Page 1 of Witch’s Ruin

Chapter 1

Mina

The wilderness of Raeria was a desolate place, with few travelers brave enough to strike out on their own. One could go days without seeing another face, making it quite lonely, unless of course, your traveling companion was Rixon Kozma. Or, Prince Aleksander Rixon Kozma, heir to the Raeriain throne, to be precise. Then you were guaranteed a silent, solid presence by your side, ready to wield a blade at the first sight of gnarled, black skin, or sharp, gnashing teeth.

Demons had made our country this way, sending Raeria’s inhabitants cowering behind the safety of towering Nebrine walls. Cut off from friends and family. Relying on the brave souls of trading caravans to bring much needed supplies.

Crack!

A book snapped closed. My charcoal pencil skidded, putting a dark line across my sketch. Rixon considered finishing a book this big, monumental thing; it was his way of applauding. I lifted my gaze, pinning my wielder with a glare, ignoring the small frown on his lips. “Finished it, have you?” He merely grunted. “Well? Was it indeed Carrick?”

“Not even close,” he grumbled. “It was Maybell Warren. The healer.”

I burst into laughter, far too pleased with myself. “You’re awful, you know that? I told you she was more suspicious. But noooo, you wouldn’t—”

“Enough, Lady Witch,” he barked, throwing me an affectionate look that didn’t match his exasperation. “I understand that despite my prolific reading, I still get duped.”

I grinned—couldn’t help it. “It’s a good thing, no? Think of how boring your mysteries would be if you always managed to guess the culprit.”

“I guess them correctly plenty,” he grumbled, turning away, letting his gaze dart around the landscape that spread out and away from our lonely road.

“Uh-huh. Well then, how boring. You might have to switch to romances instead. Heaven forbid! I’d be happy to loan you a few of mine?”

He scoffed, rummaging in his saddlepack as he tucked the book away. It was his last. But our journey was nearly at an end.

Twelve days in the wilderness, with a few scattered nights spent sleeping in an actual bed. We were closing in on the capital, Corinna. I glanced down at my sketch—a rendition of the winged demon haunting my dreams—stowed the pencil, and closed my journal, wrapping the ties tight before putting it away. My hands were suddenly too shaky to continue anyway. Just the mere thought of our arrival left my mouth dry.

A quick glance at Rixon showed him sitting rigid, his watchful gaze in constant motion. We’d grown lax during our journey. In the past, he never would’ve spent time in the saddle reading. But my abilities to sense demons had grown, and there hadn’t been a single unexpected surprise. He’d taken to reading several times a day, the same way I resorted to sketching. It made our time move faster. It also kept his mind off our destination.

A loud exhale made me glance at him again. I urged Jarrow closer, guiding him with my reins, even though my horse seemed to read my mind. He was an Akeron, a rare but prized breed. Frighteningly fast, perfectly built for strength, speed, endurance, and just plain beautiful with his sleek, black coat. I had known him since he’d breathed his first breath, and dreaded the day when he would breathe his last.

“Are you all right?” I asked Rixon, my voice low, all the teasing bite gone.

He looked at me, expression blank. “Fine, Lady Witch, as I was the last time you asked, and the time before that.”

Lady Witch. He still used my title frequently, both in public and private. But only he could say it with a tone that was equal parts respect and affection. An endearment.

“Rix...”

He said nothing. I pressed my lips together, trying to ignore the guilt needling my insides. In the weeks after we’d closed the rift outside Rockfall, he’d been so different. Still on the quiet side, certainly, but far more talkative. That changed the moment I received our new assignment. He’d retreated into himself, uprooting the groundwork I had laid.

“We’ll make this quick,” I promised him now. “We’ll do what we need to do, and get out. I don’t want either of us in your father’s grasp longer than necessary.”

His jaw ticked “Of course.”

“I’m serious, Rix. Your father cannot have you.”

“As you say, Lady Witch.”

I withheld my scoff. “I…I need you to trust me in this, Rixon.”

There was a long silence and then, “I do, Mina.”

My shoulders relaxed, but not entirely. I knew exactly how he felt about this. There hadn’t been much choice, really. The Citadel had sent our next assignment after hearing of our success. The details surrounding how the rift had gotten there were nebulous enough; I certainly had my suspicions. At least in closing it, the number of demons plaguing the kingdom had decreased. They were no longer spilling out of the tear in the earth like a ruptured sore.

And yet, I couldn’t help the uncomfortable itch in my chest, that Rixon blamed me for what we were about to endure. That he blamed me for bringing him back to the one place he’d avoided for nearly two decades. The one place he’d promised to steer clear of.

I knew how much he was dreading this.