Page 32 of Faeling (Monstrous World #4)

It was finally when they reached Innrinhom that Ravenna was able to catch her breath.

Vallek didn’t plan to stay long, wanting to continue the journey to the eastern tibes so that their return to Balmirra wouldn’t be bogged down by autumn rains.

Yet, it would’ve been the epitome of rudeness to refuse the chieftain’s offer of hospitality.

“It’ll only be for a night,” he reassured her early that first morning. As a mark of friendship and trust, he entered Innrinhom to accept Hrothgar’s hospitality with a reduced retinue. At least Mattias would be with him.

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him right back, finding his fussing rather endearing.

Ravenna kept to his tent and to herself.

She’d thought the time alone—including having his big bed all to herself—would feel like a treat, but she quickly grew bored.

When she slept alone in the bed, she was more than a little annoyed to find that she already missed his burning heat at her back.

She’d slept alone most of her life, but after a mere fortnight of sleeping beside her azai, she found herself tossing and turning.

Her only consolation was that he wasn’t likely to sleep very well, either. Which meant he’d be awake and aware of any other attempts at seduction.

—white eyelashes fanned upon a pale cheek—saltwater burned her eyes—a scream of anguish—a battle cry—

Ravenna rolled over, woken from her afternoon doze. Fates, that was the third one today, all of the same or similar images. Her power was trying to tell her something, but from the images she saw, she wasn’t sure she wanted to listen.

Without much else to do than lay around and relieve her tired feet as she and the rest of the camp awaited Vallek’s return— any time now —Ravenna attempted to doze, making up for her poor night’s sleep. Her visions had other ideas, however, as they so often did. Impudent little buggers.

Rubbing her head, she sat up in her azai ’s bed, feeling…melancholy. Fates, did she truly miss him that much? It’d been just over a full day without him, and he wasn’t far. She could expect his return at any moment.

Really, she should be enjoying her time alone.

She hadn’t had much of it on this journey, and safely ensconced in his bedroom, she didn’t even bother with her glamour.

While she did appreciate the reprieve from her false face, there was no quarter from the boredom.

She told herself that the sharp pain in her side from missing Vallek wouldn’t be so acute had she anything to do.

Even a bit of embroidery. Boredom made everything worse.

She wasn’t sure she entirely believed it, though.

Ears trained for any sign of his arrival, she jumped up from the bed when she heard someone rush inside.

“Hurry!” someone said. “They’ve spotted unicorns! ”

A gasp met the announcement, and two pairs of feet hurried from the tent.

Ravenna’s stomach dropped to her toes, which she quickly shoved into her boots. Hesitating only long enough to don her glamour, she didn’t even waste time grabbing her cloak, just went running out of the tent.

No no no no…

Obi, where are you? she asked desperately, arms pumping. She followed a curious crowd moving north, heart racing faster than her feet pounded the ground.

Nearby. Why? Is something amiss?

Someone says you’ve been spotted.

I hardly think—

Oberon!

A handful of berserkers were keeping the curious orcs back, but Ravenna didn’t stop. Putting on speed, she used her magic to encourage the warriors’ gazes to look elsewhere as she swept past. She couldn’t truly make herself invisible, but she could ensure no one was looking for her.

Dry pine needles crunched beneath her boots as she wove between trees, mounting a steep rise.

The slope went nearly vertical near the top, forcing her to claw her way up.

At the crest, chest heaving, she spotted a small party of orcs just down the other side of the slope, pointing.

Following their line of sight, Ravenna could just spy the silvery glint of Oberon’s flank.

They’re on a ridge! To the south! You have to move!

Are you in danger? Should we—

I’m fine! Just go!

The silver flashed between the tree limbs, like sun glinting on the surface of a lake, and then disappeared into the denser brush.

“They’re on the move,” said one of the party’s hunters.

Ravenna’s heart lurched when she saw him draw an arrow from his quiver.

“No!” she cried. Without thought or worry, she slid down the slope, nearly crashing into the hunter. Reaching for his burly arm, she stopped him from nocking the arrow. “You can’t!”

The other orcs—two more hunters, three berserkers, and Ulrich—grumbled unhappily, eyes shifting back to where the unicorns had been in the valley below.

“Those beasts are dangerous, kone ,” said one of the berserkers. “They wouldn’t hesitate to attack a stray orc.”

“They’ve moved off,” Ravenna argued. “They can’t mean us any harm.”

“Sentimental fool,” Ulrich growled. “Unicorns have slain many kin. They’re to be killed on sight.”

Glaring up at the lord commander, Ravenna said, “It’s bad luck to slay a unicorn.”

“Perhaps for your kind, ” Ulrich sneered. “An orc wears their horns as trophies.” Nodding at the others, Ulrich said, “Track them.”

“No!” Run fast!

I won’t leave you, Crow.

Oberon, they mean to kill you!

With Ravenna holding onto him, the hunter looked first at her and then his comrades, obviously unsure what to do about the human woman dangling from his arm.

“Unhand him. Now, ” Ulrich warned.

“They aren’t a danger!”

“ Kone, please—” The hunter gripped her arm with his free hand, trying to pull her off.

“You would defend a unicorn?” Another laid a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“She’s mad,” scoffed another, blocking her in.

“I said unhand him!” Ulrich clapped a heavy hand on her other shoulder, fingers digging below her left clavicle.

“Please don’t hurt them!”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Their scuffle stopped, and as one, they all looked up the ridge. At the top stood Vallek, Mattias, and over a dozen berserkers. Rage contorted Vallek’s face, his nose wrinkled like a great cat’s, his mouth pulled down.

“Unicorns, my king!” Ulrich hurried to explain. He pointed out where they’d been spotted. “Not four-hundred yards from camp.”

“Unicorns? This far south?” Mattias said.

But Vallek said nothing, glowering down at the strange tableau they must have made. As if she’d caught fire, the hunters released her.

Ravenna spun around to face up the slope. She met the angry gaze of her azai, unsure what he was maddest at. Probably her.

That mattered less to her than Oberon’s safety.

Bending, Ravenna knelt on the needles and detritus, folding her hands before her.

“Please,” she begged, “please spare them. They’ve already moved on.”

Vallek’s eyes rimmed in white to see her kneeling. “Unicorns have long been the enemy of orcs.”

“These aren’t your enemy.”

“How could you know that, foolish woman?” Ulrich demanded. “They aren’t pretty ponies, these are warhorses! Bred to hunt and kill orcs!”

“If they meant to hurt you, they would have already,” Ravenna spat.

Ulrich huffed, spitting on the ground near where she knelt.

“Enough.” Vallek didn’t need to raise his voice, the low warning carrying down the slope to them. Ravenna shivered with its impact.

Please, she mouthed to him. Reaching out with her magic, she gently caressed his face before lowering the phantom touch to his chest. Over his heart. Please. For me.

An interminable moment passed in which Vallek considered—and gave nothing away. She wasn’t sure he would bend, and for a horrible moment, she thought orcish hatred for unicorns might weigh heavier than her word.

Finally, he motioned for her to stand.

She did so cautiously, her knees aching and her lip trembling. She bit it to hide how it quivered. Please please please.

“We will respect Hrothgar’s lands and let the beasts be,” he announced.

“My king…”

“Increase patrols around camp and stay vigilant. We start east tomorrow.” After issuing his orders, Vallek pinned her with a significant look. And you will explain yourself, that look said.

Fine. She could tell him about Oberon, she supposed.

But first, it was time to make her grandmare proud.

After a long, long night away from his mischievous mate, all Vallek had wanted to do upon returning to camp was find her waiting in a quiet, cool tent. She would open her arms to him, greet him with kisses, and whisper how much she missed him as he eased into the cradle of her body.

Nothing was ever so simple with his sprite, though.

Instead, he came back to word of unicorns and his own mate down on her knees, begging for their lives.

Vallek had no intention of starting a feud with a herd of unicorns, especially with a camp full of lives he was responsible for, but he wouldn’t soon forget how Ravenna had gotten down on her knees and pleaded.

He hadn’t…liked it. She didn’t belong on her knees.

Seeing her surrounded by males hadn’t done much for his mood, either.

All in all, it made for a tense dinner that night.

With Hrothgar and his retinue safely back in their city, there was no longer the need for as much pretense. Both Mattias and Ravenna joined him and Ulrich at the table, although the company didn’t make for good conversation.

Ulrich listened attentively to Vallek’s account of Innrinhom. He wanted to know everything—the layout of their citadel, the depth of their curtain walls—and Vallek endeavored to tell him. However, his attention never strayed long from his mate.

She still wore her false human face for the benefit of the handful of servants and guards in the tent.

She remained quiet throughout the evening, only picking at her meal.

Vallek didn’t like it. She needed to eat—their journey was far from over and now came the hard part.

The eastern tribes would be far less hospitable than Hrothgar.