by Lea Doué
She didn’t respond.
“Some people actually value a sorcerer’s aid. They pay for their services, when necessary, in order to get around the take-nothing-from-a-sorcerer’s-hand rule.”
She hadn’t heeded her tutors as well as some of her sisters, but she knew a few kings and queens in the past had used the services of sorcerers for different reasons. Not that it mattered now. He wouldn’t change her mind with a history lesson.
“There’s nothing you could do or say to convince me to accept any sorcery-related help. Especially from you.”
The smile faded from his lips, and his eyes hardened. Perhaps that last bit had angered him. If so, she didn’t care. She was the one who should be angry at him for getting her and her sisters tangled up in his curse.
“Well, then. Since you’re not willing to accept help, perhaps you will accept information.”
Enough with him and his roundabout talking. He never came out and said what he meant. She sheathed her daggers and turned to go.
“Wait!” He pushed away from the tree and took a step closer. “Your Highness, you need to hear what I have to say.”
She picked up the animals and faced him. “Say it, then.”
“What are you willing to pay?”
She scoffed. “You’re welcome to give your advice, but I don’t need it, and I certainly won’t pay for it.”
“You really should be more trusting. I only want to help.”
She squinted and stared into his eyes. “I don’t think you understand the vast expanse of my distrust for you.”
“Test me, then. Give me one of your prizes there,” he waved towards the animals, “as payment for my advice. If you find out the information was bad or false, then don’t accept any more help from me. It’s as simple as that.”
Did he really have information that could help them break the curse and destroy the barrier? If so, he wouldn’t give it to her for free, and a squirrel was a small price to pay.
He took advantage of her hesitation and spoke again, his voice low and smooth as if trying to convince her he had her best interests at heart. “You must be feeling that there’s something not quite right with this whole situation. The king’s willingness to let his heir marry a commoner, his reluctance to employ more people in digging another hole under the barrier.”
She had wondered, but surely Baz knew his father better than any of them, especially Tharius. “Baz has his reasons for taking us to the king, first of which is obedience to his father.”
Tharius’s face clouded with annoyance. “And here I thought you didn’t like walking into traps.”
She gritted her teeth. He had to use that word, didn’t he? Fine, she would take the bait with the full knowledge that he was trying to manipulate her. She threw the squirrel at his feet.
Smiling, he picked it up and tucked the tail into his belt. “King Lotario, like most people, is highly distrustful of sorcerers. Something you can understand. Can you think of any reason why he would want his only son married to the granddaughter of a sorceress? The girl who, in his eyes, led his son astray and was responsible for the barrier around his kingdom?”
“He wants to see his son happy?” The excuse sounded weak even to her.
“The king does not intend to marry Vanda to his son. He intends to kill both her and the grandmother and end the curse that way. It won’t work, but he wouldn’t know that. You need to stay away from the palace.”
Heat spread from her chest to her face and down her arms. As much as she didn’t want to believe it, Tharius’s explanation made a lot more sense than what Baz had said. She couldn’t know the truth without going to the palace, but if Tharius was right, they’d be walking into a trap. Yet if Tharius was right, they also couldn’t just leave Gram there, in danger.
Mel couldn’t afford to ignore his warning, but she still had too many questions. They had at least one more stop before arriving at the palace, so she had time to think things over. “Thank you for your advice. Have a good life, or… whatever.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen the last of me, Your Highness. I still haven’t gotten what I came for.”
She smirked. “You won’t be able to keep up.”
“Don’t think I’m out of surprises yet. I’ll be there when you need me.”
Doubtful. He’d never catch up to Keir, and she didn’t need him. “You realize I’ll have to tell everyone where I got this information?”
“Yes.” He raised his eyebrows. “So what? I want no dealings with them. This is between you and me.”
“That’s what you think. Once they find out you’re around, that’s four more obstacles to getting what you want.”
“I’m not worried.”
She refused to turn her back to him. “Off with you, then. You’re not coming with me.”
He grinned and walked away, his confident footsteps gradually fading until all that remained was a bee buzzing around her ear. She shooed it off and headed south.
The rock face loomed through the trees as she approached the camp, and smoke hung in the air. She intended to add the smell of roast meat to it soon. Orin met her in the woods, rumpled and sleepy-eyed. She dropped the rabbits and walked straight up to him, gaze locked on his blue eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and breathed in his scent of smoke and earth. His arms tightened around her, and he sighed into her hair.
“You should go hunting more often so I can welcome you back.” His voice rumbled against her chest.
She smiled, though he couldn’t see it. “Thank you for bringing my daggers.” That’s the best she could do to thank him for following her. He really shouldn’t have.
“My pleasure,” he whispered.
Goosebumps tickled her arms. She pulled away and handed him the rabbits.
He chuckled. “I knew they would come in handy.”
She pondered Tharius’s words as they walked. Maybe it would be best to judge the accuracy of his information herself before telling everyone about her meeting with him. They had enough to worry about, and despite what Tharius said, she doubted they would see him again. Or anytime soon, at least. A horse could never keep up with them in such terrain. A rock dragon could, but everyone knew dragons hated sorcery. He’d never be able to get one to cooperate enough to carry him.
“Do you think Baz will send a message to his father once we reach Cliffside?” she asked Orin. King Lotario’s response might help prove Tharius’s words false… or true. And there was always gossip to be had around a castle.
“He said the messenger dragons haven’t been reliable since the barrier went up, but he’s going to try. It’s like the spell is in the air itself, and it’s making the dragons cranky and uncooperative. Have you noticed they aren’t as active in the woods?”
She had, but hadn’t given it much thought. “Keir doesn’t seem to be affected when he’s a dragon.” Not that he’d mentioned. He wasn’t exactly baring his soul to anyone. “I get the feeling he dislikes me, but I don’t know why.”
“He doesn’t like many people right now, it seems. I think he still blames Vanda for what’s happened. For turning Baz’s head.”
“That’s not fair. She didn’t ask for Idris’s attention any more than we asked them to drag us into this mess.”
He stopped walking, the fire just visible through the trees. “True, but they also saved us from those villagers and razor-tails.”
“I know. And I’m thankful.” She sighed and then groaned loud enough for anyone around the fire to hear. “I just… I really don’t want to fly again.”
“Let’s not think about that then. Baz is going to rig a better saddle system once we get to Cliffside. Right now, let’s roast these rabbits.”
Her mouth watered, and she let herself be distracted. “I don’t know if I’m more tired or more hungry.”
Once they reached the fire, Orin kept walking. “I’ll clean these at the stream.”
True gave a loud hwonk from her blanket nest, glancing back and forth between
Orin’s retreating back and Mel. She stood and made a fuss, flapping her wings and stamping her webbed feet on the ground.
“Are you asking me to babysit?” Mel said, approaching the agitated goose. “I’ll watch your eggs for you. Go on.”
True tucked her wings in a satisfied manner and waddled after Orin.
“Smart goose,” Baz said from his rock.
“Smart. Strange. Either works.” She sat on the moss beside Vanda. “She’s more of both since we found the eggs, like she’s really paying attention and actually understands what we’re saying.”
“Why does Orin travel with her?” Vanda asked. “Why not leave her behind in Ituria?”
Mel stretched out her legs. “You’ll have to ask Orin for the real answer, but he seems to have taken to her like some people take to a puppy or a kitten.”
Vanda nodded and threw a small branch onto the fire. “Did you kill the rabbits with your daggers?”
She smiled. “I did. I got a squirrel, too—” Drat. She wasn’t going to mention Tharius. “—but it got away.”
Vanda accepted the explanation and continued with a wistful expression, “I’ve only ever used snares.”
“Would you like me to teach you to throw daggers?”
Vanda’s lips twitched with a smile and her eyes lit up. “Would you?”
By the time Orin and Baz had cooked the rabbits, along with some wild roots and a fish Orin caught in the stream, Vanda had sunk her dagger twice into the tree stump target. The smell of roasting meat made Mel’s stomach clench with hunger.
“You’ll get better with practice,” Mel told Vanda. “It’s a good start.” She sheathed her boot dagger, which she’d been using to demonstrate since it was more like Vanda’s.
“I’ll wake Keir,” Baz said.
Orin followed him mumbling about grain for True.
Mel sat on the rock and patted the space next to her. “All right. Let’s hurry before the others come back. I’ve been dying to ask you a few questions, which you can answer or not. Girl talk.”
Vanda perched on the rock and lifted the hood of the Baz’s cloak over her head. “I’ve never done girl talk. Except with Gram. But that’s…”
“Yeah. Not the same.” Mel hoped Vanda would open up to her. She’d never had a problem talking to people herself, but Vanda reminded her of Lily and Neylan and Ivy, who sometimes forgot people couldn’t read their minds.
Vanda gave her a small smile. Definitely a good sign.
“How do you feel about Baz and Keir? What do you know of King Lotario, and can you imagine being his daughter-in-law someday? Being a queen yourself? Oh, and what’s your Gram like?”
Vanda’s eyes widened, and Mel could almost see the thoughts swirling in her mind. Perhaps she’d never considered some of the questions before.
“Baz?” She prompted.
Vanda glanced towards the cave and bit her lip. “He’s kind. I’ve… liked him since we first met, when he followed Keir over the mountain looking for red orchids. For the girl who sold them.”
“You?”
She nodded. “He heard about me from Keir, but I didn’t know he was a prince at first. I can’t imagine someone like me being a queen alongside him.”
Fair enough. Even her oldest sister Lily had had doubts. “What about the king? He may try to convince you otherwise.”
“I only know what Baz has told me about him, which isn’t much more than he’s told you. They’re not close.”
Drat. That meant a higher chance that Tharius was correct. Could Baz have totally misjudged his own father?
“I just want to get Gram and reunite with my Da on the other side of the barrier. All I’ve ever wanted is a safe place to settle down. We’ve been running all our lives from people who won’t take the time to get to know us and understand that Gram isn’t a threat. I thought I’d at least found a place like that for Gram when Baz promised to take care of her and took her to the palace.”
Mel twisted a corner of Orin’s cloak in her fingers. “I know what it’s like to feel misunderstood.”
“You do?” She didn’t sound too surprised.
“I’m one of twelve sisters… and a twin. The short, freckled, red-haired, dagger-throwing princess with a temper—yet apparently not memorable enough for certain princes to remember my name.” She briefly recounted Prince Argento’s mistaken proposal, inserting enough humor so that the retelling didn’t cause her to relive the humiliation so keenly.
Vanda laughed along, but her brows remained furrowed in sympathy. “Well, you seem to have found someone who sees you for who you are.”
“Perhaps.” She didn’t want to talk about herself and Orin, their… friendship. “I could say the same of you.”
Vanda sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears, knocking the hood onto her shoulders. “Even though we couldn’t see each other, we’ve had the chance to talk a lot these past two months. If only he weren’t a prince…”
“Don’t hold that against him.” Mel’s face flushed with indignation at all the times she’d been dismissed or misunderstood because of her royal status. “You can’t ignore it, obviously, but it’s only a part of who he is.”
“I know that,” Vanda whispered. “I just don’t think I would fit the matching role very well.”
That made sense, but at least Vanda had a choice. Mel couldn’t run far enough to get away from her ill-fitting title. Although it might finally come in handy if she could help break the curse that held them all captive.
She cleared her throat. “What about Keir?”
“Keir is—” Vanda stood quickly. “Hungry. They all look hungry.”
Keir and the princes joined them around the fire. Orin tossed a handful of grain down for True and then passed out more bread. They chatted while they ate, and Keir’s eyes sparkled with interest when he found out Mel had taken down the rabbits with daggers.
“Any good with a sling or bow?” he asked.
“I can use them, but my accuracy is terrible.”
“She’s trained with most weapons, but don’t give her a sword,” Orin said, rubbing his foot with a gleam in his eyes.
“Ha, ha,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You still have all your toes, and you needed new boots, anyway.”
Keir made no response but watched her silently as they finished eating. She tried not to glance at him too often, having the uncomfortable feeling that he found her interest in weapons appealing.
Orin and Baz discussed swords and blades and discovered neither of them favored the weapon. Orin preferred a staff or bow, while Baz preferred a sling or nothing at all. He’d rather be in the garden or writing letters, or doing something physical that had nothing to do with fighting, like chopping wood or hiking in search of rare plants.
Mel jumped in when they paused, too many questions still unanswered. “One thing I’d like to know—”
“Just one?” Keir muttered.
She glowered at him but continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “How did no one know that an entire kingdom had a barrier around it for months?”
Vanda’s face darkened with a blush.
“With Vanda’s help, we contacted rulers and key traders to help quell any panic,” Baz said. “Once we could mind-talk, it was easy enough to dictate a few essential letters to her and have them sent where needed.”
He began explaining a few political details, but Mel’s mind wandered. Once finished eating, she took out a dagger and shaved a twig as he spoke.
Orin chuckled. “You might as well be talking to a wall when it comes to Mel and court life—she’s not interested and she won’t remember a thing.”
She couldn’t argue with that. There may well have been more gossip around court regarding Mazereon’s halt in trade, but she’d hardly been paying attention. Between preparations for Gwen’s wedding and avoiding romantic entanglements, she’d had little time for anything else.
Baz grinned and sat up a bit taller. “Vanda seems to have picked up on things quick
ly enough.”
Mel smiled in return and then yawned, covering her mouth with both hands. “Girls get the cave for sleeping. Knock before you come in.” She needed to get out of her still-damp clothes and give them a chance to dry before they flew again.
“Wait.” Keir pulled a stoppered vial from his healer’s pouch and held it out to her. “Peppermint oil. Rub some on your neck and wrists before we fly again to help with the nausea.”
She accepted the small bottle and turned it over in her hands. “Can I bathe in it?”
His lips twitched, and Orin snorted.
“Thank you.” She tucked it into her belt pouch.
When Orin woke them, Mel blinked several times before realizing she’d already opened her eyes. She dressed in the dark, and after applying the peppermint oil as instructed, she followed Vanda out to the fire to join the others. Baz passed out strips of dried meat, which she waved away. Keir waited in his dragon form, already saddled.
“Mel? Can you take a look at these?” Orin cradled one of the mottled eggs in his hands. The hard shell had darkened from green-and-brown to almost black.
“They’ll hatch soon.” She placed the other two eggs in the basket. “Before tonight… er… morning?”
“They won’t hatch mid-air, will they?” Baz asked.
“I hope not.” She wished they could stay put until the eggs hatched, but she didn’t bother asking. “If True could talk to me like you three talk to each other, she could tell me when hatching starts. We’ll have about an hour after they break free of their shells before they start flying.”
His eyes widened. “I didn’t realize they flew that soon.”
“Have to. With no parents around, they’re fairly independent early on. Three more weeks and they’re into everything, which is why no one but hired handlers bother to raise them. Their training is time consuming.”
She helped Orin secure True in the basket, and then they followed the others up the cliff to the rock ledge where they’d landed the previous night. Once seated, she wrapped her legs around Baz without asking permission. She didn’t want Orin in danger of slipping midair again, not if she could help it.