Page 41 of Unkindness of Crimson Ravens (The Crimson Duet #1)
Repellent Messenger
T he crisp snow reflected the moonlight, crunching under our horses’ hooves. The four of us traveled through the dark forest for hours, slowly making our way to Francis’ cabin.
“So,” Roxanne turned in her saddle to look at me. “What is our plan exactly?” She moved a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Cordelia isn’t much of a planner,” Francis winked at me, grinning.
I glared at Francis before moving my gaze to Roxanne. “Speak of only what you know for a fact,” I told my company. “Lying will only worsen our case. She knows everything that is happening beyond the palace but she and her council will play ignorance.”
Florence’s hands squeezed the reins when her, full of worry, eyes met mine.
“Her council will try to sabotage you at any given opportunity, ignore them. Don’t say more than you need to.” I sighed, “And let me take the lead. I know how to convince her.”
Francis’ lips turned into a thin line, though he refrained from contradicting my words—out loud at least.
“She will listen to me,” I argued with his silence. “She has to. The Queen never agrees to meetings she deems worthless.”
“Perhaps I should stay at the cabin,” Florence muttered, her horse slightly slowed in front of me.
“No,” Roxanne shook her head. “We don't separate when Wurdulacs are so close. Not when they already took Caleb.” She stretched out her hand to the side, towards Florence who gratefully took it. “And I cannot stay with you,” a sad smile spread across Roxanne’s face.
“Two of us are not nearly enough to face the Royal guards and the Queen.”
“Everything will be all right,” I reassured Florence. “They know they need us, nothing bad is going to happen.”
“I envy your confidence, Princess,” Francis muttered. “But Roxanne is right: we all have to go.” He sighed before locking his gaze with mine. “If something goes wrong, we leave immediately.”
“Moon help us,” Florence shook her head, ordering her horse faster.
Flowers bloomed deep in my stomach remembering my teeth on Francis’ flesh the last time I occupied this room. I undressed to my undergarments, ignoring my foolish body’s reaction.
“May I come in?” Francis’ voice traveled through the closed door as I crawled into bed.
“Yes.” I pulled the sheets to my collarbone, staring up at the ceiling as though it had all the answers.
Roxanne and Florence had disappeared upstairs after we had a few glasses of crimson, leaving me and Francis to this tiny, crowded room.
“Are you all right?” Francis walked in.
“Fine.” My heart banged against my rib cage with mad strength. “She won’t kill me,” I shook my head, unsure if I was trying to convince myself or Francis.
“She will not.” Francis spread out a thick woolen blanket on the floor.
My brows furrowed as I propped myself on one elbow. “What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to sleep.” He crooked one brow, laying down on the blanket. “We must leave the moment the sun goes down.”
“On the floor?”
Francis smirked, “Why, Princess, are you inviting me into your bed?”
I shrugged as the heat swept through me, “Unless you prefer the floor.” I crawled under the sheets, facing the wall.
An awkward silence fell upon the room: though it was loud all the same. I didn’t dare to face him.
A whole minute had passed—or perhaps it had been eternity—before Francis’ careful steps shortened the distance between us. “Thank you,” he whispered, moving the sheet aside as he laid beside me.
My treasonous body caught aflame, yet I could not pay it any attention.
A hurricane of thoughts destroyed everything in its path when my mind wandered around the daunting events of tomorrow.
“Sleep, Princess. Everything will be well,” Francis said as though reading my thoughts.
Sleep didn’t come for a long while as dozens of questions spiraled in my mind.
What would my mother say when she saw me in my new being? Would she order her guards to kill us the moment we took a step in the lodge? Or perhaps she would see reason in my proposal?
Was I inviting my friends into jeopardy, blinded by my own naivety?
Would Sandra be there to witness my end?
My legs trembled as the hunting lodge—Father, Brian, Sandra, and I used to spend a week at every summer—entered my view. Five guards assessed us from a distance before one of them disappeared behind the wooden doors—announcing our presence to the Queen no doubt. None of them bowed.
The guards took a step forward when I attempted to walk past them. “You will be invited,” he glared at me. “Disarm.”
Despite the fact I was incapable of hurting anyone within the walls of the lodge, nor could I even use a dagger properly, his order made my hands turn into fist as I handed him the only weapon I possessed.
Roxanne followed my lead, handing over her bow and a quiver filled with arrows, rolling her eyes. Florence offered a small knife from her boot I had no idea she bore.
Francis hadn’t moved a muscle.
“Disarm,” the guard repeated himself, glaring down at him.
Francis shrugged, “As you wish.” He slowly unsheathed the blade from his belt.
None of us needed weapons to protect ourselves, yet no one said that out loud.
The guard knocked on the wooden door; his eyes never left Francis.
Breathe. I ordered myself, putting on my mask of indifference.
A chill went through me as the door yanked open, welcoming us in. My heart finally escaped my chest as I stepped into the house.
Same stone walls I remembered from my childhood, same dining table right in the center of the spacious room. Same green eyes staring at me as the tears filled them.
“Cordelia,” Sandra whispered, getting up from her chair.
Ignoring the withering glare our mother bestowed her with, my sister took a few slow steps toward me before her hands clutched around me in an embrace.
My fingers felt her long blonde hair as my eyes closed. My troubled mind calmed at the smell of home and caramel. “I missed you,” I whispered when Sandra’s silent tears spilled onto my shoulder.
“I knew you were alive,” she searched my eyes. “I felt it.”
“This is a council meeting, daughter,” the Queen bit out. Her pointed gaze fell onto Sandra. “Act like it or I will order you out.”
Sandra reluctantly let go of my shoulders, nodding, breaking the short-lived peace within me.
I scanned the table my mother sat at the head of. The familiar eyes of Mother’s council were filled with distrust as they glared down at me, including William Barren and his son.
Timothy’s eyes darted from mine to Francis’ as the blood drained from his face, though he quickly masked it with a disgusting smirk when Sandra took a seat beside him, noticeably moving the chair as far as possible from my former betrothed.
“Shall we?” Francis moved out chairs for me and Roxanne to sit across from my mother.
Florence chose to stand near the exit.
“I understand from your letter you have a proposition for me, Cordelia.” The Queen exclaimed; the crown, she rarely wore, sparkled with her every slight move. “I am listening.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, meeting her gaze.
“We propose combining our forces: we are ready to protect your people as our own if you supply us with Royal steel weaponry and soldiers that are ready to put our differences aside and fight as one united army.” I glanced at Martin—the commander of my mother’s army—as he broke into laughter.
The man with a scar across his face, I had never met before, carried the laugh along with William and Timothy. Only Sandra, Mother, and Athena—an old woman with dark brown skin, whom my mother always went to for advice—stayed quiet.
“They want our army,” William Barren said through his laughter, yet it fell short when the Queen raised her hand, silencing the room.
“And what makes you think we need your help?” The Queen crooked her head so slightly.
“I am sure you are aware Wurdulacs attacked a village near Silverstone just a week ago.” I glanced at William Barren who now seemed to avoid my gaze at all cost. “It took dozens of our kind to stop that attack, and they’ve already taken so many lives.”
I studied my mother’s features, yet couldn’t find even a trace of concern in her eyes.
When the Queen hadn’t replied I continued, “Their goal during the attack was not to destroy the village, but to weaken our forces. It is just the beginning.” I paused, swallowing the lump that grew bigger. “Wurdulacs’ goal has always been to rule, it won’t be long until they come to the palace.”
I glanced at Sandra as my chest ached from the idea of her and the twins getting hurt.
“We protected the palace just fine the last time,” Timothy scoffed, placing his hand onto Sandra’s lap.
My breathing hilted; my stomach turned inside out. Timothy crooked his head, staring at me; a cruel smile spread across his face.
“With the help of our people,” Roxanne spat out, glaring at Timothy.
His brows furrowed when Roxanne’s words settled in before he looked at the council for confirmation.
“No matter how hard you try to ignore the fact, it is still a fact,” Francis chimed in. “The only thing that stopped Wurdulacs last time was the army of vampires that fought alongside humans.”
Sandra carefully moved Timothy’s hand away when our eyes locked. Her lips trembled when she forced a small smile. I gripped onto my chair to stop myself from strangling Timothy right here, in front of everyone.
“Wurdulacs are coming here, Mother.” I moved my gaze to her.
“Hm,” the Queen leaned to the side, listening to Athena’s whisper.
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes at such unnecessary theatrics. The meeting would already be over were we to have a normal conversation.
“We are proposing a temporary treaty that would allow us to work together against what we know will be another war.” Francis leaned on the back of my chair as though he couldn’t be bothered to partake in this nonsense of a meeting.