13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A fter several days of castle mapping, kitchen duty, afternoon training, and whispered conversations over dinner, we've nearly completed our map of the castle, and the embers of a plan have sparked. Since we've grown more used to the temperate climate, our hearth sits flame-less before us as we study our roughly drawn map.

"I found a small access hatch here." Eoin points to a section of woods just beyond the castle wall near one of the towers. "I can't fit, but from what I can tell, it drops into a tunnel leading toward the castle. It may be a safer entry point. Here." He holds up a length of twine and indicates I should stand as well. "We'll find out real quick if you'll fit."

Eoin wraps the twine around my shoulders and my bust, and his hands still.

"Um, I can take it from here." I take the twine from him and test it around my hips. It doesn't quite fit.

"I can maybe lose a couple of pounds and try again."

"No." His response is quick. He steps back and runs a hand through his hair. "I mean, it's your body and your choice, but we only have ten days. You're healthy. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I'll see what I can do, but I promise I won't push myself too hard." I take the twine and test it again. It's so close. "I know how important having a backup plan is. Honestly, I'd prefer going in this way, so I'd like to try."

"Just make sure to keep your strength up. You'll need it to scale the castle wall if we can't find another suitable entry point." He rolls up the map and tucks it under the sofa.

"Also, I got one of the ladies in waiting to steal this for me." He pulls a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and hands it to me. The edges are frayed as if it's been torn from a book. In faded ink on nearly translucent parchment is a detailed sketch of the binding relic. "She took it from the High Lord's son's bedroom. Now we know exactly what we are looking for. Have you made any progress with your kitchen friends? We had two luxury carriages come through the stables this morning. Prominent guests are already arriving."

"I confirmed that each south-wing guest suite has its own safe, so the Prophet will likely store the relic there. I need to get my eyes on them soon." I grab our breakfast dishes from the table and place them in the sink. "Also, there is a celebration the night before the wedding. It's customary for the groom and all of the other High Lords to go out on the town the night before the wedding. The whole city will participate in some way. They even let the staff off early as well that night."

"Sounds like a good opportunity for you to mingle with some important people while I set up my distraction." Eoin's eyes bounce around the room like he's already lost in thought.

"That sounds perfect. Which wall tower was that hatch nearest? I was about to go for a ride with Penny. I'll check it out."

"The fourth: toward the forest, not toward Halivaara." He mumbles something to himself and pulls out parchment and a quill, jotting down some notes. I can see the pieces falling together in his mind. I can't wait to hear what he's come up with.

I leave the cottage and retrieve Penny from the stables. I contemplate the heist ahead and our developing plan while we race along the wide path between the castle wall and the forest.

We come to a stop at the fourth tower, and I dismount. I turn toward the forest, finding what first appears as a deer path, but I'm not finding any other signs of the creatures. No scat or antler markings against bark; this must simply be Eoin's trail when he found the hatch. I loosely tie Penny to a branch and pat her nose. "I'll be back in a moment."

I follow the path with light, purposeful steps and grip the dagger at my thigh. Sweat runs down my temple, tracing the curve of my jaw before dropping to my chest. My heartbeat drums in my ears rapidly from the brisk ride, and it isn't until my breathing slows and my pulse settles that I hear the voices.

Two hushed males talk frantically ahead. I step cautiously and strain to pick up parts of the conversation.

"It is that simple."

". . .last fae I would. . ."

"You owe me!" The first male's voice raises to a yell, and I halt my progress, holding as still as the raven in the tree above me.

Their conversation returns to hushed tones, and I move closer, craning my neck to peer around the trees and brush ahead.

"The plan is in motion." The second male's voice remains low and calm. Something about it feels familiar. "After this, we're done."

A twig snaps beneath my foot, and I instantly lose my steady pulse as blood rushes to my head. A small metallic thud resonates from the direction of the voices, but they remain silent.

I stand for what feels like several silent and torturous moments, gripping my dagger and honing in on every shifting branch and insect sound.

The raven above takes off in their direction and I follow as quietly as I can, hoping it's a sign. Surely he wouldn't fly toward danger.

Passing several trees, I push through tall brush and find the raven sitting atop a metal hatch. He takes off and I watch him soar, taking in the trees around me and the distinct lack of any other beings.

This might not be as useful as Eoin thinks it is if someone already uses it. I stand atop the hatch and press my hips inward, still gripping my dagger. "So close," I whisper.

"Too close for my liking."

I scream, whipping around and tossing my dagger. The large male pivots and catches my dagger without breaking eye contact.

"Easy killer." He holds my dagger out to me. He's either showing me he isn't a threat or is so confident in himself that he doesn't mind that I'm armed. "Why don't you enlighten me on what you may have heard."

I take it from him but don't lower it. He's breathtaking, with his dark tousled hair, dark umber brown eyes, and strong figure. His expression hardens as I study him.

A rush of hooves and thrashing of leaves draws his eyes away from mine, and I glance over my shoulder.

Penny charges through the brush and rears up next to me, flicking her front hooves in the air. He doesn't look frightened by her though, he looks. . . confused.

"How much do you want for her?" He nods toward Penny, who huffs loudly through her nostrils and pins her ears back.

"She's not for sale." I squeeze my dagger and step toward her, readying myself for a quick escape. What the four hells is going on?

I don't know what this gorgeous man is playing at.

"I'll give you a half Rhenium," he says and flexes his hand. Penny seems less interested in the man and is now content munching on grass and weeds.

Ah, here we go. Eoin wasn't lying. "Oh really?" I ask with as much menace as I can muster and point my dagger at his chest. "Oh, look at Eoin's friend. Won't it be funny if we pretend we like her big fat mean horse?" I say mockingly. "I know you've all been joking about her in the stable. She's not for sale, and I don't care if you think she's fat. Now kick rocks before I poke you with this." I thrust the dagger towards him for good measure.

He holds his hands up. His lips spread as he chuckles, revealing the sharp glimmer of his fangs.

He's a vampire.

My heart falters, and I stumble back a step. I reach behind me wildly with my left hand, trying to find Penny. The smile leaves his face as he drops his hands.

Run , the darkness within whispers. My heart beats in my ears, and time seems to slow. Oh gods, why did I come out here by myself?

My left hand brushes against Penny's neck just as he takes a step toward me. His eyebrows knit together, and his demeanor turns to ice. My vision fades around the edges. Run, now!

In one swift motion, I toss the dagger while swinging myself up onto Penny's back. The dagger strikes the man in the shoulder, and he cries out, flashing his fangs. We take off full speed towards the castle wall. As we gain some distance, the threat of my inner darkness dissipates. Behind us, the man is nowhere to be seen.

***

"I'm telling you, it was a vampire! They're real."

"Mmm hmm." Eoin continues to make rune marks down the side of a throwing knife.

"Are you listening to me?" I pluck a chunk of grass and toss it at him. The sky is cloudless today, and several fae lie on blankets, sunning themselves around the lake. I roll over on mine, contemplating how long one should lay about when pretending to regenerate their well.

"I'm listening. I thought you were going to quietly sun yourself while I worked on this." He raises both brows at me and continues etching.

Eoin stands and rolls up his rune scrolls. "Follow me."

I grab my blanket and trail behind him, away from the lake, into the woods behind our cabin. He looks around us, making sure we are alone, and then whispers something to the blade. It ignites, and his face lights up.

"You did it!"

Eoin winks at me and tosses the blade toward a distant tree, striking it in the center. The flame remains, flicking up the side of the tree.

He runs and pulls the blade, whispering again, and it extinguishes.

"I'm going to need some heat-resistant gloves." His smile is contagious, and I run to him, wrapping my arms around his middle and squeezing. He squeezes me back, his taught muscles holding me firmly against his chest. The embrace stretches on, and his fingers gently stroke back. My muscles tense, still unsure about the blurry lines of our relationship.

"I, um. . ." I pull away and step back. "I need to leave soon. I'm meeting Hruta Halivaara. She said I can hang out with her and some of the other kitchen staff when they go out for the celebration."

"I almost forgot about that," he says. "Make sure you carry a blade. If the vampires are real, that's just one more thing we will have to be careful of."

"So you were listening?" I tease.

He sheaths his blade and escorts me back to the cabin. I'll admit, it does feel safer walking through the woods with him now that I'm reminded of the danger.

I leave Eoin at the cottage and follow the familiar dirt path toward the bustling city, stopping at Moira's farm. She and another woman sit cross-legged near the garden, and she waves me over as soon as she spots me.

"This is the girl I was telling you about," she says to her companion while pointing a long blade of grass at me. "The one who stops by sometimes to help me load my cart." The other woman looks me over and continues making her grass-woven basket. "Bronwyn, this is Nondis. She's in acquisitions ."

"Well, these days, I mostly just fan the bellows for the blacksmith forge ." She emphasizes the last word, and they both look at me with blank expressions.

I believe I've danced to this tune before. The dance where one thief or conman tries to determine if they're standing next to another. But, for now, this is still a high-risk, low-reward situation. They could be trying to expose me. I'm not going to bite.

"Nice to meet you, Nondis." I extend my hand, and she shakes it. My eyes catch on the blue thistle tattoo near her wrist and her posture changes.

"I'm heading into town for a dress. Can I get you anything?" I try to remain polite, but I'll need to avoid Moira and her farm going forward, just in case.

"I think we've seen all we need to," Moira says, glancing at Nondis.

What a strange interaction. I contemplate them on my walk into town and the odds of them having matching tattoos. I suppose they could be best friends or perhaps sisters. That wouldn't be that unusual.

"Bronwyn!" Hruta waves at me from outside the tailors. My mind was so preoccupied, it's almost as if I've appeared in town by magic. We enter the familiar shop, and the tailor greets us.

I've bought several new outfits while here, but this will be my first formal dress. I wonder momentarily if our benefactor has even noticed that I've been using his line of credit for my new wardrobe, but I shove the thought aside.

"You've got to try this one on." Hruta holds up a red beaded dress and waves it around so it catches the light.

"That's not really my taste. I was thinking something more like this." I hold up a black silk top and a long, voluminous black tulle skirt. Some of the layers of tulle have sparkles in it. "With these black gloves." I pick up a pair of elbow-length black silk gloves.

"Brave to expose the midriff like that. You won't be able to wear a corset." She lifts the red one up again and spins around with it. "I'm going to wear this one."

The tailor takes my measurements and promises to deliver the ensemble to my cabin in two days. We exit the shop, passing the tanner, blacksmith and bakery before landing near the produce market.

"If you want, we can get ready together before the celebration commences."

"That sounds great." I happily accept Hruta's invitation. It'll be easier to eavesdrop while intermingled in her crowd.

The crowd in the street parts as the tall, dark-haired male from the forest passes by with his companion, a female with red eyes. My stomach lurches.

"Hruta." I yank her arm and pull her with me behind the wheel of a vegetable cart. "That male over there is a vampire." The alarm on her face vanishes as she bursts into laughter. She peers around the cart and stands back up, extending her hand to help me back up.

"I've never heard you sound more foreign. Nobody calls them that. . . Why are you looking at me like that?"

I relax my face and take a deep breath, accepting her help. "Well, what are they then?"

" What are they? Honestly, Bronwyn." The corners of her mouth pull down. "They're fae. Fjende, if you want to get specific. They're just like you or I, except they regenerate from blood."

The female fae runs her hand through her short black hair and scans the crowd with her crimson eyes, never smiling. She says something to the male, and he glances our way. His piercing, soulless eyes meet mine, and a chill runs up my spine.

"I mean, I'd still stay away from them, though. That's August, High Lord of the Selene Court and his necromancer Razenna."

"So they are dangerous?"

We lose sight of them and enter the tanner's shop.

"As far as August goes, aside from the obvious blood-sucking notion, he is probably the single most powerful fae alive right now." Hruta scans leather coin purses displayed in rows. "I've heard his well is immensely deep, and his powers aren't widely known. He keeps them secret, besides the fire. We Dagr have the numbers, but he and his kind most assuredly have the power. Nobody messes with Selene, not even Lucanis, and he has a hot head. He hates August."

Lucanis, I've heard that name mentioned before. He's the High Lord's son—the one getting married in a few days.

Hruta grabs the coin purse and hands the tanner some coin. "Even the frygt fear August. He and his armies eliminate most of the frygt that cross over from the Forgotten Court. It's made him and his warriors cold and heartless. Two years ago, during the Annual Symposium, one of the servants insulted August's mother, and he split him in half. . . without a blade. There was blood all over the table and guests." Hruta shivers, and her back straightens. "I could go on all day. Just trust me; you don't want to be around him if you can help it. He's wicked and heartless."