Page 40 of Artemysia

“All of you are dead, if she comes to harm. I swear it.” - Riev

I t pisses me off to have to ride away from Delphine. The demons in my soul wish to fight my way out of this. But I beseech any gods who may exist in our forsaken world—besides the two idiotic moon gods—that Delphine stays away and finds her way back to Stargazer safely.

What have you done, Riev? Well, shit. At least they let me ride my elk. On her, I might have a minuscule chance at escape. She’s fast. And, despite throwing me at first, she was able to break free of Syf control during the last attack.

I pat her neck. Good girl. At least you listened to Delphine in the end. That goes for me too.

I hope she understands why I left without a fight. I’d have fought to the death if her safety weren’t at stake.

The entire army of Syf trails behind me and their king as we ride away from Delphine, locked away in the cave .

“If you’d stop snarling like a wild animal, you might be interested in what I have to say,” the Syf king remarks.

It’s impossible to focus on his words when I’m this distraught about leaving Delphine behind.

“Riev.” King Foss employs the most emotionless voice I’ve ever heard. This fucker makes Galke seem exuberant and animated. “You are the product of your Syf father—my older brother—and a human woman he loved enough to break every law.”

Syf father.

Break every law . By having me. My existence is an abomination.

I freeze, because it can’t be the truth.

It can’t be the truth, because I do not want to be Syf. Can I become like the others, then? The murdering beasts?

“My brother’s love was his downfall,” the Syf king continues, every word slicing into my deepest wounds. “When my father the king found out about you, a monstrosity in his eyes, he ordered that you be destroyed.”

My stomach drops. A monstrosity in both the human and Syf worlds.

“But years later, rumors in a select inner circle whispered that your parents had faked your death to sneak you out of Artemysia before they were killed themselves.”

My ears prick up, despite myself. “Who killed my parents? Syf?” Why should I trust this fucker?

The king must lie to keep me shocked and confused and subdued. If I accept his story, it means I am half-Syf. And I’ve spent my whole life proving I’m not.

I can’t turn into a bloodthirsty maniac now, can I?

I don’t so much as look in his direction as he speaks.

He doesn’t answer my question. “It’s debatable whether you belong in Artemysia at all.”

They tried to kill me, and they killed my parents. I’ve murdered their subjects. So no, I do not belong anywhere.

“How did you find me?”

“One of our spies befriended a certain colonel who lost a finger recently. He said a rumored half-Syf assassin would be crossing the woods. We sent Delphine a note warning her not to enter Artemysia. ”

Fucking Colonel Jorgen. I should have lopped off his head.

I can’t take it anymore.

I spit out a string of curses at the Syf king, interrupting him. “What the hell do you want with me?”

“You must atone for the number of Syf lives—”

“Did you ensure Delphine’s safety out of the forest? All of you are dead, if she comes to harm. I swear it. I’ll kill you motherfuckers!” I holler, unable to control my temper, my voice reverberating through the forest.

The king signals his guards.

I’ve killed too many of them, and I’m their biggest threat. We all know this. If I were king, if I ruled a kingdom, I’d want to capture and take out an assassin who has murdered hundreds of my people.

But I can’t fight my way out of this one. These monsters are organized, methodical.

From their skilled stances to how they wield their polished weapons, they aren’t the senseless, crazed Syf I’ve encountered so far who come at me one at a time.

Are they a different species? They look the same, though cleaner and better dressed. Their eyes are watchful, aware, intelligent. No rabid screaming. I almost miss the rabid screaming.

These guys are too quiet. Controlled.

I could take out a dozen before being overtaken. If they hadn’t taken my weapons.

Is this the end, then? There was no other way to save the three of them. They must be out of the cave by now. Delphine won’t come for me. She’ll try to complete the mission. It’s the most strategically sound course of action, and she’s always clever enough to make the right decision.

If I make a run for it, I might be able to dodge the Syf among the dense thickets, like I did when I was chased out last time.

Escape. It’s all I can do.

Before I can make a move, my head is covered from behind. I struggle and fight, my fist blindly connecting with a face that shouts out in pain as a nose cracks, but I inhale something smoky and peppery and mossy, like the blue willow trees near Riverheart I used to nap under.

I hold my breath, and my foot connects with someone’ s ribcage. I grab what I can, perhaps one of these asshole’s long hair, and yank someone off the strange steed they ride. My wrists are caught and roped from each side, wrenching my hands back as they’re bound behind me.

The sack covering my head tightens around my neck, nearly choking me, and I can’t hold my breath any longer. I gasp in the smoky, herbal scent.

I’m drowsy in an instant and fall forward, my body slumping onto the coarse fur of my elk’s neck.