Chapter 16

It was worth risking death to see the brief glimpse of shock on the Black Art's face as I rode off without a care, as if I didn't just threaten the most powerful man in Aegidale. He catches up to me a minute later, all traces of bemusement gone from his expression, his usual collected mask in its place.

Our horses pound the ground beneath their hooves, sending red dirt flying around us like powdered flames. The main road that winds through Aegidale is open and vast, only the fiery glow of the horizon for company and the occasional horses and carts of traveling tradesmen. If we follow the road right, it leads to Emberbourne, the city of steel and wealth. High lords and ladies and the wealthiest of merchants reside there, the city notorious for their production of kingdom steel. Their blacksmiths make most of the weapons and armor for the Black Art's armies.

We veer away from the smell of coal dust and iron and ride towards the dark green canopy of the Autumnhelm woods. Sin and I are mostly quiet as we ride parallel to the forest, the variety of greens and browns and the occasional pop of color from the local flora a stark contrast to the dusty red-tinged soil beneath us.

My heart pitter-patters in time with the clip-clopping of hooves as we gain distance towards the secluded cabin that has been my home for years. We pass a few more traders pulling wagons as they ride towards Emberbourne and her sister city to the west, Suncove—their carts likely loaded with an array of spices and furs to sell and barter with. Legion wouldn't dare travel a road so visible. They cling to seclusion—woods like Autumnhelm that better disguise their numbers, their assets. It was in those woods I met Ileana, and in those woods I left her.

* * *

It's a couple hours past dusk when we reach Innodell and finally cross into the forest. Our cabin isn't far from the perimeter—enough distance away from the city to remain secluded, but close enough we can ride in for work each morning. I nod to Sin when we come to the large red oak tree that marks the outskirts of our property. We dismount and lead our horses on foot the rest of the way in. With my altered appearance, whoever is home right now will already be alarmed by approaching strangers. No need to induce more panic by riding in on horseback.

Weaving our steeds around the thick trunks now spaced farther apart, we approach the quaint shelter I've called home for a little over a decade, my own small slice of comfort in this unforgiving world. Rising from the plush green clearing and surrounded by sky-hugging trees, the two-story log cabin welcomes me home. Animal pelts hang in the square windows, the furs offering protection from precipitation, or on nights like these, the chilled breeze that swooshes through the trees like a raptor diving for its prey. The high-pitched roof is a deep green and compliments the red tones of the cedar logs it shadows. A wooden porch wraps arounds the two visible sides of the cabin, a few white chairs and several plants in decorative pots adorning the space.

Home.

The front door cracks open, and a head of golden locks and brown eyes set deep in a boyish face peer out hesitantly from the threshold.

"Galen!"

He looks at me warily, and his mother appears behind him, clutching his shoulders and pulling him back in the house. Zorina steps onto the porch and closes the door behind her. "This is owned property," she says, eyeing Sin and me. Her hand subtly moves to the back of her waist, but I don't miss the movement, and I'm certain Sin doesn't either. I have no doubt she has a blade tucked into the waistband of her yellow pants.

"It's okay, Zorina. I know this sounds crazy, but it's me—it's Wren."

Her eyes widen slightly, and she angles herself as if trying to get a better look at me.

"I was captured by Legion and forced to surrender to the kingdom during an attack on one of their outposts. I made a bargain with…" I clear my throat, "with the Black Art, to return so I could let you know I'm okay, and to warn you. Legion is coming for you, Zorina, for all of you, because I refused to help them. This," I gesture towards myself, "is a glamour in case we crossed paths with any Legion soldiers."

Her tan skin blanches as she tries to make sense of my words. The arm at her back begins to relax but flexes again as her eyes shift to Sin. "Who is he, then?"

"This is Roarke," I answer without missing a beat. "The Black Art required I be escorted. It was part of our agreement."

Sin dips his head in greeting and offers a polite enough smile that he promptly wipes from his face the second she looks back to me.

"A glamour?" she repeats, lifting her chin slightly and looking down at me over her nose, her eyes still searching for a breach in the illusion.

I take a step closer, and Sin shuffles forward at the same time, keeping himself perfectly aligned with me. He really is attuned to my movements.

"Yes. You can ask me anything, and I'll answer it for you so you know it's me. Anything at—"

"What's going on?" the burly red-haired male asks, appearing behind Zorina, standing a foot taller than his sister.

She informs Eldridge of our exchange, and he fixes his light gray eyes on me. "Wren?" The ring of hope in the way he says my name shatters my heart, and I can't hold back the tears that rush from my eyes as I nod. Eldridge squeezes around his sister and barrels towards me, opening his huge muscular arms for me, and I dive into them, letting him lift me off the ground and spin me in a circle before setting me back on my feet. He holds me at arm's distance and assesses me for damage before leveling his stare with mine, all relief gone from his face.

"This is really you?"

I nod and wipe away the spilled tears with the back of my hand, too warmed by Eldridge's embrace to care that I showed weakness in front of Sin.

"Then whose guts am I spilling?"

A laugh escapes me despite him asking the question in earnest. I tug at the long red beard he keeps braided into a rope, hanging so low it almost grazes his navel. "No one's, not right now anyway."

He looks over his shoulder at Zorina and waves her forward. "It's alright, sister. I smell the magic on her. And even if I didn't, that smile can only belong to Wren," he says, turning back to me.

I steal a glance at Sin who's been silent at my side, and Eldridge tracks the movement. The smile vanishes from his face as he steps away from me and unknowingly squares up with the Black Art, their oversized chests almost touching. I've never met anyone as large as Eldridge before—his wide shoulders sit above a barrel chest, and his stocky build and muscular arms would have one thinking he threw mules around for sport. His gift of transcendence aside, Eldridge is pure animal. Where Eldridge's build is wide and brawny, Sin's is leaner and more athletic.

"So, you're the Black Art's pet?" he asks in a low breath.

Eldridge has always struggled to keep his temper leashed and is the main reason disguising Sin's identity was necessary. One look at the kingdom's leader at my side and Eldridge would have shifted and tried tearing Sin's heart from his chest. Attack first, ask questions later. But I suspect Sin isn't the type to offer second chances and would put my friend down without a second's hesitation. Which would be bad for two reasons: Eldridge is my best friend, and I would then have to assassinate the Black Art.

Sin doesn't so much as flinch from Eldridge's closeness but meets his eyes with a hardened stare of his own. "It is my privilege to serve His Grace. And as a member of the royal court, I suggest you watch your tongue." His tone is calm, but his arms are rigid at his sides like he's preparing to defend himself should Eldridge swing at him.

"Well, you carried out your mission, you can run back to your fancy castle now. Can you remove the glamour, Wren, or does he need to?" Eldridge diverts his eyes to me and jerks his chin in Sin's direction with the question.

"She's not staying," Sin interjects before I can answer.

Eldridge yanks his attention back to him. "What do you mean, she's not staying?"

"The witch is in kingdom custody now."

"The w— Who the fuck do you think you are?"

I put a hand on Eldridge's chest and push him back. He could have resisted my nudge if he wanted to, but he heeds my warning to back off and gives a half-step.

Zorina appears next to her brother and places a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him with her touch.

"I made a deal with Singard that I could come home for a few days to check on you all, but I have to return to the castle. And I can't remove the glamour. Only Singard has the reversal tonic."

"What business does the kingdom have with you that he's keeping you there?" Zorina asks.

I resist the urge to look at Sin to check his expression, but I feel the heat rolling off him. He's simply better at masking it than Eldridge. "The Black Art knows what I am. He knows… he knows I'm a bloodwitch."

Zorina hooks her fingers over her now opened mouth, and the panicked look in her hazel eyes matches the one in Eldridge's gray ones. "My gods," she sighs.

"I can explain everything, but I'd rather do it in front of everyone. Is Cosmina home, or is she at the inn still?"

My heart drops into my stomach as the panic on their faces twists into something darker, sadder. "What is it? Where's Cosmina? Where is she?" I ask, the words falling from my mouth quicker now.

"She left to go looking for you," Zorina finally answers. "A few weeks ago. But if you're here now and she's not with you…"

"Legion." Air hisses through my teeth. I turn to Sin without thinking and find him already watching me, assessing my reaction.

"Where were they when you last encountered them?" Eldridge asks.

"Just outside Blackreach. But I'm sure they're long gone now. Sin's armies took them out quickly."

Eldridge huffs. "Like I'm going to trust that cunt to take down Legion. Singard or Sin or whatever the fuck his name is—none of those kingdom cunts ever get anything done." He interlocks his fingers and stretches his hands out in front of him, rolling his neck as he does. "I'm not waiting around while they have a pissing contest. I'll leave tomorrow—I'll bring her back, and I'll roll a few heads doing it."

"Eldridge, stop it—you'll get yourself killed," I warn.

"I will not stop it, Wren. They took our godsdamned sister, for crying out loud. I haven't even said what I'm going to do to them for taking you."

"All of you better stop it right now," Zorina yells over us. "Let's take this inside. Wren, your mother will be ecstatic to see you. We'll discuss the rest indoors. It's cold out here." She clutches her open sweater and pulls it across her body so the two seams meet and heads towards the cabin. I put my hand on Eldridge's arm and give a light squeeze, and we follow our sister to the front door, Sin trailing in behind us.

The smell of sun warmed wood and ash welcomes me as we pass through the worn-in door. There is no floor beneath our feet—merely beaten ground that is soft enough, and a few cones of moonlight shine in through the cut-out windows. Transcendents believe their magic is strongest with both feet on the crust, so most shifter homes are built without a foundation. White candles dripping with wax adorn every surface from the window ledges to the small kitchen table to the mantle of the fireplace in the center of the home. Rows of herbs—clary sage, spearmint and parsley—hang to dry in front of the kitchen window, while sprigs of lavender are tucked in every corner of the house, dousing the whole place in an earthy sweet aroma.

My heart somersaults as I behold the place so near and dear to me, the home I was worried Legion had destroyed in my absence. Chairs with green and blue cushions occupy the living space to my left and vibrant overgrown plants splash the home with rich greens and yellows, a product of Morrinne's nurturing personality. Nestled in the back right corner are three beds, one for each of my brothers. A winding wooden staircase climbs to a smaller second story with four beds where my sisters and I slept.

The upper stairs creak, and I suck in a breath as Morrinne rounds the stairwell. Her deep brown eyes meet mine, dart to assess Sin at my side, then fixate on me again.

"Mom." My voice cracks a little as my mouth utters the word I feared I'd never get to say again.

"Mama, I know this is bizarre, but this is Wren. Eldridge and I already vetted her and—"

"I know who she is," Morrinne says, gripping the railing and descending the rest of the stairs. "You think I wouldn't know my own daughter when I saw her? Magic be damned."

I rush to her, throwing my arms around her slender body, and tuck her graying bun to my nose, inhaling the distinct scent of jasmine flowers permanently embedded into her hair. Morrinne is never without a piping cup of tea at her side, and the aroma of floral infused tea has become as much a part of her clothing as the buttons and seams. Galen bounds down the stairs and wraps his arms around my waist in a soul shattering hug, exclaiming my name. My heart leaps with joy as I scrunch my hands into his golden curls and crush him against me.

I fill all of them in immediately—from my time in the camp to the tethering spell to what I learned from Bennett Langston—not leaving out the details of what I've learned of Sin's upcoming war. Sin is quiet while I explain. The only words he spoke since entering our home was to respectfully decline when Morrinne offered him a cup of tea. The five of us sit in the living space while he paces the other side of the cabin, occasionally stopping to eye the tonics and salves and canned jams Morrinne and I have made. I imagine our home is strange to him, having grown up in a state of luxury where everything has always been provided for him without the need to craft it.

"Tethering spell or not—you can't go back there," Morrinne says.

"I don't have a choice. If I don't return, Singard will track me with his ridiculous stalker spell, and I don't want him coming here." I resist the urge to glance over at him, knowing he is listening to every word between us.

"Let him come," Eldridge growls, his knuckles lengthening into claws.

"No. If he's already planning on committing genocide, we can't provoke him. He knows what you guys are. Right now, we need to worry about Legion and finding Cosmina. Everything else is secondary. I am secondary."

Eldridge scoffs. "If that Black Art bitch hurts you, I swear on my life, Wren, I will make sure the memory of your face is the last thing he sees before I rip him piece to fucking piece."

This time, I can't help glancing at Sin, now with his back to me as he studies a painting of a bundling of wildflowers on the kitchen wall, but I swear the fabric bunches at his shoulder blades. It's probably best I can't see his face, not wanting to see the thought of choking Eldridge with the same magic he used on me burning in his irises. I don't imagine many call the Black Art a bitch and live to tell the tale.

Morrinne reaches under the collar of her deep blue sweater and unclasps a necklace. I recognize my sister's sapphire pendant immediately.

"Cosmina left it with me before she went after you. She said if you were to return without her, you could use the necklace to find her."

Cosmina is the only other mage in my adoptive family, so it makes sense she would have left something she wore against her skin every day to agitate the potency of a locator spell. Transcendents have magic in their blood, but a different kind. Natural healers and alchemists, they are proficient with restoration magics and resistant to more harmful destruction casts, but a locator spell… that is witches' territory.

I take the necklace and close my fist around it. "I can use this to track her, but I'll need to rest beforehand." There is no way my tired, aching body has enough stamina to hold the magical connection to her long enough for me to pinpoint her location, not without at least a few hours of sleep.

"Can I help somehow?" Zorina asks.

I nod. "If I can siphon a little of your magic while I do it, the spell should work more quickly."

I catch Sin turning to look at me from my periphery, no doubt considering the most obvious course of action. If I siphoned some of the Black Art's magic, I could find her in half the time, but given our current predicament, Zorina's will have to do. She agrees instantly.

"You all get some sleep, I'll take first watch," Morrinne says.

"Let me do it. You need to rest, you old broad," Eldridge huffs, but bumps her with a playful nudge of his elbow.

"You might as well get some shut eye, Eldridge, because I'm keeping watch either way. No way I'm closing my eyes with evil so close on Wren's tail."

I want to scold her for being stubborn, the darkness under her eyes telling me she hasn't slept more than a few hours a night since I left, but I don't. If our positions were reversed, I'd be saying the same thing. The creases around my mother's eyelids are deep and worn in, her graying tawny hair now more silver than brown, and perhaps it is the time away that lets me see how quickly age is sneaking up on her. And if I wasn't so drained from the ride, I would be arguing to keep watch tonight too, but sleep is critical for me to restore my energy enough to perform the spell.

Zorina turns and looks at Sin still lingering in the kitchen. "Your…friend… can sleep in Theon's cot for now, but he'll be back later tonight and will probably want his bed back…"

"I'm not sleeping tonight. It's my duty to keep Wren safe, and I intend to do just that," Sin says, walking towards us and stopping a few feet away.

I lock eyes with him and nod once, playing along. Sleeping in Theon's bed isn't an option. As soon as there is distance between us, Eldridge will surely smell the glamour on Sin and do something stupid, like assault the Black Art in his sleep and get himself gutted in the process. I don't doubt Sin has more than just the twin swords on his back for weapons. Knowing him and his distrust of transcendents, I'm sure he has daggers stowed in every nook and cranny of his fitted pants.

"Fair enough. I won't turn down the extra set of eyes tonight, but don't think for a second I won't be keeping one on you too, mister," Morrinne warns.

I stifle a laugh at the thought of my fragile aging mother threatening the most powerful man on the isle and turn my head to hide the smile. Zorina tucks Galen into bed and then disappears upstairs to her own, while Morrinne fixes herself a fresh cup of tea and settles into one of the cushioned chairs with a leather-bound book, propping her feet up on the wicker footrest she constructed from plant material.

I head outside, and Sin falls into place behind me immediately. Neither of us speaks until we reach the horses and walk them into the clearing to tether them.

"Don't let Morrinne's age fool you—she's still sharp as a knife. She'll detect the magic on you if you stay up with her all night."

He pets his horse on the nose, pulls out two apples from the saddle bag, and offers one to each steed. "She won't notice because I won't be near her. I'm staying out here until morning."

"You're going to sleep outside all night?"

"And give your uncivilized friend the opportunity to slit my throat in my sleep? How na?ve do you think I am?"

I walk around to the side of his horse and pull out a few of the remaining strips of salted meat. "It's not Eldridge you should be worried about. I'm much scarier," I say, tearing off a piece of the jerky with my teeth.

Sin stares down at me, his dark hair and reddish-brown skin blending with the night, but I still make out as his lips curl into a facetious grin. I close the saddle bag and turn on my heel, but not before I hear him mutter under his breath, "Yes you are, little witch. Yes you are."