Why had he healed me?

  It was my first thought once I’d climbed out of bed and assuaged the concerned, Fae-touched young woman knocking at my door. Apparently I’d been sleeping the morning away. Again.

  Why?

  Fae were bloodthirsty. Ruthless. Cruel.

  Yet he had healed me.

  Why? I hadn’t really thought about the reasoning behind his actions before; I’d been too preoccupied with sheer horror at the entire situation.

  He came to Fellbrook. He was physically there. And now I have the thing he came for. So why hasn’t he just come back and taken it from me?

  The logical answer was simply that he couldn’t. Or perhaps he didn’t know where I was… but I was more inclined to believe it was the former. Prowling Fae were, at least until recently, supposed to be a rare thing indeed.

  He said he worked hard to come get the shard. Perhaps he can’t just come back and take it. Not easily, at least.

  So… it stands to reason that he needs me to bring it to him. Perhaps tomorrow night I’ll be threatened or tortured.

  But he healed me. And he kept going on about thanking him, about being benevolent… salt, what an arrogant prick. But… it’s not as though he cares about my opinion. So, why posture?

  I sat on my bed, mind racing, for a long time. I was still shaken, still frightened, but having some aspect of all this nightmare to puzzle over was… not exactly easing my fears, but providing a welcome distraction.

  Another knock on the door broke my reverie. “Sorry! I’m coming!” I hurried over.

  Agnes Green stood on the other side. Her thin hands stretched out, offering me a steaming mug of something that smelled like cinnamon.

  “Your friend said you were awake, love. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’m just starting to make some breakfast. Are you hungry?”

  “That sounds lovely. Thank you.” My eyes traced the wall behind her. In the morning light there wasn’t much of a shadow to speak of, but what was there seemed entirely normal.

  All I needed was a good nights’ sleep. Although I suppose ‘good’ is relative. I did feel extraordinarily well-rested, though.

  “Of course, dear. I, ah…” she leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. “Did you think about what I said?”

  I wasn’t quite sure how to answer. There were certainly a few things I could use help with, but my prickly traveling companion wasn’t exactly a high priority. “Oh. I’m… I’m okay. Thank you, though. For your concern.”

  Her lips pursed for an instant. Then she smiled. “Of course. I’ll get some breakfast for you, then.”

  I thanked her, and she tottered down the hallway.

  As soon as Agnes was out of sight I began pacing, the warm mug clutched between my hands.

  So I’m… I’m pacted. I’m one of these horrible people everyone is so afraid of. I made a deal and now there’s something… ashes, binding me to this creature.

  But he didn’t give me magic. He didn’t give me anything; he just helped Royce. And I don’t… feel any differently. I’m still me. It’s not as though I have to do whatever he says or wants, I just have to answer his questions.

  I didn’t say I’d answer them honestly.

  The thought hit me like a hammer. I stopped midstep.

  It was true. I was certain of it. Our first encounter was seared into me, an unforgettable nightmare. I had promised to answer his questions if he saved Royce. I had not vowed to be truthful.

  The back of my neck prickled. I looked towards the hallway and jumped. Renner was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded, watching me.

  “Something on your mind, ladyship?” His tone was easy, conversational, but his eyes were sharp.

  I felt my cheeks grow warm. I probably looked a bit mad, pacing erratically while drinking tea and still wearing my nightgown. Though I surely looked a bit more human than I had in a while, now that I’d washed away all of the dirt and grime. Renner had managed to clean up, too; his jerkin, gloves and boots were still dirty, but the shadows beneath his eyes had faded and his hair was a clean, fresh shade of chestnut.

  “Lots of things,” I sighed. I ran one hand through my hair, gingerly working out the early-morning tangles.

  He didn’t answer, just continued to watch me.

  At least he’s not glaring. I volunteered no further information, and after a while the silence became uncomfortable. “Um, good morning.”

  He blinked, then narrowed his eyes.

  I sighed again. “Was there something on your mind, Renner? Or did you just want to make sure I’m not up to anything diabolical?”

  His mouth twitched. “Innkeeper says there’s a livery stable in Snowmelt. It’s not exactly on our way, but we can reach the town before dinner. I figure we should head that way. We go straight north, and it’ll take us over a tenday to reach Pinnacle.”

  Salt, was it really that far? I moaned. Ten days and, much more significantly, ten nights.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He arched an eyebrow at my reaction. “If we get horses, it’ll cut that down. Can pick up more food and warmer clothes, too. You’ve got the coin for it all, right?”

  “I do. And it does sound like a good idea.”

  “Good. We head west, then.”

  I nodded agreeably. He tilted his head to one side, still regarding me with that unreadable look. I fidgeted. Had he expected me to argue? Maybe he assumed I didn’t actually want to reach Pinnacle.

  Which raised yet another question. I bit my lower lip, staring down into my steaming tea. “Hey, Renner…”

  “Yeah?”

  “What… what happens…” I cleared my throat. “When we get to the temple, what will they… do? I mean, if I was… pacted, what would happen to me?”

  Renner was quiet for a very long time- so long that I wondered if he’d left. I sucked in a breath, glancing up.

  His eyes were boring into me.

  “My magic is divine,” I ground out. My knuckles turned white around the mug. “It is. I just… I’m curious.”

  He rubbed his jaw, frowning. “Curious. Right. Well, the Order has a way of… testing people. They call it consecration.”

  “Consecration. Okay. That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “It’s not,” he said flatly, “If you’re telling the truth.”

  “Right. Which I… I am. What would happen if I wasn’t?” My heart throbbed. I turned away, suddenly unsure if I wanted to hear the answer.

  He didn’t offer one. Unease quietly crawled through the room. When I dared look back at the door, Renner was gone.

  ~~~

  I didn’t do anything wrong.

  The phrase was becoming my mantra as we traveled. A fervent, silent declaration that I was still good, still me, despite bargaining with something evil.

  I didn’t do anything wrong. And I’ll explain it all to the Order; everything that happened and about how Royce was dying and how I haven’t done anything the Fae wants and… surely they’ll understand. They’re paladins! They’re good and noble and just; they protect people! They’ll understand.

  And the truth of it all was… it didn’t matter. It didn’t change anything. Perhaps the Order would kill me, or lock me away forever. I still had to tell them what was going on, bring them the shard and explain all about the wicked Fae and his ominous threats.

  Durst told me to go to the Thalessians. My mother said it was important to do what he said.

  Nothing’s changed.

  My resolve was undented, but I walked in silent reticence. Teela hummed unfamiliar tunes. Renner walked ahead of us, shoulders tense. It wasn’t until we stopped for a late lunch amid a craggy, pine-dotted tor just off the road that anyone really spoke.

  “Don’t use any magic in Snowmelt.” He was scowling again.

  I blinked, swallowing a mouthful of oatcake. “Excuse me?”

  “Her runes,” Teela snipped. She punctuated the statement by crunching into an apple.

  Renner rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.” He turned to face me fully. “Don’t. Either you’ll become a walking idol or their Watch will take your head off.”

  “Right. No magic.”

  Teela winced. “He does have a point. And the, uh, head-taking thing is more likely than the idol thing.”

  I raised my hands in surrender. “I’m not arguing. This is clearly something you two know much more than me about.”

  Teela chuckled, dusting off her hands. Then she rose, straightened her cloak, and pirouetted towards the rustling tree line. “Be right back! Nature calls.”

  “Don’t get lost,” I called as she trounced into the pines.

  “It’d be kinder.” Renner’s voice was stormy.

  I paused midbite. “What?”

  The corners of his mouth turned downwards. “Kinder than what’ll happen in Pinnacle.”

  “Oh.” I chewed thoughtfully. His expression didn’t change and after a moment I added, my voice deceptively light, “Besides, if a Watch takes my head then you won’t get your reward.”

  He looked vaguely stricken. Then the unrelenting scowl returned.

  I crunched another bite. “What is it you want from them, anyways? What’s the favor you’re trying to get?”

  Renner’s brow furrowed as he gnawed on a strip of dried meat. “It’s a long story. Not one you’re going to hear, either. Just…” he dragged one gloved hand over his face, voice tinged with weariness. “Just need their help with something.”

  I suppose he’s entitled to his privacy. I’m certainly not telling him everything.

  I rolled the last bit of oatcake between my fingers. “Oh. Well… I hope it all works out for you.”

  He gave me an unreadable look.

  “Guys!” Teela’s chimed from within the trees. Her voice was shrill.

  I rose, brushing crumbs onto the cool grass. “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, but… uh, come look at this.”

  I wandered over, Renner close behind. Teela stood with her back to us. Her tail snaked restlessly from side to side. She raised one hand and pointed further into the trees.

  “I know I’m not the most worldly of people, but… uh, that’s weird, right?”

  Weird was an understatement. Shortly ahead, sitting in a small clearing, was an enormous birdcage. It seemed to have been made crudely out of warped deadwood. Every slat was well over a handsbreadth high and wide, more than enough room for anything smaller than a cat to climb in or out of. The structure had a crude wooden door, nearly the height of a grown man, with a rusted iron padlock holding it closed. There was a mound of blackened acorns and brittle-looking seeds in the center.

  And on the ground around it were a dozen dead birds.

  “Huh,” Renner said.

  The three of us stared in baffled confusion.

  “Bad seeds?” I guessed after a long moment. Then I coughed, wrinkling my nose, as a breeze carried the smell of decaying flesh.

  “Real bad,” Teela gagged. “As in, ‘killed them in moments’ bad. Look, they didn’t even try to fly away!”

  She was right. A few of the poor creatures lay slumped inside the cage, as if they’d died mid-meal.

  “It could’ve been poison,” I hardly believed my own words. “I… don’t know what kind of person would want to kill a bunch of birds out in the middle of nowhere, but… I mean, I suppose if you wanted to you could sprinkle the food with something deadly.”

  “The plants, too?” Renner’s voice was grim.

  “The plants?” I followed his gaze.

  He was looking past the cage, towards the ground behind it. Where, sure enough, there was a large swath of dead grass. Not just dead, it looked like it was rotting; The blades were a sickly shade of grayish-brown, dappled with fungus, and had a distinctly slimy look to them.

  “You said Snowmelt is… what, a few miles away?” I asked, brows furrowed in thought. Renner nodded.

  “Maybe someone from town is… er… I have no idea.”

  “We’re about the same distance from the inn, too,” Teela chimed, glancing back towards the road. “Maybe some travelers got up to no good?”

  I rubbed the back of my head. “Some travelers made a giant wooden birdcage, filled it with poison, and left it out in the middle of nowhere?”

  She threw her hands up. “Well, I don’t know! Maybe it was a Fae.”

  “Not really their style.” Renner paced through the clearing, examining the bizarre scene.

  “Maybe we should be careful about eating anything growing around here. Just in case.” I recalled our vegetables from last night and winced. It can’t be helped now, I suppose. And none of us have keeled over yet…

  “Yeah.” Renner’s voice was low and wary.

  “We should… probably just go, yeah?” Teela had covered her nose with one bony hand. “Not like there’s anything we can do.”

  I started to agree, and then had a better thought. “Well… actually…” I squared my shoulders, handed my runebook to Teela- she took it with round eyes and held it at arms’ length- and approached the ominous cage. I covered my own nose as the smell of dead meat became sharper, and stepped carefully to avoid fallen feathers and unmoving little bodies.

  When I reached the cage I grimaced and held out a hand, fingers tracing. “Veth.” The pile of food and the tiny, stiff forms within it ignited almost instantly. I stood in maudlin silence, watching the blaze, until the mound of death was consumed. Flames threatened to lick up the dry, warped sides of the cage. I pulled my hand back, took a steadying breath, and traced again. “Alar.”

  A few moments later the fire was thoroughly doused. The horrid smell still remained, but the odd creation and the pile of food would presumably cause no more harm.

  I turned back to my companions, who had watched the scene without comment. I offered a shaky smile and headed towards them, heart pounding and spots dancing behind my eyes. After three steps my legs buckled. I slumped against a pine tree. Needles poked into my arms and hair.

  Teela’s face spun as she hurried towards me. “Whoa, are you alright?”

  “Y-yes. Sorry. Just… dizzy.” I rubbed my eyes. "I'm fine."

  “That was good thinking! And now we can go, right?”

  "Definitely."

  Renner looked displeased.

  Once I had gotten my balance, I placed both hands on my hips and said, somewhat petulantly, “What? You didn’t say anything about magic outside the town.”

  Teela snickered.

  Renner rolled his eyes, and the three of us left the cage behind.