I turned my arm. Between the thick markings, a distinct animalistic face was woven into the design, blending seamlessly.I closed my eyes, and the breath that escaped my lips came with a shudder. Farren spoke my name again, coaxing me to respond.
“You can’t tell anyone about this,” I said, and she stilled.“This is serious, Farren.”I raised my eyes to hers, not concealing the weight of my words. She paled at my harshness, but she had to understand the importance of this.
“I won’t,” she promised.
I studied her, unsure if I could believe her. Though she was my dearest friend, she voiced her thoughts the instant they came to her. It was not a fault, per se, but she wasn’t one to be trusted with secrets either. And this was a big secret.
“What does it mean?” Farren pressed.
I firmed my jaw and closed the book. Strewn papers left the table on a gust of wind and danced to the floor as I did.
“It means nothing,” I told her, as if I could will myself to believe the statement. If my brother sought to bound me to Ruairc by obligations, this mark… it bound me by fate. Bound me to the guard who, very likely, was already dead, framed for the death of the King. To the handsome stranger I’d chosen for myself as a distraction from commitment and solidity. No, I would keep it hidden. No one else could learn of this.
Despite myself, I trailed a thumb over the markings, and hollowness weighed on me.
13
NEIRIN
Though the woman’sscent lingered, I recognized her absence the moment my monster woke. It left the creature on edge. He panted, ears pinned, as two men spoke, their voices carrying from the front of the wagon.Crates and satchels of goods and wares littered the small space in disorganized chaos, most of the cargo having shifted throughout the trip from the capital.
“Her warmth is disingenuous.”
“Give her time, Ruairc.”
Ruairc’s sigh was audible. “I will not force this on her if it’s not what she wishes.”
“And that is one of the reasons I gave you my blessing.” The wagon rocked as the speaker stepped down from the coach’s seat. “I regret I may have pushed this all on her too suddenly.”
Ruairc’s response sounded heavy with concern. “Have you changed your mind?”
“No.” The reply came without hesitation. “No. She will come around.”
Footsteps on stone sounded the approach of one of the men, and the cotton flap at the back of the wagon was drawn to the side. A rush of cold air broke the staleness, and my monsterbacked up, bumping into a crate of glass bottles that rattled at the impact. Lips raised and ears tucked, he snarled.
“What—” The man cut himself off, taking a step back.
“Aureus, what is it?” A second man came into view, and his eyes widened, hand going reflexively to the pommel of his sword.
My monster’s heart raced, and he made a series of warning barks. Though he was a coward and would flee given the chance, he would lash out if there was no alternative. The fear scent that radiated from him was thick. Another creature would have recognized it, but humans had no sense of such things. They saw only his bared teeth.
Both men backed away from the wagon, creating a window for escape. My monster lunged forward, and the hard ground jarred his joints as he landed heavily on his front paws.Across a cobbled road, trees and brush offered cover between two buildings. My monster darted forward, but a high-pitched wail rang out, raising the fur along his spine and stopping him in his tracks. He spun, addressing the noise. By the central well stood a young boy, half-hidden behind his mother, eyes wide.
Crouched, my monster’s sides heaved. Shouts came from his left, accompanied by nervous whinnies. Pelt bristling, he leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the hooves of a dapple-gray mare. Metal horseshoes scraped on the stone, sending a cringing shudder through my creature’s shaking flanks. He inhaled briskly and turned back toward the cover of the brush, darting for their safety.Through the undergrowth, a pasture stretched to the forest beyond. He ran alongside a wooden fence, ignoring the curious nickers of a bay and her foal.
Once in the sanctuary of the woods, he slowed to a trot. The beech trees in this area grew to great heights, their gnarled trunks and twisting limbs covered in moss and cracked bark. Spring leaves shuddered in the chilled air.
The creature stopped and raised his head, scenting for threats. Traces of humans and horses carried on the southern wind. Fainter was the scent of chickens. My monster cocked his head and swiveled his ears, listening to their distant clucks.
Through the bond came an instinctual drive to hunt, though a prickle of fear accompanied it. He’d hunted hens in this form before. On the last occasion, he was nearly skewered by a pitchfork. My creature seemed to remember this and sat back on his haunches, snorting.
I sensed it then, the subtle release of tension. It was a window, and I took it.I grasped for control, and just as I did, the creature reacted, standing with a yelp. He fought back, straining against the pull, but I had my hold on him. He bared his teeth and snarled.With each shift, he held on longer and resisted my grasp to regain power with more vigor. I feared the day his strength would overcome my own and I would be stuck in this form. Left to live a life amid the trees, imprisoned within his pelt.Forever trapped within the skin of the creature responsible for Thatch’s death.
Burning heat flooded the creature’s veins. He threw his head back, and anguish shot through the bond. His spine snapped with a hollow crack, and his lower half went numb. Falling sideways, he dug at the dirt, pain searing in waves of fire.
He trembled, gave in to the agony, and lay still, tongue lolling, panting as his body became mine again.The pressure in his skull was nearly unbearable. Everything was pulsing. His vision blurred, and through fluttering eyelids, I focused on one of his paws, the fur clumped and dirty.
In a motion of expanding, my fingers folded outward from the pads. The skin stretched over the gnarled bones, too tight, tearing at the knuckles. Veins pulled at the back of my hand as it flexed involuntarily. A black band stood out around my index finger—my mother’s ring.It was magic, then.
