Thrallmagic: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

My dark cloak whispers in the wind as I walk in the shadows of the city. Marveling at how easy it is to go unnoticed, I step from shadow to shadow, always checking for people trailing me. The soft boots I wear make no noise, and one of the swords Lindon gifted me peeks out from my belt. Anyone who notices me keeps away, and I wonder if I look intimidating. Smiling from the depths of my hood, I weave through a small crowd of people. The castle rises behind me, and the clocktower chimes half past eleven.

When I come to the city gates, the guards eye me, but let me pass without questions. The brick path under my feet turns to leaves and grass as I approach the eaves of the forest. By the time the Great Trees come into view, all the other travelers have fallen away. The shadows of the forest loom before me, and the pale light of the moon does little to chase away the darkness. Gripping my sword tightly with one hand, I conjure a ball of flame in the other, slowing down a bit to make sure I don’t run headfirst into a tree. Just as I reach the cover of the Great Trees, I hear a footstep behind me, and I whirl around, drawing my sword and pointing it at the person. When I recognize Arianna and Captain Wyrnson, I sigh in relief and let my sword drop.

“Jumpy, aren’t you?” Arianna snorts and sets down the lantern she carries.

I sigh. “I have my reasons.” A dark figure appears in the distance, and we all stand at the ready. When they near, I recognize Lindon and lower my blade once again.

“You invited someone else, Rionach?” Arianna looks at me disapprovingly.

I raise an eyebrow. “I trust him, and he can help.” Captain Wyrnson bows to Lindon. “Arianna, this is Prince Lindon of the Unseelie Court.” They nod to each other, and Lindon grins at her.

“I think we’ve met, actually.” Lindon chuckles. “What did you do, Captain, to get out of your hogties?”

She huffs. “You tied up a bunch of pirates and didn’t even bother to take away their weapons. Really, how long do you think it took us to get free?” Throwing him a playful look, she says, “What did you do, your highness, to keep your hair from burning off?”

Lindon narrows his eyes and opens his mouth to reply, but I clap my hand over his mouth and cover the lamp with the end of my cloak. Peering anxiously into the distance, I wonder if I’m being paranoid or if someone was actually there a moment ago.

After a while, Captain Wyrnson breaks the silence. “I don’t think there’s anyone there, your highness, but we had best get to business, if there’s no one else we’re waiting for.”

I nod agreement and say, “Is your brother not coming, Arianna?”

She shakes her head, running a hand through her thick red curls. “He was called away on important business to Erisek.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Another revolution sort of business?”

She sighs, seemingly annoyed at my questioning. “Yes, if you must know. There’s a girl there- a head of the revolutionaries- she wrote him weeks ago, asking him to come and help. Apparently, the people aren’t happy with being ruled over by a Council, either. The fact the Prince Jorge is still alive isn’t helping, either.” Catching my disapproving expression, she says, “I told you before, I had no choice but to leave the country. I’ll tell you the story sometime, perhaps. Anyway, Nikolas only stayed because I wanted to speak to you.”

I nod, letting the subject drop. “Alright, down to-“ A stick cracks behind us, and we turn as one. Arianna picks up her lamp, and I conjure the ball of fire to my hand again. When we look, though, no one is there. Lindon walks forward, his sword at the ready, and when he returns a few seconds later, his face is screwed up in frustration.

“There was definitely something- or someone- there. I can’t find any clues, though, to track them.” A collective groan issues from us.

“If there is someone near, what can they do to us?” Arianna stands with a hand on her hip, a challenging eyebrow raised. “One of you fae can cast a sound barrier with the wind. As long as whomever it is has no evidence to take to the queen, she can’t hurt us, right?”

Lindon and I laugh in unison. The bitter sound rings out in the quiet forest, and we cover our mouths. “We have more to lose than our lives, Arianna. My mother tortured and killed Lindon’s sister because the Wild Hunt would not follow her orders. She managed to do it without anyone’s knowledge except Lindon’s.” I shake my head. “We have to go somewhere else. Let’s meet somewhere inside the city, try to lose whoever’s following us.”

Arianna mouths, cast a sound barrier. Both Lindon and I erect one in a dome around us, and when I nod for her to speak, she says, “Let’s meet in the tavern below my room. It’s called the Golden Pint. It’s near the castle grounds, so it won’t be too far a walk back. I’ll look for you, aye?” She slips away into the darkness, practically invisible.

Captain Wyrnson slips away, following Arianna on the path and then cutting into the wood. Lindon offers to go with me, but I urge him to go, and he disappears soon enough, his lean figure slipping with fae speed through the trees. I wait a moment, then pull my cloak up and step just off the path, where the darkness is thick enough that I won’t be seen. A hush has fallen over the wood. No owls hoot, no will o’ the wisps dance, and the crescent moon hovers over a tree like a curved blade, beautiful and terrible and dangerous. My step cracks no twig, my foot crushes no leaf, and my tread is as silent as the night. As I walk, the trees thin, and I come upon the houses at the edge of the city. The guards let me pass without incident, and when I enter the city, I wonder at how different it is at this late hour.

Except for the drunkards that stagger down the alleys, muttering and cursing, and the muted laughter and noise coming from the taverns, all is quiet. The city feels like a continuation of the wood, and I walk along in dreams until I see the castle looking in front of me. The looming silhouette of it against the dark sky snaps me back to reality, and I hiss softly to myself when I remember that I have to go back to playing the part of the obedient daughter in the morning.

I shake my head, trying to put the thoughts out of my mind. Instead, I walk faster, somewhat succeeding in trying to concentrate on finding the Golden Pint. As I near the castle, I notice more guards about and pull my hood up further, trying to disappear as best as I can. Hugging walls and taking side streets whenever I can, I stalk the quiet streets of Aerch When I finally catch sight of a sign bearing a yellow-gold mug on it, I sigh in relief and slip through the door. Taking off my cloak, I hang it on the cloak rack, trying to avoid being jostled by the drunk patrons. The garments I wear beneath are common enough; an unadorned pair of leggings, a worn blouse, and scuffed boots gain me no attention. I slip through the crowd nimbly, avoiding anyone’s eyes. Suddenly, someone wraps an arm around my waist and jerks me back. Wincing with pain from my earlier bruises, I fall into Lindon’s arms and brush him off, ready to snap at him. As I watch, though, a bar fight erupts in the same spot I stood in not a moment ago.

Another blossom of pain spreads from my hipbone, and I shift my weight. Lindon looks at me with concern, and Arianna eyes me. “Everybody’s here,” she says. “Captain Wyrnson was instigating that little fight to give us a good distraction.” Scanning the crowd, she nods. “Here he comes now. Let us go to my room.” Standing up, she throws me a devious grin, stretching like a cat. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you, princess?”

I raise an eyebrow. “I am the heir apparent of a country of warriors. In what world would I be afraid of heights?” A sense of adventure, of freedom, wraps around my heart, and I smile brilliantly at nothing at particular.

Giving me a curious look, Arianna steps out from behind the table and makes her way to a side door. Sending a meaningful look our way, she steps outside, and we scurry after her. Captain Wyrnson, follows us, checking to make sure we’re not being followed. As I watch, Arianna hoists herself onto the widow’s walk by balancing precariously on a set of boxes. Lindon is the first to move, nimbly making his way up to Arianna. Captain Wyrnson offers to boost me up, but I refuse, hoisting myself onto the crates and heaving myself over the railing, almost falling to the ground. Arianna gives me a hand to steady me, and I accept it gladly. After Captain Wyrnson joins us, Arianna moves. Walking to one end of the widow’s walk, she gestures to the roofs parallel to us.

“What do you think of travelling by the roofs, Rionach?” Somehow, I have become the leader, even though Arianna knows more than I do.

“I thought you said that your room was above this tavern!” Lindon’s voice is confused.

“If you’d use your head for a second, I’m sure you’d remember that we thought we were being followed.” Rolling her eyes, she balances herself easily on the railing before beginning to leap gracefully from roof to roof, landing almost silently. I hurry to follow, not wanting to lose her.

“I don’t know about you, Lindon, but we can argue later- I’d much rather do something useful with the time I have.” I pull myself onto the railing, swaying precariously, and, shutting my eyes, make the jump. When my feet land on brick and not air, I take a deep breath and begin to run.

Soon, the air whistles past my face, my fae sense of balance helping me learn quickly. I even catch up to Arianna, and I smile at her. Of its own accord, my mind pulls me into a memory of a younger version of myself doing the same thing with Arianna, but somewhere else. The sound of waves and the smell of the sea accompany the memory, and I snort, writing it off as a mere dream. No faerie can be so close to the sea and not drop dead, or at the very least, fall unconscious from the sheer amount of salt. Still, I resolve to ask Arianna if it is a true memory.

She gestures for me to stop on the next roof, and I slow down, making the last jump with ease. A laugh bubbles out of my chest, and I turn to Arianna with a smile on my face. “Impressive, Lady Hook, to be able to keep up with a faerie running at full speed.”

Her eyes flash with mischief as she grins back. Glancing ruefully at the hook that lies where her hand should be, she says, “I am a demon girl, after all. And please, Captain. Captain Hook, if you please.” She bows with a flourish, mocking the sniveling courtiers. We both burst into muffled laughter, elated after our sprint over the rooftops.

Lindon’s and Captain Wyrnson’s figures appear in the distance, slowly getting closer. “Do people actually call you that?” I snort, picturing someone being called Captain Hook.

“You’d be surprised. I have many names- not counting the profanity, of course.” Lindon lands gracefully on the roof, not in the least out of breath, and the captain follows soon behind him, making a bit more noise, but just as gracefully.

Arianna rolls her eyes at us. “You fae are so lucky, to be so bloody graceful and balanced all the time.”

“We know.” Lindon winks at her. “Still, Wyrnson is half siren, and you haven’t got a drop of fae blood in you, yet you’re both just as skilled as me and Ria are.”

“Practice, Commander, practice. Isn’t that what you tell your men, anyway?” She drops from the roof and looks up, waiting for the rest of us. Arianna addresses Lindon as the leader f the Wild Hunt, and I wonder how they know each other.

“How do you two know each other?” Captain Wyrnson voices my thoughts as we all rush ourselves off and step into the small house. Arianna lights candles, and I send a spurt of fire into the dusty fireplace, and the old wood catches almost instantly, filling the dark room with warm, friendly light.

Lindon explains. “We ran into each other quite a lot in our travels, and got into some very interesting scrapes together. The last time we saw each other was over a year ago, and I hogtied her to her precious ship.” He says the words with a grin on his face.

Arianna counters almost immediately. “And I set his hair on fire.” Smirking, she pops open a jug of wine and pours herself some. “Come, let’s get down to business.” They all turn to me as she says, “What exactly do you need us for?”