“Tell them Ruin of the Scourge would like to barter. Then let’s hope you’re persuasive.” I stood, dusting dirt and hay pieces off my legs.
“Where are you going?” His eyes darted frantically around. Kaida entered the barn, her massive body blocking any hope for escape. Dag’s jaw fell open, his pale skin somehow losing even more color.
“I’m going to get some sleep. You should too. I’ll check on you in the morning. Oh, and don’t try to run, because there isn’t a tonic that will heal ice-burn.” I threw a saddle blanket toward my terrified captive, then surrounded him with a cage of ice.
My veins thrummed,antsy for news from Dag. If I could secure a meeting with the general, it might be the key to securing my place as a dreki. I didn’t trust the rebel leader. I detested everything he stood for. But if we could strike a deal, it might be the extra leverage I’d need to negotiate new terms for my position in the military.
No one was coming to my aid. My future was up to me. If I couldn’t deliver, and they didn’t ask me to trade my humanity for the power of the dreki, then I risked becoming dispensable. Drained. I shuddered.
I threw a new pair of leathers on, secured my weapons, and plaited my hair. Three small braids below my left ear and two small braids below my right, then I gathered the whole thick, wavy mass and twisted them securely together.
Walking into the living area, I grabbed two apples from a bowl on the table. Delah still slumbered in the room on the other side of our shared cabin as I quietly left, clicking the door shut behind me. My sisterly protectiveness appreciated we could remain in our little home, a reprieve from the madness of the military and its politics.
Moonlight glazed the ground in shimmering patches, lighting a path toward the stable. The rebel remained confined within the ice cage I’d constructed. A snore rumbled out of his parted mouth when I entered. Kaida wasn’t here, most likely having returned to some dark corner of the woods. Wolvin were the things of nightmares, but she was my nightmare. I couldn’t get rid of her if I tried.
Kaida’s first appearance coincided with one of the worst days of my life. Even now, pain twisted my heart when I thought ofhow I had returned from hunting with Dom. But seeing her daily triggered my past less and less. My entire life had been reduced to cinderblocks and ash. The ground beneath me might as well have turned to lava and subsumed me.
Everything had changed in that moment. Losing my father wasn’t significant, but losing my mother was devastating. But I lost more than just my parents, I lost my friend. He promised he would find me, he would protect me. Perhaps it was unfair for me to hold him to that. My heart raged anyway, in the same old tune it always did when thoughts of him came up. I rolled my shoulders and ignored the feeling.
With a flick of my fingers, the cage surrounding Dag dissolved into a puddle. Water soaked into his clothes, rousing him awake.
Startling to attention, he fixed his bleary eyes on me. I leaned against the wooden walls, lazily twirling my dagger. “Well?” I inquired. “Will you be returned to Yarit, or do I kill you now?”
His eyes widened. “The oracle mind-walked, just as I said. I got confirmation that the General will send someone to meet with you. It’s the best I could do.” He stared at his hands, twisting the ring on his finger.
It wasn’t what I’d asked for, but it was better than nothing. “Fine.”
“Fine?” Hope glimmered behind his trepidation.
“I’ll release you to the woods. Hopefully your people will find you before the wolvin do. Rumor has it they have been hunting people now. But first, you’ll drink an elixir to bind you to our deal. If the rebellion doesn’t meet their end of the bargain, the tonic will turn to poison. If I get my meeting, you’ll have nothing to worry about.” He nodded slowly, twisting his ring more aggressively. I didn’t actually believe the wolvin rumors, but he didn’t have to know that.
I tossed him an apple on my way out.
After leavinga note for Delah to provide one of her experimental elixirs for Dag, and explaining the parameters of our deal, I took off on my horse to the Keep. The king’s castle, nestled at the base of the mountains, included a military barracks, training ground, and the great palace.
A cool breeze chilled my skin when I dismounted my horse. Shadows nipped my hands and swirled around my ankles, giving me pause.
“Good work yesterday, Ruin.” His silky voice curled around me. I turned, finding King Nolan taking shape before me. His cold shadows receded to reveal his wavy, blond hair and a smile that could melt iron ore. The scent of smoke and steel accompanied his appearance. His presence roused my exhausted muscles. I stood at attention, facing the Good King, lapping up his compliment.
A few curious shadows coursed their way along my arms, sweeping back a stray hair from my face in a fatherly gesture.
“I seek to serve you, Your Majesty. I desire the protection of this realm from those that would seek to destroy it.”
His shadows iced against my skin. Everything beyond the king blurred. I tasted the metallic zip of power, the sensation overwhelming my senses.
“You have become a formidable weapon. Your team is one of the best.” He circled me slowly. “I hope you will take hold of the power destined for you. The dreki are my most trusted, the most revered warriors in all of Haluma. It is the highest honor you can hold. Once you align yourself with me, your world will be opened to innumerable possibilities.”
I nodded, my mind clouded with the urge to taste more of this power and maintain Nolan’s approval. His attentions calmed an aching part inside of me.
He scrutinized me, his face carefully blank. “Your next mission will determine the invitation you crave. You will have everything you could ever need. Together, we can finally destroy our oppressors.”
I perked up at this. The king knew me well, having comforted me when I was brought in as a terrified child. Had always abundantly provided for me. Only he knew my secret, and he never judged me for it. His presence brought me comfort.
“When you take hold of this power, you will be trained in using it so that what you love will not be destroyed. Not like last time.”
My shoulders dropped. The open sore in my soul festered despite my efforts to bind it. Had I not spoken the curse over my father, my mother would still be alive. This was my burden. King Nolan had helped as best he could, and now he offered me this beautiful chance at redemption.
His shadows coalesced around him once more. The sounds of the night infiltrated my senses as my awareness slowly returned. His stare bored into me as his body dissolved into a swirling mass of wild shadows. “You are very valuable to me. I’ll follow up soon.”
