Page 64 of Memory of Ashes

“Neither did I,” Casyl replied.

He wondered if his father knew. It would be like him to leave out information like that.

He positioned her on the horse in front of him, holding her with one arm and the reins of his horse with the other. She’d hopefully stay unconscious until they arrived back at the fort. He didn’t know how long his power would work on her. He’d never used it on a human before. Her head slumped to the side. It would ache when she awoke.

They galloped hard out of the dangerous territory and slowed only when the thinning greenery marked their return to the Wildlands.

He couldn’t remember a time before the curse. His antlers twinged at the thought.

What had they done to earn the title of God-cursed? Only a few were old enough to remember, but they didn’t speak of it.

“What will he do with her?” Ruven asked, jolting him from his thoughts.

Casyl didn’t reply. He didn’t know for sure, but it wouldn’t be good.

It was night when they returned to the fortress. After carrying her directly to one of the cells, Casyl entered the hall.

The king, who had been dozing in his chair with a goblet of wine, sat up, suddenly alert. “Well?”

Casyl nodded. “We have her.”

“Her? It’s a female?” the king asked. “Bring her to me.”

“She’s out cold. I’ve taken her to one of the cells. I’ll question her in the morning when it wears off.”

“We need to know where she came from and how she got here. No human has ever breached our lands. If she found her way here, then we can find our way there, or she can show us,” the king replied. “Where’s Eleandor, anyway? I need to speak with him. It’s been too long.”

Casyl left, passing Eleandor as he was brought in. He checked on the human before trying to sleep. She was still unconscious, and he hoped he hadn’t caused irreversible harm.

From what he remembered, humans were feeble compared to his race. They were smaller in stature, with no powers of their own. He doubted they’d be able to take much pain, which was why it had been so easy to knock her out.

He walked into the cell and watched her breathe as she slept, checking that she was still alive.

Satisfied, he sought his bed.

A human in their land changed everything. She shouldn’t be here. He knew from that moment that she was going to make his life more difficult. His father would not be deterred now.

At sunrise, Casyl went straight to her cell.

He let out his breath when he saw she was still alive, standing by the barred window.

She was uncooperative, and he was quickly losing control of the situation. Perhaps if he gave her a taste of what he could do, she’d give him the information he needed to appease his father, and he could save a lot of time.

It would have been easier if she had been a man.

He placed a finger against her temple. His power rose within him, obeying, threading through his veins. He sent a sliver of it towards her, carefully shaping it.

Humans were fragile. He only needed to use enough to bend her, not to break her.

The heavy, suffocating guilt tightened his chest. The act of using magic on a human felt like a profound defilement of something so fragile.

His power suddenly waned, almost disappearing. He frowned and pushed harder. It flickered, then thinned like wind rippling through his fingers.

A sensation of vertigo washed over him, leaving him numb.

What in the gods’ name just happened?

He stepped back and looked at her. Her face mirrored his confusion.