Page 63 of Memory of Ashes

He turned towards the sound of the approaching footsteps that disturbed his peace. Ruven strolled over with that daft grin he wore. “Beautiful day,” he said in greeting. “It’s a shame I’m about to ruin it for you.”

Casyl rolled his eyes towards the sky. “What now?”

“Your presence is required by the king.”

“Did he say what for?”

“No, just that he needed you right away.”

His jaw clenched.

The king sat waiting in the hall.

“What is it?” Casyl asked.

The king’s eyes were alight with energy. “We’ve had word from one of our sources that a human has entered our lands.” He paused. “A descendant,” he whispered to himself. “You know what that means.”

“How?” Casyl asked. Was this real? It was unheard of. No one had seen a human for centuries.

“A hunting party picked them up near Alarrdrassyl. They’re being transported to the High City this afternoon. Take some men with you and intercept them.” The king was animated. “Oh, and Eleandor is travelling with them. Bring him back with you. Unharmed.”

Casyl turned from the hall and called for his men, glad to be leaving. If they moved quickly, they could intercept the carriage before it neared the High City.

As they waited in ambush, the sound of hooves grew closer. When the carriage rounded the bend, Ruven raised his blowpipe and fired darts at two of the mounted guards. The guards fell from their mounts as the horses reared, bringing the carriage to a screeching halt.

One of Casyl’s men rushed to secure Eleandor’s horse before it bolted. The carriage door flew open, and someone stumbled out. Ruven fired another dart, hitting him in the neck. He fell to the ground face-first.

Casyl headed for the carriage when a figure burst out from the other side and dashed into the trees.

“Curses.”

Casyl ran, following them into the forest.

Letting this human escape was not an option. He’d have to stay out here until he’d found them, regardless of the creatures that lurked in the forest.

Three of his men caught up with him.

“Spread out,” he said quietly. “They can’t have gone far.”

A movement caught his attention in the bushes. The whites of eyes stared up at him.

“Found you,” he said, remembering that humans spoke the old tongue. “Come out before I cut you out.”

They crawled out from under the bush before him.

He gaped. The human was female.

He hadn’t seen a human woman in a long time.

She was small compared to him, and her long bronze hair, was now tangled with leaves.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to his men approaching. Ruven probably wondered what was taking them so long.

He caught the woman’s head between his hands as she turned, ready to bolt again, and he summoned his power. The tendrils of magic obeyed and rendered her unconscious through a quick blast of pain.

He picked her up and carried her back to the road, where some of his men waited with the horses and Eleandor.

“I didn’t realise it would be a female human,” Ruven said. The men couldn’t take their eyes off her. Most of their men hadn’t ever seen a human, never mind a female one.