Page 13 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

I gave him a clipped smile. “I have a coin purse of silver to pay for shelter and food if you can help me find cheap accommodations for us. Hopefully, we will only need to stay a night or two before the scholars can figure out how to get us back.”

“Oh, nonsense! You are to be guests of the crown and stay at the castle with all the amenities you will need,” Gabriel responded, holding some brush back for Cora and me to pass. “Did I mention that I am the brother of King Torrish?”

I snapped my head to look up at Gabriel, who looked pleased with himself. He was the brother of a king whom he was taking us to meet, and I was disheveled, dirty, and sure I had a constant look of bewilderment plastered on my face. Coming from a noble family, my upbringing on how to interact with other nobility slid into place, and I assessed how Cora and I looked.

My hair, frizzy and knotted, wildly framed my face. Cora looked worse for wear. Her curls were a tangled mess with smudges of dirt on her face mixed in with dried salt paths from her tears. I should’ve spotted that Gabriel was a noble from the moment the adrenaline left my body and I was able to think straight. I’m sure the king would wonder what hole he dug us out of.

I knew what to expect out of human nobility, however vile it may be. I could play their games and understand the way their minds worked. But I was out of my element with the seraphs, and I hoped I could navigate their rules and customs with the same ease as I did my own. I would abide by whatever formalities were required of me to attain the help we needed.

Cora’s face lit up. “We get to stay in a castle? My friends are never going to believe this,” she said as she bounced on her toes, smiling widely.

Gabriel deeply chuckled. “We should arrive at the castle by nightfall. For now, we will meet with my group of scouts and get you something to eat before heading to Aquila City.”

At the mere mention of food, my stomach grumbled. “We probably haven’t had any substantial food in a while.”

He pulled back the branch of a sapling to let us pass and met my eyes. “I thank Themis that I found you two when I did. There are many dangers in this wood, as you well experienced.”

His words brought my mind back to the dryad and the encounter. “The dryad that attacked us, what kind of enchant did he have to make the plants wind around us and hold us down?”

Gabriel’s eyes darkened, his face grim. “Dryads are unpredictable and violent.” He practically sneered. “They do not often leave the forests and have elemental enchants. They manipulate the earth, air, water, and even fire to their will. Dryads cannot conjure these things, though. It must already be present. That is what makes them so dangerous, especially in the woods. These forests are forbidden to enter, and they will take every opportunity to harm or capture anyone who enters without their permission.”

“You have permission?” Cora asked, looking up at Gabriel as they walked side by side.

Gabriel lifted one eyebrow and smirked, looking down at Cora’s wide, innocent eyes. “I represent my brother, King Torrish. I don’t operate on permissions,” he said with a wink.

“Oh.” Cora grew quiet, scanning the forest again.

Questions shuffled endlessly through my mind. “Do you have other magic…er, enchants…besides healing people?”

“I do,” he said, reserved. Gabriel kept us moving while his eyes constantly scanned the forest for potential threats. “But we are private about our individual abilities. Almost everyone has healing abilities for themselves and others. Most can shield to protect against other enchants being used on them, but the power and ability of that enchant differ with everyone, and as such, shields can be broken. Additionally, almost everyone has at least one enchant beyond healing and shielding, and they all vary. Some are physical powers or what we call active enchants, and others are mental powers or passive enchants.”

“You said at least one enchant. Do some have more than one?”

“Yes. More powerful enchant wielders will have more than one. I have two.”

I desperately wanted to know what Gabriel could do, but I wouldn’t invade his privacy and ask. He offered nothing further on the subject, intently focused on cutting a path through the forest and watching for danger. His solemn demeanor effectively conveyed that he wasn’t willing to speak more on the subject. My unending questions would have to wait.

I silently giggled to myself at how Clotha must’ve been in a creative mood with how she was weaving this path that lay before me. Prior to leaving the apothecary, I prayed for her to weave a path so that we wouldn’t end up at the mercy of my mother. She had done just that, but it wasn’t lost on me that I was running from one aristocratic system only to end up at the mercy of another.

True to Gabriel’s word, we only walked a few more minutes before the trees and plant life thinned and the light became brighter. The eerie pulsing of the barrier wall was left far behind, and to my relief, I felt like I could finally take a full breath. Wafts of fragrant food carried to us on a light breeze as we approached a clearing with people and tents around a dim fire.

Cora came to my side and grabbed my hand. Apprehension colored her face, and she leaned into me as we approached the campsite with Gabriel in the lead.

In the clearing stood a group of five, four men and one woman, all dressed in leathers with various weapons strapped to their bodies. They were imposing, with strong builds that were clearly formed from years of training. Beneath my intimidation, I was hesitantly impressed. The woman and two of the men stood by the fire, animatedly chatting and laughing, while the other two stood on either side of the encampment, facing outward to scan the area and keep watch.

As we left the tree line, a man with short blond hair immediately tracked our movement and put his hand on a dagger. Recognition appeared in his eyes, his posture eased, and he greeted us with a smile, hands resting on his hips.

“Your reaction time is slowing, old man,” Gabriel joked. “I could’ve taken you out with a throw of my dagger fifty feet ago.”

The two men locked arms in a warm greeting.

“I could hear you stomping around the woods three miles back. I wasn’t worried,” the blond man teased with a beaming smile.

Cora and I lingered behind Gabriel. The rest of the seraphs moved to the blond man’s side and stared directly at us. Cora leaned further into me, my arm wrapped protectively around her. They looked at us like they were seeing a mythological creature. Awe and wariness.

“Rory. Cora. These fine folk are my most trusted soldiers.” Gabriel gestured to the five imposing figures gawking at us. He stepped back to our side, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “This is my second in command, Dolus.” He pointed to the blond man. Dolus raised his hand in greeting, his pale blue eyes assessing us.

“Everyone, this is Rory and Cora. They were attacked in the woods by a dryad. Thankfully, I heard the commotion before any permanent harm was done.” Gabriel paused, his eyes pulled to mine and back to his cadre. “They accidentally crossed the threshing wall from the human side,” he said with a calm voice. All eyes locked in on us, their faces a mixture of surprise and interest.