Page 16

CHAPTER 16

MIRA

I hastily pack a bag, tossing in my warmest clothes. I dress in a pair of my father’s hunting pants that have built-in sheaths for knives, arm myself as best I can, and put on two thick sweaters and a fur-lined cloak.

I pause in my bedroom and glance out the window. There’s so much I wish I could do before my hasty departure from Trevos. Like say farewell to Yvette and Mrs. Harmon, perhaps ask them to keep an eye on my homestead or even feel free to move in. I would also like to visit the gravesites of my parents and brothers. Maybe even take one last walk around Trevos. But I can’t waste a single second.

After grabbing my bag, I hurry to the kitchen and pack enough food for several days. I also fill a canteen with water.

I step onto the porch and my gaze catches on the massive amount of firewood Kaiden left for me the other day. An ache resounds in my chest.

Despite our differences and our most recent disagreement, during which he held me against my will and insinuated he wanted me as a pleasure slave, the prospect of never seeing him again is a knife to my heart.

The frigid wind stings my ears, and I withdraw a hat my mother knitted for me years ago. Gods, I miss her more than ever right now. I tug the hat down low enough to cover my ears and set off, heading for the secret passageway in the stone wall. Even if Kaiden had it sealed, I don’t believe it will stop me.

Because I can make plants grow unusually large.

My pulse skitters every time I remember my powers, my magic , and though I’m saddened I must flee Trevos, the truth is I’m a little excited to test out my full powers in the forest.

Perhaps I’ll run into a friendly forest nymph who will teach me a thing or two.

I’m not certain whether I should seek refuge in another human kingdom, try my luck in an orc village, or simply hide out in the forest.

All I know is that I must put as much distance between myself and Trevos as possible. I need to travel as far as I can before nightfall.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Kaiden will come looking for me, though I hope to evade capture.

Sure enough, I discover the secret passage was recently sealed. The freshly laid stones are easy to spot, but my spirits lift when I glimpse the same vines that once covered the passage are still growing along the wall.

I glance around but spot no one. Fae guards patrol the wall in the distance, but they aren’t close enough to notice me. At least I hope not. I plan to be quick. As for fellow humans, the nearest houses were heavily damaged during the battle, some of them reduced to ashes. Thus far, it doesn’t look like anyone has started rebuilding, though that’s probably because the former occupants are dead, I realize with a sinking heart.

Over two hundred human soldiers, I remind myself. That’s how many of my people Kaiden slaughtered during the battle, and I’m fairly certain he’s proud of that number.

I can’t help but wonder how many faefolk the Trevos soldiers managed to kill in the new settlement near Allostus. I doubt it came close to the number of dead in my city.

And now Trevos will remain under fae rule indefinitely.

I turn and concentrate on the vines, summoning them to grow long and thick so I might easily climb over the wall.

It works. It works more quickly and even better than when I stood on the balcony of Kaiden’s quarters. Within moments, the vines have not only thickened, but they’ve formed a makeshift ladder that will make my climb rather easy.

I spare one last glance over my shoulder and take in the sights of Trevos. The home I’ll likely never see again. I readjust my pack, hurry up the vines, and scramble over the wall. When my feet touch the ground on the other side, I exhale with relief.

But I soon remember that the majority of the fae army is marching out today. That’s why Prince Lucas was giving a farewell speech. Fear clogs my throat as I hold my breath and peer through the trees, but I don’t see any signs of fae soldiers.

I only hope I don’t take off in the same direction in which they’re headed. Getting captured by Kaiden would be bad enough, but if I were caught in the woods by the fae army, they would assume I was a runner. Nearly three weeks have passed since the fall of Trevos, and our new overlords still haven’t permitted anyone to leave the city walls.

Gods, I can’t help but wonder if Kaiden will start allowing hunters, trappers, and traveling merchants out, or if he’ll reign over a starving city.

Guilt flows through me.

If I stayed, even to be his whore, perhaps he would listen to my suggestions. Perhaps I could convince him to show my people leniency from time to time.

My stomach drops. I already escaped, and I shudder to imagine the look on his face when he discovers I’m missing from his quarters.

What will he think when he sees the vines? Will he believe I’m responsible or blame it on one of his people?

I take off running through the trees, heading southwest. There’s a series of small villages this way, or so I’ve heard, and if I go far enough, I’ll reach the Clarrsian Sea. If I’m remembering my geography studies from school correctly, there aren’t any large cities in this direction.

It stands to reason that large cities, and the soldiers within, would be the most likely to attack one of the new fae settlements. Small villages just don’t have the resources. I pray I’m right. I pray I’m not overrun by the Summer Court army later in the day.

I run and run until my sides ache, but I’m pleased when I don’t require more than a few seconds to recover my stamina, and I soon take off again at full speed. The trees and undergrowth become a blur of green. Occasionally, I cross creeks and even rivers, hopping from rock to rock with ease.

Darkness starts to set in, and I finally slow my pace. I pause and hold my breath as I listen for sounds of a fae army, but I only hear the rustle of a small animal in the bushes and a crow cawing in the distance. A glance upward reveals no winged fae in the skies.

I’m safe. For now.

But it’s going to be fully dark soon, and I need to find shelter. I also need to hydrate and eat a quick meal. I plan to wake early and cover even more distance tomorrow, so I must keep up my strength.

As I search for a sheltered area in the forest, a thought comes to me, and I concentrate on a row of sapling trees. They grow taller in unison and then curve straight out. Meanwhile, their branches grow impossibly long and twist together between the flat surface, creating a makeshift roof. I summon other plants nearby to finish my creation, using a thick holly bush to form one wall, and a growth of ferns to make another wall.

Lastly, I watch as a bed of soft moss thickens on the floor of my shelter, and the nearby undergrowth heightens to overwhelm the entire structure, causing it to become hidden.

Anyone walking by won’t be able to spot this shelter. It looks completely natural. I step inside, remove my pack from my shoulders, and sink onto the soft, warm moss bed. Gods, I’m shocked by how warm it is, and I can’t help but suspect the plant life is giving me what it thinks I need, even going beyond my wishes.

I pet the moss and whisper, “Thank you, friend,” and it becomes even warmer in my shelter. “Well, thank you, friends , I mean.” I take a moment to caress each of the plants that are part of my creation, and some of them shudder against my fingers. I smile. I might be alone in the forest, but I’m not truly alone. Not when I can beckon plants to help me.

Maybe I can actually escape Kaiden.

Hope surges inside me, but it’s quickly replaced by heartbreak.

I remove my boots and get comfortable, but a glance outside the shelter gives me pause. Only the faintest light remains in the forest. Once I close the door to my little shelter, it’s going to be pitch dark in here.

Fear skitters through me. I’ve never liked the dark and usually sleep with a lantern burning low. If only I’d thought to bring a small lantern or a candle, but I suppose that wouldn’t be very practical in a structure made entirely of plants. I wouldn’t want to risk starting a forest fire.

A soft red glow suddenly emanates from my left. I gasp. It’s the berries on the holly bush. They’re glowing and providing the perfect amount of light. My fear fades and I finally seal the door, calling upon a shrub to grow tall and thick in front of it, completely concealing the entrance.

I force myself to drink some water and eat a piece of cheese and some bread. Then I curl up on the soft bed of moss and fall fast asleep.

Unfortunately, I keep dreaming of Kaiden. All night long, I hear his voice and feel him, and I wake several times half expecting to discover him in the shelter beside me.

I awake in the morning to find a single beam of sunlight coming through a tiny gap in the holly bush. Despite my fatigue, I immediately prepare for a long day of travel. I tug my boots on, drink more water and have a quick meal of dried berries, then summon the shrub to grow sideways so I might pass. It works, and I exit my temporary home and head for the nearest stream to refill my canteen.

The warmth I experienced during my dreams of Kaiden lingers all day, and I keep glancing around, certain he’ll emerge from the trees at any moment. It’s unsettling but surely he’s not following me. Surely he would make his presence known if he were actually here.

A day passes, then another, and eventually I lose track of the days as I continue my journey southwest. The strange warmth I always feel when I’m near Kaiden doesn’t abate, and if I’m being honest, it’s starting to drive me a little mad. I try to put him out of my thoughts, but it’s not easy when I keep catching vestiges of summertime in the air. But whenever I feel a warm, honeysuckle-scented breeze or hear locusts and tree frogs, I tell myself it’s only my imagination.

He's not here. He’s not.

I haven’t reached any of the small villages yet, but I know I’m headed in the right direction. At an early age, my father taught me how to navigate using the position of the sun, and every time we went into the forest to collect firewood, he would make me practice. It’s a lesson that very well might save my life.

Well, not that Kaiden would kill me. At least, I don’t think he would. Hold me captive and keep me as his human pet? Yes, he might do that. But I don’t think he would physically harm me. I pray I’m right, but I also pray I’ll never have to find out.

At last, after about a week of travel, I come across a wide, dirt road. I peer up and down it but don’t see any signs of civilization otherwise. Still, a road means people—eventually, if I follow it for long enough.

I set off down the road, and when I glimpse a cottage with smoke rising from the chimney in the distance, cautious hope rises within me. I quicken my pace and pray I’ll receive a warm welcome.

As I approach the structure, warmth spreads through me and I feel compelled to continue to the door. Compelled to open it and see who’s inside. Gods, I really am losing my mind.

I knock but no one answers. Eventually, I turn the knob and nudge the door open a crack. “Hello?” I call. “Anyone home?”

I push the door open further and gasp at the familiar figure seated on a plush chair. His feet are propped up on a tea table, and he’s holding a glass of wine in one hand. Though his posture is relaxed, his visage is stern as ever. His pitch-black eyes gleam with accusation.

“Hello, little nymph. I’ve been waiting for you.”