Chatper. 51
The sun hovers above the trees. It’s afternoon. We’re moving faster now that Rahlan isn’t pausing to analyze tracks, hopefully fast enough that we’ll be home before sundown.
“What’s a ravager?” Colin asks without looking back.
I glance at Rahlan. He doesn’t seem interested in answering a human’s questions, so I take the opportunity myself. “They’re diseased vampires that want more than just our blood.” More specifically, they feed on bone marrow, but I think Colin would prefer if I kept that detail to myself.
Colin glances back at me through the corner of his eye. He’s either worried or has labeled me as mad.
After a couple more hours of walking with Rahlan’s occasional directing, we emerge from the forest. The sunset lights our way back to the farmhouse.
Francis runs out to meet us. Colin perks up at the sight of his father. He probably expected a horde of thirsty vampires, not believing me when I told him that his father was the one who wanted him home.
Francis engulfs him in a hug, holding him tight. “Thank goodness. Thank goodness you’re safe.” He kisses his son on the forehead. That poor man has a son who fled without him. I couldn’t imagine abandoning my family to vampires.
Rahlan continues to the village center, the pattern of pink flowers still decorating his cape. I can’t believe he hasn’t noticed them yet.
“Thank you, my lord! And thank you, Lady Julia!” Francis shouts after us with his hands together like he’s praying.
I smile. It’s tempting to scold Colin for assuming I was lying, but I’ve been walking the whole day and wouldn’t mind returning to the castle.
Rahlan helps me up onto Mittens. The cold air creeps in as the sun falls below the horizon over our short trip back to the castle.
Julke spots us from the castle wall, and he calls for the Maksan twins to open the heavy doors for us.
Obscured by shadow, a figure watches from the tower with his arms crossed. It’s Keld, seemingly disinterested in our return. That suits me fine. I hope he stays up there.
Stopping at the stable, we climb off Mittens, and Rahlan passes his newly acquired dagger to Julke.
“Sporting a new look, my lord?” Julke smirks.
Rahlan glances at his cape and then at me.
“I think it looks pretty,” I say.
“I had the same thought about the glittering trails from the snail I placed on your back,” he says.
The what? I spin around and claw at the back of my tunic. It’s impossible to see without taking it off, and I can’t do that in front of Rahlan’s soldiers. I’m forced to resort to rubbing my back against the wooden post supporting the stable’s thatch roof.
Rahlan chuckles. “You could be an itchy bear.”
I brush off my shoulders just to be sure it’s gone. “And you could be a forest fairy.”
The guards close the door and return to the tower. Rahlan collects some wood from the pile under the stable, and we head up to the castle keep. This is the last stretch of steps before I can relax.
The moment we get inside, I kick off my boots and collapse across the couch. Lying on my stomach, I turn my head to watch Rahlan pack the fire.
I pick the flower out of my hair and stretch to place it on the small table beside the couch. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find a vase somewhere around the keep.
Soon the fire is lit, and Rahlan has hung up his cape and coat.
He stands over me. “Move aside.”
“I was here first,” I say. The couch is soft, and my muscles aren’t in the mood for any more work.
A weight presses on the back of my legs, squashing them into the couch. He decided to sit anyway.
He watches the flames. I fold my arms by my head and close my eyes. It’s been a long day.
I’m nudged awake as my body is lifted in a pair of arms. Tucking in my limbs helps retain the heat.
Rahlan carries me to the bedroom and places me on the soft cushions. I curl up into a ball on my side, and the smooth fabric bunches up around me, hugging my frame.
A hand gently nudges me to lay on my back, but I keep the fabric balled up in my fists.
“Arm’s up,” he says. He moves my arms above my head. The cold air irritates my stomach as he pulls the tunic off. My body wants nothing more than to drift back to sleep. I’m so tired that I could’ve just slept the whole night on that couch.
I pull the sheet over my chest to keep warm. He straightens my legs and tugs off my stiff leather pants.
The bed sinks under his weight, drawing me up against him. His skin is cool at first, but it slowly warms, allowing me to float back to sleep.
A loud bang wakes me up, and the bed shifts beneath me as Rahlan gets out. I can’t see much in the soft moonlight.
The banging returns, and I jump to sit up. Someone is knocking on the door – our bedroom door. Someone is in our living room in the middle of the night.
Rahlan heads to answer it.
“Rahlan?” I whisper. Why is someone else inside the keep at night? Rahlan’s sword sits on the desk, far out of his reach if whoever’s at the door decides to lunge at him. Wouldn’t it be better if that door stayed between it and us?
He glances at me, interpreting the look on my face. “Intruders don’t knock.”
He opens the door, and candlelight fills the room. A vampire clad in dark wool with a sword at his hip waits by the door – Julke. His gaze jumps to me before quickly returning to Rahlan.
The light reveals that Rahlan didn’t bother to change, dressed in only his underwear. I’m in nothing but my underwear. I yank the covers up to my nose. He shouldn’t even be in here.
“Lord,” Julke begins, “A servant of King Groel has brought an urgent message. He awaits your presence at the gate.”
My heart flips. King Groel knows about Rahlan’s quest to kill Ivan, and Rahlan left him with the impression that Ivan was dead. With King Groel’s connections, he’d be the first to know of a Huntsmen attack – the first to know that Ivan is alive. I’ll be forced to follow Rahlan as he hunts my last remaining family – the last connection I have to putting my life back together.
This can’t be happening so soon. I’m not ready. We’ve been here less than a week. I haven’t even had time to find a map to Fekby yet.
“What is the message?” Rahlan asks.
I take a deep breath. This is still King Groel’s land, and Rahlan’s here to act as his hand. This could be a message about anything – a command to ship supplies or tighten defenses. There’s no need to panic.
“He claims that he is not to give it to anyone but you, lord,” Julke says, “’Tis personal.”