by M. J. Haag
He studied me hard for a moment then opened the door wider.
“I could use assistance. I don't know…” He shook his head and motioned for me to enter.
I stepped into the darkened room, wrinkling my nose at the stronger smell. Something moved further back in the gloom, far from the banked fire.
The door shut behind me.
I squinted, trying to see what curled in the corner. The shape of a man formed. A large man.
“He returned the night before last,” Atwell said. “He's badly hurt, but every time I get close to him, he tells me to get away. He says it's not safe. He’s not safe.”
“Your father?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I stripped off my cloak and set it on the peg near the door.
“Stoke the fire so I can see better,” I said.
“He doesn't like the light.”
“Then we can blindfold him. But I need the light.”
Atwell moved toward the fire. As the flames increased the light, Mister Cartwright's agitation increased. However, I began to see why.
Mr. Cartwright didn't look normal. His hair stuck up at all angles at different lengths. Patches appeared to be missing. Bites covered his arms, which I could see through gaps in his clothing. Atwell’s father had been attacked. By what, though? I approached slowly and spoke softly.
“Mr. Cartwright? My name is Margaret. I'm here to help you.”
“You cannot help me, miss.”
“I would still like to try if you would allow me.”
Mr. Cartwright lifted his head and turned to look at me. His eyes weren't human but rather more reminiscent of an animal. Wide pupils, and still wider irises, consumed all but the barest hint of the whites of his eyes. I swallowed my shock. In all the inferior potions and glamor spells I’d seen, none had ever gone so terribly wrong as Mr. Cartwright’s.
“Will you tell me what happened?”
“Turre is in chaos. I managed a hasty trade and started home through the passage. The magic was holding; it should have been safe. But what came for me didn't come from the Dark Forest. Beasts the likes we have never seen. Claws and teeth meant to rip a man apart.”
He started shaking and grunted, curling inward. The tremors jolted him so hard that his teeth clacked together repeatedly. When he settled and turned toward me, he seemed further changed, but I couldn't quite place how.
“Those they don't kill, like me, change within two days,” he said bluntly. “I only returned to warn Atwell. He won't let me leave. You want to help me? Convince my son it's time to let me go.”
I glanced at Atwell, who shook his head, before considering Mr. Cartwright again.
“I work with Elspeth the Caster. If you would allow me to examine you, I would like to return to her and see if there's a way we can help.”
“You don't understand. I'm too far. I can feel the need to hunt, to hurt. I saw what happens to us. I wasn't the only one attacked. There are more out there. And they will want to revisit their homes and reclaim their loved ones. I won't do that to Atwell.”
“I understand. Will you let me clean your wound before you go?” I extended a hand to peel back a ripped piece of jacket, and he snarled at me. I jerked back, and he closed his eyes with regret.
“No, miss. I am barely maintaining control to be the man I know I once was. The beast is rising.”
I turned to Atwell. “Do you have a horse?”
He shook his head.
“I think Elspeth is our only hope. You can see something is changing him. Perhaps she can undo what’s been done. But I think we need to get her quickly. She’s hurt and can’t walk fast.”
“That won’t be a problem.” He reached for the door and hesitated. “Will you stay with him?”
“Of course,” I said at the same time his father said, “Let me go, son. I don’t want to hurt her.”
Atwell pulled me close, wrapping his strong arms around me. I shivered lightly at the sensation.
“If he gets worse, run. Don’t try to stop him,” he whispered in my ear.
I nodded mutely and watched Atwell leave.
“It’s not just the way I look that’s changing,” Mr. Cartright said. “My other senses are changing as well. I can smell your interest in him and his in you.”
I blushed and turned toward Mr. Cartwright.
“Your son is more honorable than any man I’ve ever met. He saved me from some unwanted attention a week ago.”
“Yes. He is honorable. That is not always a good quality.”
“How so?” I asked, remaining where I was, near the door in case I needed to run.
“I came home because I didn’t want him to grieve and wonder what became of me. Because he’s so honorable, he is determined to keep me here to try to save me. It will cause him nothing but anguish. If I were as honorable as my son, I would leave and spare him that.”
“It is your love for your son that keeps you here and that same love that gives him hope.”
Mr. Cartwright nodded then made a pained noise and started shaking again. I watched the edge of his ear become less rounded and more pointed.
After a moment, he stilled.
“You said the creatures that did this to you weren’t from the Dark Forest,” I said softly. “Where were they from? Turre?”
“There is evil brewing there. The king is courting a new woman, and his children are missing. The people are in outrage. But I entered the dark forest passage, leaving Turre without hindrance. The beasts did not come from behind; they came up from ahead. From Drisdall.”
His words created a weight in my stomach that made me ill.
“How?”
“I do not know, miss.” He shifted his position and cried out in pain again. When the tremors eased once more, his gruff voice put a chill in my bones.
“Open the door, miss, and go stand near the fire.”
“You intend to leave before Atwell returns then?” I asked, trying to mask my fear.
“For the affection my son has for you, I intend to spare you if I lose control. The fire will keep me at bay, and the door open to the night will distract me.”
I moved toward the flames and set another log on top. For good measure, I stuck the end of a long, thick branch used for stirring the coals into the flames as well.
“I cannot open the door. Not yet. For Atwell’s sake, please try.”
He grunted, and we continued our wait in silence. Outside, I heard the clop of hooves and a soft whinney. Mr. Cartwright’s head moved, tilting toward the sound. A low, quiet growl filled the room.
The door banged open, startling a cry from my lips. Atwell’s large lean frame filled the opening. In his arms, he held Elspeth.
His concerned gaze swept over me before he focused on his father and set Elspeth down. My mentor didn't say anything as she approached Mr. Cartwright, stopping a healthy distance away.
“You were bitten?” she asked.
“Yes, several times.”
“Hold out your hands and show me your teeth.”
He did as she asked, and I saw claws and canines.
“The creature that bit you, what did it look like?”
“Part wolf. Part something else. Wild. An unnatural beast for sure.”
“I see. I’m sorry for what you’ve suffered, Mr. Cartwright. And for what you will still suffer.”
Atwell’s father closed his eyes.
“So there is no hope?” Atwell asked, his voice flat.
I went to him and took his hand in mine. Elspeth moved toward us.
“Your father isn’t changing because of a simple potion gone wrong. He's turning into something I have little knowledge of. What I know is that no one survives a bite unchanged for life. While I cannot help your father, there is hope for you,” Elspeth said. “For all of us if your father can tell us more.”
Mr. Cartwright repeated everything he’d told me. While he spoke, Atwell’s thumb smoothed over the back of my hand again and again. I didn't thi
nk he knew what he did. Rather, he was hurting and seeking comfort from me without intent.
“Let us be done,” Mr. Cartwright said. “Leave this house so I may speak with my son.”
Elspeth reached into her cloak and withdrew a sharp knife which she handed to Atwell.
“The man that was your father is almost gone. Do not take long to say farewell.”
Elspeth grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me outside with more force than I thought her capable.
“Hurry girl. We need to get to the smith.”
“What about Atwell?”
“They will either kill each other, or they won’t.”
She hurried away on foot, ignoring the horse.
“Is that why you left Atwell the knife?” I asked, hurrying after her. “You think he’ll kill his father.”
“I know he won’t. I left the knife so he can defend himself when his father loses himself. Now stop talking and move. We have much to do before morning.”
We’d only made it around the corner when a horse’s scream, and a beast’s triumphant howl, tore through the air.
Chapter Six
Terror gripped me during our race to the castle. Hearing the horse cry out and the beast’s howl had struck fear in my heart. That Elspeth had stolen one of the smith’s horses had made my blood run cold.
With my arms wrapped around Elspeth’s waist, I hung on tightly, listening to the clatter of the horse's hooves on the cobble. Prior to this night, I would have sworn she would never steal or press the animal as hard as she was. That she had could only mean terrible things.
Elspeth suddenly pulled back on the reins. She was off the horse, me toppling gracelessly with her, the moment the steed stopped.
“Take me to the queen.”
Disoriented and trying to right my skirts, I looked up to see we’d arrived at the gate. Elspeth marched toward the posted guards even as they raised their spears at her.
“Stick me with one of those, and your cocks will wither to useless brown stumps before the sun rises. Open the damn gate. Now. Or I shall do it for you.”
The guards must have seen something in Elspeth’s eyes to back her threat, for they lowered their weapons and opened the gate.
“Come, Margaret. Lift those skirts and show some leg. We have very little time.”
The guard and I shared a shocked look as she lifted her skirts and took off running. I hurried to do the same, trying my best to keep up with Elspeth while the guard did his best to keep up with me.
The set of guards at the next gate saw us coming and were smart enough to open the door. One of them ran ahead.
Winded by the time we reached the top of the steps, I was grateful for the small pause as the guard knocked on the queen's door.
This time a real maid answered, poking her head through a small gap to peer at us.
“Her Majesty sleeps,” she whispered.
Elspeth slapped her hand against the panel.
“Wake the queen, or we all die.”
“Open the door, Jane,” a familiar voice called. The maid quickly admitted us.
The queen was already sitting up in her large bed. Her hair was pulled back in a single braid hanging over one shoulder of her modest dressing down.
“Elspeth. Margaret. Why are you here?” As she asked, she drew back the covers and got out of bed.
“Your kingdom is under attack. Creatures that spread disease through bites or scratches have come through from the Dark Forest.”
“How many?” the queen demanded, tightening her robe.
“By now, every missing person is one. Double that number to account for the creatures that turn them. And double that number again to account for how many will be taken this night.”
“How do we stop them?”
“They came from the passage and hide in the forest in the light of day. The pillars must be destroyed.”
The queen stared at Elspeth. I looked at my friend, too. Much like the amulets we’d created, the pillars were the stone sentinels that created the passage between the two kingdoms, an enchanted tunnel of safety that the creatures of the wood could not enter. Without them, travel would not be possible to Turre, or from Turre to Drisdall.
“The pillars?”
“There is no other way.”
“Turre will see it as an act of aggression.”
“A reliable witness says Turre is in a state of turmoil. Likely they are suffering as we are. I believe destroying the pillars will no longer matter to our neighboring kingdom.”
“Very well. It will be done.”
Elspeth started to turn away without her usual bow then paused, seeming to remember herself, and gave a quick incline of her head before rushing out the door.
The queen glanced at me in question as I also moved toward her door.
“The creatures fear the light,” I said in a rush. “Anyone bitten tonight will not fully change for two days.”
I caught up with Elspeth on the stairs.
“Where are we going?” I whispered.
“To the Brazen Belle to protect those we can until dawn's first light.”
Elspeth’s sense of urgency felt misplaced in the quiet darkness outside the castle. Nothing howled. Nothing stirred. I did not try to convince myself that she was wrong, however. I had seen Mr. Cartwright. I had heard his story. I knew danger was out there.
The race back through town ended abruptly at the cottage.
“I thought we were going to the Brazen Belle,” I said when she slid off the horse’s back.
“I am going to the Brazen Belle. You are staying here.”
She pushed her door open and immediately went to the potions she had stored on the shelves. She pulled three vials from their number and handed them to me.
As soon as they were in my hands, she gripped my face firmly.
“Can I trust you, child?”
“Of course.”
“Then listen closely.”
“You will mix these three vials together. You will put five drops in as many new vials as the mixture will fill. If someone comes to this door asking for help for a bite, you will give them a vial. No matter who it is, you will give them a vial even if it be the king.”
I looked in Elspeth’s eyes and saw the fear there.
“The drops will kill them?” I asked.
“It is the only way to stop this from spreading. Say nothing. Give them the vial and watch them drink it and send them on their way. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” Too well. This would ruin Elspeth. No one would trust her after this night.
“Stay in this house. These walls will protect you.”
She left in a flurry of skirts and cloak, and I heard the horse’s hooves a moment later.
I fixed the potions, stoked the fire, and lit the candles so everyone would know someone was awake here. Despite the hour, I wasn't tired. I paced and watched the door. It wasn't long before the first knock broke the silence.
Gripping a vial in my palm, I opened the door and froze. Atwell stood in the opening. My gaze swept over him, looking for signs of injury, while my heart beat wildly.
“Are you hurt? Did your father bite you?”
“No. I’m not injured. He spoke to me, ordered me to stay inside this night, then ran out the door.”
“Come in.”
He entered and faced me as I closed the door against what might still prowl the darkness.
“Why did you leave your house if your father warned you to stay inside?”
“I waited until I knew he left. I had to see you. I needed to be sure you made it safely home. That Elspeth will keep you safe.” He tore his gaze from mine and looked around the room. “Where is Elspeth?”
“She is trying to keep the people of Drisdall safe. She left me here to care for any bitten who ask for help.” I showed him the vial in my palm. “She told the queen it has to be stopped.”
He looked down at the vial.
“The families will come for her
afterward. They’ll come for you.”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“I know. But, I also know we don’t have a choice. You should have seen Elspeth’s fear. I think if we don’t stop this, our futures will be even worse.”
He reached for me and slowly pulled me into his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder and absorbed what comfort he offered.
“Then we all need to do what we must to ensure our futures,” he said softly.
Our embrace was far from appropriate, but after what we’d both endured this night, I couldn’t withdraw. I didn’t want to. Instead, I relished the way his breath tickled the side of my head and the feel of his hands pressed against my back.
“I must go,” he said softly. “My father left some business unfinished that needs to be addressed immediately.”
I lifted my head and found the position placed our mouths far too close. My gaze flicked to his lips then up again.
“Don’t leave.”
He reached up and gently ran the backs of his fingers along my cheek.
“You have no idea how you tempt me to stay.” This time it was his gaze that dropped to my mouth. My pulse quickened, and his head dipped ever so slightly. I held my breath waiting for the first touch of his lips to mine.
Instead, he drew back.
“Forgive me, Margaret. The night has robbed me of my decency.”
“I’ve never met a man more decent, Atwell. There’s nothing to forgive.” I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his. His hold on me tightened as his mouth brushed against mine.
When I pulled back, my cheeks were flushed.
“Given your father’s fear of the fire light, it would be safer to wait until morning to avoid any other creatures lurking in the dark.”
Atwell studied me for a moment.
“I fear I cannot wait.”
I could see the regret and determination in his gaze. Whatever business pulled at him, it did so with an insistency I had no hope of matching.
“Then let me give you something to keep you safe.” I dug through Elspeth’s chest of magical items, hoping I wasn’t making a foolish mistake. The small wooden cylinder attached to a leather cord lay near the bottom, wrapped in a fine cloth.
“Here,” I said, handing it to him. “Wear this around your neck.”