Page 38 of Wings of Lies (Daughter of the Seven Circles #1)

Chapter

Twenty-Three

O ne shadow zipped past on all fours. I squinted, unable to tell what it was. The second shadow materialized. Goosebumps spread along my flesh as I tilted my head from a wispy dark robe to a bloody skull covering its face.

The shadow made me question why Hana decided to share information about the Drunes in the first place. Because that was what the seven-foot creature had to be.

Brock turned when the Drune lifted its sharp, bony fingers and pointed at me.

I backed up, hitting the back of the carriage with my legs. My chest heaved up and down. Brock snatched my arm, dragging me around to the front, as I begged myself not to have a panic attack.

The Drune’s frayed sleeve dangled as it continued to point at me until Brock pulled me out of sight and into the driver’s seat .

“Prince Aspen, we need to leave. The leader of the Drunes gave us a limited time to leave their forest, and there’s one behind us as our reminder.”

I laid my wide eyes on Aspen. He stood off to the side, staring at me. That was all he did, stared, like Brock’s words didn’t reach him.

Shocked, I realized his eyes were glazed over. He wasn’t registering what was around him. Aspen, a formidable warrior and commander of a military, wasn’t mentally present.

“Prince,” Brock snapped. “The Drunes.” He gestured behind us and took the reins like he thought it was best he drove.

Aspen finally nodded, quiet and distracted, like he didn’t particularly care whether there was a giant skeleton-wearing creature behind us or that he had to go near it to get into the carriage.

When he walked back and the doors slammed shut with no incident, I heaved a sigh. It did nothing to relieve the tension in my shoulders or change the past few minutes.

Brock smacked the whip at his side into the horse’s rear.

They took off at a canter. The carriage squeaked and rattled as we barreled through the forest. I gripped my seat, cringing as each bump shot into my newly stitched legs, and hoped not to be overrun by skeleton-headed creatures.

Eventually, Brock slowed the horses when we covered a good amount of ground.

“They didn’t chase us,” I said, surprised.

“No, they said they’d give us time to leave before they did, and Prince Aspen’s a good deterrent,” Brock said, face twisting into a leer. “Speaking of… was it everything you hoped and dreamed?”

I stilled. He felt my desire. Just like he felt every ounce of embarrassment, anger, and mortification I felt afterward. So, he only asked that question to be cruel. This was his payback .

I had never wanted to escape them both more than I did now.

After what felt like hours of occasionally dodging moss, plugging my nose from the stench of the forest, and worrying about everything, my bladder was about to burst.

“I need to relieve myself,” I stated.

Brock grunted. “You couldn’t have done that before?”

“When was there time?”

He smirked. “You’re right. It’s hard to find the time when the prince’s needs need to be met. Although he seemed pretty put out, you must’ve only met a quarter of his needs. Don’t worry, he’ll find someone else later, per usual.”

Itches surged along my fingers, but for the first time, I shoved my energy down before the purple flame could burst out or take over. It wasn’t easy, and my head throbbed from concentrating, but what happened with Aspen would never happen again. But that didn’t mean I leashed my anger.

“At least a quarter is better than none. Which is the quota I assume you meet, with your wrinkly old-man skin, salt and pepper hair, and saggy balls.” I spat back.

Brock luscelered and slammed me to the ground. I gasped as pain split my ear. He straddled me, leaning down next to the side of my face.

“Talk to me like that again, and I’ll remove the rest,” he whispered, licking a dribble of blood off my neck and spitting it into my face.

The point of his dagger threatened to take my eye. So close, the blood slicking the silver blade gathered in my eyelash with each blink I couldn’t hold .

“Oh, and say anything about this to the prince, and I’ll give you a matching set.” He lifted off me, delighted. “Go pee, I’ll let his highness know. And if you get out of range, I’ll send him after you. I know how much you’ll love that.”

Once he retreated to tell Aspen, I stood on shaky legs. Long trails of warmth slid down my arm as I clutched the throbbing cut. Shock held back my tears.

He cut off the tip of my ear.

I walked away from the carriage and all its psychotic occupants, rearranging my bobby pins to keep my hair out of the blood. I glanced down at the keyhole of my cuffs. If only I could escape now.

Out of view, I squatted behind a large tree. After I relieved myself, I ripped some plush moss off the trunk, using it to wipe off my bloody hands, and pressed it against my open slice, seeing no other options.

White mist rolled in, snaking along gnarled roots and rising to the first shelf of branches.

That wasn’t creepy at all.

I rushed to wipe off more blood and leaves, but before I moved, a bony finger slid through a new line of blood dripping along my neck, freezing me.

The air in my lungs died as the skeletal finger slid underneath a brown-speckled deer skull. It was a Drune. A Drune that lapped at its finger with slow, languid sweeps.

Mmmm. Such an exquisite flavor.

No, not another one. I didn’t need any more voices in my head. Especially ones moaning about the taste of my blood.

Mmmm. So many secrets. And so much hidden power. No wonder she kept you suppressed and hidden, the Drune said, stepping closer. Its voice sounded like old trees creaking in the wind. Drawn out and deep.

I jerked my attention to the skeletal holes where its eyes should’ve been. The dark depths curled with mist. “My mom?” I asked.

The frayed cloak hanging on its bony shoulders snapped in an unseen wind, skimming my boots, much too close for comfort.

“Are you talking about my mom?” I demanded.

The skeletal mask jerked down, sniffing. Mmmm. It smells as delectable as it tastes. Give me a few more drops, and I will answer a single question. But the forest whispers of the stolen prince’s approach, so hurry.

“What about two?” But even two wasn’t enough.

Let me taste the sunshine and the circles, and I’ll answer one.

I had no clue what it was talking about.

“You already had a taste. If you want another, I want two questions answered.”

It raised its robed arm, gesturing to the ear I pressed moss to.

Let me suck it, and we have a deal.

Suck my bloody ear? First, gross. Second, that didn’t seem like a good idea.

Hurry. Or you’ll have no answers.

“Fine!”

It bridged the gap to press against my side, robe traveling through my legs. My already wide eyes widened further.

It chuckled, plucked my hand away, and descended on my wound. Bumpy wetness slid over my cut, stinging. It groaned. I shuddered, wincing as its tongue lapped with more force.

What are your questions ?

“How do I escape?” Nothing else mattered unless I escaped. Crossing that boundary line was not an option.

Hmmm , it hummed, tongue vibrating against my ear, gaining volume, gaining words. Hundreds of voices echoed in my mind: soft, loud, feminine, and masculine, a cacophony of noise and life. But the loudest of all said, The king in your mind. Follow his instructions.

“The man in my dreams? He’s a king?”

Male, not man. This isn’t Earth. Is that your next question?

“No! Where’s my mom?”

“You’ll find her when you find Magda.”

“So she’s at Magda’s?”

Was that Marcus’s new employer?

I didn’t say that. I said you’ll find her when you find Magda.

“I’m letting you suck the blood out of my ear, and that’s all you’re giving me? That’s not a location!” I yelled.

It gave one last long lap and pulled back.

Yes.

“No. That’s not good enough. You owe me a location!”

“I owe you nothing, child of the sun and circles. But I will give you something else in return. Advice. Beware of the greedy witch. And do not give her the emotions she seeks.”

With that, the Drune’s incorporeal robe gave one last snap before he walked into the large trunk at my back, fading into the surface as a flash of blue thunked into the wood. I stumbled back, tripping over a root.

Aspen yanked his sword out of the bark and glared at me. “Tell me you did not give it any of your blood!” The flames on his sword vanished as he leveled me with his blade. “What did it say? ”

“Nothing,” I said, lying, wanting to grab the blade that hovered in front of my face.

“You never give your blood in Elora. Never.”

“I didn’t.”

“Then what the fuck is that?” He took a step forward. The tip of his sword pointed at my cut ear.

I shrugged, not ready to have a matching pair if Brock found out Aspen knew who did it.

“Did you fucking let the Drune bite you?”

“I had questions!”

He stared at me in horror. “Do you have any idea what Drunes do with your blood?”

I opened my mouth and shut it, having no answer.

“Damn it, Lucille!” He swung his blade into the trunk as if he could kill the Drune that vanished inside it.

“The moment you give them your blood, they know everything about you, which they can sell to the highest bidder. They steal a piece of your power you’ll never get back, and the more blood you give them, the more power they take.

That’s how they survive as long as they do! ”

Shit. “I didn’t know?—”

“Of course you didn’t! You don’t know anything. Why the hell did you come here?”

He had a point, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. But even though I came here as naive and innocent as I was, I’d do it all over again. One way or another, I would find my mom and all this hell would be worth it.

“For the only person who ever gave a damn about me,” I spat. “For the one person who doesn’t play games with my mind and act like they care, when in reality my life expectancy is what? Two days? More? Less? What do you think, Prince of the Tenebrous Kingdom?”

Itches surfaced to the tips of my fingers, and instead of letting the sensation control me like I always did, I latched onto it.

I pulled at my power, allowing the itches to take over my hands and arms, but not yet summoning my purple flame.

I reveled in the energy coiling under my skin, smiling at my control.

Curious, I dove deeper into my power and discovered a delectable song.

It whispered in my ear, eager to respond to my call.

All I had to do was touch the black cords in my core. So, I did.

Dark and foreboding flame licked up my hands—pure black.

With my white and purple flames, I never felt what they could do.

Of course, before release, they stabbed me or sent me into an itching frenzy, but with the black flames, their sweltering heat pulsed off my skin.

They slowly ate my socks, my shirt, and the frayed wrap around my wrist but didn’t touch my jacket or pants—yet.

“Is this what your queen wants? Does she want to use this?” I stepped toward him and smiled as he stepped back. “Scared?”

Overcome with the melody and resentment, I enjoyed how his face washed of color, how he didn’t even think to lift his sword. Even more, I savored the words tingling in my ear, urging me to raise my arm and wrap it around his neck despite the fact sand pooled in my body.

“Let it go, Lucille,” he whispered, as if speaking too loudly would set me off.

Too late.

The music was too difficult to ignore. It didn’t care who stood in front of me or why. The tune only wanted revenge and blood .

Listening to the seductive words, I raised my hand. But before I came close to his neck, the heaviness took over. I stumbled as my vision blurred, seeing two Aspens. Swaying, I closed my eyes as my legs gave out, waiting for the pain of the ground when he caught me.

Aspen cradled me to his chest. “You’re not just an angel, sweetheart,” he whispered as I blacked out.