4. Chapter Four

Itry to inch my way towards the tree line, but the chimera lunges at me, its jaws snapping shut inches from my face. I barely manage to dodge out of the way, my heart pounding with fear. As I breathe in, the stench of decaying flesh overwhelms me. The putrid odor fills my nostrils, making it difficult to inhale without gagging. I search frantically for anything to use as a weapon, but all I find is a broken branch. I grip it tightly, my knuckles turning white. With a sudden burst of speed, it charges at me again. I lash out with the branch, bracing myself for impact when a gale of wind hits. Its impact knocks me to the ground as the creature's massive frame is thrown into the nearest tree. The chimera howls in pain and fury as flickers of flame protrude from its open mouth, but I know it won't be long before it attacks again. As I scramble backwards, gnarled roots tearing at my skirt, Lemon slides down from my shoulder.

We have to get out of here.

My heart races with adrenaline and as I clutch Lemon to my chest, I hear the singing of steel. My head whips to the side as I spot Aramis swinging his blade as he advances towards the creature. Wind blows around him like a tornado, whipping his hair in an angry fury. I can hear the chimera's heavy breathing beside me, its paws digging against the forest floor as it turns to face his new foe.

Turning away, my instinct is telling me to run while I still have the chance. I should let that male get what he deserves. After all, if he's so high and mighty, he should be able to protect himself from the shadow beast. But the tearing of fabric, followed by a deep yell, draws my attention. Red blooms on the fabric of his sleeve, now torn and fluttering in his wind as Aramis and the beast circle each other.

He needs me.

The beast snarls, bearing its fangs as Aramis strikes with his sword once more. The blade glances off its thick hide, sending sparks flying. The creature lashes out with its claws, narrowly missing Aramis' face. He ducks and rolls, coming up behind the beast.

Better the beast you know than the beast you don't, I decide. It's wiser if I take my chances with the male before me rather than risk running into another shadow creature while I still can't access my magic.

"Hey, you ugly brute. Go pick on someone else!" I yell as I hurl the largest rock I can find towards the chimera. It bounces harmlessly off its side, but it's enough of a distraction that it swings its head toward me. With a swift thrust, Aramis plunges his sword into its side. The beast howls in pain, but its fury only grows. It charges at him, but Aramis stands his ground. Just as it's about to strike, he sidesteps and plunges his sword into its heart. The beast falls to the ground, dead. Aramis stands panting, his clothes torn and bloodied, but victorious.

"You're welcome," I say, as he tries to catch his breath.

"Thought you could get away that easily, did you?" Aramis's deep voice sends chills down my spine. He lazily twirls his bloodied sword with a flourish in the air before him. His blue eyes pierce my soul as he lifts his gaze to mine. A small scowl quirks at the corner of his lips, but it's not a friendly one.

"Nice try, little unicorn," he gestures in front of him before replying in a curt tone. "We are leaving. Now."

I sigh, as I instantly begin second guessing which beast I am better off facing.

We make our way back to the clearing in absolute silence as the first rays of morning peek through the branches above us.

As we finally reach the rest of the group, a snicker draws my attention to Nero who's standing next to the horses, our makeshift camp packed away in the saddlebags. "Ye look a little worse for wear there, Aramis. Pick a fight with the wrong beast?" he says, with a huge grin on his face.

"Shove it, Nero." Aramis snatches the reins from his friend's outstretched hand, causing the stallion to nicker and toss his head. "I didn't see you protecting my back against a shadow chimera."

Nero lets out a low whistle before hoisting himself into the saddle. "And mar this shiny new captain's badge?" he gestures towards his chest. "Plus, someone had to stay and keep an eye on the horses. I figured ye could handle just one wee pony."

"This pony saved your friend's life. I'll have you know," I retort, crossing my arms over my chest.

Aramis pulls off his torn and bloodied shirt, tossing it at Nero's face. But with a flick of his wrist, Nero sets it aflame mid-air before it reaches him. The flames quickly consume the fabric in a whoosh, leaving behind flakes of ash that float in the surrounding air. Ropes of muscle flex on Aramis's back as he retrieves a clean black tunic from a saddlebag. In one swift motion, he pulls it over his head and onto his body.

"Come Sybil," he commands as he once again ties my hands and lifts me by my waist onto his stallion.

***

I let myself get lost in the rhythm of the horses' pace as we make our way through the forest. The trees continue to grow more dense with each passing hour. A musky scent of decomposing leaves permeates the air.

We briefly stop at a stream to refill the canteens before continuing on our way. My captors spoke amongst themselves in jovial tones when we first left camp this morning, but as the journey progresses, everyone has fallen into silence.

The longer I sit on this horse, the more infuriated I become. Hours and hours on this damn animal, with little breaks in between have me sitting on edge. The horse snorts, and I know we feel the same way. After all, horses are like kin to me. The poor creature has to carry not only me and Aramis, but also all the "evidence" they have collected from my house. I still wonder how my medical bag, my ointments and some of my clothes are going to incriminate me as a rebel. I just want to slip off this saddle and canter away, but my chances of escaping are even smaller than before.

After my failed attempt to flee my captors, Aramis's hold on me has only become more obsessive, and all eyes are constantly on me. Not to mention that I am still tied up with magical rope and bound to my human form, unable to access my magic.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out one of the yarrow leaves. I crush it between my fingers before rubbing the poultice to my aching wrists under the cover of my cloak. The rough fibers of the rope repeatedly tightened and chafed my skin raw each time I struggled for freedom. I run a finger across the iron bracelet wrapping around my left wrist and frown as its magic tickles the pads of my fingers. There's no trick locks–no real indication of a way to break out of this bracelet. Disappointment settles further in my skin, with frustration rearing its ugly head at the top.

"What are you doing, shifter?" Aramis' baritone murmurs against my skin, goosebumps raising on my forearms. His arms cage against me with tension, a white knuckled grip on the reins. A gust of wind shifts my hair, catching my attention and forcing me to look up. The gesture moves me closer to his mouth, and had he not been my kidnapper, it would have been rather intimate. Still… an unfurling shifts inside me and I shiver.

"Nothing." I shift my weight. My bottom and legs are numb from attempting to grip the stallion's wide girth. At this rate, I'll happily walk all the way to Shadowvale, if it means I'll never have to ride a horse again.

"What is that smell?" Leaning forward, he peers over my shoulder, his warm breath caressing my cheek. He radiates a heady scent of bergamot and cedarwood.

"Why do you care?" I clench my teeth, growing restless.

"I have a prisoner riding in front of me who smells different than before. I'd like to know why," he replies impatiently, grabbing the edge of my cloak with one of his hands and yanks it back.

"Fine." I push my arm from under my cloak and bare my wrists to him, now covered in the drying green poultice. "Happy now?"

"What is that?" He asks, wrinkling up his nose.

"It's a poultice." I reply sarcastically. "No thanks to you, my wrists are chafed raw from your magical binding rope."

"Well, if you stop moving around so much they won't tighten to the point of chafing," he snaps back.

"If you hadn't tied me up and forced me to ride day and night on the back of a horse until I couldn't feel my legs, I wouldn't shift around so much to begin with." I shout, eyeing him with rage. "Don't you know it's unnatural to sit for so long? This is ridiculous." I'd be celebrating Bolide with my village right now, had they not kidnapped me. Tears line my eyes as a pang of homesickness hits me.

"Would you prefer if I tied you up like a saddle bag instead?" Aramis quirks a brow at me, slightly entertained. "At least I'm giving you the dignity to ride upright. Any other prisoner, I would have made them walk all the way to Shadowvale–"

"I'll take the walking." I almost sit up taller at the option. "Please, I'm dying to move my legs–"

"Unfortunately for you, we're on a tight timeline." Aramis replies, rather indignantly, "you should be grateful for my generosity."

"Grateful?" I reply, my voice raising an octave in mock indignation. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly imagine impeding you with such a preposterous thing like slowing you down by walking to Shadowvale."

Aramis snorts his derision, but I'm too outraged to notice. "I have a better idea, you know."

"What's that?" Aramis says, definitely amused, and I'm ready to elbow him in the gut. "You could just leave me here and go. Trot along back to Shadowvale, right on your merry way."

"Not happening, unicorn," Aramis snaps, amusement gone.

"–Or even better," I bite back, interrupting him. "How about you never took me in the first place." I expect him to snap and chide me, and as I wait, the silence stretches out. Perhaps I pushed him too far this time.

"I thought females were supposed to be more docile. You're nothing but a–"

"A what?" I demand. Goddess, forgive me, but this male has a talent for provoking my temper.

"A pain in my ass," he grumbles, his fists clenching on the reins. Percy tosses his head restlessly into the air.

"Pain in your ass?" I twist around, the movement bringing us mere inches apart. I raise my eyebrows. "That's the best you can come up with?" I laugh aloud with derision.

He takes his eyes off the path and meets my stare. "If you want me to list all the reasons I hate your kind, by all means, I'll elaborate." He taunts.

"You're impossible," I huff and turn back to face the path. A pig-headed, good for nothing, spoiled brat of a male.

"And you're wasting my time and energy." He replies, clearly annoyed. "Be a good girl and keep your thoughts and poultices to yourself."

"You don't even know me," I mumble. "How do you hold on to so much anger?" I shake my head, repositioning myself as a numb sensation settles through my legs. My grip slips and I careen sideways. Throwing out my bound hands, I grapple for anything to grip, but Percy's silk hair slides through my fingers. I wait for the impact of the solid ground, praying the horses following us would avoid trampling me to death.

Suddenly, a firm grip is around me and I find myself held tight to his chest, Aramis glaring down at me.

"Why must you constantly need to be rescued?" Aramis snarls in my ear. "I thought as a healer you'd have more wit in your head to maintain your balance when riding on a galloping stallion. Do you want to die?" His heated response moves his face closer to mine as his hand grips me tighter.

"No, you fucking idiot," I snap back, with just as much rage. "I am a fucking unicorn! I've never ridden a horse. I don't know how to ‘maintain my balance' because I. Don't. Ride. Horses."

Aramis pulls on the reins when the guard in front lets out a shout. Percy slows to a walk as the guards slow to ride more closely to us. A moment later, a whoosh of air brushes past my face followed by a thud beside me. Whipping my head to the side, my eyes widen when I spot an arrow with thick blood red feathers vibrating in the tree trunk next to us.

"Shit," Aramis grunts as he scans the surrounding forest. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I follow his gaze. Fear grips my gut.

Will the oncoming chaos allow me an opportunity to escape? I just need to run far enough and find someone able to remove the enchanted band. Flashes of the shadow chimera come back to me, but I have to take the risk. There is nothing good awaiting me in Shadowvale. They would have sent an envoy otherwise, not a kidnapper. Remembering the promise I made Lemon and myself that I would get out of this mess and that I would study at Nova Ether, I readied myself to flee at the first occasion.

"Nero, take the unicorn and go," Aramis commands, agitation lacing his words.

"But, my prince…" Nero protests, his face contorting in confusion.

Prince?!

The realization of my situation tunnels my vision. Aramis is the prince of Shadowvale. This isn't just some ordinary band of guards sent to capture me. They sent the crown prince himself.

"Do not argue with me. We must ensure her safety and deliver her to the king and queen alive." Aramis frantically yells, pulling Percy's reins to turn him around. "I'll cloak the two of you. Now, go! We will catch up."

I immediately begin to scramble, not caring how I fall off the horse as long as it gets me away from him. How can this male full of hatred be the same who is going to rule an entire kingdom one day? In my frantic fight, Aramis lifts me from the saddle. I kick and try so hard to shift that my nose begins to bleed. Nero eyes me like I'm a rabid raccoon, cautiously grabbing my arms as Aramis places me on his horse. When I'm just about to lash out with my hands, the cool touch of binding magic wraps around me before we take off at breakneck speed.

I scream.

My voice carries through the forests, almost not caring if our assaulter follows us. Hell, if anything, their presence might be my only chance of escape.

Turning my head around, I watch the rest of the group change formation. Aramis lifts his hands above his head. A pale blue glow emitting from them is all I see before the forest obscures them from view.

***

Our ride is beyond rough.

Nero was forced to hold a blade at my throat for a good portion of our journey to keep me still, and complained that it would have all been easier if I were knocked out again. Hours pass before we stop at a small stream deep into the forest. My heart gladdens at the glimpse of the rare sky. An orange haze filters between the trees and is cast upon the ground and air. Looking through the trees and up to the hazy sky, I guess it must be close to sunset and almost time for Bolide. My heart clenches, aching to hear the laughter of the children in the village running around, chasing each other with enchanted luminescent moon flowers that emit glowing sparks like tiny fireflies. What wouldn't I give to bite into a fresh hot sweet roll baked with sliced almonds, filled with sweet jam from the harvest.

"Fuck! Where are they? They should be ‘ere by now!" Nero shouts with frustration to himself. He stops pacing and slams his fist into a nearby tree, causing bark and leaves to flutter to the ground. It's the first time he's stopped pacing since he started a small fire and offered me a roll of hard bread and dried meat.

"Who cares?" I scoff. The less of these kidnapping bastards, the better.

"I never should have listened and left," he murmurs to himself, ignoring me.

Nero continues to mumble as he drags his hands through his hair with worry. The riding cloak he took off earlier lay on the ground by the fire. The ripple of muscles in his shoulders and back catches my eye in the firelight.

"If we're lucky, maybe they're lost," I comment lightly. At Nero's glare, I instantly regret my choice of words. I know I shouldn't speak of the precious prince that way and his look tells me I should know better. But I don't shy away and give him a stern look in response. "Oh, come on. Do you think I really care? Of course, I'm not worried about them. You and your precious prince stole me from my home!" I aggressively nibble on the bread, which is so hard it practically bites back. "There's not even any tea for my bread!" My complaint for comfort makes my heart happy, even as he scoffs at me.

"Ye know, ye really must be a unicorn. Ye behave like an animal." He laughs at me as he continues to pace. "Dipping bread in tea…"

"I heard that." I glare at him. "There were times when I didn't have much, but I could always make a cup of tea." I finish that statement on a choke. Mourning a place I may never see again, my home.

When I turn back to the dirt road, the hair on the back of my neck stands as if something is out there, watching me. Something not of this world. I glance at Nero to see if he has noticed anything out of the ordinary, but he is lost in thought, worrying about his companions.

The odd sensation fades as quickly as it has come.

What was that?

Nero finally settles as he sits by the fire. After all that pacing, I release a breath, relaxing with him.

"Aramis wouldn't get lost," he says and looks at me. "Something must be keeping them." He pulls out a small silver flask from his pocket and gazes towards the path. The metal shines golden in the light of the fire, sparkling on its surface. A dragon mid-flight is sketched into its front, the tail wrapping around the side. I admire the craftsmanship and the way the figure appears to move as he brings the container up to his lips. A part of me is suddenly angry for appreciating something of theirs. He looks over in my direction once more and catches me staring.

"Is that something you stole from the last shifter you kidnapped?" I accuse, trying to save face.

"Nae." He scoffs. "Look. I can't help what's happened to ye, alright? I serve the prince, and my loyalty is to Aramis. His parents want ye so now we're all here. That's all I can say." The look in his eyes is sincere, but I can't believe there is no further information he can give me.

"Is it true, the rebellion? Are the shifters living in Shadowvale really causing havoc?" I tentatively ask. Only because Aramis had his lips sealed, did not mean Nero would be the same.

"Listen, Sybil. The situation with the shifters in Shadowvale is… complicated. Here, do ye want some? Maybe it'll make ye behave better." He offers the flask in solidarity.

"Absolutely not," I reply on principle alone. Taking a sip will be viewed as an act of consorting with the enemy.

There's a heavy crunch of twigs breaking as he shifts his weight to stand. He takes a few steps towards me before crouching down at my side. I glance up and study the sharp angles of his face. The brown of his eyes take on a golden hew. For a moment, I think I can see golden flames licking around the irises, but I blink and they're gone.

Anatomy lessons with my father come to mind. All healers have to study the physical structure of all known shifters on the continent to ensure the correct procedures are used according to each patient. Growing up, fire draken had always been the ones I was most curious about. One of their most prominent characteristics when bound to their human form were their distinctive irises. Hints of golden sparks that shoot from the pupil over molten gray to bronze smoke, often mistaken at first glance for multihued chocolate brown. Just like Nero had. But had fire-drakes not been missing for hundreds of years? I ponder on this supposition, the wheels in my head start turning frantically and a million questions come flooding in my mind. If he truly is a fire-drake, is he keeping his identity a secret? How can he be loyal to the prince when he so blatantly loathes shifters? How could he stand by all this time as Aramis treated me with such disregard? How would Aramis react if he knew that his right hand man is also one of the creatures he so vehemently hates? But I keep all these thoughts to myself. This is very valuable information I might be able to use if I need to.

I eventually hold out my hand towards the proffered flask. Maybe he wasn't my enemy after all. I concede a glare to Nero. Fine, bring it over here. Nero flashes a wide grin, knowing he's won a small battle. Flask in hand, I take a deep sniff. Whatever it is, it smells inviting… screw it. What's the point of principle when in survival? Before having second thoughts, I down a mouthful, swallowing quickly. I shove the canteen back into his chest and gasp for air as the liquid burns down my throat all the way to the pit of my stomach.

"Whoa there. Take it easy. Sips, lass." Nero grins as he gives my back a firm thump while simultaneously taking another swig.

"What...is...that stuff?!" I gasp out on a cough, grabbing the water flask beside me. I take more gulps as tears well in the corner of my eyes before falling down my cheek. Gone is the chill that has seeped into my skin. The aches in my muscles and bones seem to fade into dull heat.

"In Shadowvale, we call it Dark Starlight," he says.

"And what exactly is Dark Starlight?" I cough once more, raising my hand to my mouth. Nero offers the flask back in my direction.

I shake my head. I don't think I can handle another drop of the liquid. Even though my body is pleasantly relaxed, I need to keep my wits up for Aramis' return, or more shadow beasts. Either way, it would not do me any good to be intoxicated.

"I'm going to gather more wood. Dae not bother trying to escape." He roughly grabs the rope bindings around my wrists and ties it high around the trunk of the nearest tree. Just enough length for me to sit by the fire, but not enough to reach his horse or escape. "It won't be me ye'll have to worry about if ye try to leave through these woods in the dark by yerself."

I huff, dismissing his comment as I turn my back to him. My mind flashes to the ambush as I lay down on the ground.

Who are those people, and why did they attack?

Lemon crawls out from my pocket and curls up in my arms, finishing the last of the dried meat strips before licking the tips of my fingers. Staring at the fire, exhaustion drags my eyelids down and draws me into a fitful, light sleep.