’d try to strike up a conversation about anything. Rhiannon just ignored her.
She wouldn’t say anything, about anything.
I was starting to run out of money Weylan had given me and the Harvest Moon was right around the corner. A couple of kymenes and a handful of glitios wasn’t going to get us much. Jace was muttering something about the equinoxes and solstices but he did it so quietly I had trouble listening to what he was saying. Every time I asked, he’d tell me it was nothing. It was obviously something or he wouldn’t keep talking about it.
* * * * *
I sat on the couch with my feet pulled up and my arms wrapped around my legs. My chin was resting on my knee and I was trying to figure out what to do. I started counting the wooden boards of the wall before picking at my bandaged hand which was still freshly wounded from squeezing out blood earlier that morning. I looked at Jace, who would flinch every time he moved. He had been moving slower, and he was always wearing long sleeved shirts. I didn’t really notice till I spotted blood on his side.
I jumped out of my seat while he sank back into his chair.
“You’re not healing?” I asked. He didn’t look at me.
“He was an old vampire. It just takes longer.”
“Jace, it’s been months!”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. He inhaled sharply and pressed his palm against his side. “I’m fine,” he said again. I didn’t believe him. According to him, he was fine when he was turning into soup. Of course he wouldn’t make a big deal out of this.
“They’re going to kill her soon, Jace.” I sank back into the couch. “They’re going to sacrifice her, all for some stupid belief that it’ll shine upon a pathway to Glass —”
“Pathway,” He repeated after me, like he had an epiphany.
I frowned. “What?”
“The Harvest Moon will shine upon a pathway, but it doesn’t go to Glasskeep, and you don’t need to sacrifice a vampire.”
“What?” I said again, I had no idea what he was even talking about.
But he left without answering me. He was out of the house before my mind could even process what happened. I scrambled to follow him and I stopped in the doorway. It was dark out, and I was still a little traumatized from nearly being vampire food but I stepped out onto the stairs. I was following him.
I followed him all the way back to the pub. I had been away from it for so long that it was unusual to be back. People were surprised to see us, I think by now, most of them thought we left. That was the idea, so any lingering vampires would have thought we left too.
I wondered, for only a second, why none of them had tried to rescue Rhiannon, but then I remembered what Jace ha
d told me about what she had done. Maybe they didn’t want to rescue her at all.
Maybe they believed she deserved what she was getting for looking out for a werewolf.
Jace made his way right over to Tobo and if I overheard correctly, he was talking with his goons about the Harvest Moon coming up.
“— her death will guide us to the lost kingdom of Glasskeep —”
“So that’s why you haven’t killed her yet?” Jace scoffed loudly as he interrupted Tobo. “Well, you can give up that dream.”
“Jace, what are you doing —”
“Shhh, Mae.” He waved his hand at me.
“What did you say, boy?” Tobo roared as he got off his stool, tightening his meaty fists at his sides. Jace remained where he was.
“Only a chronomancer descendant would be able to find Glasskeep. Everyone knows that. You’re wasting your time unless you’ve got one of those in your —” Jace looked around at the people that had crowded both him and Tobo now, “— band of bandits.”
“Jace —” I tried again, still he ignored me.
“Killing her —” he pointed to the large window, acknowledging Rhiannon, “— during the Harvest Moon will only be a waste of a perfectly good creature of night.”
“Where’s this going?” Tobo asked, his voice was demanding.
I wondered the same thing.
“You know a creature of night can get you to the Iron Realm of Mithlonde, right? The land of the dragons?”
“I know what the iron realm is,” he snapped.
“Then you must also know how valuable dragon’s blood is,” Miko chimed in from the counter. “Its healing properties? Imagine how much that could go for. You could save lives, gain unbelievable wealth.”
Tobo raised his eyebrows as he looked between Miko and Jace.
“Go on.”
“You have part of it correct. The Harvest Moon, a shining light on a pathway, but it’s to the Iron Realm, not Glasskeep. She can lead you to the land of the dragons, and the light of the Harvest Moon will shine upon the path.”
Tobo took a step closer to Jace, still he didn’t back down. He stood his ground against the robust man. He didn’t even flinch as Tobo got closer. He wasn’t intimidated at all.
“Why are you telling us this? What is it you want out of this, werewolf?”
He glanced at me for a quick second and returned his focus back onto Tobo.
“We want to come with. We want to see the dragons — but I can’t exactly get a creature of the night to work with me. You know, being a werewolf and all. Me and my friend, we have this bet, you see. He doesn’t think it’s real. You know, all of the stories, how could the Grim Reaper possibly move the entire land of the dragons? I just want to prove it to him.”
Jace snaked his arm across the back of my neck and dropped his hand over my shoulder. I knew what he was doing. Since we couldn’t get Rhiannon out ourselves, he was trying to convince Tobo to take her instead.
Good plan.
“How do we know this isn’t some kind of trap?”
“Why would we want to come with you if we were trying to trick you?” I asked.
“You —” Tobo took a step toward me then, and Jace shifted slightly in front of me. “Is that why you were out there? Talking to her?”
No, but we could go with that.
I nodded quickly.
“I was just asking her about it. I think maybe the vampires don’t want us to go there,” I lied. “I mean, I was attacked right after.”
“Where are ya’ll from?” One of the patrons asked. We exchanged glances. I was unsure what to say considering the reaction we got in Nevressea. Jace seemed to feel the same way.
“It doesn’t matter where we’re from,” he said finally as he turned back to Tobo. “Look, if we’re wrong, you can kill her later — and you can kill us too.”
“Jace!”
My sudden outburst made Tobo grin. It only made me feel even more uneasy than I already did — seeing his rotting, yellow teeth of his toothy smile.
He turned back to his patrons of the pub.
“When we get to the Iron Realm of Mithlonde, I’m going to gut King Solomon himself. Go home,” he instructed. “Get what you need. We’ll leave at dusk.”
I flinched and the patrons began to disperse.
“Do you really have to kill him?” I asked Tobo once he was done with his announcement. Jace and I weren’t that short, but Tobo was a large man and he towered over us.
“Well, that’s how you get dragon’s blood, kid. You gut the dragon.”
He made a gutting motion with his fist and left.
“Does he seem part ogre to you?” Jace asked once Tobo was no longer in earshot. I turned to see him rubbing his nose. “Certainly smells like it, don’t he.” He started waving around the air with his hand as he fanned the area. But I didn’t smell anything particularly unusual. I could rarely smell what he smelled. I didn’t even try anymore.
“What was all that about?” I asked.
“She used to tell me stories — they weren’t exactly bedtime stories but she tried. I remembered one of them being about a pathway that opens under the light of the moon and she spoke of dragons.”
“And it’s the Harvest Moon? You’re sure?”
He smiled sheepishly.
“I think.”
“Jace!”
“Look, it’s better than nothing, okay? We were running out of time.” He shrugged. “I had to do something.”
He was right about that. We needed more time.
* * * * *
We left the pub after we spotted Tobo making his way to the town square, and to Rhiannon’s cage, which sat in the very center. She was sitting up in the middle, keeping her distance from all sides, even as we approached. With Tobo near, she didn’t appear to have any desire to go near any of the iron bars and remained where she sat on her shins.
“Look at you, still all bright eyed and bushy tailed,” Tobo mocked. But he was right, she didn’t look too bad anymore, drinking my blood. She looked at me.
I’m sorry I haven’t come around.
She didn’t respond.
Rhiannon looked back at Tobo instead, she was waiting to know what he wanted.
“Are they telling me the truth? The Harvest Moon opens the pathway to the Iron Realm of Mithlonde — and you can bring us to it?”
“I’d rather die.”
“I got news for you, sweetheart. You’re already dead,” he spat at her. Jace tensed, clenching his fists. Tobo didn’t notice. I don’t think anyone did but me. “If you don’t lead us to the land of the dragons, I’ll make sure you burn.”
She hissed at him, baring her fangs before she glared at Jace and I — if her looks could kill — I’d be dead where I stood.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I mumbled to Jace, quietly under my breath.
“Nope,” he whispered back. “But she’s mad and that means I was right. It is the Harvest Moon.”
I swept my eyes over to Rhiannon.
I’m sorry.
She looked up at me, her voice flooded my mind.
‘You will be.’
Initially, I was taken aback by her words, but they made sense as soon as I found out where exactly this pathway was.
It was in the Whispering Woods.
Even Jace looked concerned and suddenly this wasn’t such a great plan after all.
Just after Tobo left, Jace fell against the iron bars.
Rhiannon showed a flicker of brief concern, but let it fade as quickly as it had risen to the surface on her face. Jace pressed his hand to his side and she turned away from him.
“Something wrong?” She asked.
Only he wasn’t paying attention to her. Jace gripped one of the iron bars to steady himself and pulled up his shirt to look at his body. The skin around his wound had blackened, and it still bled excessively with no signs of stopping. Blood ran down his body, and the front side of his pants was stained red.
&nb
sp; “Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?” Rhiannon mocked. Jace just rolled his eyes and started unraveling his shirt back down.
He was about to let go of the bar when she grabbed his wrist. She pulled his arm through the bars and reached below his shirt to touch his side.
“You were always so stubborn. Stop being childish,” she said.
Her hand disappeared beneath his shirt while the hem of it rested upon her arm. Jace twisted his wrist from her grasp and moved away from her.
“I’m not the one being childish,” he snapped.
* * * * *
We went back to his old home and got ready to go into the Whispering Woods. Miko joined us briefly to grab her jacket but she didn’t linger. She didn’t want Tobo to catch her with us.
I went outside and picked a few apples from the tree. I hadn’t had any fruit in a while, and I was getting sick of the fried food from Rubies & Speared Boar that Miko would bring to us. By the time I went back in, Jace was lifting his shirt again to look at his body. It was completely healed now. He grumbled something about hating Rhiannon, but we both knew that was a lie.
He didn’t hate her, not one part of him hated her. I didn’t know how long it would take until he let himself accept that. I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t my place to. I didn’t know of the relationship they had with one another, not really anyway, aside from what they told me, and they both told me very different things.
When we returned to the town square, Rhiannon’s cage was fastened to a wooden wagon. She kept her eyes on me and I got the strangest feeling. Something bad was going to happen and just like she said, I’d be sorry.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
the whispering woods
The Whispering Woods was a forest no one would venture into willingly unless you were a creature of the night. Grown by the Reaper himself, it was North of Thealey, just on the outskirts, and it greeted us with it’s gray, scratchy trees that towered overhead. Strange but subtle hisses came from the cluster and they were rightfully named, because the sound gave off the impression that the woods were whispering. I hated it.