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For the next five days, the friends travelled without incident through the forest. Considering their previous bout of luck, it was a welcome reprieve. But it wasn’t completely coincidental. Their newest member seemed determined to prove his weight in gold.
Having roamed the outskirts of the five kingdoms since he was a child, the shifter knew all the best places to set up camp. He knew all the easy ambush points to stay away from, all the best spots for trapping game and catching fish. At one point, while they were making their way through the forest, he tackled Freya to safety just seconds before she could be tangled in a mercenary’s net.
The help was invaluable. And the witch wasn’t the only person to agree.
“So how did you learn to do all this?” Evie asked one evening as they gathered around a crackling fire, roasting a pair of squirrels on a long stick.
The shifter had skinned them both in one brisk motion; he’d cleaned them even faster than that. Part of the princess was utterly disgusted. Another part was secretly impressed.
“What do you mean?” Seth lifted his head innocently. “They didn’t teach you at the castle?”
It was another thing she liked about him. He could always make her laugh.
“Oh...I bet it was the maids, wasn’t it?” he continued knowingly, wiping a bit of grease from his hands. “The ladies-in-waiting. They’d be in charge of things like squirrels.”
She nodded seriously, staring back with wide eyes. “Squirrels and mice.”
He flashed an automatic grin, which faded almost as quickly. “My dad taught me,” he said shortly, laying the stick back over the fire. “When I was first learning to shift, he’d take me into the forest for weeks at a time. Taught me how to look out for the others, provide for myself. I was probably eight or nine. It was heaven.”
“You shifted that early?” she asked in surprise. Her father was probably the most famous wolf in the five kingdoms, and even he hadn’t managed it until his early teens.
“They say magic sped up a bit in the last few years,” he answered with a shrug. “A lot of kids are being born with powers straight away. Makes for an interesting early childhood, I’ll tell you that.”
She stared into the fire, lost in thought. “I’ll bet...”
It had always been said that kids grew up faster in the supernatural community, that powers had a way of maturing you in a way that no amount of parental lecturing ever could. She’d believed it, in theory. She’d always claimed to be quite mature herself. Ten years later, she could only imagine how things had escalated without the magical safeguards the royal army had put in place.
Poverty was rampant, slavery had made a comeback. People of all ages and tribes had been forced to level up if they wanted to survive. Freya was a prime example. Ten years ago, it would have been nearly impossible for a young woman to possess such skill. The princess remembered thinking she would have made a prime student for Petra. Now, she wondered if it was all the same.
“Where is he now?” Asher asked softly. “Your dad.”
It was a dangerous question under the best of circumstances. Death was a way of life in the five kingdoms, and if a man was living at the mercy of his uncle it seemed likely his father was no longer around. Sure enough, Seth’s eyes tightened before going deliberately clear.
“Dead,” he said shortly. “There was a raiding party. I wasn’t home.”
The vampire bowed his head and the conversation dropped.
It was quiet for a while as the friends passed the sticks of meat back and forth. They had started limiting the use of fire the closer they got to the low country. At this point, they would let it burn just long enough to cook their dinner before stomping it into the dirt.
“I’m surprised you didn’t go straight to your own parents,” Seth said suddenly. “Once you woke up, I mean. I’m surprised it wasn’t your first stop.”
There had been good reasons for that.
They were a bit hard to remember now.
“We need to focus on the prophecy,” Ellanden replied after a few painful seconds. “Our parents were weeks in the opposite direction, and there just wasn’t time. Even if we...” He shook his head, repeating the quiet mantra. “There just wasn’t time.”
There was no way to think of it without crying, so Evie had resolved to simply not think of it at all. It seemed impossible that she and the others couldn’t fire up some kind of flare, send a raven with news of their survival. But any attempt to call attention to themselves would bring attention from the wrong kinds of people. And as Cosette had repeatedly told them, their parents’ hideaway was protected with enchantments. No raven could ever make it through.
“We could always find another seeing stone,” Asher murmured, as if reading the princess’ thoughts. “I know they’re rare, but it isn’t impossible—”
“Yeah,” she nodded quickly, “I know.”
Seth watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression, eyes lingering on the vampire’s hand resting casually on the princess’ knee, before changing the subject with sudden determination.
“In that case, we’ll just have to get you back as quickly as possible.” He smiled as if it was the easiest thing in the world. “There’s no need to venture all the way through the low country; the place is crawling with Carpathians, and we wouldn’t make it far. My suggestion is to infiltrate one of the northernmost docks. Get in and out before anyone is the wiser...”
He trailed off with an odd expression, lifting his face to the wind. Both fae had frozen with the same worried frown. The vampire was already standing—fangs sinking slowly into his lip as he silently pulled Evie to her feet.
“What is it?” she whispered, eternally frustrated that her famed ‘shifter senses’ had yet to make an appearance. “What do you hear?”
He opened his mouth to answer, then turned his face instead—staring with sudden attention at an outcropping of rocks deep within the forest. One hand lifted slightly in the air but Ellanden and Seth were already moving, silently moving forward with a bow and a sword.
“Put out the fire,” Asher murmured under his breath.
Freya hurried to do as he asked, sweeping a mountain of dirt over the smoldering logs then pushing to her feet, pale and shaken.
Considering the state of most travelers who ventured through the woods, the six friends were far more capable than most. Two fae, two shifters, a vampire, and a witch. Not to mention their training. Not to mention that they were armed. But they’d wandered into the territory of the Carpathians, and Carpathians weren’t your average opponents. If there was ever a time to be afraid...
“How many?” Evie whispered, lifting her bow from the ground. “Can you tell?”
Ellanden listened a moment, then shook his head.
“More than ten, fewer than twenty.” His head tilted with the hint of a frown. “It’s difficult to say one way or another. There’s a chance they haven’t even—”
A wild shout broke through the trees.
“—seen us.”
There was no time to prepare. There was no time to consider another option. A half-formed thought flashed through Evie’s mind, wondering if she should use the bow or try to shift instead. But then the ferns parted and the enemy was upon them.
There was a chorus of shouts, followed by a clang of metal as the two groups crashed together in the middle of the trees. Showers of neon sparks exploded from one end of the clearing to another. Arrows flashed through the air with deadly accuracy and speed. Before long, the ground beneath them was stained with splashes of blood.
And still, the Carpathians kept coming.
Evie let loose another arrow, then surveyed the clearing with a breathless gasp. She understood now why the others had been having such difficulty pinning down exact location and numbers. Carpathian soldiers were flying in from both sides—dropping bloody bags of game before drawing their weapons and charging into the fray. It seemed their luck hadn’t held after all. They’d unintentionally set up camp directly in the path of a hunting party on their way back home.
If you can call it that...
It didn’t matter how many rushed through the trees, Evie didn’t think she would ever get used to the sight of them. It was shocking every time. Standing a head taller than the tallest man she knew, each one looked strong enough to single-handedly tear down one of the towering redwoods in a fit of rage. And rage they could. Never before had the princess seen such violent delight as they swept towards the group of teenagers, determined to tear them limb from limb.
That being said, the friends were all still standing. At least for now.
Ellanden thrust an arrow into the neck of a soldier before fitting it to the bow to take down two others. Freya was backed into a corner, but with streams of liquid light dripping from her hands none of the men pressing her wanted to get too close. A stack of bodies had already piled up around Asher’s feet and Cosette was firing down arrows like a sniper, perched halfway up one of the towering trees.
A surge of relief rushed through the princess before she realized, with a sudden stab of guilt, that she’d completely forgotten about the newest member of their fellowship.
...and the guy was having a hard time.
Seth had been standing closest when the horde surged through the trees and was instantly overrun, doing his best to hold them off with nothing more than a dented sword. To make matters worse, some of the Carpathians clearly recognized him from the gladiatorial arena and were thrilled at the chance to fight against him themselves. Already, about a dozen had formed a tight-knit circle around him—isolating him from the others as they rushed in two at a time to attack.
“Landi!” the princess screamed, directing his attention to the far side of the clearing.
The fae saw the circle and quickly fired off three rounds, but he was running out of arrows and more soldiers were charging in from the trees. Cosette had already used up everything in her quiver and was being forced to rejoin the others on the forest floor, fighting with a pair of knives.
As for the rest of them, they were too consumed with their own battles to notice much of anything else happening amongst the trees. Short on hands, Freya had bewitched a knife to fight alongside her. It hovered in the air above her shoulder, darting in without warning to attack. Asher was in a similar state, flitting like a ghost from person to person, reappearing for only a moment after each one, streams of blood dripping from his fangs.
With every second that passed, Seth was running out of time.
The princess couldn’t see much of what was happening, but she could hear it all just fine. A chorus of dark laughter rang out with every fresh attack, followed by the frantic clash of metal on metal and a series of muffled cries. She had been isolated several yards away, but the rest of them were fighting in their separate corners. There was no one else who could possibly get to him in time.
Please let this work...
In a burst of determination, Evie flung her emerald cloak to the ground. Her shoes were soon to follow. Already, her body was beginning to change shape. The forest blurred for a split second, then sharpened into sudden focus as the girl vanished and a crimson wolf sprang up in her place. It landed lightly upon the forest floor, a blistering growl ripping out of its chest.
“You’re a shifter?!”
She took one look at the stunned soldier in front of her then leapt straight into the air, knocking the sword from his hand and coming down hard on his chest. At least, she tried. Most people would have fallen, but Carpathians weren’t most people. This one simply took a step back for balance before grabbing her with both hands.
That’s when the fighting really began.
Seven hells!
A flash of pain shot through her body as he struck her repeatedly with those massive fists, trying his best to dislodge her vicious claws. Her legs buckled, and when one of the punches grazed the side of her face the world around her flickered dangerously dark. But the wolves of Belaria were feared for a reason. Before the man could draw a second weapon pure animalistic instinct took over, and she sank her teeth deep into the curve of his neck.
...gross.
Even governed by the feral instincts of a wolf, she couldn’t help but be disgusted. A burst of blood exploded in her mouth, trickling down her throat even as she forbid herself to swallow. With a frenzied cry she shook her head back and forth, trying to finish the job, then leapt quickly to the ground once more as the barrel-chested warrior finally collapsed to the ground.
How does Asher drink this?!
She pawed miserably at her face, trying to collect her senses before retching uncontrollably onto the ground. Across the clearing, the vampire glanced up in alarm at the sound. His face stilled for a second in confusion, then she could have sworn he rolled his eyes.
She flashed him an apologetic look, darting across the forest floor.
Ironically enough, from lower down she had a better view of what was happening. Through the legs of the surrounding Carpathians, she saw that Seth had dropped to one knee. His sword was still flashing as he fought them back, but there were large gashes ripped over the majority of his body and the guy was losing a crazy amount of blood.
“Drop the sword,” one of the soldiers taunted, unconcerned with his countrymen dropping dead in the forest behind. “We’ll take you back to the arena. It was a thrill watching you fight.”
Another rushed towards him, slicing the length of his collarbone before being driven back.
“Nah, I say we finish him right here. The kid took down a wendigo all by himself. I lost a lot of money on that fight.” He drew a knife, running it along his tongue. “A lot of money...”
There was another slash of a knife and Seth fell to the ground with a soft cry. The air around him shimmered, but steadied when he got a swift kick to the ribs. Whatever grisly demise the mob of Carpathians was planning, it was clear they wanted him to face it as a man.
And here I’d rather see the wolf...
Without a thought to her own safety Evie streaked across the clearing, vaulting straight over the heads of the brutish soldiers to land beside Seth in the circle. The chorus of laughter came to a sudden stop as she lowered her head to the ground, glaring up at them with a savage growl.
New blades were drawn. The game had just gotten serious.
Are you okay?
She couldn’t ask the question aloud, but from the second she landed it became clear that Seth was in even worse shape than she thought. His skin was shredded, his bones were cracked, and every gasping breath sounded like it could be his last.
He’d thrown up his hand instinctively when she landed beside him, thinking her to be some new threat, then crumpled to the ground in sheer exhaustion when he realized who she was.
Their eyes met for just an instant and he panted the quiet words.
“I need to shift.”
She nodded her head.
I can help with that.
Before the Carpathians had a chance to coordinate an attack she launched one of her own, springing from person to person in such a blur of speed they were forced to stumble back. Blades flashed as they tried to spear her, but by the time they’d taken the swing she’d already moved on to the next person, running so fast her feet barely touched the forest floor.
It would be impossible to take on so many by herself. She had no delusion that she could fend them off for long. But her friends were already fighting their way closer. And, more importantly, her reckless diversion had given Seth all the time he’d need—
In a flash, another wolf sprang up beside her. This one was a deep brown, like rich molasses, with amber tints strewn through his glossy fur. He was bigger than she was. Taller, too. But still lean and light on his feet. And while he might have been dripping a river of blood, there was a look in his eyes that made the princess eternally grateful they happened to be fighting on the same side.
They didn’t wait for the others. They charged headfirst into the fray.
All her life, Evie had seen wolves fighting together. The Belarian princess might not have shifted yet herself, but since the day of her birth she’d been a treasured member of the pack. She remembered watching them train from the balcony of the castle, marveling at the breathless speed, the instinctual synchronicity as warriors from all over the kingdom came together as one.
All her life, she’d seen it. But she’d never gotten to participate until that day.
“EVIE!”
Ellanden sprinted towards her, then stopped when he saw the two wolves fighting, taking a moment to catch his breath as they lunged together at the Carpathian horde. One would go low, the other would jump high. One would attack, the other would defend. And that was just when he could see them. Most of the time, they were mere streaks of color before his eyes.
“Never mind. You...you got it.”
Never had the princess felt such a thing. It was like they’d rehearsed it. Each move was so deeply ingrained, it was as if she’d been doing it her entire life. The ground felt cool and natural beneath her paws. Each muscle tensed and coiled as if she’d been born to take flight.
In the distance, she heard her friends shouting. In her periphery, she vaguely noted that the rest of the hunting party was lying dead on the ground. She should have cared more. She should have noticed that of the twelve soldiers she and Seth had been fighting, only one remained.
But she didn’t. And she didn’t ever want to shift back.
There was a whispering of fur as Seth pulled himself away from the man he’d been fighting and landed on the ground by her side. In an animalistic gesture, the two knocked heads before they turned as one to the Carpathian remaining—the one who’d offered to return him to the ring.
A low growl started deep in his chest and she took a step back. She’d killed plenty of her own. This one was for him.
It was over before she knew it.
Just a streak of fur, followed by a tortured scream. That scream cut off in a gurgle. When Seth lifted his head a moment later, there were streams of blood dripping down his chin.
Their eyes met in the silence that followed. Evie could have sworn he smiled.
Then, suddenly...he was a wolf no longer.
She skittered back a few steps, blinking in disorientation as the wolf vanished and a handsome man stood up in its place. He was naked and bloody, but they weren’t far from where he’d dropped his cloak. In a graceful movement, he knelt and secured it over his shoulders. Then he straightened up and turned back to her with a beaming smile.
“Not bad, Princess.”
She stared at him a moment longer, the twin natures warring for dominance in her mind. Then she pulled in a deep breath and stood up beside him, shaking out her long, wavy hair.
“You weren’t so bad yourself. After I saved you.”
Instead of arguing he threw back his head with a laugh, lifting a bracing hand to the side of his ribs. “Yeah, well...I guess that happens sometimes.”
The casual laughter caught her off guard. As did the casual return to two legs. He was shaking leaves from his hair, acting as though such a thing happened all the time. But her mind was still trapped in the wolf, replaying with relish each screaming kill that had fallen to the forest floor.
She was still grinning, still trying to come down from the high, when a pair of cool hands draped a cloak over her shoulders. She startled in surprise then turned around to see Asher standing behind her, staring down with a secret little smile.
“Embracing our inner animal, are we?” His eyes twinkled before flickering across the clearing to a little pool of blood. “I see you had no interest in embracing mine.”
At first, she didn’t know what he was talking about. Then her face screwed up in horror.
“Ash, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything, but...holy crap! A mouthful of blood? How can you drink that stuff? I couldn’t even swallow!”
He laughed again, stroking back a lock of fiery hair. “I guess it’s an acquired taste...”
She stilled suddenly, noticing the fangs for the first time. It was strange how natural the sight of them had become. Before they’d left the castle, the vampire had liked to pretend they didn’t exist.
“I see you did well,” she said cautiously, wondering if he’d actually fed.
His smiled faded for a split second, then he fixed it carefully back on his face. “Good thing that sorcerer didn’t take them. Sometimes they’re more useful than a blade.”
She grinned up at him, taking his hand, when a frantic girl pushed through.
“Are you all right?!”
Cosette rushed past them both, sliding to a stop in front of Seth. Her face was bloody and her knuckles were violently bruised, but in those bright eternal eyes there was nothing but concern.
“I tried to get over here, but they had me pinned down,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze whilst assessing his injuries as best she could. “I think some of these ribs are definitely broken—”
He pressed a finger to her lips, staring down with a tender smile. “Seven hells you’re beautiful.”
She froze in shock, staring up at him. “I...I don’t—”
“Actually, you’re kind of a mess,” Freya interjected, skipping lightly to her side. “Not to freak you out or anything, but I’m pretty sure there are entrails in your hair.”
Cosette was still lifting her hand in horror when Ellanden pushed swiftly between them, making a silent assessment of each of the friends to make sure they were all right. The prince himself looked like he’d been through the wringer—with a dislocated shoulder and a pair of savage scratches running up the side of his face. But he was still standing. And he clearly had a plan what to do next.
“That ship we need...? We should get it right now.”
Evie blinked in surprise, thinking they’d done quite enough for one day. “Are you serious? Ellanden, we’re lucky to have made it out of this with our lives—”
“That’s exactly the point,” he interrupted. “We’re the only ones still standing. Not a single Carpathian who went out hunting is going to be coming back. How long do you think it’ll be before the rest of the horde sends people out looking for them? How long before all ships are grounded? Before there’s extra security on the docks?”
“He’s right,” Asher murmured, though he didn’t look happy about it. “If there’s even a slight chance of us pulling this thing off, we’ll have to do it right now.”
“Seth, how close are we to the nearest settlement?”
The wolf tried to answer, but his eyes were on something else. “...hmm?”
“The settlement.” Ellanden snapped his fingers in front of him. “How far?”
Seth nodded quickly. “Oh, right. It’s, uh...it’s just over the...”
A strange look settled over him as he pointed to a strange-looking pile by the trees. It took Evie a second to figure out they were bodies. Or they had been...at some point.
The shifter grimaced involuntarily, fighting the urge to step back. “What happened to those guys?”
Ellanden followed his gaze impatiently, then found himself grimacing as well. “Freya, uh...melted them.”
The friends turned as one to stare at the little witch, and Seth nodded again.
“...oh.”
There was a beat of awkward silence.
“The settlement,” the shifter repeated, recovering quickly. “It’s just a few miles away, down in the base of the valley. There’s a port on the western side. If we hurry—”
“—if we hurry, we should be able to get there before anyone knows the hunting party is gone,” Ellanden finished with a slow smile. “How about it, guys? You up for it?”
They certainly didn’t look it. Between the six of them, there weren’t many parts that hadn’t been smeared with a generous helping of blood. Muscles were bruised, clothes were torn, and whatever stores of energy they had after a day of hiking had been completely used up.
But the looks on their faces told a different story entirely.
“Are we up for it?” Evie repeated. “Are we up for sneaking into a Carpathian settlement in the middle of the night?”
“After slaughtering one of their hunting parties,” Cosette added practically.
Freya twiddled her fingers with a blush. “And maybe melting them a little bit...”
“All to steal a ship that we can sail to the Dunes?” Seth inserted with a grin. “A ship that I assume is going to be heavily guarded.”
“So that we can find a powerful magical relic to restore the kingdoms and drive the shadow of darkness from the land?” Asher concluded.
“Are we up for it?”
A little grin crept up the side of Evie’s face.
“Absolutely.”
THE END
