AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Scything.
How had something out of ancient legend come to my little corner of this miserable realm? How had a name whispered around the fire at night come to take me away to a place I’d only read about in books?
None of this seemed real.
“Three farms lie between here and Whitehall Castle.” I explained quickly. “And Grimsfell Wood, of course.” We traded a look. Howlers lived in that dense wood, a whole pack of them, and while I’d never seen one, a young female—like Ember—would feed the pack for a week.
“Avoid the Wood. It’ll take an extra day, but…”
“Look at you two.Making plans.”
Solok stepped into the barracks; his boots splattered with droplets of blood. He glared at Ember. “If I hadn’t promised to spare you, I would feed you to those Howlers myself. Or perhaps keep you as a treat for the road.” His eyes glowed in the darkness. “It is a long journey, and I am sure to get hungry.”
I reached out, took Em’s hand and tipped up my chin. “But youdidpromise. And such promises are considered a formal contract, the cost of violating such an oath is death.”
I didn’t know if this was true.
But the books I pilfered from Ravenshade’s library mentioned binding Fae promises, and I didn’t have anything else to use as leverage.
For a moment, I wondered if Solok would slay me where I stood. An insolent slave, setting down terms to the Fae King’s Right Hand,in the slave barracks, of all places. When The Axe lifted his lip and snarled, I only widened my stance.
I was tired of taking orders.
Tired of not having a choice.
“Not only that, she is not your messenger. She is coming with us.”By the Old Gods, please don’t let us be heading to our doom.“And not as a snack, as my companion.”
“You should really kill them both, brother.” The Mistress slithered in behind him, dark eyes glowing with the same unholy light as his. “Or better yet, allow me the pleasure of breaking the white haired one. She’s proven to be quite difficult.”
These two were brother and sister?I lost my breath.
Oh gods, seeing them together…yes. They were.
“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Solok asked softly, but the fire banked in his eyes, the longer he considered me.
“No, my orders are to bring her to the king unscathed. You want a companion, little thief; you shall have one.” His gaze hardened. “The slave is your responsibility. Bloodwood Forest is unforgiving and we do not have time for dead weight. If she falls behind, you will kill her. If she is injured and cannot travel, you will kill her. Those are the terms, do you accept?”
I squeezed Ember’s hand.It's not too late, I wanted to say.You should stay here.She squeezed back and raised her head higher.
“I accept your terms.” And just like that, my moment of being in control of my own life was over as Solok nodded to the Mistress. “See that they keep up. It’s a full day to the wall, and we killed four Howlers on the way here. I expect there will be more, now that they’ve scented fresh blood.”
Thin, cruel fingers stripped the scarf away and twisted my hair into a knot. “After the wall, it’s a four-day journey to Tempeste.” She hissed.
“If you want to live long enough to see the city, you will obey my every command and walk until your feet are raw.”
9
ANARIA
The forest swallowed up the lights of the castle the second we stepped into the thick trees, as if some unnatural darkness resided here. I’d never passed over the forest’s edge and from the way she trembled, neither had Ember.
We didn’t say a word.
I remained in the center of the soldiers, their heavy armor jostling me with every step, but at least something solid stood between us and the darkness that pressed in on all sides, the ravening eyes that watched from between the trees.
We walked—I limped—for the rest of that night and into morning, then afternoon, until, just like the Mistress had warned, my feet were bleeding.
We’d each only had an apple when we stopped at a small stream, where Solok gave us a hunk of bread and a canteen to share.
