Page 21 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses (Cursed Fae Courts #1)

Chapter Twenty-One

Aurelia

T he sound of hooves echoed off the cobblestone courtyard as the horses were readied for the journey. Before me, two dozen soldiers busied themselves with preparations, talking and laughing as they did so. The noise set my teeth on edge. I hadn’t expected so many after only seeing Holt and Fletcher inside, but the rest of Callan’s unit had apparently camped out in the barn overnight.

The prince had failed to mention them to me.

An entire unit of men on my doorstep, and I hadn’t known. It was a stark reminder that, without the wards, the Summer Court didn’t stand a chance. I was doing the right thing by accepting Callan’s offer, though that didn’t make it any easier.

I listened as the whispers began. Word was spreading among them about the sleeping fae inside the castle’s walls. Fletcher and Holt had obviously been busy with their stories. I could feel their eyes on me already. Hear their speculation about what sort of magic had made them sleep—and left me awake.

I pretended not to notice .

A moment later, Callan appeared beside me. “Ready?”

I nodded.

My bag had been strapped to a cart that made up part of our caravan, but I was to ride as there was no carriage in their party. I was glad I wouldn’t be cooped up inside a box for the journey to Grey Oak, but I also couldn’t bring myself to admit how many years it had been since I’d ridden horseback.

The chickens we’d housed in the barn now roamed the grass nearby.

“We should bring them,” I said. “They won’t have anyone to feed them.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Callan asked.

“There are a few cages in the storage shed,” I said. “I used them for trapping game, but they’re empty now and could fit about four or five each.”

Callan snapped his fingers at one of the soldiers nearby. “Pack them up,” Callan told him.

The soldier handed his reins to another then hurried toward the shed.

“Done. Anything else?” Callan asked.

I hesitated, almost trying to come up with something to delay the inevitable. But in the end, I shook my head. “That’s it.”

I took Callan’s offered hand and swung myself up into the saddle.

The horse stomped its feet, spinning in a tight circle. Nervous, I pulled at the reins, earning a side-step from the horse that startled me. The beast beneath me was as restless as I was, its breath coming in short bursts of agitation.

I watched as Callan mounted his own horse with ease. He’d slid a silver breastplate on and buckled a sword at his hip. What sort of warrior could he possibly be if he’d left his blade outside while he’d attempted his grand rescue last night? Then again, he’d apparently assumed his kiss would be the most effective weapon.

The symbol etched into the center of his breastplate caught my eye—a great stag with a crown of leaves adorning its horns. The Autumn Court crest. It was missing the words that went with it, or at least the words I remembered from my life before.

Through Cunning, We Endure had been the Autumn Court’s motto. Ku ryeko, wa ciro in the old tongue.

I hoped like Hel that last part was still true.

For seven years, I’d endured here alone. Now that I was leaving this place, the world outside felt more dangerous than ever.

Callan’s sharp golden eyes scanned his men—two dozen, maybe more, all armed to the teeth. It felt like we were preparing for war, not a trip across the Autumn countryside.

“We’ll head straight for the Emerald Forest,” he said, “You know the drill. Slow. Quiet. Stay alert. We’re probably not the only things in this land anymore.”

The men grunted in response, and then we were moving—a long, slow line marching away from the only home I’d never known. As we passed through the courtyard gates and onto the road beyond, Callan jerked his chin at me to join him at the front. I pressed my heels into the horse’s side, and it obeyed readily, speeding up to close the distance.

“Do they make you nervous?” Callan asked, guiding his horse closer to mine. “The soldiers, I mean.”

I shot him a sharp look. “You didn’t tell me you’d brought so many.”

“You didn’t ask.”

I rolled my eyes. “Is an entire unit really necessary?”

His brow rose. “Have you not traveled beyond the walls of this place in all this time? ”

“Of course I have. But I make it a point not to draw attention while I do it.”

Callan’s mouth curved into a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Noted.”

My fingers tightened on the reins as I glanced back at the castle—my home. Its beautiful whitestone towers stood pale against the horizon, forlorn and forgotten, like a promise I couldn’t keep. Memories washed over me until my vision blurred. I blinked, and the towers wavered.

It took a few more blinks to realize it wasn’t my eyes blurring.

A glamour rippled over the castle grounds, casting a haze over everything it touched.

“What is it?” Callan asked; then his breath caught in a quiet gasp.

Magic shoved at me so hard I wobbled in the saddle. One of the soldiers behind me doubled over. The rest grunted in response to whatever force had knocked into them.

Behind us, powerful magic slid across the whitestone like an otherworldly pulse. Slowly, the castle faded from sight, its mighty walls vanishing against the backdrop of rolling hills and mighty trees. Farther north, the rooftops that marked the city of Rosewood flickered like a mirage until they, too, winked out of sight.

I exhaled, silently thanking the Furiosities for their help.

The Summer Court was gone. Hidden away one last time. All that was left was the earth itself—withering a bit under the effects of a fast-approaching winter.

Looking out over the landscape, it was almost as if Sevanwinds had never existed at all.

A hollow ache settled in my chest, but I shoved it aside. The Furiosities’ wards would protect this place better than the Aine ever could. All it had cost me was my mother—and my freedom .

“How did you do that?” Callan’s voice, laced with awe and suspicion, cut through my thoughts.

Straightening my shoulders, careful to keep any trace of the truth off my face, I said, “Explaining myself isn’t part of the deal.”

He frowned but let it go. “Shall we?”

I forced a nod, though everything inside me screamed no . “Lead the way.”

With a command from Callan and a reminder to remain silent on the road, the soldiers moved out, the sound of hooves a steady rhythm as we began the journey into the Emerald Forest.

Once we entered the trees, the formation changed.

Several soldiers rode out ahead to scout the way. And the ones behind us spread themselves thinner so that we had a watchful eye on our rear. I tried not to think about what sort of creatures we might come across.

We stopped for lunch without incident, filling our bellies with cold sandwiches and water. My thoughts drifted to my birthday last year when Lesha, Amanti, Sonoma, and I had spent the day at the falls just south of Sevanwinds. We were still inside the wards but only just, and because of that relative safety, we’d been safe enough to relax. To eat and smile and swim like we’d done when I was a kid.

For that one day, we’d let ourselves forget.

It was the last happy memory I had with all of us together. Now, it was the last happy memory I’d ever have with them. Lesha and Amanti weren’t coming back—because there was nothing left to come back to. Even they wouldn’t be able to get past those wards now. And if they did manage to return, they wouldn’t know what had become of me. Or Sonoma.

The thought soured my appetite.

Fletcher appeared before me, his eyes darting from me to the half-eaten sandwich I’d abandoned. Without a word, I handed it to him, and he took it, flashing me a grin before hurrying off.

A moment later, we were all mounted and ready to resume our trek.

By mid-afternoon, the forest had thickened.

The air grew cooler as we rode deeper, the dense canopy of trees overhead blocking out the sun. Shadows slanted across the path, and the silence that settled took on an edge that felt unnatural. The Emerald Forest had once been a welcoming place, but it didn’t feel that way today.

I thought immediately of the Obsidian who’d gotten away.

My pulse quickened, but I focused on my breathing and pushed out my senses to check for any threats. The soldiers ahead of us were tense, their eyes darting toward every rustle in the trees. I could feel it too—the unease. The feeling that we were being watched. My magic stirred restlessly inside me, but I forced it down, unwilling to betray my secrets.

There was no need to use it, I told myself. Not with Callan’s soldiers at our side.

Except I couldn’t shake the doubt that seeped in even as I thought it.

The road narrowed as we moved deeper into the forest. A breeze rustled through the leaves, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. One of the soldiers let out a low whistle, and I tensed. Callan’s gaze swept the trees, his hand resting tightly on the hilt of his sword.

Then I saw it.

A flash of movement from the shadows, too fast to track. My horse reared with a startled whinny, and I barely kept myself from falling off. Shouts rang out from the soldiers, their weapons drawn as a figure burst from the underbrush.

Pale skin, eyes like a starless midnight, and the stench of rotted souls clinging to its flesh.

An Obsidian.

My horse bucked again. This time, I felt myself slipping and leaped away before I could land beneath its hooves. I grunted at the impact then straightened and drew Dorcha.

Behind me, a soldier cried out.

I whirled in time to see the fae’s throat sliced open. The Obsidian’s clawed hand came away red with the soldier’s blood, but it didn’t stop to revel in the kill or even check that the soldier had been truly disabled.

Focused and vicious, it cut its way through Callan’s warriors.

This Obsidian wasn’t like the ones I’d faced before. It was larger, faster. It moved with precision, not the mindless violence I’d come to expect. Over and over again, its eyes, dark and bottomless, darted to me with a predatory gleam.

Movement to my left drew my attention. A second Obsidian cutting a path toward the rear of our line. And then a third from the middle, splitting our ranks. Where the fuck was Callan?

Probably running again , I thought disgustedly.

There was no time to check. Just across the path from where I stood, the first Obsidian cut down the last of the soldiers between it and me. A bloodied sword, swiped from Autumn soldiers, dangled from each of its hands.

Closing the distance faster than I’d ever seen, the creature lunged, and I barely managed to draw my second sword in time. The force of the steel’s impact knocked me back a step, but I held my ground, deflecting its blow with a sharp clang.

Dark magic crackled in the air.

Energy pulsed deep inside me, responding to something ancient and dangerous.

The creature lifted its hand and shot a blast of pure darkness straight at me. My magic surged in defense, slipping free before I could call it back—a burst of power that erupted in furyfire. My onyx flames slammed into the Obsidian’s power, shoving it back and burning holes through it that fell like ash. Furyfire caught at the Obsidian’s clothing, spreading quickly until those same flames licked at the creature’s flesh, burning and melting it off.

Still, it came for me.

My pulse thundered in my ears. I took a single step back to regain my posture for my next attack, and my foot caught on a body.

I stumbled, glancing down to see an Autumn soldier lying dead at my feet. The moment of hesitation cost me. My furyfire winked out. When I looked up again, the Obsidian’s eyes gleamed—it had me.

Scrambling, I raised my blades, preparing to block the next strike, but I knew even as I hurried to make it that my balance was completely wrong.

And then, behind the Obsidian, something moved.

A second later, the creature staggered, a flash of steel cutting through its chest. I leaped aside as it careened face-first to the ground, dark blood pooling beneath its chest. Its waning life force seeped into the air, tendrils of it snaking toward my ankles. Before I could stop myself, I reached for it.

The power inside me sighed as it sipped.

Delicious , it seemed to whisper.

My senses sharpened. My power pulsed, renewed.

Then a blade swung out, cutting the smoke off, and I gasped as the supply abruptly ended. I coughed, my chest burning as the power spread inside me.

“Are you all right?” a male voice asked roughly.

I blinked up at the figure who’d saved me, and my heart stopped.

Rydian.

Dark, deadly, handsome as ever—and covered in Obsidian blood .

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like the world had tilted on its axis. The same stony expression hardened his face, but those eyes… I couldn’t get them out of my head.

“You,” I breathed.

Had he seen what I’d just done?

His eyes narrowed. “This isn’t what I had in mind when I told you to make it right,” he growled.

I stiffened at that, trying to decipher if he was referring to the dark magic I’d just used or the fact that I’d seemingly taken his advice to honor my vow to Callan.

Before I could respond, Callan appeared beside us, what remained of his soldiers fanning out to secure the area. His gaze flicked from the dead Obsidian to Rydian, and I watched as something like relief crossed his face.

“Nice work,” he said, and it took me a moment to realize he was speaking to Rydian. “This asshole was particularly lethal. Glad you were close.”

“If you’d stuck to the route I gave you, we wouldn’t have needed to deal with them at all,” Rydian told him, and the derision in his voice bordered on disrespect.

I blinked, stunned to hear anyone speak to a prince that way, and even more shocked when Callan merely rolled his eyes and sighed. “The day is already fucked up enough without you lecturing me.”

“What’s going on?” I demanded, impatient and confused and very aware of the blood spattered across the front of my clothes, not to mention the layer of sweat and grime coating my skin.

Why did I care that Rydian was seeing me like this anyway? He looked just as dirty—except the blood and battle scars only made him more alluring. Ugh.

“Aurelia,” Callan said. “Meet my brother, Rydian Nytherra.”

Brother .

The word rang in my ears as I fought to make sense of it. No one had ever mentioned a second prince in the Autumn Court. But here he stood—after saving my life, no less—and yet, he still stared at me like I was the worst kind of surprise.

“Rydian, this is Princess Aurelia Valeen of Sevanwinds. My fiancée.”

Rydian’s expression didn’t change. He merely nodded, his eyes cool and distant. “Your Highness,” he said as if he didn’t recognize me at all. Or maybe he didn’t want Callan to know he did. I couldn’t imagine why he wouldn’t, but I didn’t feel like explaining myself either.

I swallowed hard and forced a smile, though it felt like a mask. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “And thank you for your help.”

“Rydian’s just doing his job,” Callan said, waving away the fact that I might’ve died if not for his brother.

Rydian frowned but said nothing.

I decided to focus on Callan, as annoying as his attitude was about a battle that had just cost some of his soldiers their lives.

“What job is that?” I asked.

“Rydian leads one of our elite units,” Callan said. “His team specializes in tracking and eliminating Obsidians.” Callan’s chest puffed up when he called Rydian’s unit elite—like he was claiming their formidable skillset for himself.

I forced myself to glance at Rydian as I asked, “Have you faced other Obsidians like these before? With enhanced magic and strength?”

“A few,” he said darkly, and I thought of how he’d found me just as I’d killed that one in the Broadlands. Something told me he was thinking of that too.

Callan chuckled, unaware of the storm raging beneath the surface. “Rydian’s been tracking these creatures along our borders and all the way through the Broadlands to Midnight and Lightshore.”

“So you do read the scouting reports I sent you,” Rydian said.

“Only the exciting ones,” Callan told him, grinning.

Rydian frowned, his eyes flashing with a temper that he somehow managed to keep tightly leashed as he said, “I’m not sure the men would use that word to describe such a dangerous mission.”

I cocked my head. “It can’t be that dangerous if a single unit of soldiers is enough to stop them.”

Callan smothered a laugh.

Rydian pinned me with a look that rivaled the one he’d worn that day in the Broadlands. For a moment, whatever door he’d built to hide his power opened just enough to remind me what he was capable of. I breathed in sharply as my newly heightened senses became suddenly aware of the sheer magnitude of it. Then, just as quickly, the door slammed shut.

Rydian sheathed his sword with a smooth motion, his gaze lingering on me for only a heartbeat before turning back to Callan. “My men and I will ride ahead,” he said, his voice low, clipped. “We’ll make sure the road is clear since you insist on going this way.”

“It’s faster,” Callan said.

Rydian merely shook his head then strode over to an enormous white horse and pulled himself into the saddle. I watched him, watched the way his muscles moved as he swung his large body up.

With a low whistle, he rode away, several men falling into line behind him. They all wore the same nondescript uniform as Rydian: dark tunics with no crest or court identification.

An elite unit.

Led by Callan’s brother.

A male with a power unlike any I’d ever seen. And the unique ability to mask it whenever he wanted. A male who seemed to hate me for absolutely no reason at all.

A male who haunted my dreams.

When he was gone, I found Callan watching me. My cheeks heated, and I turned away but too late. He frowned, clearly noting my reaction. I didn’t say a word. Neither did he. But something had shifted. And I wasn’t sure if I could ever shift it back. Or if I wanted to try.