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Chapter 13
The next couple of weeks were like one long breath of relief. There was still a little lingering awkwardness between myself and my mates, as we all tried to work out just how to navigate this new alliance, but the heavy sense of animosity was gone now that we were all at least willing to try to understand one another. There were a million things to do, and it felt like my attention was always being pulled in too many directions at once, but it was a relief to know that I didn't have to shoulder the burdens alone.
On top of all the usual ongoing things that needed the steward's attention, there were also all the additional preparations that went into ensuring that Larkwood was ready for the influx of people and business that would come our way the moment the mountain pass was completed—and that time drew closer and closer with a speed that I wasn't prepared for. New buildings were going up in Mistvale and throughout the territory. The royal work crews were doing maintenance and upgrades on the main roads throughout the territory, which were sure to see more use soon. We re-allotted resources. Meetings with town officials and planners and construction crews were a constant occurrence. And messages flew back and forth between the Northbower estate and the palace in Astra, carried by winged messengers of all sorts, and sped along with highborn magic.
For their part, my mates no longer waited in the background for me to give them orders. They stopped acting like they expected me to treat them like servants and instead started behaving more like equals. When a problem arose, they stepped in and spoke up, offering solutions or ideas, or simply providing an extra set of hands to get the work done. I saw now why the king and queen had insisted on my taking multiple mates. And I saw how naïve I had been to think I could ever run Larkwood on my own once it grew.
Generally speaking, things were coming together nicely. The expansion of Larkwood would benefit everyone involved, and I was happy to share my territory with the rest of Elfhaven as their interest in our far corner of the kingdom grew. However, there were setbacks. Seemingly minor and unrelated issues that arose more frequently than I had anticipated. And they were escalating.
The milliner's shop caught fire. The blaze would have taken out the entire row of businesses on that street if Bach hadn't been nearby to speed the suppression efforts and funnel extra water from the river using his water affinity.
Then there was an issue with the trolls. We occasionally traded with one relatively tame clan of trolls. And a miscommunication suddenly put a small village at the border of Larkwood and Trollheim in danger of being attacked when things spiraled out of control. But luckily, Mirri had been at hand that day to point out that the fae involved had mis-translated a few key phrases in a letter to the troll chieftain. The merchant involved on our side had apparently fallen ill and his apprentice wasn't as fluent in the language as he thought he was, so had inadvertently threatened the chieftain's mother. Mirri helped smooth things out by using his heretofore trivial knowledge of troll customs to explain, apologize, and avoid a conflict.
A few days later, one of the mineshafts became infected with a toxic mold that sent a dozen workers to the healer. The toxin was rare, and our local healers had been a bit baffled, but Fife and Adder swooped in to help. Fife's involvement was no surprise, since he was a cleric with healing skills and spent a lot of time collecting plant specimens to use for his various spells. But Adder surprised me, reminding me yet again that I needed to get to know my mates better. Apparently, the stoic silver-haired male had an affinity for potions—and some very specific knowledge of poisons and their antidotes that came in useful in this situation. It made sense, given his distinctly viper-like attributes. But still, it came as a surprise to me, when it really shouldn't have.
There was also the weird incident with the hydra on our journey from Astra to Larkwood. The royal guard and one of the palace's high magic users with an affinity for animals had relocated the beast. But they were still investigating how it had ended up in the shallow river crossing to begin with.
When several farmers came to us a week after the troll incident, reporting that their crops had suddenly failed, gone sickly and dying from some sort of unidentifiable malaise, I finally had to admit that something was amiss. Fife insisted on investigating the matter himself. And when I raised concerns about how often I was calling on his magic lately, he stopped me mid-apology.
"I know things are still a bit strange between all of us," he told me, all masks gone and nothing but beautiful sincerity in his eyes. "I admit that though I’m willing to risk my own heart, I'm still protective of the others. I don't want to see them wounded again. But I see who you are and how you care for your people. Regardless of how anything turns out with our relationship, I want to help you help the people of Larkwood, Kat. My magic is at your disposal—at least until our year is up."
The reminder of the timeframe I had set for them was like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. Since we had all started working together so much better, the addendum I had added to our bonding contract had slipped my mind. Raven team had agreed to bond with me and become co-stewards of Larkwood, but only for one year. After that, they were free to dissolve the bond and move on with their lives. It was my way of trying to ease the situation when I saw how angry they were with me once my identity was revealed. But now, I wished I had never come up with the idea.
I pushed that unhappy thought aside and forced myself to focus on what was important right that moment. Fife had opened up and shared why he was always so concerned about being used, and I understood that him putting his skills at my disposal was a big deal for him. So, I did my best to gracefully accept whatever help he could offer in the service of my territory.
After a rushed investigation under the sweltering sun of an autumn heatwave, I was dismayed, but not at all surprised, when Fife planted his hands on his narrow hips and let out a little growl. He stood beside me as we surveyed one of the affected fields. "Curse," he bit out. "It's a damned curse. Whoever did it was a strong magic user, and they tried to hide their handiwork. But I'm better. I can see the traces of it clear as day."
I sighed. "All the stuff that's been happening lately is connected, isn't it?" I asked tiredly. I knew that already. We all did. I just didn't want to admit it.
Fife was already muttering to himself as he set off, drawing a silver knife from his belt, and moving to draw sigils in the dirt at the edge of the field. But Bach answered me in a resigned voice. "I suspected as much, but I was hoping I was wrong."
"What in the world is the point of causing all this hassle, though? What purpose could it possibly serve?" I demanded. "How is this accomplishing anything?" The only thought that occurred to me was that maybe one of the stewards in another territory was jealous of all the attention Larkwood was receiving lately. But that was a ludicrous idea that I dismissed almost as soon as it formed. One of the stewards was Fife's own mother. And she and the stewards of Trireme and Astra were all reasonable, trustworthy people. Otherwise, they wouldn't be stewards in the first place. There was no way the king and queen could misjudge someone that badly. They took the appointment of their stewards very seriously.
"Perhaps the interference isn't aimed at Larkwood specifically," Adder said evenly as he kept half his attention on Fife's spellcasting, ever watchful, without being too obvious about it. His dark blue eyes met mine, and he shrugged. "If we hadn't caught the issues and stopped them, they could have each been much worse. And it would certainly make you look like an inefficient steward, if your territory was falling apart around you on the eve of its new prosperity."
Bach nodded slowly in agreement. "He's right. If someone wanted to destroy your reputation as a steward, this would certainly be one way to go about it. Using public opinion against you would be much more effective than any direct approach."
I sighed. They were right, of course. It was the kind of game that powerful, bored fae liked to play. It also uncomfortably reminded me of the many acts of sabotage that had occurred during the tournament. But I didn't bring that up. Making a connection between the two issues seemed like quite a stretch. Especially since no one had known my actual identity or my connection to Larkwood during the tournament. "So, someone is hoping to get rid of me." I said flatly. "Probably so they can take my place. Great."
I opened my mouth to say something else, but snapped it closed again when a wash of magic rippled through me, tugging at something in my center. I put a hand to my stomach and turned to see Fife wreathed in purple flames. I took a step toward him, afraid he had just set himself on fire, but Bach grabbed my arm and tugged me to a stop. "Let him be. It might be scary to watch, but I promise he's fine."
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the cleric, who was now levitating slightly, the tips of his toes barely touching the ground. His raven curls danced in a breeze I couldn't feel, and gouts of violet flame dripped from his outstretched arms. His melodic voice called forth a stream of words I didn't understand, tapping into some ancient and powerful source. Then he brought his hands together in a clap of thunder, sending a shockwave of purple flames rushing out to engulf the field, restoring it to health in an instant. He raised his hands above his head and sent out two more bolts of violet energy into the sky, where they arced off in the direction of the other affected fields.
My bond to Fife pulsed with an uncomfortable sensation, as if I had just attempted to access some of his power through my own far less capable channels. It didn't seem to hurt me in any way. But it was a new awareness that was shocking in its intensity. I could feel how much power he had just used, and I was terrified that he had overtaxed himself. That kind of power should be impossible to handle. The moment his feet settled back onto the ground, I yanked my arm from Bach's grip and rushed to Fife's side.
"You idiot!" snapped at him. "Are you okay? That was so much magic to work all at once! The damned fields could have waited. You don't have to—"
I froze when Fife turned to look at me. My cleric mate typically didn't display any animal features or unusual quirks. But apparently, especially strong magic workings changed all of that. Four pairs of glowing purple eyes stared back at me, and the hand that reached for me was tipped in long, sharp claws. Bright violet veins of magic twisted along Fife's throat and temples, and up his arms, as if his very blood was made of magic. And his canines were longer and sharper when he spoke.
"Don't be afraid," he said, gently brushing a lock of hair back from my cheek with those wicked claws. "I'm fine. It will fade."
I just stared at him as his new appearance slowly morphed back to into his normal good looks. One of his extra set of eyes was the last thing to go, and I stared into them as they faded from existence, absorbed back into his smooth skin. "Wow," I whispered intelligently.
Fife arched a black brow at me, his light green eyes sparkling and his lips twitching with amusement. "I know. It's a bit much. But you get used to it, or so I'm told."
His hand trembled a bit, and I shook my head at him. "Don't do that!" I snapped.
He huffed at me. "It's not like I can help it. It just happens. I'm sorry if my casting form horrifies you so, my lady."
