I turn my head to face Rune again, the blonde locks of his hair barely touching the tips of his ears. I study his face, searching for secrets in his expression.
He appears to be only a few years older than me, but his caramel eyes reveal a far wiser man, like he’s seen more in his lifetime than even I have seen in mine.
His eyes, like The Devourer’s, look out of place among the rest of us. Like they’re plagued by phantoms and primordial sprites or know of mystical secrets. I guess that’s what happens when you align yourself with a literal monster. Maybe they’re soulless, maybe they’ve just lost humanity, but none of that truly matters.
It’s odd what your mind latches onto as you face death. I’d prefer to think of happier times. Instead I walk along Rune, questioning the damned meaning in his eyes.
“So it would be you that delivers me to death then?” My words are tipped with venom and I hope he can feel the annoyance that bubbles off me.
Looking away, I study the alley way that Rune leads me through. Grey stone that rises far higher than I could manage to scale marries with ashy mud of the walkway. Astoria, in its dreary setting, is a great fortress of the north. As far as I can tell, the people who live here are as miserable as the weather. Men and women alike pass by us, making a wide berth so as to not get close to me. If only they realized that I’m not the monster here, that men in positions of power would villainize those just trying to help the people who scorn them to survive.
Movement ahead catches my attention. A large looming building, with a parapet along the upper edge comes into view. Gilded statues of ravens and griffons line the terrace edge. We must be nearing the village square.
Making the way around the corner of the building ishim.His face is twisted and his eyes are in a faraway place. He looks almost tormented.
He must notice Rune and I, because seconds later, his frantic gaze rakes across my body and settles on my face before shifting his attention to my chaperone.
A flutter above him has my feet almost stopping. A familiar dark raven with a white patch, perches on the balcony ledge, placed curiously to a bronze griffon statue, head crooked as if assessing the situation.Kina.What in goddess's name…Caym’s raven can only mean one thing, The Hidden are near. I look around to see if Oak is anywhere, surely she would signal aid.
Hesitantly, I look at her, hoping to not give away her significance to my guards. The Devourer paces over to Rune, exchanging a glare in the few steps it takes him to get to us.
“Good to know you’re still with us.” The dryness of Rune’s tone settles in the space.
The Devourer doesn’t speak. With an untamed look in his eyes, he snatches my arm, never breaking eye contact with Rune.
He begins to escort me down the alley between two of the more grand homes in Astoria. The brick pavers are darker than the stone from the homes of the outer layout, the craftsmanship noticeable in carvings and adornments of their sidewalks. I watch Kina hop from the balcony and glide to a small flowering tree, dainty pink petals showering down with the sudden change in weight on the limb.
Her caw is short and soft, offering a well—known comfort. I recognize the sound, it’s a simple signal that Caym and I have taught our birds.
We are here.
We are here.
Exhaustion evaporates from my mind, adrenaline seizing hold.
Gods, where are they? I try to not fidget while I scan my surroundings.
Rune’s steps behind me fall back, growing quieter. The Devourer’s behavior must have him on edge as well, as the air around us seems to hum with something unfamiliar, something tense.
Lowering my voice, I can’t help but ask, the question feeling forbidden as it leaves my lips, “are you alright?”
“Of course,” The Devourer says sharply.
His terse words only cause more confusion. Between his erratic behavior and Kina showing up, I’m unsure what’s happening.
I wipe my palms on my soiled dress, trying to rub off the unease. My heart beats rapidly and I pray to the Goddess no one can detect it. I count my breaths with each step, my feet now touching cobbled stones instead of the sludge that’s ruined my hems.
We pass the little tree, where Kina’s perched, watching me. It’s bizarre the nearly choked out tree still offers up life despite the dull surroundings.
I can’t help but notice the soft pink petals that are crushed beneath my feet as we walk away from the only semblance of new growth on this path.
Inwardly, I scoff at the irony of the little tree that is trying too hard to survive even though it will eventually succumb to the crushing walls of this kingdom. Maybe that’s all I am, that The Hidden is. A chance at life that is crushed before fully blooming, just like the very petals smashed beneath my toes.
The prospect of Caym and Lees being here to save me, or worse, bear witness to my death, makes me feel … desperate. Like a caged animal ready to snarl and scream, ready to rip apart myself if it means freedom.
I look to my side and study the booted feet that walk like a predator. His black leather dusty from the cobbled streets. Even the hems of his charcoal pants are dusty from his footfalls.
With a sudden rush of confidence, I brace and force myself to look at his face. His expression is hard, focused on the path he leads us down. I find my steps syncing with his. If only he could feel my desperation, my will to live. If only he would just look at me.
