Page 10 of A Curse So Vile

Brenna spied a chair and pulled it next to the bed. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I can help you.”

Cole looked up at her and blinked as though he didn’t comprehend what she had just said.

“I can help you, but it comes with conditions.”

“Conditions? Anything. I would give anything if you could see my sister to health.”

“I can’t…lift the curse; however, I can make it so her body won’t suffer the effects.”

His jaw clenched, untrusting.

“I am of the Den. It’s a place about three days south of here. My people…are not typical. If I were to bring her to them, they could help her.”

“Three days?” he said, lip curled. “She might not last two minutes! Look at her!”

Brenna gazed down at the bedraggled form buried in the blanket. She detested children, but she wished them no harm. In fact, she envied their lightheartedness.

“Then I guess we'd better hurry,” she said. “We’ll have to bind her to a board and travel quickly. If we switch out the horses before nightfall, we might be able to travel through the night.”

“Through the night? Are you insane? Do you know the manner of beasts that stalk the Dusklands at night?”

“Why, yes. Beasts like myself,” she said, enjoying the confused look that crossed his face. “I’m also going to need you to agree to terms.”

“What terms?”

“If I help your sister, you must pledge yourself to me.”

“Pledge myself? As a knight would? I am no knight.”

“No, not as a knight. As a servant would.”

His face contorted in offense, but then his sister’s frail hand shot up, grabbing his wrist.

“I will pledge to do your bidding for all of eternity if I have to.”

“Good. Get her bundled. I’ll ready your cart.”

4

BRENNA

Dorthea was one of few words, but her actions and expressions told Brenna everything she needed to know—the Gryndari matron did not trust her.

She was smart not to.

The aged woman laid down a bed of hay in the cart and packed the horse feed before turning to look at the small cottage.

“We had finally made this feel like home,” she said, shaking her head. “This ain’t right. The child deserves to die peacefully in a bed and not in some cart on a bumpy road.”

“Well, if luck is on our side, she’ll live to see another day. Many days, actually.”

Dorthea’s eyes narrowed. “That is simply not possible. Cole’s been chasing his miracle ‘cure’ for two years now, taking us to town after town, village after village. I finally got him to settle not four months ago, for Fiona’s sake, and here you are, takin’ that child from her warm bed. What do you think you could possibly do for her?”

Brenna turned away, refusing to meet her gaze. Chances were, if Dorthea knew what Brenna had intended for Fiona, she’d never allow the child to get loaded onto the cart, and Brenna couldn’t have that.

Cole emerged from the cottage, his face tense and untrusting.

“Is she ready?” Brenna asked.