Page 12 of Wraithwound

She hadn’t lost control of her body in the last three days and felt confident she could enter the city safely to seek out Ahgrie. She replayed Leonid’s words in her mind and hoped he’d been right when he told her feeding the infection would delay the turn.

As she grew closer, she heard the gentle rushing of a small river that flowed past the city walls. Such a beautiful, serene sound, which was in direct contrast to the danger that lurked inside the city. She didn’t have to look to know there would be a group of young women dressed in silver robes collecting vials of water to take to the temple.

Ever since the healing spring dried up, those desperate to regain access to the Goddess’s healing magic had formed a separate group, a cult really, of those who thought they might be able to bring magic back by shifting their loyalty.

Instead of trying to regain the Goddess’s favor, the High Priest and his moon maidens worshipped Lunis, the goddess of the moon, for it was believed she commanded the tides. The women were tasked with making sure the waterways were clear of debris and ran unobstructed, and they studied the water for any hint of magic. Lena didn’t want to think about what might inspire a young woman to join a group plagued by rumors of strange rituals and odd recruiting practices or to worship a goddess that had never made her presence known in Eteris.

Lena stepped off the road and veered into a denser part of the forest, careful to avoid being spotted by area patrols and hidden archers in the trees. She knew to expect questioning at the city gates along with an inspection of “health.” The guards claimed it was to keep the city safe from those who might become unwitting hosts to an infection, and while she knew inspections started with the safety of the city in mind, the roving hands and lingering gazes from those tasked with doing them had become a perversion of the original intent.

Disgusted at the thought, she shifted her focus to cleaning herself off using a cloth from her pack that she’d dipped in the river and replacing her tattered blouse. She would have to come up with a convincing story about her injuries. Especially the swollen cheek and black eye. Unable to run her fingers through her hair, she settled for patting it down and dusted off her clothes. Pulling out some of the healing supplies she carried with her, she opened a familiar vial and began to rub a thin stem with small, round leaves over the skin that would most likely be exposed during the health check.

Arms, chest, stomach, and legs. It would be miserable to endure Hollow’s Leaf and the red itchy welts that would soon form all over her body, but it was a small price to pay for Henry. She remembered the first time she had come in contact with the plant while out with him. A sad smile greeted the memory of Henry’s endless teasing, even while she was crawling out of her skin. Snorting at her between the raucous laughter, he had compared her to the bloated, pink pigs that ran wild near Virdeen, but she knew he was just trying to keep her mind off the insufferable itch. As bad as it was, looking back, she’d been lucky it was only Hollow’s Leaf she’d fallen into because its sister plant, the Knife’s Edge vine was a sinister variation, with its poison-lined edges and leaves sharp enough to slice into a person’s flesh. The poison would slowly work its way to a person’s heart, stopping it cold.

Finishing up with the herb, she let it fall to the ground. It almost felt like discarding that memory of her brother. Lena winced as she pulled gloves over her hands. Ignoring the pain that radiated from what felt like every part of her body, she straightened her shoulders and found her way back to the road.

Approaching the gate, Lena knew immediately that something was wrong. There had never once been a line when she’d come to Enora to retrieve supplies for Virdeen. Hushed murmurs and whispers went silent as she approached. Lena overheard a word that sent a chill down her spine: attack. Had there been an attack on the city? Ears straining, she leaned in closer to a pair of travelers in front of her, and when they fell silent, she thought it better to ask than to risk being caught unawares.

“Do you know what’s going on today? Why there is a line, I mean?” she asked.

The pair stiffened before turning towards her. The older man surveyed her with wary eyes, his gaze lingering on her face. He looked around and, upon realizing that she stood alone, appeared to relax. A younger man with the same eyes and proud nose surveyed her as well. He looked over to the older man, his father, she guessed, who gave him a nod.

“A unit of the Commander’s men were attacked in the forest,” the younger man said.

“Some sort of beast,” the older man added. Lena’s blood ran cold.

“A b-beast?” she stammered, her mouth dry as sand, the itching starting to take root.

“Rumor is it was commanded by a demon, wearing the skin of a young woman. One of them managed to escape and returned to the city just after nightfall.” The older man looked her over again, most likely wondering what had caused her injuries and why she was traveling alone.

Lena shuddered, unable to contain it. Let them think it was due to fear.

“Did somebody do that to you?” the older man asked softly.

“Oh! No. I fell off my mare near Sunsur. She got spooked and ran off. Had to make it the rest of the way on foot.” After a moment, she added, “Do you know if there have been any disruptions to the healer’s supply wagons?”

The older man’s face eased a bit. “Are you a healer?”

“Yes.” Lena smiled awkwardly. EverGods, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled. Lena hoped it didn’t look like a grimace.

The younger man did not return her smile, suspicion evident on his face, but it was slowly replaced with sadness. Lena waited.

“My sister was a healer,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Well, before she joined the moon maidens.”

Lena looked between them. “Did something happen to her?” she asked, although she already knew what he was going to say.

The father sighed, anger replacing the concern he’d displayed when he’d inquired about her face. “She disappeared, just shy of three months after swearing her vows. She’d written home telling us about the work she was doing and expressing her distaste for the Commander’s men, but it was more than that . . . we haven’t heard from her since.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lena breathed. “Are you here to look for—” The rest of her words were drowned out by shouting from the head of the line, and all three of them whirled toward the commotion.

One of the guards held a dagger against the sensitive flesh of a man’s throat. The man stood deathly still, his arm extended in front of a woman standing next to him as if trying to tuck her behind him.

“You’ve looked enough. I will not stand idly by as you put your hands on my wife and tear at her clothes. She is not one of them,” he said.

The guard’s face contorted with rage, and he shifted his weight to press the blade harder into the man’s throat when his partner shoved him away and struck the man instead. The man took the blow, refusing to reach for his face. The guard stepped close to the man, his voice falling to a deadly whisper as he spit words at the man. Lena didn’t have to hear what he was saying to know they’d likely been threatened with death for questioning the Commander’s laws. With that, he stepped aside to let the couple through. The rest of the line crept up in silence.

The procession of travelers continued to move, and those standing in line before them were let in without incident. The two men before her kept glancing at each other and back at her as if in silent conversation.

She considered excusing herself from the line, wondering if she could find another way in. She couldn’t be sure that the two men in front of her weren’t going to air any suspicions about her. As if in response to her thoughts, the wounds on her chest began to prickle, and the itching intensified. Lena rolled her shoulders to keep from clawing at her skin and pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Perhaps it would be easier to enter at night or to wait until the next set of guards came on shift. She continued to creep up with the line, deciding that she would show them her splotchy skin and convince them. For Henry. Because being caught here meant her head would roll on a wooden platform.