Despite having once scoffed at such a concept, Cora was willing to try it now. She was willing to try anything. Because tonight she’d need all the luck and magic she could get.
Cora crept to the western side of camp opposite from where the perimeter guard stood watch. Once there, she paused several feet back from the clearing, assessing it. She caught movement from the interior guard—James. Her fingers curled into fists at the sight of him. It took no small effort to wrench her gaze away and study the cages instead. There were six enclosures in total, all constructed of the same materials as the ones she’d seen at the previous camp—barred iron frames bound together with rope. Four of the cages were occupied, the latest catch having been brought in the day before. That unicorn was stronger than the other three. He was the only one that shifted restlessly in his too-small enclosure. She could feel the unicorn’s rage at being contained, his pain whenever his flank made contact with the iron bars.
Cora itched with her desire to barge into camp and cut the unicorns free at once. She knew she could do it. She could catch James by surprise, send an arrow between his eyes, and another to Paul’s heart when he came to check on the source of the commotion. Then she could cut the ropes, open the cages, and that would be the end of it.
But that was precisely the problem. It would be the end of all her efforts.
If she killed the guards, leaving clear evidence of her attack, the remaining hunters would increase their numbers, their defenses. She’d likely never get another chance to infiltrate their camp again. Never save another unicorn. Meanwhile, they’d continue the hunt.
No, she needed a strategy. And she had one. It was why she was here. Why she’d spent days spying followed by nights of stealing. She’d taken a pot here. A flask there. Harvested belladonna—a plant famous for its deadly poison. She wouldn’t merely kill a couple guards and leave the rest to do the duke’s bidding. She’d put an end to the entire operation in a single night. There’d be no one left to hunt unicorns.
Cora’s chest carried a leaden weight, one that formed with the understanding that the Forest People would never approve of her using her knowledge of potions this way. But it didn’t stop her. In her days spying, she’d only grown to revile the hunters more. If their crime brands weren’t already enough—not to mention their braggery over said crimes—she also saw the way they sneered at the unicorns, how they prodded them with iron rods out of sheer entertainment. They didn’t feed the fae creatures. Didn’t bring them water. It was clear that these men had been selected for a reason. Not because they were skilled hunters, but because they were heartless. Cruel. Men whose only other option was the executioner’s block.
If Cora had to lose a piece of her soul to put them down, so be it. She’d do what needed to be done.
Besides, it was too late to turn back now. She’d already slipped into camp that morning and laced the rum with her deadly decoction.
She crept behind the cages to a cluster of pines. There she waited until James paced to the opposite end, chuckled at something Paul said. Then she reached for the bough above her and pulled herself into the tree.
All that was left to do was wait.
* * *
Teryn Alante dippedhis hands into the rushing waters of the river. The sky was a pink blush overhead, painting the river the colors of sunset. He gathered a handful of cool water and splashed it over his face, scrubbing his stubbled cheeks. Layers of grit and grime were encrusted beneath his palms. He’d need more than a splash of river water to get clean. Still, he doused his face once more, then drenched his hair for good measure.
“What do you think is worse?” Lex asked from farther downstream. Their horses stood between them, drinking their fill after another grueling day of travel. “Riding or Helios’ repugnant face?”
“That’s a tough choice,” Teryn said. He rose from the riverbank and approached Quinne, his golden-brown palfrey. “I might have to choose riding as my least favorite thing right now, considering the repugnant face in question is out of sight for the time being. Which is unfortunate, as I used to love riding. Sorry, old girl.” He added the last part for Quinne and patted her neck.
“What do you think is better, then?” Lex asked, “A warm bed or a hot meal?”
Teryn closed his eyes. “Why are you torturing me? Both. Obviously.”
“You two are pathetic.” Helios appeared behind them, lips curled in a sneer. Just like that, the repugnant face was back.
Lex muttered a string of insults under his breath, then said at proper volume, “I thought you were scouting.”
“Unlike you,” Helios said, “I don't need all day to make myself useful. Tether your horses. Then follow me.”
“Tether your horses then follow me,” Lex mimicked in a high-pitched voice. Teryn suppressed a smirk, but Helios gave no indication he’d heard.
“Come on,” Teryn said to Lex. “Might as well see what he wants.”
They met Helios near a half-visible game trail. Without a word, he led the way through the underbrush until the smaller trail joined a much larger path, this one marked with human and animal footprints alike. A few more minutes down the trail, Helios stopped.
He squatted down and pointed at something in the dirt. “There. This print is larger than the hoof of a normal horse, yet it leaves a lighter indent in the soil.” His voice had taken on a reverent tone, one that almost made him not seem like a total ass. “Do you know what this means?”
“Big feet, skinny body.” Lex said. “My youngest sister is like that.”
Helios turned to them, and Teryn braced himself for the glare that was sure to come. His own lips were laced with venom, ready to intervene should Helios and Lex start verbal sparring like they always did. But when Teryn caught Helios’ expression, the other man’s eyes were wide, a tight-lipped grin stretched across his face. “It means a unicorn has been here.”
That wiped all prior thought from Teryn’s mind. “Are you serious?”
“Serious. Certain.”
Lex shrank back a little. “You mean arealunicorn?”
Helios’ expression shuttered, returning his dour countenance. “Why else do you think we’re here?”
