We hugged for a few beats longer, then separated. I took a last look at her and then took her hand, kissing it. “To the returned Queen,” I said. “The Lady will never expect it.”
Feyra rolled her eyes. “Lady Agatha maybe, but I’m still not convinced about Skol.”
“True. Now,” I sighed and rolled my shoulders. “My exit is through the back. Yours is the front. I believe Agatha has taken over Nicholas’s old Inn and made it her own. Make sure she suffers for me,” I said, turning and leaving.
“Dion,” Feyra took my arm. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, staring into her eyes and her heart.
“And I’ll tell you again on the other side,” she said. “You’ll tell me too. Promise?”
“I promise, I’ll tell you,” I said.
Then I left, trying to ignore the dream that had been haunting me since leaving Jebra. It was an image of Feyra lying in a pool of blood, pale and dead. A man was over her. A sword in his hand…stained with blood.
Chapter 25
FEYRA
I exited the Pools and made for the cover of the streets. The Singer was back on its perch, it was disgruntled that it hadn’t received its meal, but nonetheless it sang its song of control. It was still unaware of Zani singing the anti-melody in the village.
I wondered if any werewolves had realized they could shift? Or had all been taken to the cages? Had dormant ones been kept to service the guards? Or had they brought the peasants from the Outer city of Lassig? Too much I didn’t know, and too much that brought me sorrow. But my blood boiled at Agatha. What a traitor! I couldn’t believe it. Not only was she betraying me, but she was betraying the people we’d grown up with. Had she always been that way? Had I always been blind?
The village was deathly silent, overrun and depressing. Barrels of alcohol were everywhere, rubbish piled in mounds in the alleyways spilled out into the streets. Every inn I passed was full with drunk and leering Inspectors and guards. Poor women were at the mercy of these monsters, while men were made to do everything else. Any scream or cry for help was met with laughter.
I despised her, and the closer I came to the inn Dion had directed me towards, I grew more angry. I could feel my wolf straining for release. But I had to be careful, if I tried to change, or do anything, I’d alert the Singers.
I came to the inn and slipped down the alleyway. I entered the stables from where we’d left so long ago, and crossed into the shadows. There were no people guarding the doors, no stable boys. How arrogant were these men?
I entered the inn and began my search for her. The staff working were too stressed to notice me. I saw men bloodied and left in the corridor, and one of the chefs was even helping a serving girl restitch her blouse front. My blood could only aggravate so much.
I doubted Agatha was in any of the private rooms or dining areas. From all the rubble I began to see in the building, it seemed some renovations had occurred. I came to the back stairs, kept private for the staff, and began to climb. When I came to the top floor, I knew I’d found her. I could scent her from her perfume alone. It hadn’t changed since we first met. I paused, something like that had stuck with me my whole life. I’d always been good at smelling scents…maybe that was why Aunt Teetee had me train as an herbalist?
I vowed to avenge her.
I pushed the door open softly, a hallway stretched before me in the darkness. I allowed my eyes to adjust and then saw the men hidden in dark recesses. They were standing and waiting, spears at the ready. Fortunately for me, they were asleep. I exited the stairwell and closed the door quietly. The guards remained as they were as I crept down the hall. At the end was a grand door with a heavy lock.
I restrained myself from growling out loud, of course it would be locked. I didn’t think it would be wise taking a key from one of the guards and waking him, and potentially waking the others. That would lead to a fight and a fight would surely break my cover.
I had to find another way.
Agatha had always needed to feel the breeze as she slept, which meant that she would have a window for her room. A window that would be open.
Before sneaking back down the hallway, I gathered my clothing fabric and tore a piece off. I stuffed it into the lock.That’d stop them.I snuck back down the hall and entered the staff stairwell, made my way through the inn and back to the stableyard. I entered the stables and climbed up to the hay loft where I’d hidden with Agatha. Was she a traitor then? She probably couldn’t believe her luck in finding a way to get me all by myself. I growled into the darkness, with no one around to hear me I figured the gamble was alright. More than that though, I recalled the window that we'd seen at the end of the loft.
I exited the window, shuffling along the narrow board and up the small ladder that had been installed for roof repairs. From there, I was now facing the inn. From the top of the stableyard roof, I ran and jumped to the ledge skirting around the inn. I landed with my foot slipping off of the ledge. I grabbed a water pipe in desperation to hold on. I clutched it, pulling it into my chest. Doubt filled me suddenly,what the hell was I doing here. I wasn’t a hero. I wasn’t akiller. I was an herbalist. I–
I had spent months with Dion proving to myself how resourceful I was! We hadn’t wasted months for me to chicken out because my foot slipped. I kept clutching the pipe, waiting for my heart to calm. When it did, I continued on and began shimmying upward.Aunt Teetee, Roman, everyone that had been killed by Lady Skol, they all deserved vengeance.
I made it to her floor as the water pipe detached. I jumped and flattened myself against the wall as the pipe fell away, clattering onto the stable roof. The crash echoed into the night. I braced, waiting for the calls, waiting for the guards to come rushing, but nothing happened.
I frowned,I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
I brought my mind back to the ledge I was balancing on. It would be a four story fall from here. I held my breath and skirted along the narrow ledge, the moon lit up my trail and my eyes took in everything before me. Even the street below was clear, I saw a man on the street. He was stumbling and scrambling towards each inn main door, talking to anyone that would listen. Each guard blew him off and laughed. A phrase caught me though…they’re alive…
I had to get to Agatha quickly! At some point someone would take him seriously.
I rounded the building corner and saw the window opening. I moved to it slowly, sneaking and watching. Readying myself to jump up, I mis-stepped and almost fell to my death.
