2. Aramis

Chapter 2

Aramis

T he sun is finishing its descent across the sky, painting it the sweetest shades of reds and pinks. I mindlessly clutch the crystal around my neck and hope my mate is safe.

"How much further until we reach the village?" I cast a sharp glance at Nero as he jumps down from the branch above, landing on the forest floor beside me.

"We should be there before nightfall. I can see smoke rising in the distance."

Out of all the discomforts I have experienced whilst en-route in the wilderness, walking in snow-soaked boots is the one I hate the most. It's been days since Nero and I left the tunnels where the avalanche separated us from Sybil. My fingers are a painful, angry shade of red from digging through the wall of snow. It had taken all my strength, and Nero's stern voice, to convince me to leave her and look for the rebel shifters camp. The one Kela was taking us to.

"Sybil has survived on her own for years. She's told ye so and proven herself, not to mention she has all the equipment and her wits. If there is a way, she will find it," Nero had told me then, and I had to believe him, or I would have found a way to bring that mountain to the ground with my bare hands and the power of my wind magic.

She is safe , I remind myself.

The hand clutching the crystal travels down my thick coat and rests at the center of my chest, where the bond between me and Sybil feels like a gentle caress. I must trust her just as she has trusted me.

"Come on, lad. We need to get there before dark. I don't think we'll get as lucky to find a roof over our heads again." Nero interrupts my thoughts; his eyes have a note of worry in them when he notices my lost gaze and the hand on my chest. I nod and take a deep breath, boots crunching on the icy path.

In an unexpected turn of luck, we had stumbled upon a village the night before, but the excitement of a hot meal and soft bed had soon vanished when we realized it had been abandoned. The faded curtains and doors hanging off their hinges painted a desolate picture. We had sheltered in the only hut with a complete roof, but the deep claw marks on its side were unmistakable. Memories of Kela, the wolf shifter,sacrificing herself with the shadow demons cross my mind, and I nearly trip over the frozen root of a big pine tree.

"Fuck," I mutter, Nero pretends not to hear me.

Seeing the village after everything I had discovered in the past weeks had been a slap in the face. The signs of my kingdom falling apart were everywhere. I had been too oblivious and naive to notice. Too concerned pointing my finger to the shifters, fueled by my own prejudices. Tricella has weaseled her way into my father's bed, and sown the seeds of discourse not only to me but my kingdom.

I have lived for over a century, trained in the art of war, commanded the royal army, fought giant beasts while standing knee deep in gore on battlefields next to my soldiers and yet... here I am, torn with uncertainty and apprehension for the future that lays before me.For the future of my kingdom.

I must make amends.

"And you're sure there are elementals living amongst the shifters?" I ask with a raised brow, breaking the silence that will otherwise make my mind run wild. The fact that elementals had joined the shifters' cause had sparked feelings of pride for my people, at first. But also shame for having taken so long to see the truth in front of my eyes.

You have to find her first, a voice in my head whispers. The bond tugs again.

"Aye, as well as other creatures and witches. It's a refuge of sorts, for anyone displaced by the attacks or anyone wanting to dethrone the queen."

An army.

If there are water and earth elementals, we could find a way to prevent the snow from coming down as we dug her out.

My heart constricts in my chest at the thought of war.

"They couldn't possibly mean to take on Tricella and the royal army." I glance over but his face remains serious.

"Aramis, these people—our people—are willing to risk anything if it means freedom and peace."

My head hangs, chest heavy. My hands are starting to shake, and my heart rate is increasing.

"I have to free them, Nero. I have to save her."

"Aramis-"

"Tricella is hunting us down as we speak. What if she gets to her before we get help?"

"I dinna think Tricella will–"

"We don't know what she's capable of!" I stop in my tracks, turning to face him, nostrils flaring. "Look at what she's already done. I will not idly sit by any longer and let her destroy Shadowvale."

"Aramis." He sets a hand on my shoulder, but I swat it away. "No one blames ye–"

"I aided her. I brought shifters to her to be questioned and sent off to the mines." Flames of heat surge through my body as I forcefully wrench my gaze away from him, my quivering muscles pulsating with pent-up anger. "I stole Sybil and brought her straight to the queen."

"Sybil forgave ye. She sees the goodness in your heart as I do." The sound of twigs cracking fills the air as he shifts his weight behind me.

I lift the stone chained around my neck before me, flexing my fingers around it as the sunlight filters through the trees, but it does not glow and does not give a hint of where we should go.

Has even the Goddess forsaken me?

"What if the rebels don't want to help us? What then?" Nausea churns in my gut. I shake my head, trying to clear away the thoughts.

"They will help us. They're eager to meet Sybil after Kela's visions of her." This time, he falls silent, shoulders and wings slumping. "I should have been faster and saved her."

"Her death was not your fault."

A muscle ticks in his jaw as silver lines his eyes. He brushes them with the back of his hand and turns away from me. "Aye, but I will carry her death and all the others who came before her and after her. I wish I had told ye earlier about my heritage and Tricella's corruption?—"

Guilt churns in my gut. If I had been a better friend—if I hadn't let grief blind me for so many years—he wouldn't have needed to hide half of himself from me.

"Nero, it isn't anyone's fault except Tricella's. We were outnumbered and unprepared." With a comforting hand on his shoulder, I quietly swear under my breath, hoping to provide him some solace. "We will avenge her. We will avenge all our people."

"Thanks, mate," he says, the corners of his lips turning up, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes.

"Well, if it isn't Nero Lockheed." A low, rumbling voice reverberates, resonating with power and depth akin to a wolf's growl. Emerging from behind a towering tree, a man of impressive stature with close-cropped hair and a thick, matching chestnut beard comes into view. I stop, rooted to the spot instinctively, as his piercing, almond-shaped eyes, a shade of light blue, fixate upon me.

"Aries," Nero growls a low warning, his body tensing beside me.

"You know this male?" I raise an eyebrow inquisitively at him as I step to his side, hand poised on my sword handle.

Shifter.

With each step he takes toward us, exuding an unmistakable predatory energy, my instincts scream at me to fall into the defense.

"Unfortunately," he grumbles.

"And you brought the little wind princeling with you." He sniffs the air and his eyes flash in challenge. "But not in chains, I see."

"Aramis comes of his own free will. We come to seek the council's aid and bear news." Nero's body is rigid beside me.

"Oh, the council will not like this." He grins, baring sharp canine teeth.

"We will speak to the council and let them decide," Nero says. "Now, lead us or move aside."

"You'll find much has changed since you last brought us news, Lockheed." He draws out the last syllables and spits at the ground at our feet.

"Ye don't seem to have changed one bit." Nero stands protectively beside me, heat radiating off his body as hishands curl into fists. I reach out an arm to hold him back.

"Where is the unicorn?" Aries walks closer, flexing his claws. "And Kela?"

"That's why we're here," I utter, stepping toward him when a chilling hand presses against the back of my neck. Suddenly, my strength evaporates, and I crumble, sinking to my knees. Aries' cocks his head to the side and crushes his fist into my nose.

"Fucking hells, Aries." Nero slams into the man's chest, who merely laughs as he staggers backward. "What is the meaning of this?"

Agony surges through my face, a sharp and searing pain. In my blurred vision, flickering stars dance, accompanied by the metallic scent of warm blood trickling down my face.

"Can't be too careful, draken. I don't think you've met my newest prodigy. She has the most peculiar power." I glare up at him, but my body feels as heavy as lead. I'd like to wipe the smirk off his face, but my wind feels eons away and my muscles barely respond. Wherever this prodigy is, I cannot see her.

"Unfortunately, she hasn't mastered the strength to take down more than one person without draining her own reserves and requires a week to recover her magic. Count yourself lucky."

"I did nothing to provoke this," I seethe through clenched teeth as shadows dance along the edge of my vision, threatening to overwhelm me.

"Your very presence is provocation enough, Prince . You are no friend to the shifters, and you've just willingly walked into the wolves' den."

Nero growls at Aries, his narrowed eyes flicking between me kneeling on the ground and the bastard who busted my nose. "Ye may be a member, but ye do not speak solely for the council, Aries," he grumbles.

A smirk plays on Aries' lips as he crosses his arms over his chest. "No, I suppose I don't. But do you think they'd really fault me for protecting this village from a traitor?"

Traitor. Liar. Disgrace.

I push the words away, refusing to let them distract me. I've let rage and guilt blind me from the truth once before, but never again. Meeting his hate-filled gaze, I defiantly state, "I am no traitor. We have come to see the council. We're here to bring news that will help save the kingdom."

He scoffs at my words. "So you've said, but do you really think I am going to let you, the Prince of Shadowvale, waltz into the heart of camp just because you say you're one of us? Do you not think I have heard about your many escapades?" Aries steps toward me, seizing my arms and forcefully binding them together.

"Glad to see yer still a piece of shit. There's no need–" Nero argues. I know seeing me in this state pains him, but we both knew this was going to happen. It is only fair that the shifters harbor doubts when it comes to the Prince of Shadowvale. So if I have to endure this to ensure peace and win their trust, so be it.

"Nero," I interrupt and gather all my strength to look into his eyes. "It's fine, brother." Silent understanding passes between us and the rough texture of the rope burns into skin as he tightly secures my hands. Aries hoists me upright, his grasp unyielding.

Suddenly, a cool hand grips my elbow. I snap my head to the right, where a strange girl with pale silver eyes and a snow-white bob is carefully examining me. My knees start shaking ever so slightly when I feel the girl's magic enter my veins, sapping my strength.

"His magic feels different than the others'," she observes with a small voice, strands of white hair falling in front of her milky gaze. I am both terrified and in awe of this young woman.

"Leave him be, Solari. Your job is merely to incapacitate him until the council determines his fate." Aries turns to Nero, a smirk still on his face. "Now you both can come with me."

"Where do you plan on taking us?" I ask, breaking the silence as we both follow Aries to the camp. Each step is more laborious than the last, thanks to Solari's magic, which grips my body like hundreds of pins and needles pricking my skin.

"Somewhere you cannot harm anyone in this village, but where you cannot escape trial either," he says. As we make our way through the edge of the tree line, I notice runes carved into the trunks of trees. Passing through them and into an open field, the landscape before me shimmers like a mirage. In the distance, shapes of buildings and tents fill the ground, smoke spiraling into the sky.

Magic to keep an entire village hidden from those who did not know it existed?

"I told you before, I'm not leaving until I speak with the council. I have no intention of leaving."

"That remains to be seen, Prince ," he sneers, forcefully pushing me against the rough bark of the tree. The impact sends a burst of stars dancing at the edge of my vision, accompanied by a sharp pain in my head. "Kneel."

"No," I say defiantly, eyes narrowing. I will not kneel to his man.

"I thought you would say that."He grabs my shoulders, pushing with his enhanced shifter strength. With my wind hindered by Solari's magic and my hands bound, there's little I can do to counteract. He slices through my binding before yanking my arms behind me. A searing agony burning in my sockets as they are tightly bound around the sturdy trunk.

"Aries, that's going too far," Nero says, stepping between us.

"Lockheed, unless you wish to join him, move out of my way. The council will not look favorably if you intervene." I watch as my friend tenses, a muscle ticking in his jaw before he relents. Aries is right. Nero must remain diplomatic, or they'll start doubting him too.

"Ye cannot mean to leave him here, tied up and defenseless until the council convenes?" Nero's eyebrows shoot up in indignation as he dramatically spreads his arms wide.

"That's precisely what I intend to do, and that is a valid point." With purposeful strides, he moves closer, unbuckling my sword belt and removing the two daggers secured to my thighs. "Can't leave you armed. Solari, make sure he doesn't leave before we return."

My eyes never waver from Aries, locked in a tense gaze. "Go," I say icily to Nero, my voice filled with resolve. I do not trust Aries to portray our purpose to the shifter council. Sybil's words about not all shifters being evil ring in my ears; I hope she can prove me wrong again.

"What's taking them so long?" I pull against my restrained arms and growl in frustration. The sun had set, bringing nightfall and the late winter chill with it. The forest behind me comes alive with the sound of owls hooting and wind whistling through the trees. And here I stand tied up.

Powerless.

I glance to the young woman standing beside me, one hand on my elbow, her eyes never leaving the village in the distance. Her magic is a passive net over my strength and magic; however, I can feel its force has begun to ebb and wane, yet not enough to free myself.

"Solari," I say, remembering the name the wolf shifter had called her earlier. She breaks from her reverie, her strange silver eyes peering up into my face. It is hard to judge her age based on her pale, flawless cream skin, but she looks near to Edmund's age.

Edmund. How is he taking all of this? What must he think of me?

She cocks her head to the side, her white brows furrowing as she stares at me. "But of course."

My breath catches in my chest.

Hope.

"How many–"

She turns away, staring toward the village. "Someone comes."

I watch as a figure shrouded in a black cloak moves toward the two of us, carrying a dark object in their arms. They nervously look over their shoulder back toward the village every so often. The moon breaks out from behind a cloud, illuminating her small figure, honey-colored skin, dark hair and rich brown eyes. It's a woman, and the object she is carrying resembles a bucket. She stops a few paces away, and in the dim light, I can see her tremble. A long feline tail twitches behind her as she glances between me and the girl at my side.

"Are you who they whisper about?" I strain to hear her barely-audible questions over the quiet slosh of liquid in the bucket, but it's clear that she is talking to me .

"What do they whisper?" I reply, voice hoarse. I dart a tongue, barely moistening my dry lips as I think about when the last time was that I had anything to drink.

"They say." She takes a few timid steps closer, tiny claws digging into the wood of the bucket. As the silver glow of the moonlight peaks through the clouds once again, I notice the thin pink scars marring the smooth skin of her forearms. There are hundreds of them, each telling a story of pain and endurance. A story I hope I had no part in.

"They say you are Aramis Adrostos, Prince of Shadowvale. They say you've spent your whole life hunting down shifters to bring before the crown for trial."

"Yes," I reluctantly reply and swallow the knot in my throat. My cheeks burn as I drop my chin to my chest. Solari doesn't move or interject in the conversation, so I push on with a whisper, "What happened to your arms?"

"Shadowvale soldiers. Whipped for not bowing low enough during the first few years of Tricella's reign." She sighs. "That was just the beginning. I fear what would have happened had I not fled to the country."

I hear a shuffle of feet and sigh, pressing my eyes closed as the weight of reality settles on my shoulders. I will never escape the ghosts of my past. These people will never accept me. They despise me and I can't blame them for it. Am I any better than Tricella?

The wooden bucket lands at my feet with a thump, water sloshing over the side, and I look up, meeting her warm brown gaze.

"They also say you come to repent, that you want to join our cause and rebuild Shadowvale with a united people." She kneels, staring at my bound arms, sleeves pushed to my elbows in my struggle, revealing the scrapes, bruises, and mud from our grueling journey.

"I have failed my people, and I have done unjust harm to your people for which I vow I will do everything I can to undo. But it's true. I come to ask for forgiveness and help." My throat constricts as I admit my weakness.

The silence stretches as she sits, watching me before pulling a small wooden cup from her pocket and filling it from the bucket.

"Why?" She holds the cup between her hands, studying me.

"Because..." The words die on my lips. Sybil's beautiful star mark comes to my mind, her strength and relentless strive to be better and to do the right thing. Nero's nervous smile when he first revealed his draken form to me, terrified his secret would be the end of our friendship. My mother's kindness. Edmund's unprejudiced affection for Sybil. Kela's courage. Those are the foundations on which I want to rebuild Shadowvale. That's why I must earn forgiveness from the shifters.

"Because when my time comes to leave this life behind, I want to know I have done everything I could to ensure every creature has the right to freedom and peace," I whisper hoarsely.

I hold my breath as she leans forward, lifting the cup to my lips. Solari's hand tenses on my other side and I feel a slight surge in her magic. Otherwise she maintains her vacant observation. I drink greedily as the water touches my tongue, relishing as the cold liquid parches my throat. She could have poisoned the water, and it would not have surprised me, but denying her offering would mar the fragile first acceptance I have created.

"Your journey will not be an easy one, Prince Aramis. Trust is not so easily earned, but everyone deserves a second chance. Don't waste it." She glances over her shoulder before picking up the bucket and disappearing on nimble feet into the dark forest. I realize I didn't ask for her name. Will the other shifters show me just as much kindness?