Page 87 of Unkindness of Crimson Ravens

We did not speak, just held onto this embrace for a while, right in the middle of the street.

I didn’t notice them at first—didn’t notice the screams until Florence broke our hug, her eyes widened.

Chaos fell upon Faris as everyone flew in one direction. “You should go home, Cordelia.” Florence took a slow step towards the crowd.

“What?” I followed after her. “What is going on?”

“Go back.” She met my gaze before breaking into a run.

“Where are you going?” I rushed after her. “What is going on?”

Florence’s lips turned into a thin line when she stopped before our horses. “To the human village.” She untightened the reins off the tree. “The children have attacked the humans.”

Chapter 33

Lost Princess

My hands trembled as I undid Annabelle’s reins. The lump in my throat grew bigger, yet my mind was terrifyingly calm: it shoved me under the water where all the screams turned into no more than a muffled noise.

“You should really go back, Cordelia.” Florence mounted her horse, shattering my pretend peace.

“No,” I shook my head as I mounted Annabelle. “I am not leaving you.” I ordered my horse to follow dozens of others—straight into the insanity that overflowed the main street of Faris.

“Francis is going to murder me,” Florence mumbled under her breath, catching up to me.

The further we got, the more red painted the snow: drops of crimson covered every inch of the ground underneath the hooves. A chill went through me, yet it was not the winter that crushed upon us with its full glory. My grip on the reins tightened.

Excruciating screams broke through the air when the first houses of the human village entered my view. The children's cries froze my heart in place.

“Do not kill them!” someone yelled ahead of us. “Do not kill the orphans!”

My eyes widened as I traced the empty of blood bodies resting on the beaten roads. The snowflakes circled aroundthem, hiding their flesh under a white blanket. Nausea made its way up my throat.

“Henry?” Florence jumped off her horse, tightening its reins to a nearby tree. “Henry!” she yelled, running after a little boy whose face was covered in blood. “Henry, stop!” She dragged the boy off a young woman’s body resting on the ground. The women’s empty eyes stared at the moon that was now crimson too.

More screams broke through the air as I tightened Annabelle’s reins to the tree. My trembling legs carried me to Florence who held the crimson boy as he wailed, kicking her. “It’s all right,” she told him, bringing him closer.

“What are you two doing here?” Francis took the boy off Florence’s hands. “Go home!” he yelled at her. “Now!”

“Not in eternity!” Florence yelled back, rushing towards the screams once again.

Francis caught her by her wrist. “There is enough help without you! Leave!”

“I will leave when I know that all thirty of the children are safe and back home!” Florence twisted her arm in an attempt to free herself.