Dante
Mira dozed soundly, empty bags from the bakery strewn beside her. To my absolute delight and benefit, this room had a tub. We’d spent an hour in it earlier until the water cooled. My fingers had massaged every inch of her body, a cocktail of relaxation topped with a full belly of sweets.
I knew she wouldn’t hear me when I snuck out.
Night had fallen over Point Hollow, and I couldn’t shake that lingering unease from the altercation at the inn earlier. Plus, if a royal convoy was in town, I would sure as hell ensure it made it to Solei. I suspected animosity toward magic wielders might lead to something like this—intentional interruption of supplies. Another reason a friendly face would humanize the cause.
I stepped out into the brisk night air. Businesses had closed, and no one wandered the streets. Aiming for The Lone Oak, I wanted to see if a convoy had arrived.
The sleepy town held an air of serenity, barely a breeze. Regardless, I kept my steps silent. I’d debated shifting to use my animal instincts at full capacity, but decided against it. The bestway to establish positive relations with people weary of magic wielders was not to morph into a terrifying beast to prowl their streets in the night.
Memory told me that a few more turns would bring me to the main road. I hoped I’d find the convoy, hoped there would be a shipment of supplies that would help hold us over until we could earn trust from the surrounding towns.
In the quiet, my thoughts turned to Mira, as they always did. How mad would she be to wake up and find me missing? Her sleep had grown deeper since being with child, so I doubted it would happen. Still, I enjoyed having my ballsattachedto my body.
Already pondering ways to make it up to her, my skin prickled at the familiar scent in the air.
Blood.
The tang of iron pierced the calm evening with its irreverence. I stilled, monitoring for any activity that might indicate someone lurking about, but found none. With increased stealth, my senses honed in on the scent. It drew me away from the main road.
When footsteps sounded off nearby buildings, I sank into the shadows, pressing against a wall in the nearest alley. A mingling aroma of different bloods intertwined. When a massive silhouette passed in the street, I identified him immediately. He carried the stale smell of animal blood, raising the hairs on my arm, but it was almost masked beneath the fresh source that was undoubtedly human.
Peering around the corner, I waited until he was out of sight. I was on the move a heartbeat later, following the path he’d come from. His scent dulled amidst the cooling night, becoming so faint I questioned if I still followed the right direction. Buildings became scarce as I made my way toward the edge of town, relying on animal instinct to continue guiding me.
Where had he come from? Forest bordered the town, and once the roads gave way to the crowded woods, I doubted I’d—
A billowing breeze blew past, and with it, confirmation.
I ran, following the smell of iron until I came upon a shack. I’d found the source. The door groaned on its hinges. On the ground before me lay a man, motionless. No, not a man.
A king.
34
Melody
I’d fallen into a routine over the last week. For over an hour, I peeled potatoes and carrots. My contribution had been a pittance compared to the others, my hands not used to the sheer volume of preparing a meal for dozens and dozens of people. Prepping dinner for my mother and two sisters had been a much easier task to tackle, and since my time at the castle, I hadn’t lifted a finger.
Tio had chopped and distributed wood to the campfires that contributed to dinner. Now, he ran with a group of children, carrying one boy over his shoulders while a gaggle of them raced behind. It would have been impossible to fight the smile it brought to my face, so I didn’t bother trying. The few ladies I’d been working with took notice, but were polite enough not to say anything. Their full smiles said all their thoughts.
When the meal was ready, Tio appeared by my side. Our legs touched as we ate. I’d never needed to feel this close to someone before. After we finished, he walked me to my tent, escorting me with his arm out like a true gentleman. I didn’t want to releasemyself from him and considered inviting him inside. Each night, I longed for his body next to mine, and I grew tired of restraint.
My nerves built to terrifying levels as we reached the tent and stopped to face each other. I couldn’t bring the words out; they hid behind my rib cage like frightened animals. His beautiful teal eyes drank me in, and I nearly melted on my feet.
“Melody, I—” His words were cut short when a distant scream rang out. Without hesitation, he glanced toward the turmoil before returning his gaze to me with serious determination. “Stay here,” he ordered before taking off toward the sound, dagger already in hand. More shouts rumbled from the distance, coming from the direction of the river.
A sense of unease filled the air. Others around me began to take notice of the unusual disturbance, and some hurried away with their children in the opposite direction. I ducked into my tent, reaching under my pillow to grab the dagger that Nora had sent me with.
“Take this, and keep yourself safe,”she’d said.
I regretted spending so much time practicing my magic when the weight of the dagger felt so foreign in my grasp. Unsure of what was happening, I strapped the sheath to my waist, then took off running. A handful of bodies ran to investigate alongside me.
A plume of smoke stretched into the air beyond the grove of trees that protected the camp from The Serpentine Line. The only downside being that through the thickness of the woods, I wasn’t able to see what was happening yet. My heart pounded, more so from fear than exertion, as I made my way through the wild brush. Soon, the horrific scene came into view.
An attack.
Swords and arrows and magic collided against each other in a dizzying frenzy. Bursts of flame illuminated the scene intermittently, the rest only visible by moonlight. Cries ofanger and agony rang out as bodies clashed and fell. It was something from a nightmare. One hundred times scarier than the altercation we’d had on the ship when I’d been taken. That had been an isolated crew.
