Page 28 of Witch’s Heart

“Fiona planned for the worst, in case the council’s ruling wasn’t favorable. She had a bag already packed for you.” He motioned to the one he’d been carrying. “It’s enough food to comfortably sustain one person for a week. We’ll have to make it last between us. We can’t afford to stop off, not if we’re being pursued by Skye’s people.”

“Maybe the demons finished them off,” said Anne, sounding particularly gleeful.

“I doubt it.” Though it was a nice thought. “Not a group of trained council witches, especially not if their wielders were with them.”

“What about more demons?” Anne’s head tilted to the side. “If you can communicate with them.”

“I’ll do what I can. If we come across any more, I’ll try to direct them as I can.”

We set off, Jarrow taking the lead. I relied on the sun until we found a road. It eventually led to a small settlement, its Nebrine walls a welcome sight. We bypassed it.

Herrin was quiet. There wasn’t much time to talk, anyway. But I could feel the death of Fiona pressing in around him and it made my heart ache.

Two days into our journey, Viktor swore he could see a plume of dust far behind us. We didn’t slow to see if it was our pursuers. Our rests were short, two hours here, four hours there. Just enough to feed the horses and squeeze in a nap.

I usually found myself pacing, restless energy caged inside me. The others mirrored my behavior. I watched with envy as Herrin, Ronan, and Viktor went through various movements to ease their sore muscles. I don’t know why I never joined them. I’d already told them about the darkness within me, but this was my stick in the mud?

Herrin must have sensed my struggle because on the third day, he demanded we spar. “No use in keeping more secrets at this point,” he said. “Come now, you still have those blades I got you?”

“What’s he talking about?” Elianna nudged me. We were sitting together, having just finished off a small portion of rations.

“No idea.”

“She’s lying,” said Anne, smirking. “I can see it in her expression.”

“All right, fine.” I came to my feet and walked over. The others regarded me curiously. It wasn’t until I reached behind me, freeing the invisible dual blades at my back, that I heard their gasps.

Herrin’s eyes gleamed. It was the first time in days I’d seen this expression on his face. Now I wished we’d done this sooner. “You’ll heal me if you draw blood?”

“Of course,” I said.

We circled. When he lunged, I welcomed the exertion, pulling movements from memory like they were a part of me. Xastor Chases a Cat. Akonn Crests the Hill. I was perspiring by the time we called it quits. Only then did I take in the shocked expressions of my companions, the wielders especially.

Herrin didn’t give them time to ask questions, ordering that we mount up and get going.

At the dawn of the fourth day, we crossed paths with a mixed pack of demons. I was more explicit with my orders, including the foresight to delegate a scout, this one a Trong. It returned to me hours later. While I couldn’t speak directly with it, couldn’t hope to understand its clicking sounds, I knew what its return meant. I had told it to hang back and return only if its comrades died.

Desiring little to travel with a demon, I snared it and freed one of my blades, beheading it in a clean sweep. For the first time in my life, I felt a thimble of guilt over using a creature in such a way. Was it because of my interaction with the princep? Because I knew that princes of hell, at least, could communicate in some manner?

“Given the amount of time it took to reach our pursuers and return,” said Herrin, “I think we have a good chance of outrunning them. We should reach the capital by nightfall. After that, short of breaking down the city walls, we’ll have won—for now.”

I found little relief in that.

My body ached, despite my ability to heal. Sitting so many hours in the saddle was a drain. I used much of my magic to replenish the horses and set wards whenever we stopped. It was obvious that my well was much deeper than Anne and Elianna’s. They didn’t ask about this other magic flowing through my veins.

I was relieved they hadn’t shunned me. They still acted friendly, but that could have been a ruse. It was difficult to ask questions I was afraid to hear the answers to, especially in the presence of others. There were things I wanted to say to Herrin, too, but I was too much of a coward.

Instead, I spent all those hours in the saddle thinking about Rixon. I thought of all the ways I’d apologize. All the ways I’d tell him I loved him—show him I loved him. It wasn’t until I crested a hill and saw the smudge of Corinna in the distance that I realized I would be able to. Then, I used Jarrow’s last burst of energy to reach its gates.

Chapter 10

Rixon

A fist pounded on Rixon’s door, making him growl. He’d only just returned from dinner. Nearly two hours of entertaining courtiers, enough to make him consider gouging his eyes out with the fire poker on the hearth. “What the fuck?!” he demanded, swinging the door wide, only to find Andrei panting and clutching his side.

“It’s…your lady witch…Sire.”

Rixon’s muscles tensed. Had a missive finally come? His question was short-lived as Andrei proceeded to word vomit a near unintelligible explanation about a witch pursuit, needing to close the city gates, the call for additional city guards, and the return of his lady witch. When he’d heard enough, he pushed past the man.