Page 13 of Inked in Emeralds (Inkbound #3)

E ither the ale had worked or, when Almira had broken my magic, she’d also broken my brain, because it was a dreamless night. Funny, it should’ve been a relief. But like my loss of magical spark, it wound up leaving me feeling empty inside.

The trapdoor screeched open, and a gust of brisk morning air washed over my cheeks, smelling of grass and of wet earth.? The sudden chill made the skin on my arms pebble after a night in the underground sauna of a bunker and I sucked in a deep breath.

“Crazy,” I arched my back until it popped, “that a place that big can still make you feel claustrophobic.”

I hauled myself onto solid ground and offered Billy a hand as she appeared behind me.

She ignored it, launching herself in the air and landing like a cat, headscarf fluttering in the breeze.

The Billy from Alabaster had been far from slow, but this one moved like she’d traded her bones for springs. I already knew a person could be ordinary in one world and have magic in the next, like Cissy Petway, but watching Billy move scrambled my brain.

As she looked around, the morning sun caught on the ridges of her pointed ears, and I wondered how much of her had adapted to survive here.

Hook and Duncan came out behind us and Hook’s eyes flicked to mine, a reminder of last night’s loaded looks at the tavern and Billy’s unbidden advice.

I turned away only to find myself locking eyes with Duncan, who shot me a half-smile that carried its own unspoken questions.

Too many loaded looks and zero energy or time to deal with them. We had to get on the road. If C’an Saas was falling as quickly as Gayelette said, every day we took to get to The Emerald City could be costing lives.

Including Gayelette’s.

“Bye, now!” Skunk’s voice drifted up the shaft, sounding something close to courteous. “Don’t forget to shut it on yer way out—and thanks for stayin’ at Skunk’s Bunks. Hope to see you back soon.”

Billy ran over and shoved her head back through the opening. “Get fucked, Skunk!” Laughter echoed from below and Billy slammed the door with a thud. “Crazy old bastard acts like he didn’t seriously consider letting the monkeys get us last night.”

I should have been angry at the innkeeper too, probably. But I’d left his place alive, somewhat rested, and with a full belly after a hearty breakfast of eggs, crispy potatoes, and some spice-rubbed meat without a single hoof in sight. I could hardly complain.

Billy shaded her eyes and scanned the horizon. “We’re still a good two days out from the city, even if we keep to the Yellow Road. We’ll be camping tonight for sure.”

A chill skittered up my spine at the thought of open sky and monkey scouts, but I kept quiet. If she thought we’d be alright outdoors, who was I to argue? Better to leave it to the expert.

“Do most around here live underground like that?” Duncan asked.

“Nah.” Billy flicked a dismissive hand. “Just rangers. That’s what the townies call us folks who choose to live outside normal society and roam some.

There are outposts and then the bigger, protected hubs like Munsch Kin Land and The Emerald City.

The Witch leaves most folks alone if they pay their tithes and keep their mouths shut.

It’s travel and defiance that gets you in the shit. ”

“Why travel?” I asked.

“Divide and conquer. Keep a relatively small group of people isolated in one spot, they’re easy to control. If we all came together…”

The words felt all too familiar. I shared a glance with Duncan. Relyk had used different methods to keep us apart, but the endgame was the same.

My thoughts drifted to The?Speaker and his village of revolutionaries.

“Is there any organized resistance here in Oz?”

“You’re lookin’ at it,” Billy answered, voice flat as slate. “That’s about as organized as it gets these days, unless you count the Munsch Kin Land. Which I don’t. They might not be under her thumb, so to speak, but that’s easy enough to stick to when they have a magical barrier protecting them.”

I shrugged, hoisting my bag higher on my shoulder. “Well, to be fair, it’s not perfect for them either. They’re stuck there, if they want to live. And according to the earl, many have family in The Emerald City that they’re separated from…”

“Boo fucking hoo. They and the people they love are nestled away in the two safest places in Oz. The rest of us either hide underground or roll the dice every single day we stay topside.” She adjusted her scarf and put her head down.

“Moral of the story? That bitch needs to die for what she’s done.

At first, people tried to rebel, but she’s too damn strong.

Now most folks toe the line. You probably met half the fools who won’t last night.

We trade safety for freedom, and make the best of it. ”

Which meant no folks to rally to our cause aside from a few dozen upstarts who, if the clientele at Skunk’s Bunks was any indicator, were half off their rockers.

The idea that our rag-tag foursome patched together from three different worlds might be the only hope for Oz made my stomach twist into a knot.

Duncan pulled up closer to us as we followed the winding road. “If you know it’s a losing battle, it must be hard to keep fighting. How do you do it?”

Billy glanced over, meeting his earnest gaze. When I searched her face, there was an ache there, something old but still raw. I wasn’t surprised at all when she shook her head and waved him off.

“No more chatter for now, I’ve got to concentrate and keep my ears open for any more scouts.” She lengthened her stride leaving the rest of us trailing a few yards behind her.

As the day passed, the forest changed from pine trees to towering oaks, with leaves the size of dinner plates.

My stomach rumbled at the thought, and I was about to suggest a quick lunch break when we rounded a corner and caught sight of a broken-down wagon.

Its front wheel lay splintered, spokes splayed like the ribs of a dead animal.

An old man beside it waved while his horse stamped its hooves and tossed its head.

“Hey! You folks helpin’ or just gawkin’?” the man called.

Hook’s eyes narrowed. “Is that Jack?”

“Sure is.” Billy cupped her hands around her mouth. “You hurt or just the wagon?”

“I’m fine but the wheel snapped clean off.

” He patted the stocky mare’s neck, calming her as we moved closer.

“If you could help haul my goods home, I’d be obliged.

Can’t pay you, as I’m sure you know, since this one emptied my coin purse.

” His lips twisted into a wry smile as he jerked his chin at Billy.

Duncan crouched to inspect the axle, but Hook didn’t budge.

“I don’t like it,” he muttered under his breath, watching as Jack showed Duncan where it had broken.

Billy shrugged. “No issues with him last night, he paid his debt and all, but you don’t have to convince me to walk away. I’m easy like that. Besides, we rangers are a resilient lot. He’ll figure it out.”

I knew in my head that there was a logic to what they were saying. The Hollow worked in the same way. You always had to watch your back. There were a lot of good people there, but when life was hard, it was easy to justify being bad if that’s what it took to survive.

And still, I couldn’t quite bring myself to nod along with them. The earl’s voice echoed in my mind: Are you a good witch, or a bad witch? I nibbled at the inside of my cheek and then shook my head.

“We can’t leave him.”

I lifted a burlap sack from the wagon bed. The contents—jars, from what it sounded like—clinked together, and the faint smell of fruit and booze rose up to tickle my nose.

“I can take two bags for you.”

Jack’s eyes widened with gratitude. “Much obliged, little lady. I knew you were a good egg the second I met you.” He flicked a glance to my companions, and Duncan stepped forward and hefted five bags from the wagon without a word.

Hook muttered a curse but grabbed a massive crate, muscles flexing beneath his rolled up sleeves. “Fine. Quick detour.”

“Thank you! And you all can stay for lunch to show my gratitude. The wife makes the best stews and soups in all of Oz.”

“Let’s move,” Billy grumbled, hefting a bag of empty sacks herself, looking less than thrilled.

I remembered with a twinge that she had back trouble, but I knew arguing with her would be a waste of time. I made a mental note to mention it to Hook later. Maybe he’d be willing to help with Tom’s blessing.

Thankfully, Jack’s “house” was only minutes away.

I slowed when I saw it, taken aback by the elaborate setup, although it made sense.

The place was built directly into the side of a cliff, half hidden by shrubs and the rest covered in iron doors.

Each looked sturdy enough to deflect a cannonball.

No surprise that the witch’s minions hadn’t gotten to them here.

Jack unlocked the largest door and led his horse into a stable. “Started as a rabbit tunnel,” he said, puffing his chest out. “Dug it out and added rooms every year.”

What had to be thousands of pounds of dirt and clay overhead in order to make the space, hung over us in an impressive feat of engineering. Past the stable, several tunnels branched out, each framed by wooden beams.

“Comin’ in for lunch?” Jack asked, gesturing toward a side passage that smelled like baking bread.

“I could eat,” I blurted.

Billy shrugged. “I’m not one to pass up a free meal. Especially now that I smell it.”

It was only Hook who hesitated, lips curled into a frown. I met his gaze, and, after a brief pause, he gave a curt nod.

Jack opened a second door and called inside. “Andrea?”

“I thought you’d be back at sunrise,” a woman called back. “I was getting worried!”

“Got caught up at Skunk’s,” he said, clearing his throat. “We, uh, have some company.”

“Company!” A squat woman bustled from a side room, cheeks pink, hair pinned under a kerchief embroidered with tiny, red poppies. “Well, aren’t you folks a sight for bored, lonely eyes! Lunch’ll be ready in two shakes of a squaddle-jacks’s tail.”

She waved us into a cozy dining nook where the smell of onions along with something gamey wafted our way.

Once we set our bags and crates down as directed, I slid into a chair beside Hook. My cheeks flushed with heat as his elbow brushed mine.

Pathetic.

I dug my fingernails into my palms, refusing to look his way.

“This is a beautiful place you have,” I offered, mostly to fill the silence while Andrea served up the thick broth into wooden bowls.

But what the hell was that strange hook hanging from the ceiling in the far corner of the room? It was caked with blood…

They were homesteader types. They had to hang their game somewhere , and outside wasn’t an option.

“Hmm?” Jack’s gaze lingered on the front door and a low, clacking sound caught my ear.

“I was just saying how nice your house is.”

Jack still didn’t reply and Duncan stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Something wrong?”

Jack raked a hand through his wispy hair, smile brittle. “Nah, thought I heard something. Just tired I suppose.”

A louder rustle by the entrance had my muscles tense but before I could stand, all hell broke loose.

“Watch yourselves!” Hook’s chair screeched; he shoved mine backward and drew his saber in one fluid motion, lunging toward something behind me.

I spun as metal clanged and Andrea staggered back, the out-thrust kitchen knife knocked from her hand by Hook’s blade just before she’d gotten in range to stab me.

“What the f—” I yanked my whip free, heart lurching.

Billy and Duncan both dove for Jack, but he wheeled away, flinging open the door. Five armed men swarmed inside, three with rusty spears, two with sabers, their boot heels clacking against the floor.

My pulse hammered in my ears.

We’d walked straight into a fucking ambush.

“Just give us the girl, and the rest of you can go,” Jack snarled, taking aim in our general direction with a crossbow I hadn’t seen him grab.

Andrea’s plump, kind face was a mask of disgust as she shook her head grimly, backing away from Hook to stand closer to her husband. “I knew I should’ve drugged the soup.”

Hook had planted himself directly between me and the intruders, sword raised.

“This is how you treat people who try to help you?” Billy’s bow snapped to attention, arrow nocked and aimed straight at Jack’s chest.

“Easy, now, Billy. Let’s not be hasty here. The Witch is offering good coin for that one. No reason for this to result in a whole pile of bodies. Use your heads.”

Duncan’s muscles bulged, berserker strength simmering under his skin like lava. “You work for her?” he demanded.

“We work for whoever pays the most,” he shot back, no sign of the easygoing old man we’d met the night before. “Step forward, girl, unless you want to be the reason your friends all die here.”

Billy’s voice was like a blade scraping ice. “Last chance to stop this, Jack.”

“Nah.” He shook his head, sweat beading on his upper lip. “You might’ve done a job on me at dice, but seven against four? Odds are mine.”

She cocked her head at him. And then, she laughed. It sounded rusty and a little unhinged in the tight space.

“You really are a terrible gambler, Jack.”