There’s no sign of attack. Everything is perfectly, deceptively peaceful. The pasture is empty, the unicorns tucked safely into the stables for the night.
“Do you think they had the location wrong?” Hallgrave reins his horse next to mine.
Instead of answering, I scan the area. Nothing seems out of place.
Ren spots us from his watch at the front of the stables. The young knight runs across the pasture. He looks more than a little worried to find us, galloping like dragons are on our heels, coming up the narrow road in the middle of the night.
“Wake the others,” I call across the field.
Immediately, he changes his course and heads toward the estate.
Once we reach the pasture fence, we dismount. The night is so still, so calm.
I walk down the fence, stretching my legs after the long, arduous ride. Looking over my shoulder at the others, I say, “Perhaps…”
The words trail off as I see something shift in the brush just to the right of the road, something large. I squint, wondering if my eyes are playing tricks on me.
The men turn as well, following my gaze, and unsheathe their swords. Irving pulls the bow from his back, but he doesn’t yet nock the arrow.
Several moments pass, slow painful heartbeats, but the dark form I saw is gone. The moonlight shines through the trees, casting speckled shadows on the brush below.
“I must be imagining—”
Suddenly the brush parts, and a creature charges from the bracken. For one moment, I’m so stunned, I can only stare. Wide-eyed, I watch the beast advance. The moonlight glints off the ludrako’s sleek black scales, and his golden eyes shine.
He’s beautiful in his own right, mesmerizing—a wolf as large as a dragon, armored and sleek. Thick, black fur lines his underbelly, legs, and tail.
Suddenly I realize how it located the blessing. Using the magic it marked us with to stay behind us at a stealthy distance, it followed us from the cavern. Giselle had no idea where we’d taken the unicorns, so she tricked Milly. We led the beast here.
As he nears, his pace slows. Ears back and teeth bared, he stalks forward, padding silently through the tall grass off to the side of the road.
Slowly, so as not to draw attention to himself, Irving nocks his bow.
My knights wait, poised to attack. With a trembling hand, I, too, draw my sword.
I wait, heart in my throat, wondering if I’m about to fall to the ground again, clutching my head and screaming, like the last time I met the creature.
The ludrako stops abruptly, a snarl in his throat, and lifts his nose into the air.
“We charge on the count of three,” Hallgrave says through clenched teeth. “One, two—”
Just as we prepare to rush forward and engage, the ludrako lunges, charging us.
Spurred into action, we run forward, ready to meet him, but just as we’re about to collide, the wolf crouches low, and, propelled by powerful hind legs, leaps clean over us.
I gasp as he flies over my head. Expecting him to double back, I turn on my heel.
Instead, he races for the stable.
“No!” I leap over the fence and run as fast as I can toward the beast.
The men are behind me, but they’re not as fast as I am. I’m going to reach the wolf first.
With single-minded determination, the beast rams into the locked doors. Terrified whinnies ring out from within. The distressed cry of a unicorn is a chilling sound, horrifying enough to bring a person to their knees.
I try to ignore it, but it seeps into my bones, almost paralyzing me with the hopeless desperation it carries.
Again and again, the creature lunges. Just before we reach him, he breaks through.
Wood splinters and flies, and the unicorns flee, racing around him. As they pass, several stumble, screaming in agony as he robs them of their magical essence.
For the first time, I’m thankful we’re no longer linked.
Then an arrow flies. The drachite arrowhead pierces through the beast’s scaled armor and sinks into his shoulder. The ludrako stumbles, yelping in startled pain.
More unicorns leap around the beast, a flood of white silk glistening in the moonlight. They scatter like rabbits, following each other like sheep, too terrified to think.
The beast stumbles, and then, consumed with rage, turns on us, temporarily forgetting the blessing.
Just as we’re about to reach the wolf, a battle cry sounds from behind us. We turn abruptly to find Giselle’s men charging us.
I duck a blade just in time, stumble to the side, and then regain my footing. I dance around the man, blocking his attacks, but I’m not as graceful as I was at one time.
Keven and Hallgrave have engaged with the beast, trying to lure him away from the rest of us. Javid and Rogert fight three men, and Irving’s replaced his bow for his usual blade. He fights another guard, a man I recognize from our own estate—the guard Letta became friendly with.
My temper flares even brighter than before. How dare Giselle place spies in my home.
The anger gives me a burst of adrenaline, and I spring forward, taking the man fighting me off guard. He trips on the uneven pasture ground, and I knock his sword free. It goes flying out of his grasp, and I hold my blade to his throat.
Now what?
I’ve never killed anyone in my life.
The guard realizes it, too. Just as he makes to knock my sword away, Rogert bashes him unconscious with the hilt of his sword.
“You hesitated!” my knight yells.
My stomach clenches with fear and disappointment. I did. I hesitated—even after Barowalt warned me so many times not to.
I don’t have time to dwell on it because Rogert is attacked from behind. My knight turns, welcoming the assault. He’s been waiting for this moment since we arrived in Ptarma.
Sensing someone approaching behind me, I whirl around. The gypsy stands, grinning at me with that same smirk he wore in Constelita.
But, this time, he’s not tied to a chair.
With the memory, the sadness over losing Rafe rushes back. He was there that day, very much alive. And because of this man and Giselle, he’s lost.
I stalk forward, ready to meet him. As I advance, he steps back toward the shadowed cliffs.
“This doesn’t end well for you and your men,” he says, cryptic.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Is that something he has seen? Or is he bluffing?
“Why do you run away?” I ask, continuing to stalk him through the pasture. “You’re not afraid of a girl, are you?”
A terrified cluster of unicorns darts as we grow near.
From the corner of my eye, I see Keven and Hallgrave are still distracting the beast, but by now they must be growing weary.
The gypsy only smiles.
Just as I’ve almost backed him to the cliff, the point of a dagger meets my back, right between my shoulder blades.
“I see you wore your hair up,” Giselle says, her voice taunting. “Apparently you learned it’s not wise to fight while it’s down.”
I grit my teeth, cursing myself for not hearing her come up behind me.
“But you forgot the very important lesson that you should always keep watch behind you.”
I knew she’d stab me in the back eventually. I should have seen this coming.
“Put your hands behind your head,” she demands.
When I can’t think of a way to maneuver from the bite of the blade, I lace my fingers and do as I’m told.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Asher and the rest of my knights charging from the estate. I want to yell at them to stop, to turn around. Since they’ve never confronted the ludrako, they’re worthless to us.
“This should be interesting,” Giselle purrs. “Let’s watch, shall we?”
Since the blade is at my back, I have no choice but to turn.
I can tell the moment the ludrako scents the knights. He stiffens and turns.
H
allgrave takes advantage of the moment and lunges. Just before he stabs the sword into the creature’s chest, the beast turns on him.
I scream as the ludrako clamps his jaws around my knight and flings him to the side of the pasture. Then, knocking Keven away with the swing of his head, the beast turns toward Asher and the others.
My men fall to their knees, crying out as they clutch their heads.
The memory of the pain makes me ill. Nearby unicorns, too, scream and stumble, affected by whatever magic the wolf creature sends out.
“Why are you doing this?” I demand of Giselle. “You have what you want. You’re going to be queen.”
She leans close to my ear. “You have been a thorn in my side, Princess, since you arrived.”
I shudder, my heart hammering in my chest as I watch the people I love suffer.
Suddenly, a small figure ducks under the pasture fence and runs into the middle of the fray.
Letta waves her hands, trying to stop the fighting as only a child would think she’s capable.
Irving’s eyes go wide, but he’s still engaged with a guard. Keven’s unconscious; Hallgrave hasn’t moved. Rogert and Javid each have a man of their own. And the rest are on the ground, writhing in agony.
The beast turns on the girl.
“Letta, no!” I scream.
From my side, the almost-forgotten gypsy hollers for his daughter, and then he runs into the fray. A dark, swirling mass gathers around him, a shrieking mist that makes my veins turn to ice. Then, as if he can’t hold it in the unicorns’ midst, the darkness dissipates. Even unarmed, the gypsy runs toward the beast.
At the last possible moment, the ludrako turns his attention from the girl to her father.
The gypsy cries out and stumbles forward, fighting to conjure his dark magic. Showing no mercy, the beast leaps on him.
Letta’s screams drown out the rest of the noise, rising above the fighting, above the blessing’s terrified whinnies.
The man opposite Javid falls, and the duke grabs the girl. Though she flails, kicks, and screams, he tosses her over his shoulder and runs her toward the estate, to safety.
Giselle nudges the knife closer, and I arch away from the blade.
“I think it’s time we finish this,” she says, sounding bored.
“Beast!” she cries, sliding the dagger to my throat when I try to escape. “Take her!”
The ludrako turns, and his topaz eyes lock on mine. There’s comprehension there, understanding.
He leaps forward.
“Audette!” Irving yells from across the field.
I can’t move. Giselle’s knife digs at my throat, and I can already feel a trickle of blood running down my neck.
The sound of an arrow whooshes past me, so near my ear, that for one split moment, I wonder if I’ve been shot. The blade falls away as Giselle crumples to the ground behind me.
There’s no time to dwell on the skill of Irving’s shot because the beast is upon me. Just as I feel his hot breath on my face, I somersault forward. I yank my crude sword from its sheath as I roll, and I stab upwards, into the ludrako’s soft, fur-covered belly.
It lets out a nightmarish cry, and I scramble away as it falls.
My hands are stabbed by sharp weeds as I crawl away. My hair falls from its braids, and long strands plaster themselves to my face.
Behind me, the ludrako’s sharp scream turns to whimpers, and then it stumbles to the ground and falls silent.
The night goes still.
I push myself to my feet, breathing hard, and stare at the fallen beast in shock. Only the sound of the waves on the shore meets my ears.
Giselle’s men are down, one dead but the others unconscious. Giselle’s gone. So is the gypsy.
We’ve won.
Just as I’m about to sink to my knees, Irving’s eyes lock on mine. He’s bloody and bruised, and his armor is filthy. With a fire in his eyes, he tosses his bow aside and strides across the field. He picks up speed until he’s running toward me. Then I’m rushing to him.
We crash together, and he holds me so tightly, I almost can’t breathe. Then he pulls back, his face solemn and intense. “Audette, I have something to ask you.”
With relieved tears in my eyes, I nod, breathless. “Anything.”
Like lightning, a mischievous grin brightens his face. “How awesome was my shot?”
I’m surprised by my laughter. “I just killed the ludrako!”
He grins, not holding back. “That was pretty good too.”
Just as I’m about to kiss him, I freeze.
“Hallgrave,” I whisper.
Immediately we pull apart, and I run to my fallen knight. Rogert’s already at his side.
“He’s breathing,” Rogert says. “We need to get him into the villa.”
Irving steps forward and gently scoops the knight up under his arms. Rogert takes his feet, and, together, they make their way toward the estate.
Keven’s already stirring, and I kneel beside him.
“Are you all right?” I ask.
The knight blinks several times, and then he bolts upright. When he sees the fallen beast, his eyes go large. “How?”
“I didn’t hesitate this time.”
He lets out a slow disbelieving breath, and then his eyes fall on Asher, Ren, Percis, and Garran—all of them unconscious. “We have to get them inside.”
While I’m nodding, there’s a gentle bump at the back of my head.
Slowly, with hope blooming in my heart, I turn.
The small mare, the one who greeted me in the valley, nuzzles my hair. Overcome, I turn and cling to her.
She replays the memory of me slaying the ludrako in my mind, and with it, I feel her great relief. As the beast died, his tie with us was broken. Eyes closed, I watch in her memory as my hair shimmers from almost black to blond.
Gasping, I turn toward Keven.
In my worry, I hadn’t even noticed that his hair returned to gold. I grasp the tail of my braid. Next to the unicorns’ glow, it shines blond.
As I marvel at it, a wonderful warmth spreads over me. It seeps into me like sunshine, easing every muscle, relieving every ache.
For the first time since Constelita, I feel whole.
“Thank you,” I whisper to her, stroking the unicorn’s neck.
Slowly, the rest of the blessing presses in on me and the others. One by one, they place their horns to my knights, healing them.
The gash on Keven’s head disappears, and they wake Asher and the others. A mare trots toward Irving and Rogert. Slowly, they set Hallgrave down, letting the unicorn touch the knight.
Before our eyes, the wounds knit. His eyes fly open, and he gasps a breath.
I blink back tears as the mare turns to Irving.
She studies him for several moments, and then she lays her horn on his arm. Irving goes still and closes his eyes as the magic envelops him.
The mare accepted him. Whether he likes it or not, he’s truly one of us now.
From the villa entrance, Letta watches, her arms wrapped around her body. Her face is too young to be etched with that much misery.
Without thinking, I walk across the field and leap over the fence.
She flinches when she sees I’m coming for her, but I only pull her into my arms. “You were very brave. Not many would have had the courage to try to stop the fighting.”
Big, fat tears roll down her cheeks. “Can they save him? Can the unicorns fix Father?”
Even they can’t bring back the dead.
Biting my lip, I shake my head.
She crumples to the ground, and I take her in my arms. As I rock her, knowing there’s no way to ease her pain, a young unicorn lowers his head to her shoulder.
In awe, Letta looks at him, unblinking.
Once again linked, I can feel the magic he pours into the small girl. Exhausted, she falls asleep.
It’s all we can do for her right now.
Javid steps forward and takes her from
my arms. I stand as he carries her into the villa.
From behind, strong arms wrap around me, hands clasping at my stomach. Irving kisses my cheek and sets his chin on my shoulder.
“If I pretend to fall asleep,” I say in a teasing tone although my heart feels weary, “will you carry me into the estate?”
“I’ll do anything you ask of me.”
“You saved my life.” I lean into him and then whisper, “Thank you.”
“Mine wouldn’t be worth living without you.”
I smile at him over my shoulder, and he presses a quick kiss to my lips.
“Now go to bed,” he says. “We’ll sort the rest of this out in the morning.”
Gladly, I make my way to the villa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
My heart pinches as I hug Letta goodbye. “We’ll be back to visit often.”
She holds me tightly, not wanting to let go. It’s been a week since she lost her father, and though he was a loathsome human being, she loved him.
Though I was stunned to find she’d betrayed us, the pain was fleeting. She’s only seven years old, almost a baby, and only doing what she’d been told. In the end, she tried to fix the mess she made in the only way she knew how.
“You’re sure you don’t want to come with us to Brookraven?” I ask her again.
With tears in her eyes, Letta shakes her head. Her whole life, all she’s known is the sea. I can understand why she doesn’t want to leave it. At least, not yet.
I stand, making way for Milly to say her final goodbye. My friend and the girl cling to each for several moments. When they part, Letta hiccups back more tears and burrows into Grace’s side.
Javid and Grace have offered to adopt the girl, to give her a permanent home. I know it’s best for her, but I’m surprised to realize I will truly miss her.
As I’m blinking back tears, Aunt Camilla places her hand on my arm. She has on a lightweight traveling cloak, and several of her guards stand behind her, trunks in tow.
“I’ve decided to come with you,” she says.
My eyes widen, and I try to conceal my surprise. “You have?”
“Someone has to keep an eye on you. I can’t have my great-niece running away from another wedding.” She gives me a tight smile. “Our family has a reputation to uphold, after all.”
Audette of Brookraven (The Eldentimber Series Book 4) Page 23