Small shadows drifted over my eyelids for a second before I finally opened them to find a large hand waving over my face. I swatted it away before pushing myself up onto my elbows from where I was lounging on the plush sofa in the sitting area, to peer up at Reece staring down at me.
"Are you comfortable, little sister?" He drawled, resting his elbows on the backrest.
"I was, until you interrupted my nap." I sighed, glancing around the room to see Felix, Jasmine, and Ariel strolling in through the open front door. Everyone was wearing black. Jasmine wore a beautiful knee-high dress that wrapped over one shoulder and cinched around her waist, her chestnut hair done up in a messy bun. Ariel wore a floor-length strapless dress with small beads sewn into the bodice, her brown hair loose down her back, while the men wore matching black suits.
"You didn't come to the burial." Ariel sighed before giving me her usual disappointed stare, to which I responded with a lazy smile. She always wanted a sister, an elegant lady, but I would never be that.
"He's dead, Ri. I doubt he'll be upset that I wasn't there." I cooed and she rolled her eyes then climbed the stairs to her room. Jasmine rounded the back of the couch to shove my legs off the seat before sitting down with a sigh.
"Wish I didn't have to go." Jasmine mumbled while picking a piece of lint from her dress.
"You needed to be there to represent your unit, since your commander wasn't." Felix added as he sat down in the armchair closest to me.
"Am I going to have the pleasure of receiving a lecture for my lack of emotions?" I mumbled, sitting up.
"You should have been there, Syl. We found his body." Felix answered, avoiding my gaze.
"I've been the last person some people see before I kill them. Should I also attend their burial?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him. His hazel eyes met mine for a second before he sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Jasper will be here in a minute." Felix said, changing the subject. I know he's upset with me, but I wasn't bothered. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. I don't care about death or the illusion that a burial will lay their soul to rest, so why would I waste my time saying goodbye to a corpse.
"So you really couldn't discern who or what the murderers were?" Jasmine asked as she started to pull the pins from her bun.
"Nope." I sighed, leaning my head back against the cushion as Reece idly brushed a few red strands of hair from my forehead.
"And they didn't have a scent? But they have a heartbeat?" He asked, studying my face.
"Yup." I sighed again, and he scrunched his nose as he mulled it over. He opened his mouth to ask something else when the front door closed, and slow, calm footsteps sounded from the foyer. I lifted my head long enough to see Jasper stepping into the room. He was dressed in a black suit that hugged his muscular body perfectly, and his brown hair was slicked back with some glossy product.
"We missed you, little beast." He drawled as he came to stand beside me, with one hand resting on my head.
"Don't worry, I already received the usual 'you disappointed us' speech." I mumbled, and Felix snorted at that. "Got something to say, Commander?" I challenged, leveling a glare at him, but he shrugged it off.
"You've never attended one before. I didn't expect you to start now." Jasper mused, ruffling my hair a bit before striding to the vacant armchair across from Felix's, sidestepping the coffee table where an empty glass now sat. I needed something strong after last night. "So, from what you've told me, it's easy to assume that whoever attacked Sam was the same people who attacked Cloudwing base." He added as he lowered himself into the seat, pulling his black jacket to the side to prevent sitting on it.
"That's what we believe, yes."
"I've never heard of any fae being able to disappear from sight. I've combed through the history of fae powers last night after you woke me and haven't been able to find anything." Jasper continued, eyeing the glass on the table.
"It's clear that they're looking for Syl." Felix added, hooking one arm around the backrest of his chair.
"I'm quite popular these days." I mused with a lazy smile, and Reece rolled his eyes.
"People are trying to kill you, and you're joking about it." Reece mumbled.
"People have been trying to kill me for years, brother. Yet, here I am." I emphasized it by gesturing to all of me, and he snorted.
"Alive, but lacking emotions. Are you sure you're not some demon?" Reece teased, narrowing his eyes at me with a playful grin.
"Well, my results say I'm a purebred High Fae, so I'd say the demon part is only your imagination, brother." I shot back with a smirk of my own, and Jasmine chuckled beside me.
"We'll deal with this later." Jasper cut in, changing the subject. "I need you to see if you can arrange a deal for that artifact in Riverhoff." He continued, his eyes meeting mine. "Take Felix, Jasmine, and your brother. You'll need the best with you, just in case." With that, he got up and wandered over to his study without waiting for a reply. I guess that's an order then.
╭──╯ . . . . . . . . . . ╰──╮
The sun heated the leather of my riding gear as I made the trek to the stables on the far side of Greenhollow. The others should already be waiting for me. I took my time gathering everything we might need for the journey and left them by my front door as usual. I did add some more weapons, just in case. Since we're heading deep into the human lands, it might be necessary. Jasmine said she would bring me an extra cloak since I didn't have one myself. I've never been one to hide, but Jasper insisted. I kicked at a few loose stones along the cobblestone pathway when the stables came into view. The stables were beautifully maintained, with the grass around them regularly watered and kept healthy for the horses during the day. The wooden building was washed every second day to keep it as clean and safe as possible for the horses, as we rarely used them.
The black coat of my stallion shone in the noon sun, pulling a smile from my lips. I rarely had the opportunity to ride him, but I always looked forward to it when I did. Spirit was a gift from Jasper on my 60th birthday, one that I've cherished. A thoroughbred black stallion. I visit Spirit regularly, but Imran was the one who usually took care of him. The 300-year-old lesser fae shot me a bright smile when he noticed me reaching the fence gate to the stables, his boots already muddy from preparing the horses for us. He was busy braiding Spirit's tail when I walked over to lean against one of the posts to which Spirit was tied.
"How's he doing?" I asked, watching the male's fingers skillfully weave the strands of the braid.
"He's doing well, Commander. Been a bit challenging the last few days with the mares going into heat, but nothing out of the ordinary compared to previous years." Imran sighed, smiling from ear to ear. Imran loved Spirit almost as much as I did. Spirit had a domineering personality, always well aware of his importance, and tends to parade around like a prized male. By the number of mares he has impregnated over the years, I believe his attitude is well earned, but it doesn't prevent him from being a headache for Imran. I've watched Imran try to keep Spirit separated from the young mares who weren't ready to breed yet, but he always found a way out of his damn pen. I had to create wards on his pen for Imran to activate while the mares were in heat, just to keep the massive horse in check. "The others are on the other side of the stables. I took a bit longer with Spirit than I planned to, so they're saddling their own horses." Imran continued as he tied off the braid. I nodded and brushed my hand over the horse's muscular neck, receiving a satisfied huff.
"How's my big man doing?" I whispered, leaning into the horse's side and digging my fingers into his black mane. Spirit whinnied with delight as my fingers scratched along the ridge of his neck. His favorite spot. "Good boy. Are you ready for a two-day trip?" I mumbled, tugging on the straps of his saddle with my free hand to check if it was secure. Another whinny and a hoof pounding into the dirt. "I take that as a yes." I mused, dropping my hand from his mane to rub his snout. Imran quickly untied Spirit's lead from the post as I mounted with one quick movement. Being tall has its advantages.
"Please be careful, Commander. The humans have been getting bolder." Imran started as he adjusted the bit in Spirit's mouth before handing me the reins. "I heard they have been targeting the smaller towns now." Imran's pale green eyes softened as he looked up at me. He knows what Brackenridge means to me, not to mention he's dating a lovely human girl from there. I sometimes wonder how they make it work. Since she is not allowed to come here and he rarely makes the trip there, but he seems happy.
"I'll be careful. Thank you, Imran." The male bowed his head before wandering through the wide open stable doors. I gently spurred Spirit into movement and trotted to the back of the stables where Jasmine was already mounted on her grey Holsteiner mare. Felix and Reece were still busy securing their saddles on their identical brown and black Cob stallions. Jasmine shot me a bright smile as I rounded the wooden building before spurring her mare forward to meet me.
"You're late, Commander." She teased, and I rolled my eyes dramatically before smiling.
"Hello to you too, Jaz." I mused as she tossed me the black cloak.
"Better put that on before we leave." She added, looking over to where the males were now mounting, already wearing their cloaks with the hoods down. I slipped the thin black fabric over my shoulders, careful not to let it snag on the hilt of my broadsword peeking out over my shoulder, and tied the string around my neck as they walked over to us.
"Everyone ready?" Reece asked, coming to a stop beside Jasmine, while Felix lazily patted the neck of his horse. What was his name again? Sunburn? Sunny? I don't remember.
"We need to get through the woods and find a tavern to sleep tonight; camping won't be an option in the open plains of the midlands." Jasmine added, and I grunted my disapproval.
"Then let's get moving. We can look for a place in Latherket; it's a five-hour ride from here." Felix chimed, coming to stand beside me. Sunburn, or whatever his stallion's name was, kept his head low around Spirit, much like most stallions. Reece's stallion was the last to challenge Spirit about a year ago and ended up with a massive gash along his shoulder. It took weeks to heal and left a nasty scar. Since then, Spirit has been the only breeding stallion in our stables.
Reece rode in the front this time, while Felix and I flanked his sides with Jasmine at the back. The majority of the ride was quiet, particularly while passing through the forest. With Sam's death last night, we remained vigilant, keeping our eyes and ears open for any unfamiliar movements or sounds, in case they were still lurking within the trees. Only when we entered the vast grassy hills of the midlands did Jasmine finally break the silence.
"So, do you think the humans will sell the artifact to us?" Jasmine cooed from the back, and Reece stole a glance at her over his shoulder before answering.
"I hope so. It's a fae artifact; it should have been in the Mountain Fae libraries. How they got their hands on it, I don't know."
"What does it look like exactly?" I mused, surveying the open fields and blue skies, noticing small hints of clouds forming. A variety of wildflowers grew along the green sea of grass, filling the air with an overwhelming array of scents.
"It looks like a horn, but it's the size of Maxim's head." Reece answered. Maxim was his horse. The stallion whinnied in response to his name.
"And how, exactly, is it a fae artifact?" Felix added as we crossed over to the main road.
"The horn is said to belong to the god Fachtua." Reece started, nodding to a few travelers hauling a cart down the main road. Possibly on their way to sell some items in one of the larger cities near the Pyronix Desert, also known as Tomas' hunting grounds. "Back when the gods still lived among us, the horn was used to infuse fae forces with immense power. For the eagles, they became the ultimate predator in the skies, capable of generating their own wind force with their wings. The Scorpions had the ability to command earth, build, destroy, and shape it according to their will. To the serpents, their poison was enhanced, and their scales could reflect light to such an extent that they could blind anything in the sun. For the wolves," Reece glanced over his shoulder with a pure lupine grin. "We became things of nightmares. Barbed spines grew from our backs, our claws became blades so sharp they could pierce steel, and the rage? Legends say that one wolf could kill an entire city in one night, without so much as a scratch on it. We became the night." Shivers cascaded down my spine, and even my wolf purred with delight. "Each god had an artifact." Reece continued, his eyes now focused on the road ahead where a crossroad came into view. Tall wooden signs stood on each corner, indicating which road leads where. "They've been missing for so long that even the fae have forgotten about them. All but one. Dagda's artifact is kept in the Mountain Fae's most holy library. Guarded under lock and key with wards so strong that only all four High Lords can unlock it." Felix shuddered beside me and shifted in his saddle.
"Do we know what that artifact does?" Felix mumbled, glancing at me briefly before tightening his grip on the reins as his horse got too close to Spirit.
"According to the tomes we have at home, Dagda's artifact can cause natural disasters. Volcanoes can be summoned, and tornadoes can lay waste to this entire continent at the wielder's command. It looks like a staff, one with a rare gem embedded in the tip and symbols for all four elements carved into the hilt."
"How can we trust the Mountain Fae not to use it?" Jasmine added from the back.
"That's precisely why all four high lords must be present for the wards to unlock. No single High Lord is allowed access to any of the four artifacts." Reece mused as we reached the crossroad and led us towards the right. My gaze landed on the sign. The wood was splintering, and the green paint had faded from years in the sun. The word "Riverhoff" was barely visible.
"I doubt the humans will simply sell it to us if they know the power it holds." I mused, gazing out over the green hills ahead. The wildflowers were in full bloom, swaying in the spring breeze, and the clouds were slowly starting to merge in the sky. It might rain in a few hours.
"Lets hope that is not the case, but the fact that they've had it for so many years without the Fae realizing isn't promising. They had to have found a way to hide it; it was lucky that we stumbled upon it."
"How did you guys learn about it?" Jasmine asked again as she scratched her mare behind the ear.
"Dad and I searched for days, but the only thing we found was an old book about the gods. This is where we learned that these artifacts even existed. We sent a few lesser fae out to check the human cities, anywhere something like this might be hidden. Sadly, only two of the four returned." Reece sighed, mumbling a silent prayer for those who didn't make it before continuing, "One of them mentioned that a few humans spoke about this particular museum in Riverhoff. How it had so much history displayed for anyone to come see, but it sounded like just normal human trinkets, until they heard about this horn. A massive bone-carved artifact was guarded and displayed in a glass case lined with metal and bone dust." Bone dust was typically utilized to mask the scent of fae powers and even neutralize them. Our clan rarely used it, but the Ocean Fae had their homes constructed with it. An illusion of equality. You can't sense or feel the power of the Fae living around you, nor can any of them use their abilities to their full potential. A safe haven for non-magical beings.
"If we can't buy it, what will our plan be?" I asked, gazing up at the clouds quickly drifting and growing darker by the minute.
"Steal it." Reece answered, shooting me a grin over his shoulder.
"Is it really stealing if it belongs to our kind?" Felix mused, trying to hide his smile.
"The humans might argue with that." Jasmine chuckled, and I glanced over to see her mare nipping at Spirit's tail. She will be in heat soon.
"We should pick up the pace." Reece finally added, also staring up at the clouds. We immediately spurred our horses into a gallop. We were still a few hours away from Latherket, but here's hoping the rain will hold off until we get there.
╭──╯ . . . . . . . . . . ╰──╮
After an hour of searching in pouring rain, we finally found a tavern that had some vacancies. The building was run-down, with swollen and splintering wood around the front door. Some windows were boarded up, likely due to being shattered either from break-ins or vandalism; it's hard to tell. The tavern was located well off the main road of the town, surrounded by nothing but mud and grass wherever you looked. I chose to camp just outside of town, but Reece vetoed the idea, so here we are. Standing in the doorway of a building that smells like piss and vomit. I won't be surprised if the damn ceiling collapses at any moment.
"Fix your face." Reece mumbled beside me, eyeing my disgusted sneer before striding over to the bar in the far corner. Jasmine met my gaze for a second, and her nose scrunched up much like my own before the three of us followed Reece again. "Good evening, we'd like four rooms." Reece cooed with a small smile. We all had our hoods up, more for the rain than to hide who we are.
"Four?" The human lifted a brow, eyeing each of us slowly. His hair was slowly turning gray at the roots, and lines were forming along his brow. By the dark spots along his hands and arms, he appeared to be in his 60s, with a gut from years of drinking piss poor alcohol. "We only have two." The man's voice irritated my ears; it was harsh and raspy, as if he smoked 20 packets of cigarettes a day.
"Two will work." Reece added, fishing for money in his leather pockets.
"20 gold marks." The man shot, eyeing my brother's fine leathers.
"10." I countered, leveling a glare at the old man.
"15." A smile began to tug on the old man's lips, and I took a step closer to the bar, flashing a fanged grin.
"10." My tone dropped as I brushed my tongue against my exposed fang, causing the man's skin to pale a shade.
"Okay, 10." The man nodded, took a step back, and then extended a hand to Reece.
"I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Reece mumbled as he handed the man the money before guiding me to the stairs at the back by my shoulders.
"We're not paying 20 gold marks for this shithole." I whispered as Reece guided me up the rickety stairs. Parts of the railing were broken and dangling dangerously over the edge. I gazed over at the owner of the bar, who watched us with narrowed eyes as Jasmine swiped the keys for our rooms from the counter before following us up the stairs. The second floor looked almost worse than the first. The wooden floor creaked under our weight, with some parts scuffed up over the years. The wallpaper was peeling in multiple places, revealing mold-ridden wood panels.
"Rooms 10 and 11." Jasmine said behind us as she read the tags on the keys, scrunching her nose at the lingering smell of dirt and sex wafting from the closed bedroom doors. I'm not even surprised, to be honest. This seems like the place to go if you want to hide an affair. Reece kept pushing me along until we found the two rooms at the far side of the hallway. Room 10 is to the left, and Room 11 is to the right, with one lone, slightly shattered window overlooking the hills beyond the tavern, situated in the middle.
"I feel like we're going to get murdered here." Felix mumbled as he shouldered open the door to Room 10.
"Just ward your door; it would be a shame to find you massacred in your bed." I teased, shooting him a smirk over my shoulder before opening the door to Room 11 for Jasmine. Our room was fairly small, with two single beds positioned against the far wall. I have to duck my head just to get through the door, and even inside, I can't stand up to my full height. The window in our room was boarded up, and the smell of rotting wood and moth-eaten linen assaulted my senses. "We should have made camp." I whispered as I walked over to the one bed, sneering at the torn bedding.
"I'm slowly starting to agree with you." Jasmine sighed and dropped down onto the other bed. The springs screamed under her weight, and dust wafted from the mattress. I waved a lazy hand, and the door shut with a phantom wind. I studied the wooden door for a few seconds, noticing how it was bent at the bottom as if someone had tried to kick it open, with indents on the wood as if someone had repeatedly shoved a blade into it. This room has seen some shit over the years. I let out a long sigh before extending my hand towards the door and making a series of movements, forming an O with a line drawn through it. One of the stronger locking wards. Only fae would be able to break the spell, and even then, it would take them hours to do so unless they were well-versed in wards. Which was rarely the case.
"We should get some rest. I want to leave here as soon as possible." I sighed, eyeing the rickety bed for a few seconds before finally lowering myself onto it. The smell of mothballs and dirt churned my stomach, but I closed my eyes anyway. Rain was hammering the stone roof, and a distinct dripping sound came from a corner in the room. Fionnualla, give me patience. It took me almost an hour to finally fall asleep.
╭──╯ . . . . . . . . . . ╰──╮
The rain had stopped sometime during the night, and as we stepped out of the tavern, the day promised cloudless skies. The ground was still muddy and smelled of fresh vomit. We skirted a damp puddle that I hoped was water, but the smell indicated it was piss, and proceeded to the dilapidated stables behind the tavern where we had tethered our horses last night. I can't wait to leave this damn place.
"Man, my neck is killing me." Jasmine groaned beside me, rolling her shoulders.
"I couldn't fit on the damn bed. My feet were freezing." Felix added, running a hand over his sculpted jaw.
"You're all just spoiled little brats." I mumbled with a smile. As much as I hated this place, it reminded me of the years I spent on the street. The smell was familiar, and the bed was more comfortable than the hard ground or cardboard boxes I used to sleep on as an orphan, but I would be content if I never saw this place again in my life.
As we rounded the corner of the building, the small stable came into view, and Jasmine's mare whinnied. She had come loose throughout the night and now stood in ankle-deep mud, bobbing her head as Jasmine approached her.
"How did you get out, Dolly?" Jasmine cooed, brushing a hand against the mare's side.
Spirit. The hair on my arms stood on end, and my knees locked up at the pained voice. A heartbeat passed, and I broke into a run, shoving the stable doors open with my shoulder. Inside, Felix and Reece's stallions were still tied to their pens, but Spirit's pen was empty. The gate to his pen was busted open and dangling on a single hinge.
"Who the fuck." I seethed, eyeing the turned-over dirt in Spirit's pen. No blood; he was still alive.
"Oh, shit." Felix mumbled from behind me before resting a hand on my shoulder. "Syl..." I could feel his eyes burning into me, but anger and worry coursed through my veins. I shoved him aside, drawing my broadsword with one hand. I stalked from the stables, fighting my wolf with each step that threatened to break free.
"Sylvia, you need to calm down. We'll find him." Reece stated as he intercepted my path to the tavern. Jasmine sighed softly as she glanced at me from beside Dolly. I could see the pain in her eyes. She knows I'd kill for Spirit, but she made no move to stop me.
"Get out of my way, Reece." My voice sounded distant, laced with rage that turned my vision red and made my palm itch against the hilt of my blade.
"Think for a second. If you kill them, we won't know what happened to Spirit." Reece lowered his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was right, but I won't let this stand. I pushed past him, knocking his shoulder with my own as I kicked open the front door with enough force to break the hinges off the doorframe.
"Where the fuck is he?" I seethed, white-knuckling the hilt.
"What are you -" The gray man took a step back, pinning himself to the wall behind the bar, and I unsheathed a dagger from my side.
"The black stallion. Where. Is. he." I crossed the tavern floor in three strides, with a few humans pushing from their chairs to draw their own blades. Who goes to a tavern at 8 in the damn morning, or perhaps they occupied the other rooms last night.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The man's voice broke, and I could smell the fear emanating from him. I noticed the way his hands started to tremble and how his throat bobbed as he eyed the blades in my hands. He was lying.
"I'm going to ask again, and if you lie again. I will kill everyone in this fucking place." My breathing was labored, the air too cold for my warm lungs, as the others filed into the room behind me. "Where is my fucking horse?" I seethed again, kicking one of the bar stools clear across the room, where it shattered against the wall.
"I-I don't—" My jaw tightened, and one of the humans circled his table with a dagger hidden in his sleeve. I was on him in seconds, my broadsword skewered through his chest.
"Let's try that again." I kept my eyes fixed on the man behind the bar, who paled even more as he watched the body drop to the floor at my feet. "Lie again and you'll be next." A scream pierced the air as a woman fell to her knees by the stairs, but I simply stepped over the body and made my way back to the bar. "I won't ask again." Anger consumed every part of me, leaving my mind racing and my skin burning underneath the layers. I will kill every single one of them. I finally rounded the corner of the bar, the owner frantically shuffling along the wall, but the bar was built with only one side open. He was trapped.
"A-A man came by after you w-went upstairs. H-He paid me 100 gold marks for it." The owner stuttered, and a stain formed around the man's trousers. I finally stopped a few inches from him, towering over the old man as I tried to fight the urge to tear him limb from limb.
"What man?" I growled, feeling my wolf now stirring beneath my skin, eager to be set free.
"L- Lord Adler. The Baron of Latherket." The man held up his hands, and his breathing was labored. "That's all I know, I swear!" My gaze drifted over the old man in new clothes clothes, the piss stain, the gray hair. By the way his hair smelled of fresh lemon, his clothes still unstained and whole, he didn't lack for money. So it was greed. The man sold my damn horse as if it were cattle, for a simple payout. I saw red, and my dagger found flesh and bone. Blood coated my face as the man's head thudded onto the bar counter, and more screams filled the room.
"Dammit, Syl." Felix sighed from the door as the remaining tavern-goers rushed out onto the muddied road leading back to the town. I clenched my jaw hard enough for small tendrils of pain to shoot along the bone before cleaning my blade on the man's shirt and sheathing it again.
"Lord Adler is next." I shot as I vaulted over the bar and headed for the door where Jasmine was now waiting outside with Dolly.
"Sylvia, you can't just go around killing people." Reece added as he grabbed my elbow.
"Reece, if you want to keep that hand, I'd advise you to let go." I snarled, glaring at him over my shoulder.
"Sylvia, we'll get Spirit back, but I need you to reel it in. That's an order." His eyes hardened with the challenge, and a growl threatened to break free from my wolf, but I swallowed it. It was an order. No matter how much I hate it, I respected my brother because he only pulls rank when he believes it's necessary.
"Fine, but if something happened to Spirit." I started, and my gut twisted at the idea.
"Then I will let you kill the bastard, but right now, I need you to calm down." Reece's grip on my elbow loosened, and his eyes softened again. "We'll get Spirit back." This time, I only nodded and followed Reece out into the warm morning air, resisting the urge to set the entire town on fire.
"If Spirit is hurt, I will make his death slow."
