6. Tahlia

Chapter 6

Tahlia

T ahlia flipped her shoulder bag open and rummaged around, careful not to upend the potion bottle. Before they'd left the Mist Knight's castle, Fara had given her a bundle of letters, and it was time to open the first one.

Marius had his back to her. He watched a break of rowan trees where Ragewing was hunting for lunch. They'd reached the spot where a human contact would be arriving with the horses. So far, no humans.

"What are you up to back there?" he asked, glancing at her. "Is that what Lady Fara gave you?"

"It is." She lifted the bundle and wiggled it. The knot holding the tiny sheets of scraped vellum in a neat stack was tight and hard as hells to undo. She resorted to using her Fae fang, hoping the human wouldn't show up at that moment. Supposedly, they hated Fae fangs. Granted, it was more likely the mountain dragon would be doing all the frightening during the upcoming rendezvous.

The knot gave way at last and Tahlia unfolded the first note.

Dear Tahlia

Yes, you DO need to stay away from the water inside the human city. You'll pick up a fever at the very least and/or an extra eye if you imbibe from their disgusting wells. Just watch. You'll see loads of folk with superfluous fingers and so forth.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that a southern herbwitch is coming to visit Albus. She is the only known one in the world and we are going to experiment with what our Healers know and her specific abilities. Should be interesting! Will probably end in someone's horrific death though.

Have a lovely trip!

Fara

"What's so alarming?"

Tahlia jumped at Marius's voice. She looked up to see him studying her face like she was an unexpected roll in a high-stakes game of Tali.

"You're surprised a note from Fara is unsettling?" Tahlia asked.

Marius snorted. "I suppose not. What are we to watch out for this time? Errant Unseelie gargoyles? Possibly the end of the very world itself?"

"Nothing so exciting as that. A Healer experiment, and a strong warning that human city water is tainted with disease."

"Actually, that's a good thing to bring up. Some human cities have water as clean as ours. Others I've tried have tasted uncomfortably like feet."

"So if it smells of feet, go with wine?"

"A sound plan. How many notes did she send with you?"

"Enough for one a day for six days. She claimed we would die without her advice joining us on the journey."

Marius shrugged. "I'm glad we won't have to find out. We should be in and out of Midhampton in four days, by my estimation. Come look at this."

He unrolled a map of Midhampton and held it aloft. Inked rivers, roads, secret passageways, and safe houses showed clearly from edge to edge. Not an inch was empty of scribbles or drawings.

"Here is where we will meet up with Ragewing once we have the crown." Marius pointed to a clearing that seemed similar in size to this one, although it was far closer to the city. "Inside, we're to pose as members of the city's temporary guard."

"I recall." He had insisted she read King Lysanael and Queen Revna's mission scroll five times. She hadn't complained, but there were moments she wondered if Marius thought she was an idiot. But perhaps that was part of the regular mission process, to go over and over and over the information. The scroll had mentioned Durnaid's tendency to use elaborate schemes for his own entertainment. The crown would likely be found amidst numerous traps and there was talk of a labyrinth.

"Durniad hires numerous extra bodies to keep the peace during the festival," Marius said. "We'll head first to the safe house near Bodwin Bridge to dress the part."

Marius looked down at her and a wave of longing swept through her. She wanted his body on hers. Was there time before the human with the horses arrived?

He lifted an eyebrow. "I hate to disappoint you, but I'll not be dressing as a tomato for this mission."

"Murderer of dreams, that's what you are." Besides, he probably didn't know for sure what the uniforms for temporary guards looked like. He could be wrong.

The corners of his handsome mouth—a mouth she suddenly and immediately wanted all over her—edged up at the corners, making her heart flip. Still holding the map in one hand, he smoothed a palm along her jaw and down the side of her neck. His storm-gray and slitted irises darkened as he leaned down to kiss her.

His mouth claimed hers, his tongue exploring the underside of her top lip and making her toes curl inside her soft villager boots. His hand slid around the back of her neck and his thumb hooked the front of her throat.

"So possessive," she whispered as he licked her earlobe.

"Do we have time for this, Commander Marius?"

He only answered with a growl as he burrowed into her neck, nipping and licking lightly. The map fluttered to the ground and he backed her up against a boulder.

Ragewing landed gracefully, his tongue darting across the tip of his snout.

Marius's eyes shut briefly before he met Tahlia's eyes. "Sorry."

Tahlia kissed his delicious jawline. "The mission comes first. I know that."

He held her hand, and they walked up to Ragewing. Tahlia exhaled, trying to let go of the desire rushing through her blood. She had to focus on the mission and prove to Marius they could do this even though they were mated fully now. She wanted to show everyone that they could be a mated pair and the best Mist Knights on the mountain.

"Good meal, my friend?" Marius asked him, retrieving and rolling up the map.

Ragewing lifted his scarlet head and a low, staccato growl rumbled from his throat.

"He says he saw the human and his horses two miles or so away," Marius said, looking from Ragewing to Tahlia.

Tahlia let out a sigh and pushed a fisted hand against the knot in her stomach. "Guess it's finally time to poison ourselves."

Marius chuckled darkly.

"Ragewing," Tahlia said, "how do you think Lija is doing? I can't hear her anymore."

The dragon looked to his rider. Marius nodded, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Ragewing says she is strong in spirit, though the challenge is one of the most difficult a dragon can face."

Tahlia said a silent prayer to the gods. Lija had to survive this. They had to heal her.

The massive scarlet dragon spread his wings slightly and bowed his head. Grateful to him, Tahlia smiled and curtseyed back, some of the knot in her stomach untangling.

Marius put a hand on Ragewing's neck. "Thank you for carrying my mate again." He tilted his head, listening to Ragewing in his mind. A laugh crept from his lips and he turned to Tahlia. "He says if you'd sit still in the saddle, the job would be far less anxiety-inducing."

Tahlia stuck her tongue out at both of them. She slipped her potion free of its leather holder, then she uncorked it at the same time as Marius opened his bottle. "Well, we need to move forward with our plans, right? I think we should human ourselves before the contact arrives with our horse. So he is less frightened of us."

"Agreed."

"Time to human." She lifted the concoction into the lines of sun that broke through the trees. "Bottoms up!"

Marius nodded, raising his potion, then he downed the stuff. She did likewise.

The potion tasted like regret and maybe deer piss? Super delightful. Ugh. She turned away from Ragewing and Marius, stomach rolling.

A warm hand found her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Marius's breath tickled the hairs at the side of her face.

She realized she was on her knees in the dirt and grass. When had she dropped?

"I've been better, but I'll live," she said.

The world tilted and she swallowed, willing her body to accept the magic.

"Lady Tahlia, talk to me. Tell me you're all right. Or expunge it from your body and we will figure out another way to do this. I will go on my own."

Holding up a hand, she bit out her words. "No. Can't ruin mission." She did her best to grin up at him.

Nodding, he helped her to her feet. "Ach, you're fine. I see that salty little smirk."

His ears shimmered and morphed, edges rounding into a human-like shape. His skin dulled ever so slightly and as he blinked, his slitted irises became circles.

"So strange," she whispered, touching the cheekbone on the left side of his face as it lost its Fae sharpness and became less pronounced.

He was studying her like she was examining him. His gaze peppered her here and there, as if he was cataloguing the changes. "Fascinating."

"Do I pass as fully human now?" Gods above, have mercy on me , she prayed silently. Nausea swirled inside her. It was all she could do to keep from losing the contents of her belly. Dots swam in front of her eyes.

"You don't look well. And I'm not just talking about the human features," he said.

"It'll pass."

"We're not going anywhere until it does," he said in a tone that didn't brook any arguments.

"Yes, we are. I'm doing this for Lija, and I am not letting an upset stomach get in my way."

Ragewing snorted, then took off into the air. He flew toward the darker side of the forest.

Marius watched him go. "He says our rider approaches. Ragewing will hide himself to avoid startling the horses. He told me to bid you best wishes."

Tahlia smiled. "Tell him thank you."

A human with tan cheeks and light green eyes—and of course, his irises were round—rode into the clearing on a russet-hued mare. The human had two more horses on leads trailing behind—one dun with a star on his nose and one as black as night.

"The power of the wicked is nothing to those with hearts of fire," the contact said.

Marius lifted a hand in a wave. "Fire, we have." He put his fist to his chest.

Tahlia's stomach was absolutely stuffed with butterflies. Code phrases like that just made it all seem so real once again; she was a Mist Knight and she was on a mission. It was amazing!

The human dismounted. Tahlia could tell he was male from the set of his shoulders, but she wished he weren't cloaked and hooded so she could study his looks more closely. He had a snub nose and a heavy jaw. He didn't have the sheen to his flesh that those with Fae blood had, but other than that, he appeared pretty much the same. His movements were what gave him away as human. Though he was clearly experienced with horses—he dismounted easily and gathered the mounts like it was what he did every day of his life—his hands worked in a slower, less graceful manner. The strides he took to approach them, reins held loosely, were ungainly in a way a Fae would never appear.

Tahlia suddenly worried they wouldn't be able to blend in for this mission. Their movements would give them away, surely.

The contact gestured toward the two horses he'd brought for them. "They're good creatures. Biddable. Smart. Won't startle too easily. And they're trained to return to our place when you release them. Please do so before you come out of the tree cover near Midhampton. I don't want any would-be thieves trying their hand at stealing my horses."

"Understood," Marius said, approaching the black stallion. He picked a bit of clover from the ground and held it in his palm for the horse to lip up. "Has the festival plan changed at all?"

"Not as far as I know. Your in-town contact will know more. He has your guard uniforms."

"Oh, we had thought…" Tahlia picked at her tunic.

The man shook his head. "No, you'll have official uniforms."

Oooh, maybe there would be a really obnoxious pattern at least. Tahlia grinned and Marius glared at her like she was due for a scolding.

"As for the parade," the contact went on, oblivious to Tahlia and Marius's silent discussion, "for now, it seems it will begin at Bodkin Bridge. It'll be hard to miss. They always drape it in banners. On the far side. It will wrap in an easterly direction through the oldest parts, down near the docks, then curve back to the fortress, near the other side of Bodkin. There will be stages set up along the parade route and traffic will stop to allow for the customary dances and competitions."

"What do those involve?"

"The dances are performed by anyone willing. Sometimes, an official or guild leader will push someone on stage. It's tradition. The competitions are preplanned. Jugglers tossing tomatoes. Folks balancing on one another's shoulders to build human towers. Comedic acts that the crowd votes on by cheering. That sort of nonsense."

Marius gave the man a nod that said he liked how he didn't approve of silly things like that. Tahlia bit her lip to keep from snickering. Grouchy old things, they both were.

"Meet your contact at the safe house. Dress the part. Uniforms are hidden in an armoire in the kitchen. Enter the parade. Blend in. Head to the fortress as soon as you're able and we have a couple of inside folks there to help you out. Better you than me, I'll tell you that. I don't know how you're going to find an invisible artifact."

"We have our ways." Marius led the stallion a few steps away and released his reins so he could nibble at the tall grass.

"I leave you to it, then." The man handed the dun's reins to Tahlia, then he mounted up. "Best of luck to you!" he called out as he rode away.

Tahlia watched him until he was out of sight.

"I'm trying not to be jealous of a human male." Marius climbed onto his horse's saddle.

"It's only curiosity."

"I understand." The sides of his mouth lifted a fraction like he was trying to smile at her, but his eyes burned with worry or confusion—she wasn't sure.

They rode into the woods. Soon, they'd be entering a human city. As they sped through the shadows of fat-trunked beech trees and around tangles of thorn bushes, Tahlia made herself breathe slowly in and out. Excitement and curiosity made it incredibly difficult to keep from asking the horses to gallop even faster than they already were.