by S. D. Grimm
New tears sprang into her eyes and she turned away, restricted from moving farther because of her chained arm.
“Let me help you.” He reached to take the chain off her. “Oh, I need a key.” He always knew how to get keys, but getting one in time could be tricky.
Her hand touched his, firm but gentle. “You can’t. He’ll find out. I can’t lie.”
Connor sighed. “Don’t worry about me.”
“He hasn’t . . .” She looked at the bed. “Not yet. But he plans to.”
Connor noticed the flash of the bracer on his arm. “Not if I can help it.”
“I don’t think you can, unless you have a key like the one he holds around his neck.”
The bed’s post was made of solid redwood. Thick and strong. No getting through that. He smiled. “Don’t lose faith.”
“Are you all right?” She reached toward his injured side and he recoiled. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “Let me help you.”
Her eyes met his and he nodded. Gently, she touched his side. His skin grew hotter. He gritted his teeth. Then it cooled. The ice that rushed through his side sent relief, and the wound was gone.
She looked up at him and smiled. “I haven’t lost all faith.”
“Thank you.”
A creak sounded. Franco had returned. Madison’s wide eyes did, too. “Please, get out of here.”
He stood and faced the door as Franco entered.
Franco’s eyes narrowed, and he nearly dropped the goblet he held. A clear liquid, like white wine, sloshed over the rim. “What are you doing in here, brother?”
Connor stepped closer to the king. A sense of unease swept through him, nauseated him. Well, at least the bracer was working. “I knocked. You invited me in.”
Franco blinked. “Of course. What were you here about, brother?”
“I went hunting today. Missed you out there. You’ve been quite busy since your mother’s passing. I’m sorry I haven’t been more help to you. Is there anything you need me to do?”
Franco set his goblet on the table. “Aren’t you going to lecture me about keeping a girl tied to my bed? You’ve never liked my wanton ways, brother.”
Connor’s hackles wanted to raise. “Pleasantries first, lecture second. I see no reason to enrage the beast since I’m going to ask you a favor. What are you drinking?” Connor motioned to the chalice. He’d seen it in the room on many occasions when a lady visited Franco. Never had he suspected the use of spells.
Pain vibrated behind Connor’s eyes like his head might explode. He staggered forward and leaned on the table.
“Are you all right?” Franco leaned to catch him.
Connor waved him away. “A little too much wine, I think.”
Franco laughed. “Doubtful.”
Connor faked a laugh with him. It echoed in his ears. He was about to pass out. If he was going to complete this task, it had to be now. He looked right into Franco’s eyes. “You will pour this drink out the window, untouched by her lips.” The pounding hit harder. His voice echoed in his head like a shout. “You will unchain her. There is no reason to keep her locked up. And defiling your own personal Healer is a very bad idea.”
Something warm trickled out of his ear. Then his nose. He wiped it away, unwilling to look for fear that he’d break eye contact and this wouldn’t work.
He braced his hand against the chair. “You will leave . . . her . . . unsoiled.” His head hit the floor, and he watched Franco pick up the goblet and head toward Madison.
Chapter 57
Forest of Woes
Logan readjusted his pack and checked his sword again. Morning
orange hung low in the sky, chasing pale yellow upward. He could see his breath, and they were headed north to Castlerock. That meant colder nights loomed in their future.
He could only hope they’d reach it before Franco.
“Westwind?”
“I’m here.”
“How far did you make it?”
“I sent your message. Hopefully it will reach Beck and Reuben’s ears soon. Aurora is far from earshot, but I feel her. She’s moving fast. She should reach Melanie and Gavin soon, if she hasn’t already.”
“Good. We head toward Atta and then the Forest of Woes.”
“Not a journey I’m looking forward to. The wolves around here say that place isn’t fit for animals. Scout and I are close to Atta. We’ll wait for you. It’s all open out here, Logan. Food is scarce.”
“Martha was quite generous. Still, we’ll have to find our own food when we can, friend.”
“Yes. Hurry. I hope that man you were talking to was trustworthy.”
“Don’t worry. Serena heard every important word. She said he wasn’t lying.”
Speaking of Serena, she certainly was having a long goodbye with Tessa. Logan peered closely. Serena glanced to her left and then right. Interesting. Whatever she was about to say was a secret. Only she didn’t say anything. She just handed Tessa a folded piece of paper. What was going on there?
Perhaps Jayden knew. The girl’s cheeks were redder than the sunset, and she stared at Ethan.
Logan glanced at Ethan and cleared his throat.
That got the kid’s attention.
Logan nodded in Serena’s direction. She was finally headed toward them, and he led them out the city gate.
“What’s turned your mood sour?” Westwind’s smirk was palpable over the bond.
“I think Ethan and Jayden may have finally admitted their feelings to one another.”
Now Westwind laughed outright. “It was only a matter of time. Stop being such a wolverine about it.”
Now it was Logan’s turn to chuckle. It wouldn’t be so bad. He just worried that one of them would end up getting hurt. This journey was going to claim lives. It already had. He’d try his best to make sure it wasn’t one of them.
“Where is Castlerock?” Ethan asked.
Logan glanced over his shoulder. “Last night I managed to talk to a few of the locals as well as a man who lived north of here. No one goes into the Forest of Woes, but that’s where we’re headed. Castlerock is in the center. No one has seen it in hundreds of years.”
“A hidden city?” Jayden asked. “Like a Feravolk camp?”
Logan nodded. “If the Whisperer is there, she will draw us in. That’s what Anna did to me. The problem is, that poor girl is chained to the prison. She won’t be able to come to us. But if she can use the trees to pass along her messages, we’ll hear her. For now, we need to get there as fast as possible. Westwind and Scout will meet us once we get outside the city. Aurora should be close to finding Melanie and Gavin, and Westwind has already passed along a message to Reuben and Beck. I figure we’ll need all the help we can get.”
They kept up with Logan’s quick pace. Urgency spurred them forward. Lush green hills filled the expanse between Balta and the northern city of Atta. By midday the second day after leaving Balta, they had reached the outskirts of Atta. Logan took them around the city, unwilling to risk being seen in a place that palace soldiers may have frequented. Chances were high that Franco had sent men this way, looking for Castlerock.
They would definitely need all the help they could get. They were setting up like a game of chess, and they needed to make sure no one knew what their next move would be.
As the day grew older, their destination drew closer.
Up ahead lay the Forest of Woes. A wall of trees spread out before them. Their dark trunks contrasted with the sunny green hills and the white fog that flooded between them. This place reminded him of the strange foggy area they’d walked through before meeting his friends from Moon Over Water a few months ago. Only this place was much larger.
Westwind loped along the edge of the wood. “You’re not really going in there?”
“We have to.”
Westwind’s golden eyes met Logan’s with a flash of uncertainty. Logan felt it, too. They were going in. Would they come out?
Logan squeezed
his hand into a fist, clutching his oath scar. “You are not bound to this quest, my friend.”
Westwind chuckled. “I am. I’m bound to you. Love and loyalty and all that human stuff.” He looked up at Logan. “And I mean to see this through.”
Beside him, Scout sat. “I’m not afraid. Of love and loyalty, that is.” He looked back at Logan, his long tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth in a goofy grin.
Logan patted the dog. “You warm my heart, friends.”
“All right. Let’s go find this Whisperer and save the Feravolk.” Scout stood.
Logan glanced at his traveling companions. “It’s clear why no one goes in there. I thought the Forest of Legends was intimidating.”
Westwind chuffed. “Scout and I are going back into the hills to hunt. I don’t smell any animals in that forest save . . . well, I’m going to guess that’s what a dragon smells like.”
Logan shared this with the others.
“Dragons?” Serena’s eyes widened. She covered a small smile. Dash whickered and his nostrils flared.
“It will storm tonight, Logan.” Jayden’s voice was almost a whisper as she stared at the wood in front of her. Seemed she didn’t want to take shelter beneath these trees either.
“We’ll camp near the border of the woods tonight. Tomorrow we’ll venture farther in. Hopefully we find Castlerock soon.” Logan led them into the wood.
The thick mist seemed to dissipate as they walked through it. The towering trees weren’t the same as the Forest of Legends. Blue-green moss had covered healthy trunks, but the trees here were tall, spindly, and gray. Almost like they were in mourning. Where the ground in the Forest of Legends was dark, moist soil filled with lush life, in this place the ground was hard, packed dirt, void of nutrients and covered in rocks.
Ethan scanned the wood as he stepped inside. Without a word, he strung his bow. The place smelled like hot ash. If dragons lived here, an arrow wasn’t going to do any good. Thankfully they all carried Wielder-crafted weapons. Those would pierce dragon armor.
“Logan. I have a message from Aurora. Melanie and Gavin are headed this way. They made alliance with the Feravolk from Island in the Swamp. It looks like we have more friends than we thought.”
“How far away is she?”
“Too far for me to hear. This message came from a prairie wolf.”
At least there was some good news. Depending on who or what lay in these woods, they might need reinforcements.
Logan stopped not too far in. He could still see the green grass of the foothills outside. “We’ll sleep here tonight. Ethan?”
The kid nodded once. “I’ll take first watch.”
Jayden neared the fire Logan had made near the border of the woods. She couldn’t get warm. Not that she expected the fire to warm her. She wasn’t cold on the outside. This chill came from within. Possibly from fear. Possibly worry. Mostly she felt the way she thought these trees looked.
Even the approaching storm felt different here. Like the ground groaned and thirsted for water, never to be quenched. And the vines, old with cracked, woody bark, seemed to hang from every tree like bindings they’d stopped trying to escape from long ago.
“You okay?” Ethan joined her by the fire, skinning a rabbit. His gaze met hers, and that new, miniscule smile tugged his lips.
“I’m just on edge.”
“I think everyone is.” Serena sat on Ethan’s other side.
Dash was the only one who seemed at ease here. “The forest is full of magic. That’s what you feel,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Jayden leaned toward the unicorn.
He stood still and breathed in. “The magic in the Forest of Legends is full and rich, life giving. Here the magic is repressed. Wounded. Something terrible happened here.”
“You can talk to him?” Ethan eyed Jayden.
“Yes. I can’t read his thoughts like Serena can, but if he speaks for anyone who understands to hear, I can. He says something terrible happened here. Do you think it’s the prison? We’re so close to the Mistress.”
The ground seemed to tremor.
“Shh.” Logan pressed a finger to his lips. “I might not speak her name here.”
“Yeah.” Jayden picked up one of the rabbits and the soft fur seemed to comfort her . . . until she remembered it was dead. She dropped it. “That’s a good idea.”
Logan sat up straight. “Westwind found them.”
“Found who?”
His eyes weren’t focused on her. He had to be listening to Westwind. “There’s a camp. Franco’s men are here. They’re not a bowshot from Castlerock. Westwind says it’s hidden. They might not know it’s there.” He stopped talking and held up his finger. Everyone waited, staring at him. “Franco’s men are here. General Balton is here.” His voice was a near growl. “There are too many for us to take on ourselves. He says Aurora is less than three days out with Melanie and Gavin. It’ll be too dark soon to move. As soon as it’s light, we’ll head back into the foothills and wait for Melanie. She’s bringing reinforcements from Island in the Swamp. Then we go after the king’s men.”
Jayden breathed deep. This was it. They’d get their Whisperer. Franco wouldn’t be able to complete his ritual to set the Mistress free. Or they would fail and the Mistress would escape and hunt the Deliverers until she got what she wanted—the Creator’s power.
Jayden glanced at Ethan. If they won, she could be with him.
Unless Thea was right.
She had to tell him. It was only fair that she told him. Her heart sank.
Chapter 58
Hold On
Jayden joined Ethan at the base of a tree. Scout lay pressed up against Ethan’s legs. The wind howled and grabbed at her hair like a frightened child looking for something to cling to. Clouds swirled overhead. Tonight’s storm would start loud as they crashed together in resistance. Ethan’s scent mingled with the scent of approaching rain. When a spray of lightning spread above them, she found herself staring into the dark pools of his eyes. She grabbed his hand and slipped her fingers between his. He squeezed. She cuddled closer to him, rested her head on his chest, and listened to his heart whispering in her ear.
“Will you sleep at all tonight?” she asked.
His heart beat a bit faster. “Are you staying here all night?”
“If I do?”
“Then yes.”
“Then I will.” She sat with him in silence for a time. But the question that plagued her had to be answered. “Do you think it will be harder for you, now that there are two of us to protect?”
Fear sparked through him like a flash of lightning. There one moment, then gone. He seemed to be getting better at controlling his emotions around her. “It’s always harder with more than one, but I won’t be alone. Logan is here. Dash, Westwind, Scout. We’ll protect you.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
His heartbeat sped. “No?”
She sat up and looked into his eyes. “I’m worried about you. After Kinsey died, you blamed yourself.”
He stared at her, silent for so long she wondered if she’d upset him, but a wall seemed to prevent her from reaching his emotions. She pushed. Nothing rushed out at her, but there was some give, as if a door opened. She pushed further, and just on the outskirts there seemed to be a pull. Mentally she reached. Like strings on a lute, she strummed, and his emotions leaked into her. Of course he felt guilt. Pain. Anger.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know.” He cupped his hands together and rested his elbows on his bent knees. “Kinsey’s death was my fault.” He spoke slowly. “There was so much going on. I wasn’t sure which direction to shoot first. I hesitated.”
“You’re too hard on yourself sometimes.” She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “I can’t let you blame yourself when I die.” There, she’d said it. Her breathing shook.
He turned toward her. In the dark, it was so hard to read his face, but he placed h
is hands on her arms. “When?” Sadness poured out of him. “Jayden, you can’t think like that. Being ready to die and believing you’re going to are two very different things. You can be ready. But please, don’t give up hope. Never give up hope.”
A tear spilled down her cheek. “Thea can see the future. She told me I was going to die.”
His grip on her arms tightened. Then he let go. Touched her chin so gently. “Did she say when?”
“Not exactly.”
“Did she say how?”
Jayden closed her eyes and shook her head.
He touched her hand, sending a tingle through her skin, and she looked at him. “Can you feel my emotions?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded breathless.
“And what do you feel?”
Hope. Love. Desire. All of them so contagious they beat into her. “I feel your hope.”
His thumb brushed along her jaw, and he leaned close. Kissed her gently. Warmth coursed through her whole being. “Good. Hold on to that.”
Wind picked up, rustling leaves against one another in a dry, whispering sound. They swirled past her and sent a mild breeze over her skin. Tonight’s storm seemed to be changing the way it felt, as if it were connected to her emotions.
Her foremost feeling was worry, but his hope comforted her like a blanket. “How did you know I could hold on to your emotions?”
He smiled. “I didn’t. But it makes sense. You calm me down all the time. It’s a useful talent. If you use it while you’re fighting, to calm your enemies or push an emotion into them, you could really throw someone off.”
Her talent was useful? “It’s not as useful as detecting threats, but I’ll remember that.”
“Good. Now, let me protect you. Please? It’ll make my job much easier.”
“Okay, but your oath isn’t forever.”
“No, but I have a talent that makes me sense threats for people I love, so I’ll always know when you’re in danger, oath or not.”
“People you . . .” Love? “You mean your very good friends?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
“Like Ryan and Serena?”
“Yes.” He grabbed her hands. “And you.”