Page 13

M cColl

I laugh. I can’t help it. So far, he’s made me laugh far more than I would like. Far more than I thought possible. Especially out here. And then considering what happened with Arwin.

Then again, my situation could be worse. So much worse, I remind myself.

“Why do you want to know?” I ask as I start to unbuckle the cinch on my horse’s saddle.

“Don’t untack them in case we need a fast getaway. Just loosen the saddle a hole or two.”

I nod, doing as he says.

When I look back at Alaric, he’s got this half-smile that hits me in my lower gut, warming me.

May the moon goddess strike me down, I’m attracted to a fae.

I don’t even know his name. He’s keeping things from me – important things – and yet I’m attracted to him, anyway.

His eyes are quite beautiful and fanned by thick lashes.

His mouth is generous. His hair is thick and glints despite the lack of sun.

His shoulders are broad. He’s muscled and lean… and…

He narrows his eyes, smiling. It’s a tad unsure. “What? Now you’re looking at me strangely.”

Caught staring.

Oh, the shame of it!

“Nothing,” I blurt the bald-faced lie. “I’m just waiting for a reply to my question. Why do you want to know so badly?”

“I’m curious.” He shrugs. “That’s all.”

I giggle. “Maybe it was a little wrong of me. No!” I shake my head, shivering with revulsion when I think about what almost happened.

Anger also courses through me as I think about what he almost did to me.

What he would have done if Lord Ondine hadn’t stopped him.

“He deserved what he got. My first thought was to turn his…you know…his member…into an earthworm—”

Alaric barks out a laugh, keeping it softer than I think he would have liked, but we’re out here being hunted.

“Why didn’t you? You’re right; he would have deserved it.” His voice turns gruff, and his eyes seem to darken.

“The earthworm would have been alive, and I couldn’t do that to the poor creature.”

Alaric’s eyes glint with humor. “I agree; that would have been cruel.”

“The spell I cast was so much worse.” I cover my mouth for a moment, feeling my face go hot with embarrassment.

“Tell me already, McColl…please,” he urges. “I’m hungry, and I know you are, too. The horses want their oats. He deserved it, I assure you. I have to know. What did you do?”

I roll my eyes and bite my lip. “You’re going to think I’m terrible, but I don’t care. He likes to prey on women, so I decided to make him one…at least, down there.”

Alaric laughs; it’s loud. He quickly checks himself, but keeps on laughing. His shoulders are shaking as he bends over his middle. When he stands upright again, his eyes are glistening with unshed tears.

“That’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. I wish I could be there when he finds out.” He laughs some more.

I bite back a laugh. “Me, too.” Then I turn serious. “At least he’ll never be able to do that to anyone again.”

“No, he won’t.”

“I’m sure he’s done it before.” My voice is soft again. “I got that impression…you know.”

Alaric nods. He takes my hand and squeezes it before letting go.

“I understand why you cast that spell. Trust your gut. You say he preys on women and that he’s done it before…

that he would have raped you if given the chance…

then he deserved it, and more. I would have killed him.

” Alaric’s eyes are blazing, and his voice has turned hard.

His jaw is tight. He’s angry. He takes a deep breath, and the emotion evaporates.

“Let’s get the horses taken care of so that we can eat and bed down. ”

I nod, feeling better after talking with him about the whole ordeal.

Alaric leads the horses to a nearby brackish stream, and even though it stinks of rot, they drink their fill.

“Are you sure that’s safe for them to drink?” I ask him as he ties them using lead ropes.

“Yes. We can’t drink it, but they definitely can.

They’ve adapted well to these harsh conditions.

There are oats in my extra saddlebag on this side.

” He touches the bag in question. “Can you feed them and clean out their feet? The pick is in the side pocket of the same bag. I’m going to find some wood for a fire. ”

“You’re going to struggle to find anything dry enough to burn. Even if you do, it’ll smoke us out and probably give our location away.”

“You’re going to use your power to dry the wood and then start the fire for us.” He winks at me.

I lift my brows and give him a look. “You have far too much faith in my abilities.”

“We’ll soon find out. I think you’ll do just fine. I believe in you, McColl, even if you don’t believe in yourself.”

He keeps saying things like that to me, and I find myself lapping it up like I’m starved for compliments, and I guess I am.

I haven’t had many of those in all of my twenty-eight summers.

I’ve never had someone put such faith in me before, either, especially a fae.

It’s a strange feeling, but one that warms me nonetheless and far more than it should.

I need to tread carefully. I meant what I said; he isn’t my enemy, but he certainly isn’t my friend, and I need to remember that.

He tells me to trust him, but I can’t; it would be foolish to do so.

He leaves before I can argue the point further. I hope he didn’t see the color heating my cheeks. Warmth at his compliments and sugary words. The fae is a charmer. I need to be on my guard.

I open the saddlebag with the oats and give each horse a helping straight onto the ground. There isn’t much in the way of grazing. I’m sure they will be fine. Alaric said that they are used to the harsh conditions. That they have adapted.

The horses eagerly munch on the oats, their soft sounds of contentment filling the clearing.

I take the pick from the side pocket of the saddlebag and check their hooves, making sure there are no stones or debris stuck in them.

There’s plenty of mud, which I pick out until they’re clean.

The horses seem calm under my touch, trusting me to care for them.

I wish I knew their names. I pet each of them in turn.

We’re lucky we have them back with us. It would have been a long walk on foot.

After finishing with the horses, I make my way over to where Alaric has gathered a small pile of wood. There is a larger pile beside the small one. He gives me a hopeful look as he hands me a piece of the wood.

I take it.

“Just as expected, it’s wet…too wet to burn,” he tells me. “Let’s see what you can do.” He must see my expression because he adds, “No pressure, McColl. We will be just fine without a fire.”

I nod once and take a deep breath, focusing on the moisture within the wood.

Channeling the magic within me, I envision the water evaporating, the wood becoming dry and ready to catch fire. I feel a surge of energy flowing through me, the power within me responding to my command.

Slowly, I open my eyes and look down at the piece of wood in my hand. To my surprise, it’s no longer damp, but dry and almost brittle. A small smile tugs at my lips as I hand it back to Alaric.

“There you go,” I say, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “I did it.”

“Of course you did. I didn’t doubt you for a moment.” There is no sign of surprise. Perhaps he wasn’t trying to charm me. Maybe he meant it when he said he believed in me.

I get down on my knees before the two piles of wood, hold out my hands, and go through the same motions as before. The same thing happens, and the wood dries before my eyes. It’s easy. It’s simple. Only it shouldn’t be…not for me.

I laugh softly in disbelief. It’s the same as earlier; the magic inside of me is true and fully accessible. Why? How does it work?

Then I click my fingers, and the fire starts on the smaller pile. Flames spring to life, slowly getting bigger.

“Nicely done, McColl.” He hands me an apple and a piece of jerky. I take them, sitting on a rock close to the fire.

He hands me a skin, and I drink, passing it back to him. Alaric does the same. The tension of the day slowly melts away as we eat in comfortable silence, the crackling of the fire providing a soothing background noise.

“We only have one bedroll and blanket,” Alaric says, “which is fine, since we’ll have to take turns sleeping. Someone will have to stand guard just to be safe.”

“Oh.” I frown. “One bedroll—”

“I packed two sets, but I suspect that the bedroll and blanket you were using at the cave was one of those sets, and we had to leave in a hurry.” He takes a bite of his apple.

“We sure did. I um…” I stare into the fire for a few seconds. “I thought I might try a shield spell. Not just for us, but for the horses, too.” I bite my nail.

“That’s a great idea.” He takes another bite of his apple.

I lift my hands and close my eyes, feeling my magic well up. I’m filled with power. It buzzes through my veins. It’s shocking to me each time I feel it. Each time I access it. I shouldn’t be able to. Not like this.

“I can do it,” I tell him, opening my eyes. “I’m not so sure I can maintain it, though. Especially if I’m asleep.”

“We’ll take turns keeping watch, just to be safe. The shield will be a nice addition.”

I nod, closing my eyes again, remembering my teachings. It isn’t difficult since I studied and worked harder than most in my coven. Not that it helped me much. Perhaps all those long hours will come in handy now. I’d like to think so.

I murmur the incantation under my breath, weaving the spell with intricate gestures. The air around us shimmers briefly and then settles, the shield now in place.

“It’s done,” I say softly, opening my eyes to meet Alaric’s gaze. He’s watching me with an expression of mixed admiration and curiosity.

“I’ll take first watch. You get some rest,” he tells me.

“I don’t mind taking the first—” I start to say.

“Please…you go ahead. I’m not very tired yet. I’m happy to take the first shift.”

His eyes are bloodshot, and there are dark smudges beneath them. I saw him yawn just moments ago, but I don’t argue. If he insists on taking the first watch, then I’m okay with that.

I get under the covers, pulling them to my eyes. I must be tired because I fall asleep soon after.

I’m not sure how long I sleep, only that I awaken to the sound of low growling.

It’s deep and terrifying, sending ice straight into my veins.

I turn and sit upright as soon as I see it. It’s a hywolf, which is a mixture between a wolf and a hyena, only much larger and much more deadly. It’s only about ten or twelve feet from us. I can see the yellow of its eyes and how sharp its teeth are.

I shriek, and the shield falls. The beast, sensing an opportunity at warm flesh, leaps at us, teeth bared.

I quickly pull the shield back up. I do it almost without thinking. The hywolf slams into the magical barrier. It hits hard, yelping as it falls back.

The creature snarls, circling around the shield, hackles raised, its eyes fixed on us with a hungry gleam.

A second and then a third hywolf join the first, saliva dripping from their great maws. There is a howl in the distance. One of the beasts lifts his head and howls a return call.

I look over at Alaric; he has a sword in one hand and a knife in the other. He is the picture of calm, which is at odds with how I am feeling…namely panicked. There are more of those things out there, and they’re coming for us.

My eyes are wide, and my heart is racing. The horses are restless, too, pulling at their tethers. I can see the fear in their eyes as they whinny and stomp their hooves. The shield is designed to keep the outside world out, but the horses will be able to cross easily.

I’m worried that if they spook too badly, one or both might escape, and that would be the end of them.

My power feels strong, even though I am holding the shield. I wave my hands and mutter a word or two, my gaze on our horses. They instantly calm.

My spell seems to have the opposite effect on the hywolves. More appear from between the dead trees, and more still, until we are surrounded by them.

My heart thumps like mad beneath my ribs.

The first wolf lunges again, this time with more force, slamming into the shield as it growls in frustration. The others try, too, snarling and growling as they fall back time and time again.

The barrier holds strong, shimmering with a faint light as it repels their attacks.

Finally, with a snort of disgust, the biggest of the hywolves turns his yellow eyes on me; it’s probably my imagination, but they seem to narrow, and then he turns and pads away. The others follow suit, one after the other.

When they are all gone, I let out a huge breath, clutching my chest. My mouth feels dry.

“Impressive, McColl.” Alaric gives me a half smile that ignites something in me. Something I quell instantly.

I huff out a breath. “Why didn’t you wake me when he first arrived?”

“The shield was still in place. I hoped the beast would leave.” He sheaths his sword. “I know that fear can interfere with a magic spell. Hy-wolves are attracted to sound, movement, and the scent of panic.”

“You’re right; fear does interfere with magical ability. You saw what happened when I got the initial fright.” Perhaps he was right to leave me sleeping. The other wolves arrived soon after I woke up.

He nods once.

“Next time, wake me up, anyway. That was…it was terrifying. If not for my magic, we might very well be dead.”

“We’re not. We’re still here; let’s concentrate on that.”

“You’re right…I guess.”

“Would it be okay if I rested now? Or do you need more sleep?”

“No…please, be my guest.” I realize that I’m still sitting on the bedroll and get up. “I’ll keep watch,” I say as I pull my cape more firmly around me.

Alaric gets into the bed, pulling up the blanket.

“Sleep well,” I tell him.

He makes a noise of agreement. Within no time, his breathing changes as he falls asleep.

I can’t believe that he wants to come to the Regana Mountains with me. I will have to change his mind on that. My people will tear him to pieces.

The good news is that I have a few days to convince him. The bad news is that we might not survive the journey.