Page 9

K ian

I watch her walk away, her dress sweeping in the mud.

I want to give chase. To talk her out of it, but I think it would be a useless endeavor. Perhaps it is better if we split up.

I need to find the others. I have no idea where to begin, but I have to try. I look back at the Emptyfae territory. At the Court in the distance, a mere speck on the horizon.

My people.

My home.

My Court.

For now, I have to leave so that I may free them from Snow.

From her evil clutches. I need to run, and I need to hide.

I must find somewhere safe for the night.

I wish McColl had given me a chance. I think we would have been good as a team, but I understand why she feels the way she does.

I am, indeed, her enemy, even if I don’t see her as such.

There has never been much love between the magical community and the fae.

Especially the witches. It’s so much worse now under Snow’s rule.

They hate us, and I can’t blame them for it.

I look down at my hands, turning them over and examining both sides. I can’t use this newfound power buzzing through my veins. I have no idea how I am able to access the magic inside me. I’m an emptyfae. I shouldn’t have a well, but I do. It makes no sense.

No matter. It’s clear that the fae can track me if I attempt to use it. That she can track me. I give one final glance at McColl and force my gaze away from her. I force myself to start walking.

It’s a pity. I think we would have been better together. Safer, stronger. No matter. The witch wouldn’t listen to reason.

After a short while, I pick up the pace, starting to jog and making good time despite the muddy terrain.

There is the odd tuft of dead or dying grass and the very rare tree.

They are either dead or very nearly there.

They’re all covered in lichen and moss. The sky is murky and covered in thick clouds.

It looks like it might rain before long.

I wish I had my oilskin jacket, but it’s tied to my horse, along with the rest of my supplies.

I trudge on, mile after mile, keeping a close eye on my surroundings, looking for hiding places should I require them.

It doesn’t take long before I do. I hear the thundering of the hooves first. I dash to a rocky outcrop, just managing to squeeze myself between one of the tight spaces, where I hunker down.

It’s cold and wet. Mud seeps into my breeches, sticking to my leather boots, but I sit tight until they are gone.

Then I get moving again. I repeat this pattern several times; each time the fae guards get close, I hide until they move off.

I’m careful to leave as few tracks for them to follow as possible.

It’s tough in this type of terrain. I almost wish it would start raining to wash away any sign I was here.

I keep walking at a steady clip until I am faced with a large open plain.

It would be foolish to attempt to cross with the guards out searching for me.

If the search party came this way, it would be easy to spot me and to capture me.

There is a big, deep cave in one of the rocky outcrops.

I’m tempted to use it for shelter for the night, but I’m sure they’ll check it if they come this way.

I know I would since it’s the obvious choice.

There is still some light, even though the clouds are getting darker by the second.

There is a small cluster of dead trees that offer no shelter at all.

In the end, I settle on a small hollow underneath an outcropping of rocks just up the way from the cave.

If I pull myself into a tight ball, they shouldn’t be able to spot me once inside.

It’s not ideal, but it will have to do. I squeeze into the tight space, my breath misting in the cool air.

The ground is damp, but it’s better than being out in the open.

My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since this morning. There is nothing I can do about that right now. One thing is for sure: it’s going to be a very long night.

McColl

I made the right choice.

I did.

I’m not going to feel bad about it. About him. Alaric – or whatever his name is – is a big, strong, powerful fae. He’ll be just fine on his own. He doesn’t need to be babied by a witch.

I need to get back to my own. I can’t team up with the likes of him. I won’t! Take him with me to the Regana Mountains? I don’t think so.

I keep walking. It’s going to take me a very long time to get home on foot.

I look in the direction of the mountain range that makes up my home. It’s too hazy to be able to see it. At least I know where I’m going. More importantly, I have my magic to keep me safe. I’ll use it to find food. To fight and to hide.

I can do this. There is a tight bundle of nerves inside of me, nonetheless. I keep my eyes open for signs of the fae.

Fae.

I think once again of Alaric. I’m tempted to look in the direction he took, but I don’t.

By now, we’ve both walked too far to be able to see each other, so there is no point.

It’s better this way. Besides, my grandmother always told me that it is always better to look ahead than backward.

Less chance of tripping. More chance of getting to where you want to go.

I keep going, willing myself to walk faster.

I’m not surprised when I hear multiple horses’ hooves and a snort of the approaching beasts.

All I need is a simple masking spell to keep me hidden, so I hold up my hands and close my eyes, pulling up my magic, but nothing happens.

There’s no buzzing. No glowing. No rush as my power runs through me and out of me.

Nothing.

As always, I feel my magic deep inside. I just can’t reach it. Plenty of power but with no way to use it.

No!

Why?

The sound of hooves grows closer. I turn and see them galloping straight for me. They shout as they catch sight of me. I start to run as fast as my legs will carry me. Not that there’s much point, but I have to try.

It isn’t fast enough. It’s no use trying to hide because they have eyes on me already.

It doesn’t take long for them to reach me. The horsemen come to a sudden stop in front of me, their steeds skidding in the mud as they surround me.

I raise my hands in surrender. One of the fae guards dismounts, his eyes narrowing as he approaches me.

“It’s the witch.” He laughs. His eyes narrow, dipping to my neck.

“They found her amulet on the ground at the bell tower.” His eyes move to lock with mine.

“We were briefed that you don’t have much power to speak of, but I’m going to give my standard warning, anyway: don’t even think about using magic on us. We’ll gut you in a heartbeat, girl.”

“Where is the fae you were traveling with?” another one asks, his eyes hard.

I shrug. “We went our separate ways.”

“Tie her up, Ren. Llayda and Nyx fan out and search the immediate area for the wanted fae,” Japhet orders his men, who do as he says without question or hesitation.

“He can’t be too far away,” a guard at the rear says; he is leading two ponies. They’re our horses. I recognize the one I was riding. The one I fell from when I couldn’t pass through the barrier.

One of them comes up to me. He must be Ren. He starts to bind my wrists. The rope bites into my skin. I wince but hold my tongue. There’s no use in fighting or complaining; it will only make things worse.

Japhet, the one who seems to be in charge, circles me like a vulture, his eyes scanning the horizon before coming back to rest on me.

“Did a fae help you escape?” he asks. “Or was it the other way around?”

I shrug.

“You need to start talking. What is his name?”

“Alaric,” I tell him. I’m somehow glad I don’t know his real name. I don’t like divulging any information about Alaric to these guards. It feels wrong somehow, even though I don’t owe him anything.

“Where is Alaric now?” Japhet asks.

“The agreement was that we help each other escape and then go our separate ways,” I lie. “We have since gone our separate ways. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t particularly care.”

“I’m not sure I believe you, witch.”

“I don’t care what you do or don’t believe. I am telling you the truth.”

The fae strikes me using the back of his hand. I stagger back, tasting blood. Just as I’m about to topple over, Japhet grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back so that I’m forced to look into his cold, hard eyes.

“You’ll speak to me with respect, witch,” he growls. “Now, tell me where Alaric is, and don’t bother lying. We have ways of making you talk. Ways you may not like much.” He pulls a wicked-looking blade from a sheath at his side.

Someone sniggers behind me.

I grit my teeth, my scalp burning from his grip. “I told you, I don’t know. We parted ways. I don’t care where he is or who he is. He served his purpose. I can’t help you.”

He sneers, throwing me to the ground. I land hard, the mud splashing up around me.

“Help them search the area thoroughly,” he barks at the guard who tied me up as he pushes the knife back into its sheath. “If the witch is lying, we’ll soon find him.”

The guard mounts up, leaving me with Japhet and another fae, who keeps a watchful eye on me. I sit in the mud, feeling the rope cut into my skin.

I try to summon my magic, but although it is there, I can’t access it.

Why not?

It’s infuriating.

I sit on the cold ground for what feels like a long time. Two of the guards finally return, their horses blowing a little.

“No sign of him?” Japhet asks, even though I can see he knows the answer already.

“No, nothing,” Nyx says.

“There are no tracks at all; we searched high and low,” the other one says. I think Japhet called him Llayda.

“Perhaps you were telling the truth, after all,” Japhet says, glaring at me like it’s a bad thing. “We need to meet Lord Ondine before nightfall.” He goes back to addressing his men. “We can’t return to the Court empty-handed and therefore we can’t return at all.”

“We have her,” the one holding the ponies says, eyeing me.

“A washed-out witch with no power.” Japhet snorts, shaking his head. “She means nothing. We need to find this fae. The queen wants him captured. He is our main target. Not this useless wench.”

My mouth falls open. This again.

The queen.

Why?

Who is Alaric?

The sound of a horse approaching brings me out of my thoughts. It’s Ren.

“No sign of the mystery fae,” he tells Japhet as he pulls his horse up.

“Get up, girl.” The leader nudges me with his booted foot.

Thankfully, my hands have been tied in front of me, so I can use my arms. I clamber to my feet, my cheek stinging a little from where he hit me earlier. I have been hit enough times to know that it more than likely won’t leave a bruise.

“Put her on one of the ponies, Arwin,” he instructs the fae holding the horses.

Arwin nods once. He’s a beast of a fae, with a shaven head beneath his helm and hard eyes.

He gets a smile I don’t particularly like. I know that look.

“It would be my pleasure,” Arwin says, taking me by the waist and lifting me easily onto one of the ponies. He grips my rear and squeezes the flesh. “Tasty little thing,” he tells me under his breath.

“Don’t,” I warn.

He laughs. “You be a good witch now.” He winks at me. “Don’t give us any trouble.” He grins like he’s hoping I will do just that.

I wish I could kick him in the head, but since it wouldn’t help me, I bite my tongue and put my feet in the stirrups instead.

The rest of the fae mount up. To my dismay, Arwin takes the lead rope attached to my horse’s bridle. It looks like the big brute is going to be in charge of me.

“Let’s meet up with Lord Ondine at the rendezvous point. I hope you all brought bedrolls, men. We’re sleeping out here tonight,” Japhet says.

It’s met with grumbles as we head out.

I look down at my bound wrists. The fae holding my horse’s lead is leering at me. What have I gotten myself into?