Chapter 35

Amountain hound spotted them first. He came barking and circling, sniffing the air before barking again. He was oak brown with a running pattern of white spots. Cora knelt down and set out one hand. The gesture lured the massive dog a bit closer. Ren was about to tell her to back up before she lost a finger, when the creature flopped at her feet, tongue lolling.

"There's a good boy," Cora said, scratching his stomach.

Two figures were crossing the pasture. A few other heads poked out of the smaller cabins. Ren couldn't tell if they were relatives or hired hands that worked the farm. The approaching pair were kind looking. Older than Ren's mother by a few years, but in even better shape. Lean and muscular, carved by the demanding work of running a farm. Time was starting to bend the man's shoulders but couldn't dim an easy smile. He waved at them when they were still a ways off. The woman was more reserved, studying each of them in turn. She had the same olive skin tone as Cora—though more burnished, as if she'd spent all morning working in the sun's light. She wore threadbare gloves that still had little clovers clinging to them from her gardening. A sharp whistle from her had the dog darting back to their side. Ren didn't realize they were husband and wife until she saw the comfortable way their shoulders pressed together as they walked.

"Ho there!" the man said. "Come and welcome. I'm Holt. This is my wife, Della. What brings you around our side of the mountain?"

Cora surprised Ren by taking the lead.

"We got lost," she said. "We're from Kathor. My parents have a farm down that way. North of the city. We raise pigs, mostly. Damn, I miss the scent of a proper farm."

Holt smiled at the compliment. "Nothing like it in the world."

"You came from where?" Della asked. "Up from the foothills?"

Cora turned and pointed. "From the pass, believe it or not. We were way off course."

Holt whistled. "You're kidding. No one takes the pass. No wonder you look ragged as bones. Come on. Let's get your bags set down on the porch. Are you hoping to stay the night?"

The three of them exchanged glances. They needed to sleep somewhere, but they'd agreed not to delay. For their sake and the sake of anyone who called this place home. Ren already had three deaths weighing on her shoulders. She didn't need any more ghosts trailing them home. There was no reason to endanger these people's lives by luring Clyde onto the property.

"We're just hoping for a meal," Cora answered. "If you can spare it. And a shove back in the direction of the city, too. We're not sure how far we are."

"From Kathor? About four days," Della answered. She gestured to a hillside of green-stemmed flowers that were on the verge of blooming. "We sell mirror flowers at the Kathorian markets every other year. Beautiful things. One of the few crops that actually enjoy the mountain cold."

Theo eyed the hills. "Mirror flowers? I'd love to see a full field of them."

"The whole field won't bloom," Cora replied, looking to the two farmers for confirmation. Della gave her an approving nod. "They fight for sustenance. Wrapping their stems around one another and choking the weaker plants. Only about a hundred of them will make it, right?"

"Good eye," Della replied with a smile. "We've had about that many every year."

Holt clapped his hands together excitedly. "Come on. Set your things down over there. We'll tour you around a little. Della, let's set out a few more plates for dinner."

Ren hadn't spoken. She'd been too busy looking around the rest of the farm, made nervous by Theo's suggestion that something illegal could be happening. The field hands she saw looked completely at ease, though. One man had his feet kicked up and was reading a book on his porch. Another was washing a shirt to hang on a sagging clothesline. Ren even saw a little girl, thin as a rail, drawing in the dirt with a stick behind one of the cabins. That sight had Ren feeling nervous for an entirely different reason. She couldn't bear the thought of endangering a child.

"… came out to take over operations of the farm from my father. I was a historian. Taught primary school in Kathor for a bit. Way back before any of you were so much as a twinkle in your parents' eyes. Della didn't want to come all the way out here. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Of course not." She offered him a slanted smile. It was clear they'd told this story a time or two. "I liked the city. The busy streets and the taverns, all of it. I was young and it was fun. I loved you, dear, but I thought you were dragging me out to a goat track in the middle of nowhere."

As they turned the corner, the vista opened up. There was a sprawling valley, cut through by rivers and creeks and forests. Ren knew families like the Broods spent a lot of money for views just like this one. She was trying to discern the distant landmarks as Holt continued their story.

"We arrived at night," he said. "All the stars were out. Well, you three were up in the pass, so you already know. Out here it's different. None of man's tinkering gets in the way. You can see other worlds up in these mountains. When Della saw that—and saw this view the next morning—I knew she'd never want to go back."

"It's gorgeous," Cora said. "Some people don't know what they're missing."

"Well put," Holt replied. "That is well put. Go on, set your things down."

As Theo placed their lonely backpack on the wraparound porch, Ren finally realized how strange they must look. What kind of pioneers traveled with a single satchel? Their clothes and shoes were odd choices as well. Della's careful appraisal of their group made more sense now. She must have been wondering how a trio like them had ended up out here. Or how they'd survived the pass at all.

"Hope you don't mind a noisy dinner," Della said as she started up the porch. "Most of our hired hands are mountain folk, born and bred. No one ever taught them which spoon to use for which course or anything like that. I tried when I first came. It was a losing battle."

Cora glanced at Theo before smiling. "No worries. I grew up in a family that rolled dice to see who'd get the bone after dinner. Having a spoon for everyone at the table is plenty fancy for us."

Della inclined her head. "I'll ready the dinner. Promise not to bore them, Holt."

He clutched both hands over his heart, pretending to be wounded, before leaning in conspiratorially to the rest of them. "She's heard every story a hundred times. And she knows that's my favorite thing about guests. For guests, my stories are all brand-new. Come on this way. Plenty to see."

He walked across the upper pasture, carefully guiding them around. His love for history hadn't left him. "I salvaged all the wood from the buildings in Little West."

Ren perked up at that. "Little West? Isn't that one of the first ghost towns?"

Her interest managed to churn even more enthusiasm out of him.

"It's one of my favorite stories," he said. "They built it as a retreat for one of Kathor's first kings. Meant it to be solitude from the rigors of ruling. Rumor goes that he came up to inspect the town with a company of soldiers, and he never returned. When explorers found the place, it was just a bunch of empty buildings. None of the people who'd gone to settle the land were there. No graves. No bones. Nothing at all. After that, no one wanted to live there. Which meant a whole lot of free wood for us. And it's high-quality wood too."

Ren nodded. "My mother used to say they were eaten by the last surviving dragon."

"Really?" Holt looked thoughtful. "That's curious. My mother always said they turned into dragons. I'd bet that if we traced our lineages back, we'd see that they came from different regions with slightly different religious beliefs. I'd bet my mother's line has some Tusk ancestors. They're always telling stories about magical encounters like that. Honestly, it's why all the best stories have twenty alternative endings. Different folks like to spin their own moral lessons.…" He trailed off for a moment and scratched his head. "I was doing it, wasn't I? Boring you all to tears. All right, up ahead here…"

They circled the upper pasture and were allowed to pat the great flanks of the cows. A few of the field hands came over to introduce themselves. Ren waved to the little girl, but she was rather shy and went back to focusing even more intently on her straw doll. She noticed Della watching them from the kitchen window as she scrubbed down extra plates. Cora looked ready to move in permanently by the time they'd circled back around to the porch.

"Are you sure you can't stay the night?" Holt asked. "We've got an empty cabin."

Cora hesitated just long enough for Theo to answer for the group.

"We really have to keep moving. We're honored by the offer, however."

Holt raised his eyebrows before winking at Cora. "Honored? I'm guessing goldenrod here wasn't raised on a farm. Well, we're honored to at least have you for dinner."

Theo looked uncertain about whether or not he'd been insulted as Holt thundered up the porch steps. His voice rang out, calling for Della. There was a bell hanging down on the corner of their porch. He started ringing it to call in the field hands for a hearty meal that Ren could already smell through the open window. As it tolled, the three of them had a single moment to themselves.

And all three of them spoke at once.

"I love this place."

"I don't like it."

"That smells amazing."

Cora shot a proper scowl in Theo's direction.

"You don't like it because they're not your kind of people."

He scowled right back at her, but any chance of a discussion was cut off as Holt came loping back toward them. The older man swung the front door open and gestured inside.

"Go on. Pick good seats or you'll catch elbows from the Mackie brothers."

Inside, the kitchen was the clear centerpiece of their home. It sprawled around a great wooden table that appeared to be two farmhouse doors fashioned and bolted into one longer piece. Finely crafted chairs ran down both sides, and Ren guessed they were handmade. Hooks had been hammered straight into the walls. Any number of cast-iron implements hung like war prizes. Della set out a plate of melted goat cheese, and Ren barely kept the drool from running down her chin.

"Start in," their host said, whirling around to prepare another dish. "The Mackies will eat it all if you don't grab a few bites now."

Holt offered them a Didn't I tell you? look as he took his own seat. There was an old-flower scent hidden beneath the smoked cheeses and meats. It reminded Ren of the stores her mother used to frequent when she was a child. Something that, in larger doses, would make her feel a little nauseous. She didn't know the polite amount of cheese to take and was soundly scolded by Holt on her first attempt. "No wonder you're barely bones," he said. "Like this."

He took a stub of bread and smeared four times the amount of cheese on top before offering it to her. She devoured the morsel. Cora and Theo didn't need further invitation. They gathered their own portions and just as quickly made them disappear. Ren realized their challenge might be avoiding eating too much and making themselves sick. She was eating her third slice of bread when a herd of shoulders came shoving through the front entryway.

There was chaos and jostling, and Ren imagined every night was like this. The previously mentioned Mackie brothers were an easy spot. Broad-shouldered boys, faces like flattened stone, their eyes little chips of brown. They plunked into the seats closest to Holt and barely seemed to register that there were guests. A knife of a man sat down on Ren's right. He was at least five or six years older than her, with a burn scar running down his neck.

"Lev," he said, offering his hand. "I'm the crafty one."

She frowned at that. "I'm Ren. Crafty?"

He knocked two scabbed knuckles on the table. "Made this, the chairs, all the rest."

She smiled politely. "It's lovely work."

There were three others who piled into the room. One was an old man with silver-shot hair and a smashed nose. The other two were a young couple. Ren spied a marriage bracelet on the girl's wrist—an old practice that had gone out of style in Kathor. She had the same eyes and nose as the little girl outside, though her husband had gifted their daughter with his dark, tightly curled hair. Both nodded politely when introductions were made.

Della served mountain rice with bright runny eggs on top. There were slabs of a meat that Ren couldn't identify, but watching the Mackie brothers load up their plates with them was convincing enough. Cora's cooking in the mountains had tasted delicious, but Ren realized now it had been a product of their hunger. Here the meats were spiced and the eggs salted. Some kind of butter was melted at the bottom of each bowl, and Ren barely resisted licking her plate.

"Who hikes the northern pass?"

Other conversations were swirling, but Ren heard Della's question to Theo come knifing through the rest. She was sipping mulled wine. Theo shrugged.

"Fools," he answered. "Like I said, we got lost. Lucky to be alive, honestly."

Della raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Walked straight through a wyvern's nest. Thankfully, it was out hunting."

"Dangerous creatures," Della confirmed. "Every few years they'll snatch a cow from us. Not their favorite, though. They prefer hunting prey that can actually escape. We learned a while ago not to bother venturing into the pass. Everything on that side of the mountain is a little wilder. It's not the sort of place people are meant to go.…"

Ren realized she was eavesdropping, and worse, she'd abandoned the conversation on her side of the table. Lev was spooning his rice without a thought, but the couple across from her were waiting expectantly. She offered a polite smile. "Was that your daughter out there?"

The man nodded. "Talia."

"That's a lovely name. Will she be joining us?"

The couple exchanged a glance. The woman set her fork aside with a grin.

"That girl's like a chicken. Comes when she's hungry, but if she's not, all you'll get for your trouble is a few pecks. She's stubborn like that. All mountain girls are, though."

She elbowed her partner. He spoke up through a mouthful of rice.

"We marry them because everything else up here bites."

Ren laughed. The two of them smiled at what was clearly a well-worn joke. She glanced down the table and caught Della watching her again. She wasn't sure why, but their hostess seemed different from the others gathered around the table. Everyone else fit an expected mold. Della was double edged, though. A coin with two sides. Ren couldn't imagine growing up in Kathor and transitioning permanently to a place like this. There was something in the depths of who she was that made Ren uncomfortable, maybe in part because the woman reminded her a little bit of herself.

Ren took another serving of food before tugging at the discomfort of her collar.

Damn, it's hot in here,she thought.

"What about you?" the woman was asking. "That one is easy on the eyes."

She threw a subtle nod in Theo's direction. Ren supposed she agreed with the assessment. His golden hair was arranged neatly. His lips moved easily as he kept up conversation with Della. Every now and again that effortless smile would appear. Next to him, Cora was giggling as she told a story about pigs from her time growing up. Ren felt beads of sweat running down her forehead.

"Easy on the eyes," Ren agreed. "Sorry, is there a bathroom?"

The couple looked her question toward Della. Their host gestured.

"Right outside, honey."

Ren smiled and offered a polite bow of the head. She wiped sweat away with the back of her hand, a little embarrassed as she stepped out into the lantern light of the porch. The last gasp of sunlight was streaking the mountaintops scarlet. The breeze felt like a fine thing on her skin, cool and refreshing. Ren headed straight for the outhouse. It was a tight fit, and she wondered how the Mackie brothers ever managed. Not that she minded having a proper toilet to use for the first time since the portal incident.

Ren finished up and stumbled back out into the open air. She was feeling a touch light-headed. She eyed the open pasture and saw a moonlit figure. It had her heart pounding until she realized it was little Talia. The girl stood in the doorway of one of the cabins, eyes fixed curiously on Ren. She offered another wave, but the girl ducked back out of sight. Ren was struck by a brief terror that Clyde might come. Might find the girl unprotected. But according to Cora, the magic that had brought him back to life was focused. His hunger was not bent toward random children, like monsters from the stories. It was absorbed entirely with them.

She started back toward the porch, when a glow on the far end of the property caught her eye. Smoke hissed out of something. Maybe a boiler room? She watched the light of the stars and the moon fracture across the spot. It looked green and then blue and then silver. Like an aurora.

A throat cleared. Ren spied Lev on the porch, working to light a pipe. He smiled as she approached. It was the same look older men offered her down by the wharf. A lingering stare that crawled uncomfortably over her skin. Better to stay away from this one, she thought.

"Dell is serving up the pie," he said, thumbing toward the entrance. "Go on and get a slice before the Mackie boys shovel it all down. Something sweet for someone sweet."

That last line had the hairs on her neck standing up. She couldn't duck back inside fast enough. The warmth of the kitchen washed over her as she did. Ren would just have to resign herself to the fact that she'd be sweating in front of the others. She dabbed her forehead with one sleeve before rounding the corner. Everyone in the room looked up at the same time.

Except for Theo and Cora. Both of them were facedown, heads set delicately on their own used handkerchiefs. Della was humming a little lullaby, running her fingers along Theo's spine. He didn't react at all. Ren felt her head spin again. Her first instinct was flight, but before she could turn, she heard a rustle at the door. Lev stood there with his arms folded.

She reached for her wand and came back empty-handed. It wasn't at her hip.

"Looking for this?" Lev called, waving it in the air.

Ren's wrist was empty too. She'd hidden her mother's bracelet in their satchel. She had no access to either of her vessels. When she turned back, Della offered that slanted smile.

"Careful now, honey. You're properly loaded at this point. Got enough of the breath in you to knock out a horse. Don't beat yourself up for not noticing. It's hard to smell it with all the cooking and whatnot." That old-flower scent. She should have known. Ren's legs threatened to give way. "Working with the substance as much as we do, all of us have an immunity built up to it. Except for Talia, of course. We never risk exposing the children."

Ren stammered the word "why" and it sounded unintelligible even to her own ears. More of a garbled syllable than anything else. Della still answered.

"Let's just say I'm not buying what you're selling. We get lost pioneers coming through plenty. Explorers, hikers. No one comes down from that pass. No one. And look at you three. You don't have the right boots for hiking. None of the right gear with you. A single bag in your possession. You said you're lost?"

Della smiled as the rest of the world began to sway.

"If lost means you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'd agree with you. But don't worry. We'll find out exactly who sent you here. And why they sent you. We've got plenty of time to learn all your little secrets, honey. I'll be seeing you again real soon."

The light traded places with the dark as Ren fell.