Page 27

CHAPTER 26

T HE MOMENT I STEPPED off the path, a male Chupalma blocked my way. His pale locks reached his shoulders, and his sneer crinkled across his translucent face. Through his body, I made out a stray ray of light coming through the tree canopy and illuminating a sliver of metal among the foliage—Zichri’s dagger.

Now I had to evade the dozens of Chupalmas and free Zichri. Why hadn’t I included him in using the words of power? I pursed my lips and tried to march around the stubborn Chupalma in front of me.

The dozen other wicked beings stepped back, but not this one. I edged as close as I dared to him.

The stench! Oh my. He smelled of something akin to soiled clothing, manure, and aging algae combined, but with a sharper burn in my nose. How had I not noticed it earlier? My mind must have been gone with fright.

Despite the stench, I ached to get the dagger in my hand, and the Chupalma refused to budge.

I dared a glance at Zichri.

He struggled against the green ropes that held him tethered to the tree. “Get out of here. I’ve been in worse bonds before.” His eyebrows pressed low, and his lips pinched with strain.

A rivulet of sweat moistened my neck. How could he think I’d leave him? I wouldn’t wish the Chupalmas on even the King of Himzo himself, and especially not Zichri.

I threw my hands up to shove the Chupalma but met a cool liquid feeling. Tiny lightning bolts sizzled within the being’s body, and the Chupalma responded with a low growl. He stumbled backward. My eyes remained transfixed on my hands. What was I doing? I shook off my shock and snatched the dagger from the ground.

The Chupalma hadn’t been scared of the blade or our fists, but now my presence sent them recoiling. The revato oath had worked better than expected.

I hurried to Zichri and sliced at his bindings. Even though the words of power had their desired effect, I didn’t want to risk staying near these heinous beasts.

The vines took several jabs to loosen. My arm and fist ached, but I kept slicing, jabbing, thrusting. Coils sprang loose.

Zichri’s arms broke free. “Give me the blade.”

I handed him the dagger and swiped my sweaty forehead. Zichri finished breaking the cords. The Chupalmas watched from the crooks of trees above. Some remained a stone’s throw away, while others paced, licking their pointed teeth. Their silence jostled my nerves just as much as the predatory stare chiseled on their faces.

“Let’s get out of here.” Zichri wove his hand in mine.

Both of us sprinted along the trail. I squeezed his hand so hard my fingers throbbed, but I wouldn’t let go. The greater the distance between us and the Chupalma, the more my thoughts returned to the one holding my hand. We somehow had survived the beasts of legend. What if we could be together like this? The unbidden thought grew into a tiny bubble of hope nuzzled close to my heart. The trees grew smaller, and the trail took a sharp turn. The river came into view, and the trail ended at a bridge near a waterfall.

Water burst from the mountainside, collecting into a pool below, where it then separated into a river and a rocky stream. Mist hung in the air beyond the bridge. We continued to move forward, but Zichri slowed.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Not now.” I tugged him along and finally let go when he wouldn’t pick up his pace. A light buzz echoed in my ears and ignited a sensation—like the feeling of an army of ants walking under my skin. Something intangible drew me nearer the falls. Had I dreamed of this place before? Or was it something more?

I glanced back at Zichri, solemn and still breathtaking despite his tousled hair and stubbly jaw. My heart throbbed, but I ignored it. I wouldn’t let doubts and hopes about Zichri ruin this for me. I crossed over the old bridge, moss filling in the spaces between the stones, and stepped onto springy grass. A thick fog whited out anything more than an arm’s length away.

The music of a bird’s pleasant song rang somewhere nearby. I tried to follow the sound when a breeze shifted in the air, and the mist thinned. Built into the mountainside, a roofless castle stood before me. Many of the walls crumbled at its feet. My breath caught in my throat along with a decade’s worth of emotions.

Why did Zichri take so long?

“Come, Zichri! It’s here!” I sprinted across the desolate grounds. Will the whyzer be a boy, a young man, or someone like Uncle Uly?

Two pillars made of white stone stretched toward a giant beam. I shuffled to a stop under its shadow. Designs twisted along the edifice and reminded me of the markings along my arms. I turned up my sleeves. The golden vines shone just as brightly as when I made my oath.

Are these ancient words? I touched the cold, grooved surface on the stone, and a pulse of magic brushed against my fingers, traveled within my body, and vibrated through my veins. Unlike the Chupalma’s control, this renewed my energy.

Suddenly, pain began to race along my arms. A cry escaped my throat. My skin squeezed the metallic lines until slivers of metal pushed out the surface. Gold slices tumbled to the ground and plinked as they collided against each other. The weight of my oath lay strewn before me, and tender skin coated my markings. I sighed in relief, shedding worries and filling my lungs with glee.

Now the whyzer. Where was he? I walked through the pillars and toward the dilapidated castle, not waiting for Zichri to follow.

It must have been even more beautiful in its time. Stone steps led to an upper floor that did not exist anymore. Walls coated with vines and gashes hinted at a hidden history. Vegetation of all kinds jutted between the stones on the floor, including the margus plant. I yanked several by the root.

The deeper I went into the ruins, the more I expected to see the whyzer. I turned a corner and tiptoed through a large rectangular space. Grass and flowers replaced what was once a floor. Instead of a ceiling, a powder-blue sky stretched high above me. Still no whyzer, but something invisible filled this space, crackling through the castle and brushing against my skin.

More corridors extended into the mountainside until a stone wall marked the end of the building. I stared at the crumbling stones overtaken by vines.

What should I do? What should I do? We needed to get back to give Blas this margus, but the whyzer wasn’t there.

I marched back through all the same corridors and halls, still searching. Could he be hiding? A tiny ache pinched between my brows.

What if I’ve been made a fool. Had the whyzer and all those dreams and nightmares been for nothing? Could the whyzer be somewhere else in the valley?

My footfalls padded the verdant ground as I rushed through doorways. I turned a corner and smacked into Zichri.

I yelped, heart pounding. “He should be here.” I pushed the margus plant at him. “Take this to Blas. I can’t return until I find him.”

“It’s too dangerous. I can’t leave you here alone.” Zichri reached for my shoulder.

I shrugged away from his grip and continued to search. “Blas will die if you don’t get that to him.”

He squared up in front of me, blocking my way. “You can’t stay out here alone. We’ll come back tomorrow.”

“No, we won’t!” I wrenched away from him. “The journey took too long. We won’t come back tomorrow, and you need to get home. Or would you prefer to lie about needing to go home?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “How forthright have you been? You won’t tell me your real name, yet you call me a liar.” He shook his head, a wry smirk forming on his lips. “I am risking my friends’ lives for you. I am risking my brothers’ wrath for you. Please be reasonable.”

I patted down the tunic that pouched out of my pants. How I had lowered myself on this quest, and no one was here. And for what? A hoax. Tears burned my eyes before cascading down my cheeks.

I let out a shaky breath. “My name is Princess Beatriz of Giddel. You assessed well.” I met his unflinching gaze. “I am not a merchant’s daughter. All my life, I dreamed of coming here. The little boy said he’d be waiting.” I sank my face into my hands. My chest trembled, and I sobbed.

Zichri pulled me into his arms. A pool of tears and snot soaked into his tunic. I didn’t care. What did any of this matter?

I sucked in a breath and continued, “I’m sorry for lying to you. You were so kind. Papá would never have let me come here. Mamá would never have spoken against Papá.” This sent a fresh wave of tears gushing out.

“Beatriz, do you really need this gift? You are beautiful and brave. You’re important to me.”

I looked up at him. “Do you mean that?”

“I—I don’t know how to tell you what I feel for you. Something about you struck me from the moment I saw you.”

“I was in distress and needed saving.” I tilted my head down to wipe my nose with my hand—where’s a handkerchief when you need it? This is not how I pictured a man professing his love for me. I could at least try to hold myself together.

“Don’t—”

“Do what?” I was caught. He must have seen the streak of muck I wiped all over my pants that really were his.

“You diminish what I saw. Where I come from, ladies throw themselves at me in an attemptto get my attention.”

He ruined a perfectly good moment by bringing other ladies into this. I rolled my eyes.

“Please understand.” He caressed my arm, sending a tingle through it. “I say this because I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I’m … how do I say this?” He took a minute, eyes looking up and around. “I am the third son of Himzo.”

“What do you mean?” My stomach squeezed. I perceived what he was about to say, but I didn’t want to believe it.

“My father is the Himzo king, and I’m third in line for the throne.”

My arms fell to my side. “You said you were a soldier.”

“I am. That’s not a lie.” A muscle flinched on his cheek. “I get sent out all the time. My brothers, most likely, wish me dead. And I rather enjoy being away.”

That small headache that pinched between my brows stabbed. “You didn’t think telling me might have been in our best interest?”

His gaze locked on mine. “There’s more.”

I shook my head. How could I have been such a fool? Biting on the inside of my cheeks, I lifted my chin, remembering how a princess should act. “You may continue.”

“The first time I saw you was not that day at the well. I’d heard rumors about the Princess of Giddel and wanted to meet you after we finished our mission.” He ran a hand through his hair. “My men and I procured invites to your ball. Pity filled my heart for this beautiful but gift-less princess. It reminded me of how I felt among my brothers. When I saw you walking in that bright red dress, the color of a rose, I knew I had to meet you. You had that expression on your face, the same one you have now.” He traced a finger down my jawline, and I flinched. “I’d been advised not to dance at the ball by my contact. But Blas dared a dance with you.”

I gasped, unable to believe my ears.

“Blas said you were even more beautiful up close, but you didn’t speak to him. That morning when you ran away, we saw you pass by dressed like a servant. So we followed as best we could. We meant no harm.”

My lower lip trembled with fury. “You knew the whole time?” To think, I had enjoyed his embrace and company when all the time, he laughed at me. “Go away!”

“Let me explain.”

“You’ve said enough.” I pointed out toward the bridge. “Go!”

“Beatriz, please understand—”

“Princess Beatriz of Giddel,” I corrected him.

Crestfallen, he reached for me, but I stepped back. “Princess Beatriz, I can’t leave you here alone.”

A rage rumbled up my spine. It would have been one thing if he just lied about who he was for self-preservation, but he had followed me.

“Isn’t Blas waiting for you?” I clenched my teeth.

Zichri hesitated only for a moment before crossing the grassy ground leading to the bridge. Every so often, he peeked back. I crossed my arms, a dam of tears forming. Why did I ever meet him? The ache in my chest felt unbearable. He turned around and glided his fingers through his hair. Was he coming back? I held my breath and lifted my chin high in the air in challenge. He dropped his head and continued away. I couldn’t believe I let him intrude in my life and shake things up so badly within my heart.

When I exhaled, sobs overtook me again. This time, it was the loss of new dreams rather than old ones. I cried out. My knees buckled, and I slammed my fists on the broken stones. How I wished to rip out the agony radiating in my body.

The whyzer duped me, and Zichri too.

I clutched a patch of margus and wailed. How could I ever show my face in Giddel again?

A shuffling sound echoed within the ruins. I swiped my cheeks, eyes shifting all about. A person stepped out from a shadow. Even with my vision blurred, I recognized him, the one who invited me here.