Blood

by Michelle Connor

  Fear's copper taste filled her mouth as she searched for her brothers and the other warriors. The fog cut visibility to less than three feet in every direction. Her stomach tightened. Clenching her teeth, she reached towards her daggers, their smooth wooden handles filling her palms. She might have hated senseless violence, but that didn't mean she wouldn't defend herself against any foe.

  Strong, indigo arms banded across Red's torso from behind. Her breath exploded from her lungs, and a yelp slipped past her lips. The fae crushed her against a hard chest, trapping both weapons at her sides. She arched her back and thrashed her head backwards in an attempt to break the hold. Or at least break her capturer's nose. Unsuccessful, she wriggled and back-kicked frantically.

  "Hush, girl and be still," said the fae holding her, his minty breath shifting the soft hairs against her neck, his deep voice savage against her ear. "Let the real warriors handle this. Then we can have some fun."

  Indignation replaced her terror, and the initial fight-or-flight instinct settled into cold resolve, her heartbeat steadied. She stopped struggling, closed her eyes, took several deep breaths. After all, Sidth didn't need weapons to fight. She concentrated on the warmth of her captor's skin against hers as howls of pain and the stench of bloodshed filled the night.

  Red reached for the otherness that made her different from her family, magic.

  The coolness of Winter filled one palm, and the warmth of Summer the other. She opened her eyes. Frost covered her enemy's hands and crept up his forearms, glittering under a dim moonbeam. He screamed and pushed her away. Shoulders heaving, she wheeled around and brandished her daggers.

  Purple eyes flashed in the gloom, and moonlight washed over her enemy's bone-white hair, tied at his nape. Loose strands slicked to his sweaty face. "Impossible," he said, his tone reverent.

  Taking advantage of his preoccupation, Red leapt forward. With a twist of her wrist, she slashed towards her enemy's throat. He shifted out of the way, and her blade bit a chunk out of his shoulder. She spun around and sliced a ribbon from his arm, spraying blood onto her cloak and coating her iron blade. Inhaling dank air, she hoisted her weapons and moved in for the kill.

  From the underbrush, a glowing-orange vine lashed at the enemy, coiling around his ankles. With eyes owl-wide, the fae slipped one leg free, then the other, and stomped on the glowing vine.

  As the plant's unearthly screech pierced Red's ears, the enemy sprinted through the mist, his blood dripping onto mulchy ground. The fog dispersed with his retreat, and the clearing came into full view. Red's brothers stood ten feet away, both gulping air. Crimson smeared their clothes and skin, and their swords glinted in starlight.

  They're alive.

  Red's shoulders slumped, and the knot in her chest loosened.

  A breeze picked up, and death's sickly sweet stench assaulted her nose. Heart in her throat, her eyes widened at the rest of the chaos. Blood pooled around at least a dozen corpses. They stared unblinking at the treetops, their severed limbs and viscera littering the ground. She rubbed her aching forehead and sighed. More than one of the deceased was a redcap. She barely knew them, but her stomach twisted at the sight.

  The flapping of wings grabbed her attention. Red tipped her head back. A vibrating black mass of smoke and shadows moved out of the night itself and swarmed on the dead. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, and her pulse fluttered in her throat.

  The Slaugh.

  Blood-curdling screeches resounded through the clearing. Creatures made from nightmares, with tattered obsidian wings tucked against their backs, detached themselves from the writhing shadows. Sallow skin stretched tight over their skeleton frames. Pointed ears stuck out from their scraggly hair, and the whites of their eyes glowed in the dark.

  The Slaugh feasted. Talons tore skin and muscle, beaks covered in gore. An overpowering stench of sulfur and decay ladened the air. Crushing darkness flittered at the edge of Red's vision. She turned around, bent over, and hurled chunks onto a pile of crunchy leaves.

  Brogue stepped close. "Been a long while since the sight of death made you sick, Sis." His warm hand rubbed her back and helped stave off the chill. "Looks like someone already knows we're here, so we're gonna have to double-time it to the city. You going to be okay?"

  She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, stood on quivering limbs, and turned. "Yeah. The quicker we get away from here, the better I'll feel."

  One of The Slaugh raised its head and stared with demon-black pupils. The blood drained from her cheeks, and the breath exploded from her lungs.

  I hope.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  Red struggled to keep up with the other warriors trailing the winding path of a river through the forest. She lagged behind. Her leg muscles burned, and each pounding footfall on the hard-packed mud jarred her knees. Exhaustion threatened collapse. She passed under the branches of a towering white oak, and its rustling leaves made her look up. A bird with an eagle's wingspan sporting gleaming rainbow-coloured feathers exploded from the tree's dense canopy and cawed overhead.

  Red ducked under a low-hanging branch and cursed under her breath. She shielded herself with both forearms against the whip-thin tree limbs that flogged her clammy skin and impeded progress. Sweat trickled into fresh arm cuts. Forehead furrowed, she attempted to ignore the sting.

  The distance to the others increased as her pace slowed. Every now and then, the redcaps slipped around a bend and became hidden by tree trunks or huge spindly bushes. When that happened, heart thundering, she accelerated until they reappeared.

  The trees thinned out, and the group reached a narrow footbridge as if Danu herself had answered Red's prayers for a well-earned rest. Red stopped next to her brothers, shoulders heaving. She hung her head, bent her legs, and placed damp palms on quivering knees. Hyperventilating, blurry spots drifted across her vision, and her stomach roiled with nausea.

  She sucked in cool air until the need to purge her empty stomach faded and her eyesight cleared. When her breathing slowed, she straightened. Her wobbling legs felt like a gentle breeze would knock them out from under her. She leaned her head against Brogue's shoulder while her body recovered from the gruelling run. Heated shouts lanced the night's chilled air before being swept away by howling winds. She glanced in the direction of the disturbance. Redcaps shoved each other, and a few exchanged powerful punches.

  "They're worse than children," Red muttered.

  "Come on, sister," said Aelfric. "They're just releasing tension. A broken nose here, a fat lip there, it's good for morale."

  "If you say so." She rubbed the back of her sweat-slick neck and groaned as her temples throbbed with a skull-splitting headache.

  Once the redcaps had decided who had the biggest... muscles and should go first, the warriors followed The Lord of the Wild Hunt in single-file to the other side of the river. Their progress was slow, so she took advantage and slumped onto the damp ground.

  The redcaps staggered with every step across the bridge. The wooden boards creaked under their heavy tread. On closer inspection, the footbridge looked unsafe, as if someone had made it with miss-matched scraps of wood. The frayed support ropes swayed, and the bridge lurched.

  A faded sign hung from a slanted wooden post under a towering willow on the opposite bank. She strained her eyes. The sign read, 'BEWARE. CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK.'

  "For Danu's sake, that can't be good," she whispered. Her head jerked towards the river. After scrambling to her feet, she shuffled closer to the bank's edge, her boots squelching in slippery mud. The stench of rotting vegetation combined with the rancid odour of the fish infested waters wafted to her nose.

  "What's wrong?" said Brogue as he stepped to her side, Aelfric dogging his heels.

  Wispy clouds floated across the twin moons. Darkness kissed the land, the remaining moonlight failing to pierce the black water. Foreboding skittered down her spine, dropping into the pit of her stomach like a lump of lard.

>   Red shook her head. "I'm not sure."

  The gloom beneath the bridge brought to mind the thought that she was staring into a black abyss and hoping to spot the danger before it took notice. Laps of water splashed up against the support posts. She scanned the rest of the water as it rippled. She was about to give up and call herself paranoid, when iridescent green scales peeked above the surface. They glittered as if dewdrops shimmering under a gleaming midday sun. Her eyes widened and her heart slammed against her ribcage. "Get off the bridge!" she bellowed. "Now! There is..."

  A huge water serpent exploded out of the river, soaking Red and her brothers in slime. She staggered back. It launched towards the scrambling redcaps trapped on the footbridge. Water cascaded from the serpent's fins. Warriors shoved at backs, others grabbed for weapons. The serpent opened its enormous maws and chomped down on several warriors and planks of wood. The squelch of tearing flesh mingled with the crunch of bones and filled the air. Blood pounded in her ears. As gurgling screams pierced her heart, the serpent dove into the river's depths, its mouth full of flailing redcaps. In a daze, Red gulped and stared at the rippling water. Her body was like a block of ice, and her mind numb.

  Brogue grabbed a fistful of Red's sleeve and dragged her behind him and Aelfric as they hurried towards the footbridge. "Come on," he said, his words hampered by the wind at their backs, but it was enough to punch the panic back down Red's throat. "We need to get across before it finishes its snack and comes back for seconds."

  Red's pulse pounded in time with their thudding boots. Her feet slipped as she scurried across the wooden planks and lunged over the jagged gap. The swinging ropes frayed and coarse fibres scraped her palms as she clutched to their false safety. High above, one of the twin moons peeked from between the clouds. A splattering of blood on the bridge glimmered under its argent glow, and a coppery tang mixed with a dead-fish smell crowded her nose.

  Halfway across, she dared a glance over the side of the bridge. Icy dread slithered across her neck. A chewed on leg bubbled up to the water's surface, a blood-soaked sock hanging off the yellow nail of its big toe. It floated downstream before a white plant, which appeared as innocent as a water lily, lashed out and devoured it with razor-sharp teeth.

  Her heart raced and didn't slow down again until she and her brothers reached the safety of the other bank. They crashed through the foliage. Following the redcaps' footsteps squished into the moist earth, she rushed through a gap between two mighty oaks, leapt over roots protruding from the ground, and jogged through a field of tall swaying grass. The silhouettes of the other warriors huddled at the top of a steep slope. Gritting her teeth, she dug in her feet and slogged up the hill. Her thigh and calf muscles smarted, trumpeting their discord, but she kept going to the top.

  "Well," said Brogue, swiping sweat from his upper lip. "That was new."

  "Red's cloying, feminine stench no doubt baited the thing," came Fabien's voice from within the huddled group of warriors, his tone harsh.

  "Least I don't stink of piss like you," said Red. "I can smell your stench all the way over here."

  Fabien pushed his way from between the other redcaps. "I'm going to—"

  "Enough!" shouted The Lord of the Wild Hunt, slashing his hand through the air. "You might have started this argument, Fabien, but have no doubt, I'll finish it."

  "Fine." Fabien spun around offering Red his back.

  Brogue draped his arm around her shoulders and led her down the slope on the other side of the hill. In the distance, a large walled city sliced across the landscape. Despite the tension adding weight to the air, hope fluttered in her chest. Huge metal gates bared the only way to easily get inside without scaling the stone bricks. Lights twinkled like a heaven's worth of stars, and trailing plumes of smoke rose from chimneys, filling the sky with drifting ash.

  "Redwood, at last," she whispered under her breath. She sent a prayer up to Danu that the wall kept out Underhill's twisted and dangerous creatures. A slither of frigid fear skated across her neck.

  Or are the fae the dangerous ones?

  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  Redwood City's razored fortifications stretched from one side of the horizon to the other. Red followed the others as they trooped towards it, a field of wet grass lashing against their ankles. With stiff fingers, she hugged her bag closer to her chest, not wanting to lose her belongings to the raging storm. There were no trees or bushes on either side to slow down the howling gale, so it battered against her body, making every step hard-fought. Her tired legs trembled. Damp hair lashed against her cheeks, and coldness nipped at exposed skin. Her strength had evaporated as rapidly as whispered words spoken into the strong winds. Adrenaline kept her going.

  The field only measured half a league, but it seemed a moon's cycle before they halted in front of the city's looming gates. Red was so unsteady on her feet, that the flutter of a sparrow's wing could have knocked her over. She locked her knees and stood tall, swiping her wayward hair out of her face and tucking the loose strands behind her chilled ears.

  The squeak of rusted hinges drifted from the top of the wall just before a masculine shadow stepped from the closest watchtower, his breath clouding the night air. Red tipped her head back, squinted, and peered more closely.

  Amber eyes with slitted pupils flashed with the reflection of the twin moons, and tufts of hair which covered the tips of pointed ears shone silver in the darkness. The cat sidth wore carrion-black clothes and had sable skin that blended with the backdrop of the night sky. If not for his reflective cat eyes, he would have been near impossible to discern from the surrounding gloom. He stalked along the patrol path, a quiver of arrows knotted at his waist swaying with each surefooted step. Once above Red's group, the cat sidth scrutinised the party of two dozen warriors. His intense gaze paused too long on Red.

  It's just because I'm the only female.

  Intuition said it wasn't the only reason. Her heart thumped against her breastbone, anxiety growing with each beat. Questions swam in the cat sidth's eyes and pinched his brows. Does he have ill intent?

  I'd rather not find out this night.

  When his regard moved on to Brogue, Red exhaled in relief and pulled her cloak tighter around her body to stave off the chill.

  Apparently done with his inspection, the cat sidth disappeared, popping out on the other side of the portcullis, which separated the group from the city beyond. He yanked on a lever several times before it gave, and the gates groaned open. Red and the ever-decreasing group of warriors trudged into Redwood City with The Slaugh floating above their heads like a dark omen.

  The cat sidth offered a handshake to the mysterious Lord of The Wild Hunt. "Hello, Gwynn, my old friend."

  So that's The Lord's name. I just wish I could see the face which goes with it.

  Red shuffled closer to catch the rest of the conversation while keeping her brothers nearby.

  "Hello, Jae," said Gwynn. He pulled the cat sidth into an embrace. He thumped him on the back several times and let him go. "Still here I see! How long do you think until you're out of trouble with Queen Eira this time?"

  Jae let out a deep sigh which sounded as if he carried the weight from Underhill's twin moons on his shoulders. "You know I was her personal guard since before she could even walk, and thought we'd become good friends. Only to learn differently when she sent me from her side for offering advice she didn't want to hear." Jae's cat-like ears twitched. "What can we do though? The royals let us know daily that we live by the sufferance of the four courts. We who they allowed close to one of the thrones know that better than any other."

  "No truer words, friend," said Gwynn. "No truer words." From within his dark cloak, he pulled out a cream parchment scroll, with a snowflake relief pressed into its red-wax seal. He held it out to Jae. "Well, our Queen has ordered a new hunt."

  Jae unrolled the scroll, read its contents, and handed it back. He rubbed his palm against his chin stubble and canted his head to th
e side. "Are you here for anyone in particular? Or are the rebels causing mischief again?"

  "The rebels." Gwynn vanished the scroll within the confines of his cloak with such sleight of hand, it could have been magic.

  "I don't know why she bothers with them. They couldn't organise a social gathering in a brothel."

  "Well, I, for one, won't be telling her that. I like my head where it is, thank you very much." Gwynn sliced a finger across his neck. "Hopefully, our visit will be shorter this time around. I've not been home for a while, and I yearn for a night in my own bed."

  Jae's shrewd attention moved towards Red, like he knew she'd been listening all along, and her pulse fluttered in her neck. He raised a brow, and to her relief turned back to Gwynn.

  "I'll hold on to that hope." He yanked on the gate's lever. "The Slaugh always make the residents fearful, and scared fae tend to do stupid things. With all the unrest going on, citizens are already as nervous as will-o'-the-wisps caught in a djieien spider's web."

  The iron gates slammed shut. Red jumped, nerves rattled. The clang of the metal jangled against her eardrums, obscuring the end of the men's conversation. Jae took off back to his post, and Red followed Gwynn and the rest of the warriors further into the city.

  A buzzing filled the night, and dazzling lights glared in her face. She squinted. It took several breaths until her eyes adjusted, and she could see through her watery vision. Globes made from witch-glass hung in the air by magic, brightening the city.

  That's how they can tell if it's day or night without a sun. Clever.

  The combined illumination so overwhelmed the moonlight, it rivalled a Terra sunrise and blotted out the stars above. The globes cast their warm orange glow over the strange buildings crowding the walkway, making the structures appear on fire. Curiosity drew Red closer to one of the globes. As she stood below, she sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening.