23. Sybil

Chapter 23

Sybil

R ain no longer pelts against the cracked window of the small bedroom I share with Marcelene and Phoebe.

We'd opted to sleep on the floor after the bed disintegrated from age when Marcelene tossed her bag on it. A slight breeze ruffles my hair, and it smells sweet like fermented honeysuckle.

The storm must have blown upon the window, but I remind myself that Aramis had checked the windows before retiring to his room. He paced around my chamber like an overbearing, protective beast, and I knew it was mostly because he did not want to leave me out of his sight. But as much as I craved his touch and warmth, I asked for space, and he granted me it.

"Stop it, Lemon. I'm trying to sleep," I mumble as I swipe a hand to push him away. His fur brushes against my face, making my nose tickle, but Lemon does not move away as usual.

I swipe another hand over my face and realize there's a hand, rough and hot to the touch, holding something under my nose.My eyes widen in shock as I stare into bright yellow pupils. I inhale to scream but my lungs fill with a powdery, sweet scent I have smelled before.

Corylorisis mushroom —used to paralyze someone as they maintain their conscious state. I had to learn that the hard way while harvesting in the woods next to my cottage.

My gut sinks, and I try not to breathe any more particles in, but the tips of my fingers are already tingling, refusing to move.

I try to move out of the constraints, wiggling my body left and right to see if Marcelene and Phoebe are safe before I completely lose control of my body, but it's a struggle.

His fangs glisten in the moonlight streaming through the open window as his massive form crouches over me. Holding my breath, I feel the spores rapidly working through my limbs. My tongue feels heavy as lead, and when I think I can't hold my breath any longer, darkness creeps into the corner of my vision. He removes the cloth and scoops my paralyzed body into his arms, stepping back toward the opening. My eyes move sluggishly over the room again, noting Marcelene curled around the small fire, fast asleep.

Is she alive? Have they drugged her too? Where is Phoebe?

I fight to keep my eyes on her, waiting for any sign of life, and when her chest rises and falls, relief floods through me. Hands lay on my body as someone passes me swiftly through the window to other shifters waiting outside. The smell of wet dog hits me as my face is shoved roughly against the waiting shifter's chest.

Aramis, Marcelene, Nero, anyone! Wake up!

I struggle to break free of my captor's arms, but my limbs are numb.

Both shifters pause, waiting to ensure no one hears them or is following, but silence ensues, and my heart sinks. I feel goosebumps crawling up my skin as the outside cold hits me. I am wearing a light blue traveling dress Phoebe found at camp, but the absence of my wool cloak is evident. How can no one have heard the commotion? Has everyone been drugged?

My body is jostled as my captors throw me over their shoulders and pick up an unrelenting speed, moving further away from the village.I look up at the night sky littered with stars. The canopies of trees above me scroll by as we move further away from the village, my friends. Aramis. A solitary tear runs along my temple. I scream internally as my thoughts begin to feel as sluggish and unresponsive as my body. My chest feels tight. My breathing comes out in short, shallow breaths, leaving me dizzy. Is this how it'll end?

No.

Think, Sybil, think. I take a deep breath, hoping the crisp night air will help me see things clearly. But as I do, something else comes alive within me.

I can feel the mating bond flaring to life like a lifeline.

This better work, I tell myself, and for the first time,I embrace the bond. The magic linking our souls brings warmth to my chest, it fills me and somehow makes me feel less alone. When I feel like I have the mating bond firm in my hands, I start screaming with everything I have left.

Aramis! Aramis, please!

I repeat those words over and over but there's no answer. Did they? No, I can't let my mind go there. Aramis is probably under the effects of the mushroom, just as I am.

"You've got her," a weasley voice says. I move my eyes as far to the right as possible but see only a wisp of hair."Were you detected?"

"No, we vaporized some of the mushroom spores and sprayed them into the rooms. See," the other man says while holding up a powder bag. "They're sleeping like babes." Yellow eyes peek into my field of vision and he snorts.

"Be careful where you swing that," the weasel voice snaps, grabbing it from their hand and shoving it into a leather pouch. "Do you want to knock us all out?"

"How long will she be incapacitated?" Yellow eyes calls out in a deep voice. "We don't have any more corylorisis powder. That shit is expensive."

"At least a few hours, but we will be far away from her companions and the prince by then. We can handle transporting one girl to the queen." He dumps me on the forest ground, my body aching from the impact as pine needles cut into my face and my skin through the fabric of my traveling gown. All I can see is their feet and the dirt below as they pace around.

Tricella.

Rage kindles deep in my gut and I scream internally, their conversation fading by the roaring in my ears. I have to get away. She can't have me.

Unicorn magic has the power to purify.

The corners of my lips curl up.

Power ripples in my veins as I call on my magic. The noxious hold of the corylorisis mushroom lessens, and the burning in my lungs subsides as I inhale a deep breath of the fresh night air. Nausea roils in my stomach at the use of so much magic at once. I had been more cautious with the amount of magic I pulled following the basilisk attack. The shifters' bickering and snapping come back into focus as my head clears.

"What's so important about one shifter? I mean, I know she's a unicorn, but what does the queen want with her?"

"We aren't here to ask questions. What does it matter, anyway? Once she's delivered alive, we won't have to worry about the queen, the Council of Thorns, or anyone else. With all that gold, we can buy ourselves a ship and sail to start a new life somewhere else," yellow eyes growls, his long feline tail swishing impatiently behind him.

"Jessic will have the horses prepared for us but it'll take two days to travel to reach her. They should not be able to catch us on foot after that, especially with the prince's powers trapped. He's never going to break that spell." He spits on the ground and cackles. "Now pick her up; I want to get far away from here before they wake up."

I will my body to relax as rough hands grip me, and I'm hoisted over his shoulder. My nose collides painfully against his leather jerkin, and it takes everything in me not to cringe and cry out, giving away that the mushroom no longer holds me in paralysis.

I need to devise a way to escape without getting killed in the process. I have to bide my time and wait until they've settled to rest before we reach their other party to try to escape.

I lay on the ground, keeping my breath steady as they set up camp. The fire crackles, but I'm too far to feel its warmth. I shiver as the cold ground seeps into my bones and wish once again that I had my warm cloak with me.

"I'd kill for a warm bed and a cold beer," one of my captors grumbles. "We've been following them for days and have barely slept."

I hide my surprise and think back on our travels since leaving the camp. How did we not realize we were being followed? My chest tightens as I think back to the refugees and saying goodbye to the Council. I send a little prayer in their direction hoping they are all well on their way to the new safe point.

"Sunrise will be in a few hours. I'll take the first watch and then we will continue."

I wait as two of the shifters settle off to sleep, propped up against the trees. The wolf shifter who'd originally abducted me from the camp prods at the fire with a stick, sending sparks flying into the air. He yawns, stretching his arms into the sky. A loud hoot sounds from my left, and my heart jumps in my chest. My skin prickles as the shifter startles. He crouches defensively, muscles taunt as his bright eyes scan the night sky.

"Fucking owls," he grumbles as he picks up a rock and hurls it into the trees.

Marcelene!

I'm tempted to look, but I can't risk it. Is she here alone? How did she find me so quickly?

The sound of something crashing through the branches punctuates the stillness of the night. A great brown owl swoops down and disappears into the night sky. I sigh and close my eyes. It's as if hope had briefly fluttered within my grasp, only to be cruelly snatched away.

It was foolish to hope Marcelene had pushed past the effects of the mushroom's poison and alerted the others to find me. We were hours away from the camp, and by the time anyone arose and found me gone, our trail would be cold.

My heart pounds in my chest, its rhythm echoing in my ears, as the disappointment settles over me like a heavy fog. The weight of it constricts my chest, making it harder to draw in a steady breath. I can feel the tension in my muscles, the tightness gripping my shoulders and neck.

Be brave Sybil. A hero doesn't give up when it gets tough, they keep trying. Use your skills.

The wolf shifter pulls a flask from his bag, taking a long drought. I swallow, my tongue sticking to the roof of my parched mouth, likely a side effect of the corylorisis mushroom.

My body tenses as the shifter turns and walks to the other side of the camp. His two companions have fallen asleep, their breaths deep and even rhythms. The shifter on guard pokes the fire with a stick again, sending more sparks into the air along with the scent of ash that blows downwind toward me, stinging my eyes. I slowly blink, tears brimming my lashes.

He moves behind the treeline, and I hear the unmistakable sound of clothing being untied, followed by the sound of piss hitting the forest floor.

Now is my chance.

I shoot up as silently as I can, my eyes never leaving the two sleeping shifters on the ground as I back away. My palms sweat, and my heart races as I turn and run. Branches tear at my clothes and sting exposed skin. I don't care what direction I am heading in as long as I get away.

Raindrops cascade from the saturated branches above as I cautiously navigate the dense forest floor. Every step I take is measured; I focus on evading any treacherous exposed roots. Above, thunder reverberates, its booming presence accompanied by intermittent flashes of lightning that momentarily transform the obscurity into a fleeting spectacle of illuminated trees. Urgently, I tap into my reservoir of magic, propelling myself forward with increased speed, harnessing my demi-form's sharpened senses.

Pain lances along my skull as I'm yanked backward by my hair. I stare up into the snarling face of a shifter I haven't seen before. His sharp canines poke between his lips as his grip tightens on my scalp, his foul breath peppering my face.

"Let me go," I say through clenched teeth as I writhe against his grip.

"Well, what do we have here?" he snarls, his voice dripping with malice. I pull back my arm, ready to swing it into his face, but he's quick—too quick. He sidesteps, grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back. I grimace, crying out as pain lances up my arm until it feels as though it's going to be pulled from its socket. He yanks me up against his chest, and I nearly gag as I feel his hot breath on the back of my neck. I summon every ounce of strength, every fiber of my being, and push back against him. With a burst of raw power, I kick my leg up into his groin, breaking free from his grasp as he doubles over. I spin around to face him once more, my body poised. Can I outrun him?

"Bitch," he growls and lunges, slamming me against the trunk of a tree before I have time to react. I twist, fighting for an inch of freedom, but he restrains my arms, rendering them useless, while the other tightens its grip around my throat, cutting off my air supply. The pressure is so intense that my vision becomes a blur of spinning stars.

Gasping for breath, I seethe through clenched teeth, "Let me go!" I struggle against his hold, desperately trying to break free, but he only tightens his grip, squeezing the life out of me.

As the edges of my vision slowly darken, determination surges through me. I lift my trembling hands, desperately scratching at his chest, but my limbs feel unnaturally heavy, as if burdened by invisible weights. A buzzing sound intensifies in my ears, growing louder with each passing moment, drowning out everything else. The sour stench of fear hangs in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of sweat. My arms give in to the overpowering weakness, gallingly falling limply to my sides.

"Oh, I don't think so. I'm not letting you go anywhere except to the queen. You've given us far more trouble than you're worth already," he taunts, his hold on my neck loosening slightly. Sensing an opportunity, I twist in his grasp, using his weight against him. In a moment of vulnerability, he loses his balance and trips, falling backward.

RUN!

I turn, palms scraping against bark as I propel myself forward but his sharp claws catch onto my skirt, causing me to tumble to the ground with him. The impact sends a jolt of pain through my body, but I refuse to let it hinder me. I scramble in the dirt, the earthy smell mixing with the scent of moss and pine needles that cover the ground.

I won't go down like this. This kingdom, the shifters, and the elementals need me. The Goddess chose me to be her undoing. Every movement is a battle against exhaustion, as I fight to regain my footing and stand tall once more. Dirt stains my clothes, but I ignore it. My eyes lock onto his, determination burning in my gaze.

"I will not go back to her," I yell. I pivot on the balls of my feet, my fingers instinctively reaching for the wellspring of my magic. The air carries the scent of desperation and fear. The beat of my heart quickens, urging me to escape. I'd be faster if I transformed into a nimble unicorn and fled. But before I can even contemplate the thought, I collide forcefully with the solid chest of the wolf shifter.

Pain courses through my body as his grip tightens around my wrists, his fingers digging into my skin. The sound of my gasp is drowned out by the pounding of blood in my ears. My vision blurs, stars dancing before my eyes as his clenched fist mercilessly meets my cheek. The metallic taste of blood floods my mouth as I inadvertently bite down on my tongue. Crimson droplets stain the ground beneath me. Defiance flickers within me, even through the pain, as I turn a burning gaze up at him. Brimming with tears, my eyes reflect a mixture of anguish and fury. He secures my wrists, binding them tightly with a coarse, fibrous rope. The motion knocks loose my family ring; it lands with a dull thud on the forest floor.

"You don't have a choice."