Page 118 of Reaper’s Curse

Eyes that hadn’t stopped staring at me since we had climbed into the carriage.

“You’re quiet,” Winter prompted as we neared the palace’s outermost wall and gate.

“Sorry.” Earl wiggled his upper body as if testing how things moved. “It’s just, after all this time, it feels mighty strange.”

“I can only imagine,” Winter sympathized.

Earl’s gaze swept away from the prince, back to me. “I still can’t believe you…”

“Don’t even give it a second thought.” I smiled weakly and found myself leaning into Winter’s shoulder, my bones and muscles weary. “Thank me by living a good life from this day forward.”

Earl’s hazel eyes twinkled, then burned with sorrow as his gaze upon me intensified. “I can do that.”

Bells chimed, and the carriage rolled to a stop, waited for the final gate to open. Fish, freshly baked bread, things I preferred not to put a name to—the various scents of nearby vendors—filled my nostrils and lungs as I pushed myself straight in my seat once more.

The carriage lurched forward, and the clamor of citizens going about their average day, punctuated with the barks of dogs, and the squeals of children, created the music to which the three of us traveled. My heart raced and my palms slicked with sweat over the excitement of the coming moment.

Earl slammed his hands to the cushioned seat, his face bright with life. “I’m me again! Bloody me! And I’m going home!”

30

The bells at the palace wall entrance chimed.

At the urging of the clanging song, several guards dashed to their posts and cracked the gears, swinging the gate open. No sooner was the path unobstructed than the glorified, gilded wagon crossed the boundary and progressed onto the citadel streets.

The carriage rolled past my location, carrying with it the scent I had been tracking―Earl. I jumped free from my hiding place and followed.

Too many days had passed since I’d located Earl in a warehouse filled with other afflicteds. Too many days since I’d lost sight of him when the Killian had accosted Raven.

Since that day, I hadn’t seen Raven nor talked to Winter. I’d received no updates on her condition, be it by crow or other means.

Although…earlier this morning, I spotted a large raven and a few crows tracking my movements. To my disappointment, none of the birds had delivered correspondence from Raven.

As for Earl, when I returned to the task of tracking, I followed the man’s scent to the palace compound where I couldn’t go…yet. I’d been circling the compound for days since, waiting and watching for anything that might lead me to Earl’s location. Anything.

The carriage rolling down the street was that anything. Earl’s thick scent wafted from the windows, slightly different, but still definitely Earl’s. Racing across rooftops, I followed the carriage straight to the Bridge Crossings Pub.

From my vantage point, I was unable to distinguish the carriage passengers or who exited at the pub stop. By the time I jumped from a nearby rooftop and crossed the street, the wagon stood empty, and the travelers had gone inside Aoes’s establishment. Roars and hollers leaped through the still-closing front door.

The transit was royal, and I was still a wanted man. Possibly more so after the incident with Raven and the warehouse full of afflicteds. The unwise move would be to follow Earl’s scent and storm straight through the door.

At least, that was my thought…until I heard her.

In a heartbeat, I crossed the distance and slipped into the cheer of the awaiting pub.

Aoes hollered, “Free drinks for everyone,” while Winter laughed and clapped his friend on the back.

Both males hugged Earl. A healthy, cured Earl.

If Earl was no longer afflicted, that only meant…

My searching gaze swept over the crowd, who danced and yipped with elation. Raven had to be here. I’d heard her name called and caught her voiced response. But where was…

The door to the toilet room opened, and out she stepped. Sweat dappled her brow, the hair around her face looked matted, cheek still bruised, hands bandaged, and her skin a sickly pale. She looked… Shit…she looked wholly unwell.

Her gaze locked on me, and her face lit up with a smile. Then she stumbled sideways, catching herself against a nearby table.

I shot forward, weaving through the crowd as if the patrons were nothing but wind. Stepping to her side, I grabbed her arm, adding my support, at almost the same moment Winter appeared on her other side.