by Amy Miles
“Tris, in all seriousness…I can’t move in these.” I demonstrated a very stiff walk towards her then back to my spot.
“Aye, but Taryn will appreciate the view.”
I blushed despite my best effort not to.
“It will be okay. The pants will loosen as you wear them. As leather warms against your skin, it expands. After a few minutes, they’ll feel like gloves, moldin’ to every curve of your body.”
“Fine,” I said, walking around to warm them up. “Is there a piece missing? All I have is a vest left.”
Tris ripped her eyes off Seamus to focus on me. “Don’t forget these.” She handed each of us a pair of leather gauntlets that ran from our wrists to the elbows, leaving our biceps bare.
“So no undershirt.” I sighed.
“Your upper body needs to be free of friction. Reapers are warriors. They can’t have garments gettin’ in the way when they fight a lorcan.”
“I think we look kind of badass,” Seamus said, flexing his muscles.
I was prepared to comment about how he was feeling better when he suddenly lost his balance.
“Seamus!” Tris cried, rushing to his side. She helped him over to the bed.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, joining him.
She felt his head.
“His fever is returnin’. As I told ya it would.” Tris set him down on her bed and then dug around in her bag for more of the poultice.
“I don’t feel good,” he said, lying down on the bed.
“I knew ya wouldn’t. Okay, let’s get this back under control,” she said, applying more of the herbs to his shoulder. “As soon as the spots leave your vision, we head to the boats. We don’t have much time now. The withdrawals want to happen and there’s not much I can do from here without that root.”
She slathered the green mush against his arm and rebandaged it. “Get yourself ready. We’ll be headin’ for the merchant ship within the hour.”
I gave her a nod. This was happening. This time tomorrow, I was finally going to see Taryn, and Seamus would be free of the lorcan poison.
Chapter 10
Taryn
As the bells tolled the midnight hour, Eivin, Aed, Alana, and I snuck back out of the dress shop. No one was visible on Odran’s streets, but still, we remained under the cover of our hoods. Just in case. We didn’t want anyone to recognize us and risk telling his parents we’d snuck out or they’d likely put us both under guard.
Eivin led us past a row of darkened shop windows. A horse neighed nearby, drawing my attention behind us.
“This way,” Eivin called to adjust my course. “That path leads to the Commons. There are too many homes that way. The guards might be on patrol.”
“In the town?” Aed craned his neck to look down the path, but we moved past too fast to see anything more than a muddy road and the broken brick face of the nearest building. It was hard to tell if the damage had come from age or from other means. I had the sinking feeling the lorcan were involved.
“Aye. People ’ave been going missin’, sire.” Eivin poked his head around the corner to check that all was clear. When he turned back, his expression was somber. “Men, women, and children have been vanishin’ from their beds.”
“For how long?” I asked.
“Too long.” Eivin shook his head. “We never know when those beasts will strike.”
Beside me, Aed’s hands clenched into fists. “And nothing is being done about it?”
“What can be done?” Eivin said, motioning for us to hurry across the opening, and then he ducked low behind a horse cart.
The flicker of torchlight appeared a moment later. We watched as a man in normal clothes held it high, peering into the shadows of the nearby streets. Then he moved on.
“He’s a commoner,” Aed whispered.
I glared hard at him. “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”
He frowned. “I only meant that it should not be his task to protect the city. He does not have the skills.”
“His skills may be lacking, but his heart runs true,” Eivin said. “Those who live nearest to the Wall do what they must to protect their own.”
As the group began to move on, I turned back to see Aed watching the fading light as the man moved in the opposite direction. “Aed?”
“How could my father let it get this bad?” he muttered. When he turned his gaze towards me, I felt the depths of the pain he felt. Betrayal gleamed in his eye.
“We dunna have enough men, my prince. You knew that when you left the Wall,” Eivin said when we joined in with the group. “The disappearances come at random. We canna protect the Wall and the people at the same time. So these men have stepped up for the good of all. They may not be reapers by trade, but they’ve got the heart of a warrior.”
“Aye.” When Aed nodded, my heart swelled with pride for these brave men. Maybe I wasn’t the only one fighting back. I just hadn’t been near enough to the threat to see it.
I looked to my left, down the street that led straight to the foot of the towering stone wall. It rose into the low lying clouds above. I had never been this close before. The feeling of anxiety was almost palpable within our group.
Its dingy grey surface looked pockmarked from the salty ocean spray. There were several visible cracks but none large enough for anything to fit through. The foundation looked solid, but that gave me little reassurance. I knew even if the Wall stood another thousand years, the lorcan had found ways to get past.
“Have there been any skirmishes near this part of the Wall?” I asked.
Eivin and Aed both turned to look at me. Alana looked between us in silence. I could see the cogs in her brain working overtime to try to process everything we said.
Aed was the one who spoke first. “Why do you ask?”
“Ya know how after I got these scars I started gettin’ feelings sometimes? Like I’m somehow connected with the lorcan’s emotions? I dunna sense anger here like I did before.”
“Wait, how did you...when did this…?” Eivin shook his head. “Man, I’ve missed a lot.”
There’d been a time when I wondered if Eivin felt the same connection I did through his own scars to the lorcan. Eivin wasn’t one to lie or play games when it came to life and death. If he was asking me now, that told me he too was immune to their call.
I already knew Aed sensed nothing, so that meant I was alone in these feelings. But why? That was what I couldn’t figure out.
“You’ve been gone too long, cousin.” I smiled. “But to answer your questions, I started feelin’ the lorcan after that first attack. You left right after, so there was no time to tell you about these changes.”
Eivin frowned. “I’ve never heard of such a thing being possible before.”
“Nor I,” Aed agreed, “until Taryn.”
“So what is it that you sense now?” Eivin asked.
“It’s hard to say. The sensations come and go,” I said. “As do the voices.”
Aed grabbed hold of my arm. “You’ve never said anything about hearing actual voices before.”
With my free hand, I rubbed at my temple. A headache had begun to form since the moment we arrived in Odran. It was almost as if something was trying to connect with my mind. But that was crazy. The lorcan couldn’t control what I felt. “That’s something new.”
“What do they say?” Alana asked.
I’d almost forgotten she was with us. I could only imagine what all this must be like for her. I could only imagine the fear she must be going through.
I shrugged. “It’s hard to tell, really. It’s nothin’ more than jumbled sounds. Gruntin’ and the like. I catch a word now and then, but it makes no sense.”
Looking at the Wall, I knew there was one more admission I had to make. “There are a lot of voices, Aed. And they are getting stronger.”
Aed’s brow pulled tight. “So you think they are heading our way?”
“Yes. And fast. We need to be ready for a f
ull-on attack.”
“But how?” Eivin stepped closer, his hand instinctively dropping to his sword. “If what you say is true, we are heavily outmanned.”
“I know.” I closed my eyes and tried to stretch out my thoughts. I hadn’t felt the lorcan all day and that worried me. Why had they vanished?
“So you’re not hearing words in our native tongue?” Aed asked.
It was my turn to look confused. “Our language? You know they can’t speak like us.”
Aed released his hold on my arm, only to begin clenching and unclenching his hand on his own sword hilt. I loved that both of these men were ready for a fight, but when I glanced at Alana, fear shot through me. She would never make it to the Isle of Glass. Not with so many lorcan on the loose.
“Do you remember your dreams? Your recent ones?” Aed asked.
“Sure. I guess sometimes they stick around long enough to be remembered.” Eivin and I exchanged a glance. “Why do you ask?”
“What about that last night we spent at Connor’s manor house?” Aed pressed.
I folded my arms over my chest. “Were ya spyin’ on me, then?”
Eivin stiffened but made no move towards the prince. I was grateful for my cousin’s protective concern, but we both knew I could take care of myself. And attacking our best chance at defeating the lorcan hoard wasn’t in our best interest.
“No. I remember how you are about your privacy.” A small smile tickled the corner of his lip. But then he caught Alana’s eye and the smile faltered. “Forget that I asked. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
But he didn’t look so sure. I wanted to press him further, but Eivin motioned for us to follow him. The risk of being caught in the open was too great in this part of the town. We would need to carry on this conversation later. And we would. I would see to that.
With Aed holding on to Alana’s hand to help her keep up with our fast pace, we dashed down several streets before we came upon another guard. This man’s torch had burned to the halfway point. His eyes were wide and alert despite the late hour. I saw a slight tremor in his sword hand as he peered up at the darkened rooftops. It made sense that the lorcan would keep to the darkness and attack from above. This man was smart.
“Ya never told me about these feelings ya get,” Eivin whispered beside me as we waited for the path to clear.
“Aye. I’ve been tryin’ to put it into words to tell ya. A lot has changed, cousin.” I glanced at the Wall again. Far too many things had changed, but not in the direction they needed to go. “Somethin’ is different with the lorcan. I can feel it in my bones. Even more so here at the Wall and that scares the shite out of me.”
Aed, standing on the other side of me, must have overheard my confession. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look at him. “I trust your instincts, Taryn. I need to know if we should be worried.”
I gave that a moment’s thought before I nodded. “Aye. That we do. We need to know what’s happenin’ over there. Otherwise, I have a bad feelin’ this town doesn’t stand a chance. Once those monsters decimate Odran…”
“They will head south to the veil,” Aed finished for me. He turned towards my cousin. “I’m relieving you of your post, Eivin. We need information, a scout who is loyal and trustworthy. Are you up to the challenge?”
Eivin bowed his head. “Beggin’ your pardon, sire, but I’m all that’s left of my men. I’ve scavenged together a few of the locals to keep watch in the tower, but there are no reapers left. I canna abandon my post. You saw how these men are barely hangin’ onto their bravery by a thread. They are no soldiers. Scared men with sticks and a few random fires that aren’t enough.”
Aed scratched at the light stubble on his cheek. “I have a couple of men in my charge. They haven’t seen action in a while, but I do have a seasoned man, Cashel, who was bound for the Wall by another route. I will send word for him to oversee the scouting when he returns.”
I knew Aed was worried about his man. There had been no word from Cashel since we parted ways. I feared the delay was either from the king’s men or the lorcan. But I said none of that aloud now for fear of shifting the conversation away from where I needed it to go.
“Gah. Listen to you two blatherin’ on like a couple of fools,” I said. “We dunna have days to waste. The lorcan are comin’. They may already be here for all we know. I can do it.” I felt their shock hit me a split second after my words ended. “Now, don’t ya be givin’ me that look. I’m as capable as any man to do scoutin’ and ya both know it.”
“Out of the question,” Aed said.
“I won’t let you be runnin’ head first into danger,” Eivin agreed.
“I wasn’t askin’ your permission.” This time I focused on Aed. He was the one I had to convince. “Aed, ya know I can do this. I promise to check it out with Eivin at my side. That’s all. Then report back to ya. We need to know what we’re up against.”
The muscle along his jaw clenched.
“I have my new leathers, thanks to Eivin’s brilliant thinkin’, and a new dagger.” I lifted the hem of my dress. At the sight of my leathers, Aed’s grim expression broke into reluctant amusement.
“I should have known.”
“Aye. You’re startin’ to understand me.” I took his hand in mine. “Now is the time to trust me, Aed. Prove to me we can be partners. I need to do this. I will be goin’ either way, but I’d prefer it to be as a team decision.”
I sensed that he wasn’t yet fully swayed, so I pushed on. “I’ve done all you have asked of me, haven’t I? I suffered through etiquette classes those first few weeks and hellish dinners with your parents for far too long. Let me stretch my legs. Let me help ya.”
Aed closed his eyes and, for a moment, I felt like I’d lost all hope.
“Let her go,” Alana whispered. “She can do this. I believe in her. Don’t you?”
And for the second time that night, my heart swelled with pride. Although Alana and I had spent very little time together, I knew she would always be a part of me. I vowed to do whatever it took to help her reach the Isle of Glass.
When Aed looked past me at Eivin, he nodded. “You’ll see to her safety?”
“I will.” Eivin puffed up his chest. Though his torso was as broad as I remembered, he bore the markings of several new lorcan scars. It pained me to see them, but I also knew they brought him great honor. Since he was a little boy, all Eivin had ever wanted to do was protect the realm. And that was exactly what he was doing. “On my life, I will ensure her safe return, sire.”
Aed smiled and placed a hand on Eivin’s shoulder. “Please, call me Aed.”
Eivin blinked. “No. I canna do that. That is too informal.”
“Not for a friend.” Aed patted Eivin’s arm and then turned to look at me. “And you’ll be back in time for the ball?”
“Yes!” I leapt forward, rose onto my toes, and planted a kiss on his check. He stiffened, shocked at my sudden display of affection. It shocked the hell out of me, too. With no small amount of awkwardness, I leaned back down and backed away.
“Um. Thanks,” I said, praying the shadows hid my blush.
What the bloody hell got into me?
It took Aed almost a full minute to recover before he cleared his throat and then waved a hand at us. “Get on with you. I’ll cover for you tonight and make sure your room isn’t disturbed until noon, but I can’t promise beyond that.”
“It’ll be enough. Thanks.” I shot Alana a smile, extending that gratitude to her as well.
Eivin and I waited to see Aed and Alana disappear down the road that would lead them straight to the manor house before we turned. I started to move towards the Wall but was suddenly enveloped in Eivin’s embrace.
“I’ve missed you, Ryn.”
I sank into his familiar touch. The tears I’d been trying to hold back wet my bottom lashes as I clung to him.
“I never thought I’d see ya again,” I whispered against his shoulder.
�
��Aye. But the gods have seen fit to give us more time together.” He brushed aside my tears when I leaned back. “Let’s make it count.”
It was amazing how that one hug changed everything for me. The weight of the world had lifted slightly. I no longer felt alone. I had my best friend back with me. That was enough. It had to be.
“Let’s go,” he said.
I followed close behind Eivin, pausing when he did, and then followed close on his heel when he darted across an opening. Within ten minutes, I stood at the base of the only barrier keeping the demons of Hollow Earth from spilling over into our realm.
“What’s it like? Over there, I mean.” I pressed a hand to the stone. It was cold to the touch and damp with sea mist. It felt solid, eternal, but I knew it wasn’t. It was a false protection we could no longer count on.
“It is worse than your darkest nightmare.”
I turned to survey his profile in the dark. He had changed since I last saw him. Perhaps only minimally on the outside, but what was hidden within him bore witness to the horrors he’d seen. His smile did not come so easily now.
I used to think reapers were invincible,” he said. “Capable of anything, ya know? But my time at the Wall has taught me the true nature of death. It is not pretty or the stuff of poems. It is harsh, bloody, and filled with terror. I’ve lost more men than I care to count, Ryn. How many more have to fall before King Baylor rises up to defend his people?”
I watched as a shudder ran through him.
“Far too many, I fear.”
He hung his head because he knew my words to be true.
“This is why I have to marry him, Eivin. There is no other way to save our people and my family. We’ve made a pact to change things. To remove Baylor from his throne.”
“Still, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice so much,” he whispered.
“Aed isn’t such a bad guy when you get to know him.” I laughed.
“Ryn,” he whispered.
“I know, but it is the truth. Aed is a good man, Eivin. I’ve seen the king he can become. He wants to do right by us.”