FULL NOVELXO Court of Ice and Ash: Chapter 4
as he wiggled his fingers until his fury split a heavy briar shrub, revealing an unhindered path.
I glared at him. Impossible to say how old he might be. His face was young, his body strong and lean. Cleverness lived in the gold of his eyes, maybe a touch of mischief. I lifted my chin, refusing to be bothered the way those eyes laughed at me, and shoved through the split briars.
“What do you want with the Blood Wraith?” My insides had grown sharp and angry, like jagged glass since Ari mentioned the monstrous mask Valen Ferus wore.
“Patience,” Ari said. “We shall talk soon. But I would ask you about the relationship you have with the bane of Timoran? Friendly? Lovers? Does he wish you dead? A great deal hinges on knowing how pleased the Blood Wraith will be to see you again.”
My fingernails dug into the meat of my palms as I closed my eyes, took a breath, then hurried ahead of Ari, hoping he would not catch a glimpse of my unease.
“I see,” Ari went on. “So, I should not expect a warm welcome?”
“You should not expect anything,” I said. “There is a reason we parted ways, and he is not a man who takes pleasure in being bothered.”
“You ran, didn’t you? Escaped him? Or perhaps the siege at Castle Ravenspire divided you and you cannot find each other.”
“Any theory you conjure will be wrong.”
“Then by all means, tell me. I do love a good story, Elise.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Yes, no.”
“I could order you.”
I snorted a laugh. “You could try.”
If he could break the fury tying my tongue, I’d welcome it. But if I had to guess, the Night Prince had the stronger magic of the two.
Instead of anger, Ari’s irritating grin widened. “You are difficult. It will be such a joy to crack you. Oh, don’t mistake me, I don’t mean violence. But I sense a great deal of resistance from you. I look forward to the day when you realize I am not the enemy here. If the rumors I have heard about you are true, if you help Ettans, then I daresay we’re on the same side, Kvinna Elise.”
True, a bit of desperation to find the Night Prince burrowed deep inside, but not this way. Not when the Agitators had no idea who they would face. For one thing, the Blood Wraith would not join any cause of theirs—not when I was here. For another, if Ari learned he was not the fae who’d returned life to the land, I worried a new battle of thrones might begin.
Still, I did desire to see Valen Ferus again.
I hated it.
Mattis hung back, surrounded by some of the prisoners who’d escaped and joined the Agitator clan. He’d said nothing and was clearly avoiding Siv. She walked a few paces behind me, eyes on the ground, a distraught shadow in her countenance. Perhaps we were better off before the Agitators intervened. Perhaps, Siv, me, and Mattis ought to make our own way, away from the clan.
“Are you still angry, Elise?” Ari asked, interrupting my thoughts. He picked up his pace until he walked with me, shoulder to shoulder. “About our handling of the prison?”
“We went in good faith to that prison, and you left us to the hands of Ravenspire. Tell me something, King Ari, would you have allowed your elder to die if you did not reach us in time?”
“What do you think?”
“Trust me, you do not want to know what I think of you.”
“You speak out of line, Timoran,” said an Ettan man at my back. He couldn’t be much older than me and bore a scar across his throat. As if someone tried to slit him open but didn’t succeed.
Ari laughed and I hated the pleasantness of it. “Stand down, Frey. Elise Lysander is still in the habit of being the resounding voice. We shall forgive her a little longer.”
My teeth clenched. Ari mocked my position in the Timoran royal courts often, but little did he know, I had no resounding voice there either.
Ari moved another bramble out of my path without fury. “We kept our bargain, Elise.”
“You hid in the shadows waiting for us to die.”
“Not true. Did I want to see how you fared against your own people? Yes. It was a strange kind of surprise to see you fight against the ravens for our elder.”
“And Mattis. I was there for him.”
“A half-Ettan,” Ari said. “I’d heard rumors, you see, that one of the Timoran royals sympathized with the true people of this land. I had to see it for myself. You did not disappoint.”
“Is this a game to you?”
“In a way, yes. We are all moving pieces in a game of power.” Ari paused, his dark eyes smoldering in a new heat. “To answer your other question, yes. We would have saved Klok with or without you. And we would not have let you fall to the ravens. You’re too interesting.”
I bit back a curse over his tests and trials of fate. Risk his own life all he wants, but do not risk mine and those I care about.
Ari accused me of being arrogant, but he was more so.
And I didn’t much care for the way he grinned at me, as if a witty remark were always on the tip of his tongue. It made him seem too much like the old Legion Grey. Like Halvar. Too approachable.
The ground sloped. Trees thickened and slowed our pace, forcing us to maneuver over fallen logs and narrower paths. A chill prickled the skin on my arms the deeper we went into the trees. Ari paused at a vine-wrapped structure. It reminded me of an old archway. Runes carved the rock, and the keystone at the curve of the arch had fallen away, leaving the bow incomplete.
“Wait here,” Ari said, I assumed to me since he placed a hand on my shoulder as he walked by. His touch was warm, fury in his fingertips left me wanting to obey his every word.
My temper flashed, red and raw. Hells, I tired of Night Folk and their manipulation.
“I would’ve waited without being forced,” I snapped.
“See, this is what I mean,” Ari said. “We must get to know each other before I can trust you to follow such basic commands.”
He placed his palm on the broken stone. In another breath, the runes glowed like molten gold. A rush of air whipped against my face. I closed my eyes, bracing against the wind. By the time I opened them again, Ari was ushering the others forward through the arch.
One side of his mouth curled into a playful sneer. “Welcome to Ruskig, Elise Lysander.”
I tried to smother the thrill of stepping into an unknown. Ruskig was always spoken of like some mythical plot of land in New Timoran. A place where Night Folk lived in peace, free from the sights of kings and queens. I had no reason not to believe it existed, but in truth, I’d started to think it was a place of fantasy.
To step inside was . . .
“You’ve managed to keep Ruskig concealed all this time,” I said, dryly. “Impressive.”
Ari chuckled again, his teeth bright against the darkness. “Strange how your near-compliment is so satisfying. Why would I want your approval I wonder?”
“Who can say? To me, it sounds like a personal problem, this need to be accepted.” I didn’t look at him as I hurried through the archway.
As much as I feigned indifference, I couldn’t hold in the gasp once I was through the rune stones. All around silver moonvane burst in beautiful, reaching branches. Velvet petals glimmered like starlight. The world was different here. Trees were thicker, damp with bright, green moss on rich, black bark. The grass was coated in silvery dew drops. Blossoms of lavender, of blue rose, colored the darkness next to the moonvane.
The snap of branches. The whisper of grass bending underfoot. This place was alive. Magical.
“What do you think?” Ari whispered.
I didn’t realize he’d come so close. Unable to resist, my fingertips ran across spongy moss on a nearby tree. “It’s . . . so alive.”
He beamed, satisfied. “It is. This is what fury can do for this land. What it will do once again. We plan to restore life the way the gods intended. Come, we have things to talk about.”
“Wait,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. “I should bring Mattis and—”
“Bring them,” Ari said. “We have open courts here, as King Arvad once did.”
I swallowed the scratch in my throat. This, this is what Valen could help restore if he would cease his vengeance. Tears stung my eyes as I wove back through the line of Agitators, looking for Siv and Mattis.
The Night Prince needed to take his place.
I needed him.
I pushed the thought away, hardening my heart. Sentiment would do little good now.
Mattis had faded from the crowd and studied a lush shrub of moonvane.
“Where is Mavie? Where is Legion Grey, Elise?” Mattis asked without turning around.
My chin trembled. “They . . . they’re gone.”
Mattis crossed his arms over his chest, body stiff, as if barring himself away from the truth. We stood in silence for at least ten heartbeats. I didn’t want to explain anymore about Legion or Mavie. I let him think of them as gone together.
“I hope they found peace in the great hall,” he whispered at long last.
I reached out and touched the back of his arm. “Are you all right?”
“No. All this time I trusted . . .” His eyes broke into me when he glanced over his shoulder. “How did you find out?”
“At the siege of Castle Ravenspire. Mattis, Siv could have killed me many times, but didn’t. I know you’re angry but speak with her. Let it go because we need each other. Ari wishes to speak with me, and I need those I trust with me.”
Mattis furrowed his brow. “Why does he think you have connection to the Blood Wraith?”
I sighed. How would I explain anything? How could I? Mattis took Siv’s betrayal so harshly. What would he do if he knew Legion Grey—whom Mattis had trusted too—was the Blood Wraith? “He . . . he took us to safety after the siege.”
“You aren’t serious?”
“I am. I suppose the Blood Wraith held more of a grudge against Timoran folk like Calder, than second daughters of the second royal family.”
Mattis dragged his fingers through his dirty hair, shaking his head. “Elise, what happened to you?”
“A great deal, I’m sure.” Mattis and I turned together. Ari stood with his makeshift royal guard. Frey, and four more bulky Ettans held roughly shaped swords and glowered beneath mantles of wiry fur and animal skins on their heads.
“But would you mind chatting later,” Ari went on. “We really do have a schedule to keep if we’re to move forward successfully.”
Behind Ari was Siv, head still down. Matti’s jaw flinched, but he folded his arms over his chest. “You helped get me out, so I’ll listen to what you have to say. But to be clear, I am loyal to Elise.”
Ari lifted a brow. “Even if we welcomed you into our home? Even as an Ettan?”
“Being Ettan, or Timoran, or Night Folk, does not make the person trustworthy. It is heart and actions. I am loyal to Elise. Perhaps, eventually, I will be to you as well.”
At that, Ari grinned his slyness again. “I like you, carpenter. How glad I am you were not spliced on the rack tonight. Follow me.”
Ari led us to a longhouse surrounded by thick trees. The roof was made of mossy sod and moonvane branches. Inside an inglenook already had a fire burning against the chill in the air. Ari removed his weapon belt, letting it clatter atop a narrow table in the center of the house. The others stripped their furs. Frey poured ale from a wooden ewer and passed out horns as his king plopped into a wooden chair, lifted his boots onto the table, and crossed his ankles.
“Better,” Ari said, accepting a horn of ale with a nod. He made a gesture to the remaining seats. “Sit. Please.”
We took our places with a touch of caution. Siv sat on my left, Mattis on the right. Neither had spoken to the other and it raised the hair on my neck. I craved a touch of normalcy and these two were the last of it. Divided, I didn’t know how we would survive any of this.
“As promised, I have information on the Blood Wraith. At first, I would not think much of such reports, but after discovering he not only took you from Castle Ravenspire but attacked one of the false king’s captains to save your neck, it made me wonder if the Blood Wraith has more purpose in his attacks than we thought.”
“Your pardon?” Mattis said, eyes wide. “Elise, what happened?”
“Jarl,” I whispered harshly. “Long story.”
“I expect to hear it.”
I waved him away as Ari went on. “First, I have a question, Elise. Is the Blood Wraith Night Folk?”
“Why would you think that?”
Ari’s smile faded. “Weeks ago, some of our people were . . . infected by a strange blight. They went mad, almost as if they could not control themselves. They attacked Mellanstrad—they attacked your lands.”
My mouth dropped. Memories of the crazed Agitators biting out the throat of one of my father’s guards still haunted my dreams. I’d known something strange had taken those people. The blackness in their eyes, their mouths, their blood.
“I remember,” I said softly.
“Yes.” Ari cleared his throat. “We tried to heal them ourselves, but nothing helped. We tried to track them, to bring them back, but by the time we reached them it was too late.”
“What does the Wraith have to do with it?” I bit the inside of my cheek. I told Halvar I saw the Blood Wraith that night, but he’d quickly dismissed the idea. Now, I was certain a cursed Valen had been there. Halvar likely returned to our lands to protect me against his own prince.
“It’s curious,” Ari said. “But there were some who saw the Wraith. They saw him use fury. A powerful fury that stopped the madness. Of course, it likely killed our people, too, but what sort of life would they have had in such a state?”
Was it possible? Even being in his cursed delirious bloodlust, was it possible that Valen had reached into his fury without knowing, and stopped the attack? The Agitators had all fallen at once that night.
“So, is he fae?” Ari asked again.
“I-I-I’m not positive.” Fury kept me from giving his true name, but not that he had magic. Still, for some reason, I kept quiet. About it all, the curse, his ploy to take me. I didn’t know if I protected Ari and his people, or Valen. “What you should know is he is deadly, strong, and hates Ravenspire.”
“Then we have a great deal in common,” Ari said blithely. “We wish him to join us, Elise. No doubt you’ve heard of the Guild of Shade attacks around the kingdom as of late. I know what he’s doing—he’s attacking supplies. He’s starving Timorans, breaking their trust in their new king. He’s perfect.”
“He won’t join you,” I hurried to say, grateful for the nod Siv offered in support. “He prefers to be alone.”
“I’m sure,” Ari said. “But he’s suddenly desperate, and I think he might be willing to negotiate.”
“Desperate? I don’t understand.”
“Don’t take my word, take it from our witness.” Ari lifted a hand to the back of the house to a man in a flowing hood. “This is Ulf, one of my scouts. He’ll tell you.”
I hadn’t noticed Ulf before now. He removed his hood from his square head, and stalked to the edge of the table.
“I was there,” he said, his voice husky and rough. “Tracked the Guild of Shade to a textile caravan that was a cover for transporting the little bastards of the Timoran gentry. Thought the Wraith was there to take them, but he was surprised. He bleeding hesitated to kill the young ones and it got one of his Shade taken by Castle Ravenspire. The other Shade had to practically drag him away. Never seen a man so filled with rage as I did when the ravens trapped his guild rat. It’s a dangerous kind of desperate. The kind where a man is at the edge and he’s about to jump off.”
My breath caught in my throat. I whipped my eyes to Siv. She’d gone pale, her bottom lip between her teeth. Who’d been taken? Halvar? Tor? What would happen if Calder realized they were not typical Night Folk, but they were centuries old members of the Ferus court?
Worse, I believed Ulf. The Night Prince had lost everything but his two friends. To lose one of them to Ravenspire would unhinge him, no mistake.
Valen where are you?
“So, you see, Elise,” Ari said. “We know where they take captured Night Folk. We meet the Wraith as he goes for his Shade, we help him, and he joins us.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think it will be so simple.”
Ari grinned, savagely. “I can be convincing.”
Fear prickled up my arms. How far would Ari go to convince Valen to join him—hells, what would happen when he discovered the Night Prince was alive and destroying Timoran slowly?
There was no talking them out of it, I could see that. They wanted my input on the Wraith, not my permission. Doubtless the Agitators were going to use me to get the Blood Wraith. To bring Valen out into the light.
Our time apart was at an end.