33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

" I f you don't stop leading with your right, I'm going to shove you down the stairwell," Razenna shouts at me from four steps up. As grumpy as she is, she does seem a bit sunnier than normal while training. A servant enters the stairwell below us, and Razenna shouts at her.

"Find another path!" The girl blanches and swiftly exits.

"I don't understand why I need to know this." I toss my training sword from my right hand to my left and press my back into the stairwell wall. Between late-night meetings about the relic and individual training sessions with August, Eoin, and now Razenna, I'm exhausted.

"I told you," she says and advances towards me. I block several of her blows and brace for another onslaught. "You never know what we might have in store for us." She strikes again hard, swinging straight down with both hands. Our training swords clash above my head, and the impact reverberates through my elbow and down my spine. She isn't holding back.

I absorb the impact with my hips and knees as much as I can and push back. I shift and push forward, swinging my sword at her calves instinctively with my right hand. She jumps up, avoiding my strike, and lands on my level. She swings her training sword out and slaps me in the throat with the broad side of the blade.

The strike startles me, and I drop my sword, clutching at my throat. My back hits the handrail of the spiral staircase. Razenna grasps the front of my blouse. "You're lucky I don't toss you over the handrail. Don't lead with your right up a spiral staircase." Her red eyes bore into mine and I choke. Hunched over, I force air into my lungs and wish I were training with Eoin instead. He's gentler with me.

"These stairs are designed to be nearly impossible to ascend in an attack. They're a dream when you're defending from above." She collects both of our training swords and pats me on the back. "Come. Charlotte's prepared lunch for us."

We change for lunch and stop at a flower shop on the way to the cottage. Smoke flows from the chimney, and we are met with the delicious aroma of fire-cooked meats and baked goods before we even enter the cottage.

Razenna holds the bouquet of flowers and sprigs of pine and points at them. "Get a good look." She pushes them closer to my face, and I back away. "If you're ever looking for a sign from me, a sign that I'm listening, I'll send Cirrus with a sprig of juniper like this."

"Because they're your favorite?" I chuckle.

"No, don't be facetious. They're Charlotte's favorite; these are for her. I'll send juniper because they're common, and Cirrus could easily find one. I may not always be able to get to you quickly, but sometimes knowing someone is listening helps."

As we enter, warmth washes over me and seeps into my bones. Razenna and I remove our cloaks and warm ourselves by the fire while Charlotte sets the table and pours us hot tea. "How did training go this morning?" Charlotte asks.

"We are still struggling with spiral staircase maneuvers," Razenna says while rubbing her hands together over the fire. "Hand-to-hand combat has improved greatly this week. Eoin is a great teacher, and she has a knack for it." Razenna embraces Charlotte and helps her set the table.

We sit, and Charlotte serves eggplant, roasted winter squash, black rice, and sausage. The plates are colorful and garnished with fresh green broccoli sprouts and crushed walnuts. It looks like something Chef would plate up for Luc in the kitchen at Helios and smells divine.

"How is training going with August?" Charlotte asks me politely.

"Well . . . " Pussketti rubs against my ankle, and I lean down to scratch his head. "We are switching gears. I don't have a problem pulling back control from my darkness now once she takes over, but I can't seem to do the reverse. I can't pull her in when I need her. Ciaran has been using various tactics to scare me enough that she emerges, but August has put that on hold for now. He's afraid I may become desensitized to it, and she might not come out if I really am in a situation where I need her."

"Interesting," Charlotte says, eyes wide with a mouth full of squash. "I don't really understand how that works."

"Neither do I, but I am grateful to be leaving this constant state of anxiety that Ciaran may attack me at any moment."

Charlotte jumps up out of her chair. "I forgot—I made pie!" She scurries into the kitchen, nearly tripping over Pussketti, and pulls out a warm apple pie. Razenna makes a noise at Pussketti, and he meows before running to the bedroom.

"How does the communication work with you and Cirrus? I know you can talk to animals, but it seems like you can communicate with him over great distances."

"He has a mate," Razenna says without missing a beat. "Mates of any species can communicate over long distances in their minds. I always have at least one of them around to communicate with the other."

Charlotte returns with the steaming pie, the sweet smell making my mouth water.

"This is Charlotte's famous apple pie," Razenna says as Charlotte plates slices of pie for us. "She makes several each year for the Samhain festival."

"Oh, please tell me you'll join us for the festival," Charlotte says. "It's not as grand as the one in Mabon, but we still throw a good party here in Selene." She unties her apron and folds it over the back of her chair before sitting back down. It has so many ruffles and frills on it that I didn't realize it was an apron at all.

"That sounds fantastic."

***

Sunset is beautiful as I return to the castle, and I take a moment near the entrance to enjoy the stillness. I've managed to put off my talk with Eoin this week due to all the training and research, but I can't put it off any longer.

Movement near the stables catches my eye. Where is the guard that's usually posted here? Quickly, I drop down behind the nearest shrub and peer around the edge towards the stable. Two figures approach with hooded cloaks, concealing their identities. My senses heighten as I contemplate whether these figures are friend or foe.

"The timing is of the utmost importance," one of the figures says to the other in hushed tones. They stop just before the entrance to the castle and just out of my view. "Make sure the beast is small enough to fit on the ship and tell him I want to be the one to kill it."

"Yes, my lord," the second figure says. I hold my breath and shift slowly behind the bush, hoping to change my vantage enough to see these two. The sight startles me as they step closer to the door.

"I'll give your father the update as well," Sven says.

Sven and Luc walk right past me, and the smell of black rune powder wafts by. Did they travel through a rune gate? And where is their guarded escort?

Luc enters the castle, but Sven carries on toward the forest.

Sorry Eoin, we're going to have to talk another night. I creep out from behind my shrub and follow Sven.

An excitement bubbles within me as I practice some old skills. I creep behind him, staying just far enough away to maintain a visual but keep my sounds and movements to a minimum.

I follow for several minutes. Long enough, the sky begins to darken, and the surrounding forest fades to muted colors and shades of grey.

An orange glow forms ahead around Sven's silhouette and then disappears completely. Where did he go?

I move through the underbrush with care, not sure if he's discovered me or not. This could be a trap. As I draw nearer, a small archway comes into view—another permanent rune gate. This one appears ill-maintained, surrounded by brush, and overgrown with moss and mushrooms.

I turn back, searching for our trail, but the light is faint. Unfortunately, I also did a really good job of sneaking in and left most of the underbrush undisturbed.

A gust of wind chills me, and I pull my cloak tighter around myself. The trail behind the arch veers up towards higher ground, and I take it, hoping to find a better vantage point.

The air is different as I move into older parts of the forest. It's crisp and dry, and the smell of decaying leaves fills my nose. The crunch and swoosh of my boots through fallen leaves and thickets of underbrush is loud and is only occasionally drowned out by the pulse-like buzzing of the cicadas in the trees. Their loud call comes in waves and bounces through the trees like a warning to all creatures of the rapidly approaching winter season.

I pull my gloves from my pocket and put them on. Being from the South, this is the coldest temperature I've ever experienced, and I know it is only going to get colder up here. A part of me is dreading the unknown that comes with an actual winter season, but also, I really hope I get to see snow before we leave. I also wouldn't hate spending a little more time with August.

Just as my mind wanders back to really inappropriate places, the path widens into a clearing at the crest of the mountain. The breathtaking view brings me back to the present. Slightly to my right, the clearing ends at the edge of a cliff, and to my left, looking down the spine of the mountain, Selene Castle is nestled in the mountain. Warm light glows from the windows, and chimney smoke floats skyward from multiple stacks.

My gaze follows the castle to the other side of the mountain that it is tucked into, and I notice something very strange. On the backside of the mountain sits an almost mirror image of Selene Castle, also perched beautifully in the pines. I wonder if this is an actual second castle or if there is a part of the castle I haven't found yet that leads through the mountain to this other half. This castle is lit up as well and is clearly occupied, as guard rotations are faintly visible around the parapet.

I move closer to the edge of the cliff and am absolutely breathless. Nestled below in the valley of the mountain is an entire city surrounded by quilt-like farm plots and neat lines of orchard trees. I think I even see a couple of vineyards.

From up here, these fae seem so ordinary. This looks like a massive, beautiful human village I might want to visit at home. This is so much different than the dark, cryptic tales we were told as children about vampires. Maybe they're more like us than we realize, and if that is true, why doesn't August want to dissolve the laws separating humans and fae as Luc does?

A shadow passes across mine, and I jump back, pulling my dagger. A large brown horse chuffs at me and walks towards the edge of the cliff. His skin twitches and he pins his ears back when I reach out to touch him.

I notice the lack of saddle and other tack lines and assume he must be wild. I slowly lower my hand and take a non-threatening stance. "You're a pretty boy, aren't you?" He makes a small grunting sound and takes a few steps back away from the edge of the cliff. Without warning, he sprints to the edge and leaps forward.

I scream as my heart falls to my stomach, and I cover my mouth with both hands. I slowly walk to the edge and peer over, dreading what I might see. However, he's nowhere to be found. Just as I begin to doubt my sanity, a blur of movement catches my eye near the valley. He's flying.

"You have wings," I whisper to myself. He lands near one of the orchards, and in a small flash of light, his wings disappear completely.

Behind me, a raven calls three times, startling me. "Cirrus?" I ask the two ravens sitting in the tree. One of them flaps his wings and lets out a low croaky sound. "I got lost. I don't think I can make it back to the castle before dark. I'm going to start heading that way, though." I take a few steps towards a path that appears to lead towards the castle, but Cirrus flies down in front of me and flaps wildly in my face, cawing. He then flies down to a large boulder and perches. "Okay, I will wait here," I say, and he hops down, seemingly satisfied. He takes to the sky with his companion towards the castle, and I sit to wait.

Visibility rapidly decreases as daylight fades into evening. However, the city below blooms to life. One by one, buildings and roads light up with twinkling lights, and it's as if I were looking down into a pond reflecting the night sky.

My teeth chatter and a general sense of unease settles in my bones. I look around me into the woods and down the path. I'm so alone up here. The crickets chirp loudly, and an owl hoots overhead. Maybe I should head to the castle. Was that really Cirrus? How long have I been waiting?

And when did the crickets stop chirping? A chill runs up my spine, and I stand up. The hollow, dry sound of a snapped twig cuts through the air. I squint my eyes and peer into the woods, but it's too dark now, and shapes are indiscernible. I take a step back and call out, "Ciaran? This isn't funny." Maybe August told him to resume our training.

"You can't hide." It's a whisper on the wind, barely audible. My senses sharpen at the sound of the foreboding voice. I take another step back, closer to the cliff's edge. I'm trapped.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"I heard rumors of goddess blood within these borders," the voice responds, louder this time. I sense movement near an oak tree, and my eyes lock on the trunk. Four unnaturally long, bony fingers slowly pull back around the tree and out of sight. My heart beats rapidly, and I'm frozen in place. "My lord will be so pleased with me if I bring him your pretty little head." The voice is low and strained, as if they are shouting with a fist around their throat.

The figure glides out from behind the tree, ducking its massive, stone-like horns under one of the limbs. His eyes: I cannot look away from them. I'm like a moth to the literal flame, drawn to them.

Flames billow from the eye sockets and lick skyward, casting light across the creature's face and making it impossible to focus on any other parts of it.

He steps forward. The flames, I can't look away. I can't. . .

He chuckles. "Your fear is delicious." The flames intensify, flicking well above his head now.

He unhinges his jaw, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth, and I stumble back a step, knees growing weak. I tear my eyes from it and search wildly. I'm blind in the night after staring so long at his eyes. I'm going to die up here alone, and no one will find me.

My mind races between my fate with this creature and what may happen to me if I jump off this cliff to escape him. I back up towards the cliff, and my back bumps into something. August places his hand on my shoulder and sidesteps around me, sword in hand.

The creature lets out a low, reverberating growl unlike any I've heard before, and I hold in a scream. August steps between myself and the creature and advances upon it. The creature lifts into the air, floating above the ground, and pulls a long, curved blade from it's cloak. It swoops down to August, and they engage one another in swordplay.

The creature cackles loudly and swoops around August, heading straight toward me. August lets out a torrent of fire, engulfing the creature just as I feel my darkness pulling me into myself.

The heat of the flames warms my face and body, and I squint my eyes, blinded by the light. August swings his sword and lops the creature's head off with one clean slice.

I gaze upon his form before me. He looks like he jumped straight out of bed, wearing just linen pants and that damn black shirt.

"What are you doing out here?" He growls at me. "And alone! You could have been killed." He sheaths his sword and steps towards me, scowling.

I turn from him and face the cliff, balling my trembling hands into fists.

"You're so gods damned lucky. Razenna burst into my bedroom saying you're lost in the woods and was describing where you were. You're lucky I've been to this lookout before, or I wouldn't have been able to phase to you."

The realization of how close I was to death hits me harder, and I swallow hard. "If that thing would have killed me, wouldn't I just come back as you said?" I ask him.

He holds his hand out to me and pulls me in close. We phase back to my bedroom. My trembling intensifies, and I hold in a sob.

August tightens his grip around me and sighs. "You're safe now, Bronwyn. You're safe."

He holds me until my trembling stops, and I pull away.

The harshness around his eyes is gone. "That thing was a frygt," he says, "and yes, you would have likely come back, but you can't come back indefinitely. You have a refractory period. If you're killed again within that period, you won't come back. So, please be careful in the forest around here, and don't go out alone."