AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tears well in my eyes, and emotion clogs my throat. Merlin leans back and raises his staff. “Perhaps you need to see for yourself. You have been outside of the real world for far too long.” He sweeps his staff in front of him in an arc, and the air shimmers before images begin to play. I cover my mouth with a trembling hand as I watch the black poison seep into the ground. The earth cries out as it crumbles and perishes. The picture fades into another, this time, hordes of ravens blacken the skies, terrifying the citizens. The dead are left to rot where they lie, while others, their eyes black and unseeing, wander like zombies. The pictures change, over and over, each worse than the last. Starving children attack travelers for food. Husbands, full of grief and despair, kill their families before the queen’s magic can take hold of them. Plants, trees, and crops wither and die, the once verdant valleys and lush countryside nothing but a barren wasteland.
Tears pour down my cheeks as the magic fades, taking the horrific pictures with it. “I didn’t know,” I whisper shamefully. Cassian and the Valkyries had told me what was happening, but seeing it is different than hearing about it.And you were whining about having a sore ass, I admonish myself. Wiping the tears away, I feel determination settle on my shoulders. Straightening my back, I meet Merlin’s eyes. “What do I need to do?”
Merlin offers a small smile in return. “What your people need most is hope. They need to see you, to know you’re on their side. We need word to spread of your return, and we need to reawaken their desire to fight for the kingdom.” He raises a brow and tilts his head. “And we can’t do that if I ‘magic us to the palace.’”
Merlin’s words have stayed with me, and I replay them often. Nothing worth having comes free. If I want to defeat Morana, restore order to my kingdom, and take the crown, I’ll need to work for it.
It has been three weeks since that night, and we have yet to come across another living soul. Monarch Glen is hundreds of miles long and still untouched by Morana’s magic. We passed the little village the Valkyries used to trade with a week and a half ago. It was abandoned.
Cassian’s arm appears in my periphery, holding out a water flask. I take it gratefully and sip the cool liquid, my parched throat grateful for the relief. His fingers slide over mine when I hand it back, and my heart warms. Even though his shoulders are slightly bowed with weariness and lines carve his forehead, he still looks handsome. He rides Fire Heart with ease, one hand loosely holding the reins while the other rests on his thigh. His hair has grown down to his shoulders, and his beard needs a trim. I remind myself to offer to help with his grooming.
He glances over, catching me watching him, and winks. One day, my cheeks will stop flaming when he looks at me with heat in his eyes, but unfortunately, that day isn’t today. We have been too tired each evening to do anything more but fall into bed in an exhausted heap, but now that my body has learned about pleasure and orgasms, it craves more. I have an excellent imagination, and during the long days of travel, I have found myself conjuring up all sorts of scandalous scenarios. Wondering what Cass might say if I asked him to bind my hands, or to take me up against a tree.
Or if, perhaps, he might chase me through the forest and claim me.
When these thoughts come, I wonder at myself. Surely, after what my father did to me, I should recoil from such ideas. Why, then, do they appeal to me so? Why does the thought of Cass claiming me make my core clench and stomach fill with heat? Many days I have pondered this in silence, ignoring Cassian’s questioning looks as I ride beside him.
Perhaps my past does not define who I am now. Yes, my experiences have shaped me. Good ones, bad ones, terrifying ones, joyous ones. Each incident has carved itself into my soul, shaping me into the woman I have become and setting me on the path I now walk. But I do not need to cower before the memories of what was done to me. By accepting who I am, what I want, and giving in to my desires, I can take back the power they tried to steal from me.
No one but me can destroy my light. They might try. They might even dim it a little. But never will I give my enemies the power to destroy me through their evil acts.
Cassian reaches over and takes my hand, giving my fingers a squeeze. He knows me so well, always providing what I need. I squeeze back and return my attention to the path before us. Morana may know we are on our way to confront her—but she won’t be expecting the two of us. We’re not the same people that left the palace, we are so much more.
Whenthesunbeginsits decline, we decide to stop for the night in a tiny clearing at the edge of a brook. I’ve gotten better at riding over the weeks and my muscles have acclimated to the use. The blisters on my hands have disappeared, replaced by thickened skin that no longer feels the pain of either reins or bow. I once might have lamented over the loss of soft hands, but now there is satisfaction in knowing I might yield weapons and reins alike without fear of pain.
Cassian and I work together to unsaddle and brush down the horses. While he rides his black stallion, I’ve been riding his opposite—a gorgeous pure white mare by the name of Zohar. The two horses have an affinity for each other and travel well together. “Don’t you let Fire Heart get you with foal,” I murmur in her ear as I stroke the brush down her neck. “At least not until this is all over.”
Cass chuckles and claps his horse on the rump. “Hear that, boy? No shenanigans from you.” I meet his sparkling gaze over the back of the horse and grin at him. No shenanigans indeed.
After turning the horses out to graze as they will, we turn to find two tents set up. Both are forest green in color to blend into our surroundings. Merlin’s tent is plainer, while ours sports a banner that snaps merrily in the breeze. It carries my family’s crest on it, an ornately decorated shield behind a rearing unicorn.
The tents are the best thing about traveling. I’m not sure how I would have coped without Merlin along to provide this luxury. Inside the spacious tent, thick rugs line the floor, adding warmth underfoot. A large mattress rests upon the rugs, piled high with feather pillows and quilts. A dark wooden dresser holds a few changes of clothes, which go in dirty each night, and come out clean each morning. On top of the dresser sits a pitcher of water and a large bowl containing sudsy water that remains clean and warm no matter how many times we use it. It doesn’t compensate for a bath, but we have rivers and lakes for that. I’m not sure what we’ll do when it gets too cold to utilize them, but I’m sure Merlin will be able to magic up a tub.
After we’ve eaten and retired for the evening, I gesture for Cassian to sit on the floor next to the bed. He narrows his eyes playfully. “What are you doing?”
Grabbing the bowl off the dresser, I walk carefully over to him, setting it on the floor. “Sit,” I command in my haughtiest voice, pointing to the rug. He heaves a long-suffering sigh, then sits while I get the comb, cloth, and scissors I readied earlier. Kneeling in front of him, I dip the cloth in the water and wring it out. He watches me quietly, one brow raised. “You always take care of me. It’s my turn.”
I gently wipe the cloth over his face, washing away the dirt of the day. His eyes search mine as I do, and he swallows thickly. Biting my lip, I concentrate on cleansing his face, then move the cloth around the back of his neck before washing the front. Dropping it back in the bowl, I pick up the scissors and trim his beard, smoothing my fingertips over his cheek.
The only sound is our breathing and the steady chirp of a cricket nearby. The candles placed around the tent give off a delicate glow, projecting flickering shadows on the thin walls. It feels intensely intimate, almost more so than when we had sex.
Bringing myself to my feet, I place a hand on his shoulder and sit on the edge of the bed behind him. Setting the bowl on my lap, I gently tug on his hair, making him tilt his head back. My fingers dig into his scalp as I wash his hair, and he groans deep in his chest. He closes his beautiful eyes, his thick lashes casting shadows on his cheeks.
I trace my gaze over his face, blinking back a sudden onslaught of tears. Lowering my head, I let them fall into the bowl, then dash them away. When I’m finished washing his hair, I squeeze it out and dry it with a towel, then work out the tangles with the comb until it’s gleaming. I deftly pleat his hair into war braids, my breath catching in my throat at his good looks. Leaning forward, I wrap my arms around his chest, holding on to the one constant in my life.
This man undoes me. He never deserved the anger I threw at him, but he took it anyway. He shouldered that burden while also carrying his own guilt. He spent years training and learning, helping me in the only way he could. Since he’s been back, he’s done nothing but support me and cheer me on, was there for me even when I was horrid to him.
I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve him and I’m not entirely sure I do. But by the gods, I will love him with all that I am and hope it’s enough.
Chapter 26
Snow White
Wakeup,mate.The deep voice washes over me, pulling me from my dreams. I snuggle into the warm furry blankets with a sigh, determined to sleep five more minutes.
Snow.
The furry blanket presses against my side and consciousness comes roaring to the forefront. Shrieking, I throw myself to the left and promptly fall off the bed in a tangle of sheets and pillows.
