Savagery & Skills: Books 1-4

by Ciara Graves

“Do I want to know what that is?”

  Macron picked up the pace, dodging around trees and boulders covered in blackened, burnt moss. “Probably not.”

  “Do you even know where we’re going?” I asked after a solid ten minutes of jogging through rocky, hilly terrain that appeared to be all the same to me. I was chilled to the bone from the damp there seemed to be no end to. The shrieking beast chasing us had been silent for the last couple of minutes, but it did nothing to make me feel better. “Macron? Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?”

  He stopped short, and I slipped in the slick mud and rocky ground, running into him. “The only one who can find the kingdom and the forge is someone of that kingdom. That would be you, Seneca.”

  “Me? I’ve never been here before, remember?” I argued annoyed as I shoved past him.

  “Let’s find shelter and I’ll explain.”

  I gripped my swords harder and was more than ready to stay where I was until he told me everything, but the shrieking came again, followed by thundering steps. Whatever monster chased us was massive and crashed through the trees easily enough.

  Macron urged me forward, and I sprinted ahead, ducking under low hanging branches and jumping over fallen logs as the trees grew closer together. I skidded to a stop as the dead trunks gave way and the ground disappeared. Macron caught hold of my coat and yanked me back in time to stop me from tumbling down into more fog.

  “This way.”

  He shoved me to the right, and we raced along the top of the ridge then down and around, the beast’s pounding steps growing closer and closer. I glanced backward, but there was nothing there at all. Nothing I could see. I heard it though as it screamed at prey getting away. Us.

  The ridge slipped down lower, and Macron suddenly caught my elbow and yanked me to the right. There was an opening in the rock face, dank, stinking of mold, and filled with cobwebs. There was a slight bend, but it dead-ended.

  “We’re trapped.”

  Macron stood at the entrance, holding his staff before him.

  “Did you hear me? There’s no way out of this cave.”

  The glare he shot me over his shoulder, eyes glowing white, was exactly as I’d seen him the day he rescued me from Rudarius’s dungeon. I fell silent and took a step back to give him room.

  Old words heavy with power fell from his mouth, each one building on the other. Rocks and leaves scattered over the cave entrance as the beast crept closer and closer.

  I made ready, keeping my power close at hand, in case I needed it. A hulking shadow appeared on the ground, and I held my breath, wondering if my heart beat too loudly. It’d find us and kill us. We’d never have a chance to find the forge.

  When the creature came into view, I bit back a curse at the sheer size of it. I’d call it a wolf, but it was more bear-shaped with sharp, pointed teeth hanging over its bottom lip. Its black and grey fur was mangy and slick from the mist. It rose on its back legs, sniffing the air. The claws on its front paws had to be a foot long, easily.

  It swung its massive head around, yellow eyes looking at me.

  I froze.

  Only the attack never came. Its mouth opened wide and it screamed, the sound more human than animal. It was beyond unnerving. Then it turned and lumbered off, shrieking every so often.

  “We should be safe here for a while,” Macron announced once it was gone.

  “Illusion enchantment?”

  “Amongst other things. I covered our scent and made the cave entrance appear as solid stone. But it won’t last long, not here.”

  “Why not?”

  “This place is a drain on my magic.”

  I reached deep to find my own well of power ready to go without issue. “But not mine?”

  “The lost kingdom is here somewhere in this gods-forsaken realm. Your connection to it is what keeps you strong while it weakens me.”

  “And you didn’t tell me this before because?”

  He shrugged and gave me a wry smile I wanted to smack off his face. “Didn’t want you to worry.”

  “That’s great. Not only are there giant, crazed beasts roaming these woods, you think that somehow, I can find the forge and all the while, you’re going to be getting weaker. I’m going to have to carry your ass out of this place, aren’t I?”

  “Only if it takes too long to find the forge. I have faith you’ll find it quick enough.”

  “Funny, since you had no faith to tell me the truth all those years ago.”

  He rested his staff against the cave wall once we moved as far back as we could. “I thought you weren’t mad at me for that anymore.”

  “I am. I’m mad at you for a lot of shit, but there’s no point in bringing it up.”

  “Seneca, I kept you from the truth to keep you safe. And like so many others in your life,” he went on when I huffed and turned my back on him, “I was wrong to do so. You had every right to know what blood runs in your veins. I’m sorry I disappeared on that day, but I can’t change the past. All I can do is be here to help ensure you fulfill your destiny.”

  “Yeah? And does that include being killed by the vampire I love because I turn into an evil bitch?”

  He spun me around and glared intently into my eyes. “You are not going to turn. Rudarius has messed with powers far beyond his comprehension. He thinks because he turned you into a vampire, that he has a claim on you and your powers. That you belong to him. You don’t. You are a royal in your own right. The last of your kind and the strongest. What Briar showed you is merely one of many possibilities. Don’t take it to heart.”

  “Bit late for that,” I whispered as I sheathed my short swords. “Whatever. You’re right. We don’t have time to waste. The forge, how do I find it?”

  Macron waited a couple of beats then gave in. “You need to clear your mind, get into a meditative state, and simply feel.”

  “Feel? Really?”

  “Yes, really. Get as comfortable as you can.”

  Nothing like trying to meditate on cold, hard ground while there was a monstrous beast ready to tear us to pieces roaming outside in the woods. I sank to the ground, crossed my legs, and rested my palms facing upward on my knees.

  Macron’s feet shuffled as he moved back toward the entrance of the cave. I was going to ask him what I should be feeling for, but as soon as I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, the tinge of familiar magic whispered against my ear. The arms on my hair stood on end as I took another breath and let it out, reaching for a magic matching mine. It surrounded me, and I sensed it was woven throughout the very fabric of this realm.

  My physical body stayed where it was inside the cave, but my mind took a trip and wandered outside. I passed Macron, who was keeping watch over me, his brow bearing more worry lines than I remembered seeing there before. The magic called to me, and I moved easily through the trees, knowing I wouldn’t be seen by whatever creatures lurked in the shadows.

  Eventually, the ground beneath me turned to cobblestones. There was a road running through the woods. I followed it a few more yards then stopped and looked up. My vision became enhanced, and I was dragged onward without even moving, the road ended at a courtyard made of onyx stones, crumbling and covered in vines, brittle and blackened. Beyond that was what remained of a mighty castle. Three of the four towers had fallen in, and most of the roof appeared to have rotted away. The iron gate that guarded its entrance lay bent and broken on the ground.

  In the heart of the ruins lay the forge.

  The fires had gone out long ago, but it was there, and from the looks of it, was perfectly intact. All we had to do was make the treacherous journey through the trees without getting eaten, and we’d make it. I blinked and found myself standing back on the road as if my feet had never moved. I turned, following my path to the cave and my body.

  Only this time, the trees shifted around me, and the forest shimmered in and out of view.

  Seneca…

  I told myself to keep walking. I didn’t have
time for a chat with Rudarius. I told Draven I wouldn’t speak with him again. Yesterday, I thought I’d be willing to go back on that promise. Not now. Macron would get weaker the longer we were here which meant there was no time to waste.

  Seneca… come to me, my sweet. We need to talk.

  “Not happening,” I muttered with a hiss. “Back off.”

  The trees shimmered again, and this time Rudarius’s voice was behind me and not inside my head.

  “Why must you always be so brash?” His hands rested on my shoulders as he stood behind me. We were back in the same room as before. Alright, maybe this wasn’t just inside my head. Were we really inside his fortress? “I can’t see where you are. Curious. What is that old mage up to now?”

  “None of your concern.” His hands should’ve had me pulling away, but just as the last time we spoke, their presence didn’t bother me. “What do you want?”

  “Merely to see if you considered my offer yet.”

  “You’ve hardly given me any time. What’s the rush? Nervous?” I teased, giving him a smile as I glanced over my shoulder.

  Those red eyes held confusion then amusement. “Perhaps not as much as I was before.”

  Was it really going to be this easy to trick him? At least Draven would never see these conversations and what I was doing in them. If he ever heard that I’d been flirting with Rudarius, playing along with his scheming, he’d lose it. “I haven’t decided anything yet. I’m still contemplating removing your head from your shoulders.”

  This time I pulled away from his grasp, the sudden cold throwing me off, but I walked to the chairs and plopped down. His red gaze followed every move I made. “You going to stand the whole time?”

  “Something has changed in you. I can’t decide what it is though.”

  “Same simple tainted fae I’ve always been.”

  His brow arched. “I highly doubt that. You are many things, simple is far from one of them. A woman with your beauty, your strength and power could never be reduced to such a word.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  He took the other chair and sat, crossing his legs casually. “I sense you have questions.”

  “You could say that, but what hope do I have of you answering them honestly?”

  He bowed his head. “You a have a point, but something tells me you’ll be able to tell if I’m lying. Go ahead, ask me anything you want. That is why I wish for us to speak,” he said as he motioned his hands around the room. “A place we won’t be interrupted. A chance to get to know one another.”

  “You make it sound as though by the end of these talks I’m not going to want to kill you.”

  He shrugged. “I would much rather have you on my side in this war, Seneca. Seeing you standing with the fae angered me for many reasons.”

  “And they would be what? Because I was kicking your ass?”

  His lip twitched, and his smile faltered. Shit. I had meant to be playing nice, not pissing him off. “If I recall, you fell to my attack. If not for Draven, you would already be by my side. You’d understand why this war must happen and why you would do well to join me.”

  “Jealousy doesn’t suit you well.”

  He licked his lips slowly, eyes calculating. “No, I suppose not. It is a bitter pill to swallow, knowing how much he’s holding you back. Tell me, how did he react when you told him of our talk?”

  I resituated myself in the chair, not saying a word, but Rudarius’s chuckle said I didn’t have to.

  “Ah, I see. Keeping secrets from him. My, my, that does not sound like something you would do if you truly loved him.”

  “Sometimes we lie to protect those we love.”

  “Yes, if that’s what you wish to tell yourself. How has that worked out for everyone who claims to love you?”

  I imagined driving a stake through his heart to stop myself from lunging out of the chair.

  “You can’t say I was never honest with you.”

  “Oh yeah, you were quite clear what you were after. Until the night you turned me, of course. Sort of dropped the ball there.”

  “That was not a lie. You were gone before I recovered. Not part of my plan, I assure you.”

  “Then what is your plan, huh? You’ve destroyed the fae kingdoms. What’s next?”

  He tapped his fingers lazily on the chair arm. “That is the question, isn’t it? One I would be more than happy to answer for you if I knew you were to join me.”

  Damn. I guess I figured it wouldn’t be that easy.

  “You should be fighting at my side. After all, it was the fae who banished your people to a horrible cold and dead world, never to be as they were again. I wiped them out for the sins they committed.”

  “And you’re going to tell me you did all of that for little old me?” I started laughing, but his serious look had me coughing to clear my throat. “No.”

  “When we spoke on the battlefield in Otherworld,” he said as he stood, “I meant it when I said I wished to make you my next bride. And not just my next bride, the only one I desire to have by my side for the rest of eternity. Consider what I have done so far as a wedding present.”

  I swallowed hard, unable to move from the chair as he rested his hands on the arms and leaned down, his eyes filling my view. “You started this war to what? Impress me?”

  “Can you blame me? As I’ve said before, I pushed far too hard when you first came to me.” He lifted a lock of my hair and breathed it in as if he’d missed the scent. “But I know how strong you are. Look how much you endured where so many others died.”

  I screamed at myself to stay on track. I was meant to be in control of this conversation, but the bastard turned it around on me. Confused me all over again. He messed with my mind. Nothing he said was right, not even close.

  “You sought revenge,” he went on quietly. “All your life, you wanted revenge against those who wronged you. But you were held back by those in your life telling you to deny your true self. That you weren’t of the dark.” His lips brushed across my forehead, and I gripped the arms of the chair hard enough to break them. “That you could be fixed as if something was wrong with the raw fury burning inside your soul.”

  “The only one I want revenge against is you.” As soon as I said the words, they sounded wrong.

  Rudarius leaned back far enough to study my face. “You are the last of your kind, Seneca. That carries a great weight on your soul. It’s not just who you wants revenge. It’s your people, every last one who died at the hands of those righteous So’run.”

  “No,” I argued, but my voice was weak.

  “The fae kingdoms have fallen. You can’t tell me you won’t celebrate to hear your parents are dead? Along with so many others who spurned you, turned their back on you.”

  A bellow of rage exploded outward as I shoved at his chest. He staggered away and then I was on my feet, going after him. He dodged my hits, blocked others, not seeming concerned at all that I was attacking him. I screamed and cursed, finally landing a punch to his face. And all the bastard did was laugh, as if this was what he wanted all along.

  “Show me who you truly are, Seneca. Show me. Draven will never understand. No one will, except for me.”

  He caught my wrists.

  I headbutted him and followed it with a kick to his gut.

  As I attacked, a voice in the back of my head said I wasn’t even pissed at Rudarius. Oh no, I was ticked off at myself for relishing in the news that my parents were dead. After all they put me through in those few days, the news of their demise elated me.

  And that made me sick with anger.

  I was not like Rudarius. I wouldn’t be.

  Too late for that, another voice whispered, and I bellowed to drown it out, charging Rudarius with renewed fight. This time, more of my hits landed, and he struggled to beat me back. Too bad I had no stakes on me. His impressed smile turned into a snarl as I punched him in the chest then followed it up with another blow to his ribcage. I had him on the floor
, whaling on him hit after hit with no care for myself or the plan I had formed in my head. Rudarius needed to die. End of story.

  If he died, all of this would be over. The confusion, the pain, the anger. I could go back to normal.

  I paused in my beating when Rudarius laughed quietly.

  “One day soon you’ll realize you’re not the hero of this tale.” He spat blood to the side.

  “I’ll never join you.”

  “I think you already have. It might take days, weeks, but you’ll come to me. You won’t have a choice.”

  “I’ve found my place.”

  “With Draven? Tell me, what have you seen of your future with him?”

  His words stopped me from hitting him again. “What are you talking about?”

  “Briar took many hours to break. But break he did.” Rudarius grinned wickedly, blood covering his teeth and lips as he spoke. “He told me what he saw of yours and Draven’s fate.”

  I let Rudarius fall to the floor as I scrambled to get away. “Shut up.”

  “If you wish to avoid such a fate, you would do best to side with me now. Before it’s too late.”

  I rushed to the door, but just like last time, it was locked. I had to get away from him. He climbed to his feet and wiped the blood from his face, smoothed back his hair, and fixed his crumpled shirt.

  “Stay away from me. Just leave me alone.”

  “Afraid I can’t do that. You are mine, after all.”

  I screamed at the top of my lungs as my power exploded. “I will never be yours,” I seethed as shadows swirled around me. He reached for me, but I willed myself to return to my body.

  “Seneca?”

  I had a dagger in hand aimed at Macron’s throat as I blinked, confused.

  “Seneca, it’s me. You’re back in the cave,” he said calmly. “Mind putting that away?”

  Breathing heavily through my nose, I lowered the blade. I wasn’t with Rudarius anymore. My butt was numb and cold. As was the rest of me. I sheathed the dagger and took the hand he offered to haul me to my feet. My legs were stiff, and I groaned as I stretched.

  “How long was I gone?”

  “Hours.” Macron waved his hand over my face, eyes flashing white in the darkness of the cave. “What did you see?”