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“Can you walk?”
She nodded again.
“I’ll lead you out of the estate and help you get home. Are you from Lublad?” I gave her a tight smile after the girl offered another silent nod. There was no time for pleasantries, as I was already behind schedule. The estate was just on the other side ofthe forest from the city, and while it wouldn’t have taken long, it was more time than I had accounted for.
I should have been out of here by now.
I turned to walk away. “I just need to grab something before—” I stopped as she grabbed my forearm.
“They took me when I was asleep in my room. What’s to stop those bastards from doing it again?” Her voice shook, though she was trying to mask it. Her fear was understandable—even I would be shaken up after being taken from my bed and forced into another’s.
She had a good point, though. With the rising desperation for coin, thieves—of all kinds—had been getting bolder, selling their wares to the highest bidder without a care about the consequences. Not that there were many, anyway.
I glanced around the room, searching until my eyes landed on the glinting metal at the hip of the now-dead male. I walked over to his lifeless body, seeing blood trickling from beneath his untucked tunic and onto the exotic rug, soaking it in a crimson red with swirls of black from the poison. My boots squelched as I bent over and removed his sheathed dagger. I cringed at the mess I had caused—not from disgust. I just preferred to go unnoticed until I was well and far away.
I walked back over to the female. After getting a better look at her, I saw she was younger than I had initially thought. She looked to be in her late teens—barely older than a child, but not quite at thestayingage of twenty where our fae bodies seemed to stop aging. We didn’t stop, though; it was just that we aged at a much slower rate, making our lives ridiculously long. Having reached my staying age six summers ago, I didn’t look much older than her, but I already felt protective over the young female.
I held out the dagger. “Learn to wield this, and you will be the one to stop them.” My tone was firm yet warm. I desperatelywanted her to take it. The world was only getting more dangerous, and I didn’t have much longer to help those who needed it most. I needed her to learn to protect herself, but I kept my desperation from my expression.
Her mouth fell open, and she hesitated before taking the weapon. A slight sense of pride filled me as she studied the blade, testing it with her grip. After a few moments of silence, she glanced at me. I gave a slight nod as she straightened her spine, confidence written on her face and determination in those big brown eyes.
I walked back over to the dead bastard. His body had already begun withering to reflect his true age, and from the rapid rate of decomposition, I’d say he was at least in his third century. I fished through his blood-soaked clothing until I found a brass key tucked inside his jacket pocket.
Removing the key, I walked over to a wooden chest behind a chair next to the window. I jammed the key into the lock, opened the chest, and pulled out a dense object wrapped in thick cloth secured with a pin.
I beamed at the sight of the tome I had been tirelessly searching for these past few weeks. I quickly tucked the book underneath my cloak before returning to the female, who looked at me curiously. I didn’t answer her stare, though she was clearly wondering why her savior was stealing from a thief. If she understood who I was, she’d fear me just as much as the others.
“Let’s go.” I motioned to the open doorway.
We left the room and entered the long, windowless hallway heading toward the south side of the estate.
“I think that’s the way out,” she whispered, pointing in the opposite direction. “That’s where I was brought in.”
I murmured over my shoulder, “Two guards are on the north side. I’d rather prevent more bloodshed.” I continued walking, knowing she was following from the vibration of her steps.
“How do you know? I didn’t see anyone there earlier, and that was just shortly before you showed up.”
“I didn’tseethem either. I felt them. But trust me, they’re there.” It wasn’t the time to explain.
“Felt them…” she mumbled, pondering to herself. “You have…terbisabilities?” She sounded surprised, which she shouldn’t be. Elemental magic of ground wielding wasn’t uncommon. Although having the finely honed skill to feel vibrations through terra, like rock and dirt, was. I turned my head and gave a quick nod, then put a finger to my closed lips.
We continued down the damp, dimly lit hallway until we came to an exterior door leading to the grounds outside.The estate was massive and not too far outside the city, but it was secluded enough that whatever went on inside was unknown to others.
I stopped at the door, and the female went to open it. I blocked her with my arm, then closed my eyes and bent down to place my now-ungloved hand on the stone floor. My bare skin was more sensitive to the vibrations. Once I was sure I didn’t feel anyone near the door outside, I stood back up, placed my mask over my face and opened the door. Peeking my head out into the darkness, I glanced around, double-checking that no one was near where I couldn’t feel. I flicked my head from the female to the tree line beyond, not waiting for her acknowledgment before I sprinted toward the forest.
I needed to get far away from here, and fast—it wouldn’t take long for someone to find the male. The Onyx Kiss delivered by arrow was a signature only associated with the Roav on the rare occasionsIused it, and I’d rather not have a hunting party after me until I was long gone.
Once we were far enough into the trees to keep from being seen, I slowed to a walk and allowed her to catch up, thankfulfor the fresh, crisp air compared to the stuffy, damp atmosphere of the estate.
I was no stranger to the forest, as I had navigated through it several times to stalk my targets. The trees weren’t very dense here, so I could see the ground well enough with themoonslight—though I didn’t need to rely on my eyesight. I couldn’t say the same for my attendant, though.
With my terbis abilities, I could feel exactly where things were. I could feel where the trunks sprouted from the ground, the lurking creatures of the forest, and, in the distance, the city’s buildings. I didn’t know how others managed to rely on sight alone—I would feel blind if I couldn’tseethrough the ground. I shuddered at the thought of losing half my senses. Though I knew it would happen eventually.
We would reach the city’s edge in under an hour at this rate. I picked up the pace, eager to get back on schedule. I reveled in the quiet, closed my eyes briefly, and deeply inhaled the calming scent of the forest. We walked for a few more minutes in blissful silence before she spoke, her voice coming out in a rushed whisper.
“I’m Sora, by the way. I wanted to thank you. For before, I mean. With…you know. Him.” She stumbled on her words. “I’m sure that wasn’t easy.” Sora’s voice turned somber.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It wasn’t difficult.”
