Adalia eyed the Oscuro guards. “Keep your kind out of The Grey or we are going to have issues.”
The Thorns snarled in response.
Moving to her company, Adalia let out the breath she’d been holding in as she climbed back into the saddle. The group pulledtheir horses around and took off towards the centre of the village. She knew other generals or majors may not have been as lenient as she’d just been, but the part of Adalia that believed in choosing good over evil had allowed the female Thorn to live.
As they made their way back to the village, Adalia broke from her companions.
“You all go on ahead and alert the healers. I’m going back to have a look at the tear in the Veil. If it’s true, I will mark the area so the healers can find it easily.”
“Would you like some company?” Shiloh asked.
“No, it’s fine. You go ahead and start the paperwork for this incident and I will be back before you know it,” Adalia replied with a grin. “Light guide you!”
“And keep you!” Her best friend smiled as they went their separate ways.
Adalia mapped out the area in her mind as she travelled beneath the shady canopy of eucalyptus and willows. Pulling her mare to a stop, she tied her to a low-hanging branch before scouring the area.
Approaching the Oscuro Veil, she carefully looked for a discolouration in the milky curtain. Tears were often hard to locate. It required a keen eye to spot the weakness in the shield. Noticing disturbed foliage, she stooped down to survey the ground closer. At that moment, she saw it—a black rose petal crushed upon the forest floor.
Adalia ran its silky texture between her fingers and lifted it to her nose. Unlike the roses in Lucius, the scent was odd. The top note was sweet, like cherry blossoms. The second had more tang, sort of like green apples. She took a whiff again. It was the bottom note that scrunched her nose in distaste. It was like a burning smell, as if the rose itself was made of ashes.
Little bumps skittered across her skin and Adalia sensed she wasn’t alone. Standing, she turned just as a large black boot connected with her hip. Pain unleashed its fury through her body and, with significant force, someone kicked Adalia through the Veil of Oscuro.
Pain pulsed from her side as she twisted her body, trying to gain her footing. Adalia’s face hit the ground, her body sliding acrossthe rocky surface of the enemy kingdom. She wheezed, fresh pain stabbing into her lungs with every breath. A shadow fell across her face. Cracking an eye open, Adalia saw the face of the woman she’d freed only moments ago.
“I bet you wish you’d killed me when you had the chance,” the female sneered.
Chapter Three
The LIGHTNER
Seated on a stone bench under the shelter of a whispering aspen, Matthias threw a large stick across the length of the courtyard. Bones dashed after it, returning it to his master’s side with haste. They’d been at this for the last hour. Matthias praised him, brushing his fingers over the wolf’s white fur.
They could do this all day if they wanted to; it wasn’t like there were urgent matters for him to attend to. His father usually dealt with those, choosing to leave Matthias out of such dealings. Not that those said matters ever went unnoticed. If anyone in the Kingdom complained about resource allowances or inadequate services, Matthias would know about it. He made it his business, whether or not his father knew. Only this morning he’d caught a conversation between his father and a villager who was whining about the boundary line on his neighbour’s property. Two grumpy old men fighting about who owns what. Matthias rolled his eyes at the memory.
It was quiet in the courtyard—peaceful even, despite the constant clanging from the forge below. Out here, Matthias usuallywent undisturbed. He peered at the markings on the back of his hands. There were a few small patches of bareness left that could use a tattoo. It had been too long since he’d visited the woman who offered inking services for a decent price. She was the best in the trade, and Matthias had often frequented her studio over the years. Not only to fill his skin with ornate designs, but because the burning pain would dull his internal ache. The sound of the needle scratching against his flesh was a comfort to him. The pain, a longtime friend.
Bones growled and looked towards the entryway of the courtyard. Matthias followed his gaze as a woman sauntered through, her hips swaying with confidence.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favourite boys, playing a little game together,” she purred.
“What do you want, Jes?” Matthias picked up the stick again and threw it for Bones, who hesitantly trotted off to retrieve it.
Jes stepped beneath the foliage canopy and circled behind Matthias, dragging her slim white fingers and blood-red nails between his shoulder blades. She carefully avoided where his black wings protruded from his back, instead sliding up into the hair on the back of his head. Grabbing a fistful, she yanked it towards her roughly.
“I want to play too,” she whispered into his ear before licking it with the tip of her warm tongue.
Matthias jerked away from her touch. Standing, he turned to face her, his wings brushing against the ground. “Leave me alone Jes.”
“What’s wrong prince, you don’t want to play with me?” Jes smirked as she walked two fingers up his chest.
There was no doubt Jes was a beautiful woman. Her black hair and green eyes were striking against her pale skin, her body curvy in all the right places, but, in her case, beauty was only skin deep.
The mistress whore of a king . . . who often tried, and failed, to weasel her way into Matthias’s bed. Matthias preferred consistency—a woman he could build a relationship with was a very rare occurrence in Oscuro. Most women he met were after money or hierarchy.
Jes was one of these women, and had been around for many years, usually in the archery range competing against Thorns—or upon the lap of the king.
“I don’t like the games you play, Jes. You’re a liar and a cheat,” Matthias said as he took a few steps back from her.
