Chapter 10

10

I leave the horse stealing to Zadyn. He directs me to wait behind the stables before his little white body disappears inside. There is the brief sound of a scuffle, and a moment later, he emerges triumphant on one of those staggeringly large black steeds, wearing the stolen clothes of a stable boy and a sheathed dagger at his hip. He waves me over, then slides gracefully down, taking the heavy packs of supplies he managed to procure off my shoulder and lifting me with little effort into the saddle. He re-mounts in one smooth motion and shifts closer to me, his chest pressed against my back.

"Are you comfortable?" he asks. I nod.

"Comfortable as I can be."

"It's not too late to change your mind," he points out.

It's a Hail Mary, but I'm standing firm.

"I'm not changing my mind."

He sighs, tossing his head back to the heavens. "Gods, be with us." He steers the horse in the direction of the massive gates up ahead .

"This isn't the way I came in." I glance around at the unfamiliar courtyard.

"They took you round the back," he explains. I take in the line of armored guards stationed on either side of the gate.

"Will they give us a hard time?" I whisper.

"Just don't say anything, okay? And don't move."

My heart locks in my throat as we approach. We slow to stop before them.

"I have business in Iaspus," Zadyn says smoothly.

"What business?" the guard asks gruffly.

"The king requires a new Stygian horse, a gift for the princess. I'm to meet with a foreign breeder there."

"Very well." He nods, and the gate slowly opens. I remain deathly still, but the guard doesn't seem to notice me at all.

"Good day." Zadyn kicks the steed, and we take off in a gallop that sends my hair flying back from my face.

"Can I talk now?" I ask once we've cleared the front gates and are halfway down the mile-long stretch of tree-lined road.

"Yes," he says in my ear. "I had to throw a glamour over you so he would let us go. As far as he could tell, I was alone."

We head toward a thick forest of brilliant green.

"We'll ride until dark. I won't risk going anywhere near the Bone Forest after dusk."

"How do we reach Hyrax?"

"The safest route will take an extra two days."

"And the other way is?"

"We cut through the Bone Forest and head north, past Skull Valley."

"And how do we find the portal? Do you have any idea where it might be?"

"I have a good guess." He doesn't offer to elaborate.

"We'll take the shortcut. Through the Bone Forest," I tell him, expecting him to protest. I can almost hear him weighing the pros and cons in his head. But he says nothing.

We ride on in comfortable silence, his arms wrapped around me to keep hold of the reins. My lower back begins to stiffen a few hours into the ride, and I wonder how the hell we're going to keep this up for another two full days. I lean into him for support, his body a blanket of warmth behind the harsh winds.

We reach the top of a large hill, and I dare a glance back.

"The castle, oh my god," I breathe. "It's beautiful from here."

"You've never had the full view."

"They brought me in through the side of a mountain," I recount.

"The castle is built into the mountain and the diamond caves." He points at the jagged peaks of the gargantuan mountain between the many spires and reaching towers. I shake my head at the magnificent infrastructure. From the hilltop, I can see all that the mountain obstructed from view when I entered. It glitters like a diamond in the distance. Made of windowed walls and pale stone with sparkling grains, the castle is a shining beacon of serenity.

"The mountain is a fortress—nearly impenetrable from the outside. And since the city is south, it, too, is protected behind it."

We ride on until we reach trees a familiar shade of white. I recognize those tall scraggly trees—their ethereal, leafless branches like long, thin spikes that disappear high into the clouds. The Bone Forest.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask as we slow a few yards away from the forest.

"We'll make camp here," he says.

"It's not dark yet. We have at least another hour before the sun sets," I protest, but he's already dismounting from the black stallion.

"I'm not willing to risk it. You don't know the things that lurk in that forest."

"You brought weapons, didn't you?" I nod toward the dagger at his hip.

"A dagger will do nothing against the Mara."

"We don't have any time to waste. The Kingsguard could be looking for me already."

"I suggested we wait until morning, but you insisted we leave tonight. This is the trade-off."

"Zadyn," I start, but he lifts his hands expectantly to help me off.

"I'm not debating this," he says forcibly, his brown eyes gazing up into mine. "I won't risk your safety by doing something as reckless as entering the Bone Forest at dusk. It's a no." There is a sternness in his voice I've never heard. I bristle at his sudden bossiness.

"If you won't go with me, I'll go myself."

He grips my waist without another word and yanks me off the horse. I fall into him hard, and he pins me to his chest to keep me from crashing to the ground.

"If I have to tie you to a tree to prevent that from happening," he says softly, an inch away from my face, "I will."

I blink, and he releases me. My knees buckle, feeling like jelly after hours of riding. He doesn't try to steady me.

"I'm going to gather wood for a fire," he says, knotting the horse's reins around a nearby tree. I watch the muscles of his arms flex in the process. He reaches into his belt where the dagger is sheathed and presses it into my palm, closing my fist around the silver hilt.

"I'll be back soon. Don't make me regret leaving you alone." He squeezes my hand once, tosses me a warning look, and disappears into the green of the forest behind us.

I gaze up at the sky, shielding my eyes from the sun. The moon isn't even visible yet. No oranges or pinks to indicate an oncoming sunset.

One thing Zadyn clearly hasn't learned in all his years of knowing me is that I don't like being told what I can and can't do. I look around and listen for any sign of him nearby. When I hear nothing but my own heartbeat and the soft song of birds overhead, I throw one of the packs over my shoulder and turn to face the Bone Forest.

Squaring my shoulders, I take the first few steps into the whitewashed forest and continue on to the music of age-old bones crunching beneath my feet.

I really hope I'm going the right way.

I push down the growing sense of unease building in my stomach as I trudge forward through bleached leaves and ancient bones. The sparse forest is surprisingly disorienting. It's hard to tell if I'm traveling deeper in or just going in circles. The tall, scraggly trees, milky bones, and fallen white leaves swallow me up with every step I take. It's like moving through a blizzard—eerie and bewildering. I glance backward. I should be able to see the green beyond the edge of the forest where I entered, but the second I stepped foot in these woods, the outside world disappeared. The path behind me is blurred and hazy—a light layer of fog masking everything else from sight.

No sign of green. No sign of Zadyn. No sign of life.

I haven't heard so much as a bird chirp since I've entered the forest.

It's suddenly overcast, and I'm starting to worry that I might not make it out of here before dark. I anxiously pick up my pace, refusing to let doubt enter my mind, but my fingers clutch the dagger tighter.

Serena.

I hear Zadyn's voice in my head as if he spoke my name directly into my ear. I twist around, my heart leaping out of my chest. But I'm alone.

Did I just imagine that?

My stomach tightens as I scan the unnaturally quiet expanse. I force myself to keep walking, my senses now on high alert. After a few steps, I hear it again, louder this time.

Serena.

I turn once again.

Nothing. Nothing but unending silence.

"Zadyn?" I call cautiously.

I'm here!

I spin in a circle. "I don't see you. Are you wearing a glamour?"

I'm here. Follow my voice.

I try to do that.

Keep going, I'm right here.

I apprehensively drift closer to the source, the pounding of my own heart ringing in my ears.

"Zadyn, can you just come out? This is freaking me out."

D on't be afraid. I won't let anything hurt you. Just a little further.

The sun is setting. There's no denying it now. It's all but disappeared, the faint wash of a water-colored sky quickly fading to black. Worry settles into my chest.

"I'm not afraid, I'm annoyed. We don't have time for games." My voice is edged with panic.

But I do.

I freeze, feeling an ice-cold breath on the back of my neck. It sends a chilled shiver down my spine. I whirl around, only to be faced with the horror-inducing realization I already suspected in my bones.

"You're not Zadyn," I choke.

Towering above me is a dark, shadowy figure in tattered robes that float on an invisible wind. Its large hood swallows its face, revealing nothing but a black abyss. It's at least double Zadyn's height. Black feathered wings extend from its back, arching high overhead. An angel of death. It reeks of rotting flesh.

The Mara.

It lifts a long, bony finger. Black nails, three inches long and sharpened to dagger-like points, reach toward me.

I don't hesitate before plunging the dagger into its chest.