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Twenty-Seven
Baine
Turning on to the road that led to the estate, my heart did an odd thump. It had been almost a week since I had left Farrow’s Gate. My traveling companion sat next to me on the bench, quietly, the bird soaring above us, the satchel of eggs on his lap. He’d been silent since we crossed through the barrier. Neither of us knew what to expect, and I assumed his decision to not come here quicker, pained him by the tightened brow and how he hadn’t made a joke since last night.
I’d been preparing myself for the worst.
As long as Rosalie lived, everything else could be fixed. I would not allow Lord Demious to wed her. He would not give her up easily and I was prepared to fight. Nothing would stop me from returning to her arms.
“How much longer,” Calvin asked, his tone matching his dark countenance.
“Once we crest this hill—”
I halted my horse, stopping us as my men raced up the hill on horseback, Marco in the lead. He pulled up alongside us.
“What’s happened?” I stood, ready to leap off the wagon.”
He took a sheath from around his neck and tossed me my twin swords. “The crone took her. You need to go now.”
“The crone? Why?”
“Demious is dead.”
Though I heard him say it, my mind couldn’t comprehend it. Demious dead? Impossible?
“Baine! Go to the tower, now. The crone is going to sacrifice her.”
“Is he talking about my sister?” Calvin’s gaze flared red. “Where is my sister?”
The horses neighed as Calvin’s fury manifested in licking flames off his hands.
“Stay here,” I ordered Marco. “We can handle the crone.”
Marco nodded and turned the horse around, whistling to the other men to follow.
With a slap of the reins, I urged the horse to race toward the tower.
“You need to start talking to me. What’s this crone and why does it want my sister?”
“There is a magical barrier surrounding Farrow’s Gate. It contains the wild magic. If the barrier falls, it will call every darkthing here and no one knows what the wild magic will do.”
“So why don’t we do whatever spell or ritual we need and keep it up?”
The firehawk cawed in the sky above us.
“It takes an immense amount of magical energy to energize the barrier. Lord Demious was unique in that his shadow magic was unparalleled. We need time to find a replacement. We have to kill the crone. It won’t let Rosalie go.”
“Great, save my sister and destroy the world. Fabulous life choices.” Calvin frowned and I shared his sentiment. “What’s the plan?”
“First we need to drop off the eggs. The crone will want to eat them if they’re in the Tower.”
Calvin’s eyes widened in horror, and he hugged the satchel closer to his chest.
“I have a friend who will help us.”
Enola would not approve of killing the crone. The creature spent its entire life in the tower, testing the magic in the surrounding lands, watching for anomalies and danger that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. It was impervious to magic, and hard to kill due to its size and thick coat. It was one thing to subdue a crone, another to end its pitiful existence.
Avoiding the fear and worry banging against my thoughts, I focused on heading to Moonlake and Enola’s cottage. We had one day before the next moon cycle. Enough time to rescue Rosalie, but not to save Farrow’s Gate.
