Page 28

Chapter 28

Tully

T he next day, Argos and I mount two dappled gray horses—a mare and a gelding—and head out of Leafshire Cove. We should get to Mytilene, Argos’s hometown, in about four hours of riding through rolling hills, sleeping farmland, and a stretch of low, rocky ridges. Argos’s horse is called Fernie, a large female with a white nose and a swaying gait. My gelding, Orion, is a lovely fellow with a nice smooth gait and the tendency to wiggle every time we pass a field he quite obviously wishes to gallop through with abandon.

I lean forward and scratch behind one of his big, furry ears as we canter down the road. “On our way home, I swear I’ll give you free rein.”

“I’m a little worried you’ll toss me over for that horse,” Argos says.

“Orion is castrated, love. You don’t have anything to fret over.”

Argos shuts his eyes and shakes his head. “You’re killing me, Witch. But really, can you talk telepathically with that horse?”

“No. I can with some animals, as you’ve seen with Lady Owl. But not with all. I don’t know why some are open to me and some are not. It’s a mystery that we might never have an answer to.”

“Hmm.”

“Oh no. Don’t get that look. I’m not participating in any experiments with animals. I have a life, you know. I can’t just be sciencing with you all day long.”

“Sciencing.” He takes two apples from his pack and throws one to me.

I catch the fruit. “Shhh. Just eat your food and hush, Minotaur.”

Orion tosses his majestic mane and snorts.

Scratching him again, I whisper, “Thanks for the backup.”

I eat half the apple, then use my wand to magic the rest of the fruit to Orion. Argos holds up the last third of his apple and I bespell the treat to hover at Fernie’s mouth. The horses chomp happily, and we ride through the town’s open gate.

Mytilene appears much larger than Leafshire Cove. Shops and homes are laid out in straighter lines, too. The buildings are two and three stories high rather than one or two. It’s packed full of humans, but there are several minotaur families, a few fairies here and there, and shrub gryphons everywhere.

“You have an infestation, Argos. I can help with that.”

One of the small menaces flies through a hedgerow at the end of a curving lane. The creature attacks the green growth, dislodging the snow on top and creating a little storm.

“They need to be driven back into the wild forest,” I say. “When they eat anything but the starleaf trees, they get sick.”

“I had no idea. We were always so focused on the crops and the creatures that we shared them with. Deer and the like.”

“When we are finished with your business, I’ll cast a lure for them at the forest’s edge.”

“A witch!” A smiling smithy in a leather apron calls up to us as we ride past his forge. “And is that…”

Argos raises a hand, and we both rein in our mounts. “Hello, Tythan.”

“I hope you’re here to set things to rights.”

Argos turns on his saddle to smile at the smith. “I will certainly try.”

It looks like the smith wants to say more, but is hesitant because of my presence. “Who is your friend?”

“This is Mistress Tully of Leafshire Cove, a powerful witch and my intended.”

Tythan gasps and comes forward to take my hand and kiss my knuckles. I try not to grimace at being smooched on by a complete stranger.

“Such a pleasure to meet you.” He faces Argos. “You best hurry on or the whole town will know before your mother.”

“She wouldn’t like that.” His tone is jovial, but sadness pulls at his eyes.

We ride on, and Argos greets several more townsfolk. They all seem to adore him.

“I’m glad they don’t fault you for anything,” I say.

He rubs the back of his neck and his jaw muscles clench. “Aye, they’re kind people. It hasn’t been easy on them. First, we had a poor harvest so food was short. Then the weather decided it wasn’t done with us and I couldn’t afford to keep enough hands on the grounds to harvest the winter wheat quickly enough. After that, the king’s collectors began claiming our farm machines and tools. Most of these folks have to travel to the next three towns just to have enough to eat. Many have left to find work or open shop in a more prosperous place.”

“The town still looks well tended.”

“It’s only been a year and a half. If you hadn’t saved my arse,” he says, patting the sack of money tied to Fernie’s saddle, “we would have started seeing caved-in roofs, poor on the streets begging, and crime rising. Thank you again, Tully. I will never deserve your kindness.”

“As Laini and Kaya have taught me, you don’t have to deserve kindness to receive it. We all deserve it just by being alive.”

“You have very wise friends.”

“I guess. They have a nice outlook on life, anyway. I’m trying to embrace it.”

Argos gives me a grin that warms me from head to toe and makes me wish I had him all to myself. Perhaps after we give the good news and get this estate back in his family’s hands.

“You already do embrace that life,” Argos says. “You show kindness every moment I’m with you. Gathering this money. Helping your townsfolk with no request of being paid for your magical services in times of great need. Laini told me how you helped her in the past. You might wear a scowl and have a blunt way of communicating, but you’re the best person I’ve met in my entire life.”

I swallow, and my eyes burn. “I was taught to be stoic unless anger was required to accomplish a goal. My grandwitch used to say that feelings were like holes in a dam, and if I didn’t patch them closed, soon I’d be drowning.”

“Gods, Tully, that’s awful.”

An archway of blue and black stone leads us out of the town and into the rolling fields of what I’m guessing is part of Argos’s family estate. Three tall hills—almost mountains—stand beyond the fields. A waterfall plumes with mist and the shimmering moisture creates a rainbow. Beside the stubbled fields, a ring of wooden fencing encloses a small herd of unicorns. The creatures gallop and kick, excited to see our horses.

“Well, this isn’t pretty at all.”

Argos grins. “It has always been my favorite place in the world.”

“I can see why.”

Our horses trot up a rise that leads to a stone manor house.

“But now,” Argos says shyly, “my favorite place in the world is wherever you are.”

“Stop it. You’ll soften me so much that none of my friends will recognize me.”

Laughing, we ease our horses to a stop outside the double set of entry doors and dismount.

Argos moves the reins over Fernie’s broad head, then ties her to a post shaped like a tree bared for winter. “Tully, I want to say… I’m sorry you were raised in such a cold environment.”

“It wasn’t all bad.” I tie Orion next to Fernie. “Grandwitch fed me, taught me, and told me wonderful stories.”

Argos takes his satchel and the sack of money from the saddle. “I guess like most folks, she was complicated.”

“Good and bad,” I say. “But maybe a little more bad than is good.”

He opens the door, which seems very odd to me. A place like this usually has a liveried guard or at least a staff member to announce visitors. I suppose he wasn’t exaggerating that all the staff had gone.

The entry hall boasts a wide hearth on the far wall, a long table like the one at Rustion’s, and painted murals of minotaur history. Swords flash in silver thread, minotaur horns are like spears in the chaos, and a castle with rounded turrets covers the background.

“This is amazing.” My voice echoes off the high ceiling.

A female minotaur walks out of a shadowed corridor. She wears her white hair in a twist that sits between her horns. Her clothing looks three sizes too big.

“Argos?”

He hurries over and pulls her into a gentle hug. Her thin fingers grip his cloak and she shuts her eyes, obviously overwhelmed at his unannounced visit.

“Mother, I want you to meet my intended, Mistress Tully of Leafshire Cove.”

I give her a respectful nod and smile. “Nice to meet you.”

She comes forward and takes my hand. Her fingers are like ice. “Hello. I’m Mathilde. When did you two meet? How long has it been? Forgive me. My head is foggy all the time.”

“You aren’t eating enough.” Argos digs in his satchel and produces a hunk of what appears to be Kaya’s pumpkin bread. “Eat this while I tell you everything.”

She complies and we take a seat at the long table. The room is colder than the outside, so I start a fire with my wand. It won’t do much though because I can’t produce wood to burn out of thin air and there are only two sad logs stacked inside.

Argos tells his mother everything about the khymeia, the mirror, how we met, and so forth. At his conclusion, he lifts the sack of money I gathered onto the table and loosens the tie to show the gold, copper, and silver inside.

Mathilde’s hands go to her mouth and her eyes shine. “Tully, you did this?”