AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was missing something.
A dying, magicless Princess could not take on a powerful Queen. Who knew what I was missing as those stories had all been forbidden, they had been told in hushed whispers around fireplaces. Who knew what had been changed.
But the wedding, the timeline of when Dalyah took power, that was written in history books, or it would be. That was taught by the black guard. That I knew was true. Which meant one thing.
Months.
I only had months to reach Dalyah and end all of this before it started.
Technically, I had all the time in the world, but even with draining the life out of people and things to gain more I would only be prolonging the inevitable. I was ready. I needed to reach the Runturin. I needed to find my way into the Runturin and to the princess and work with her to end the queen.
I needed to save my sister and for all of this to be done.
I was tempted to leave now, but I couldn’t just enter the Runturin. I had tried years ago only to find a labyrinth of dim corridors full of guards and doors that led to nothing. Simply attempting to find either the queen or the princess could exhaust the power I would need to face the queen. I needed to find another way in, and quickly.
Luckily, all of this Fae hunting had been for a purpose.
“Waide o’ da water,” Tayln announced, the other walkers already making their way off the ferry and onto the bobbing boardwalks of the floating village.
I grabbed the heavy bag that was, in fact, beginning to smell, but thankfully wasn’t leaking any of that foul blood, and stepped after them, only to have a gnarled hand press against my chest.
“Stories getting ‘round, Caspyn,” Tayln said, giving me a look before he coiled the rope to anchor the ferry as the other boat, manned by his son, made its long way back. “You best be careful.”
“I am careful, Tayln,” I mumbled, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
“Are ya?” He leaned in close, his eyes narrowed to slits as he continued to coil the rope. “Last charge I took across the waves was talkin’ about a man with two blue eyes, different shades like, killing dem Fae. And my boy heard tale of how you could hire a man with eyes like glass and rain to off any man you don’ be liking.”
I attempted to stop the twist of fear that wound its way up my spine, to stop my back from stiffening. I failed at both.
“I don’t know–”
“People in Waide, they know you, Caspyn. They know, but they talk. Maybe too much, now,” he cut off what would have been a poor attempt to wave him off and gave me another look and my stomach dropped, my hand suddenly itching for my blade.
“How much?” Another look.
“Too much. We know you, Caspyn, an’ we know Jayse. But we don’ want that kind in our home. Be careful or you’ll be seein’ the downside of the Qit.”
“I am careful,” I repeated, although that fear from before was now winding angrily through my gut.
His message was clear. Stop whatever I was wrapped up in, or the drowning that was usual punishment for crimes on the Qits would be my reward. But not only mine, Jayse’s. It was for her that the fear was building.
Fear would get me killed. Fear was weak. But Waide was my home, it was where Lily would be born. It was where my parents would find each other. It was the only place I had left that wasn’t tainted by the world that was coming.
“I am careful,” I said it again, this time the words were more of a growl, as if it would make it true.
“Hmmm, well I suppose we could always be more careful, eh?” he chuckled, leaning against the side of the Qit and tugging a bit of dried seaweed from the pouch on his side to chew.
“Thanks for the tip,” I was still growling, fury and rage now mixing with that fear in a dangerous combination. Everything was getting too close, every world converging.
That fear built, tugging and warning as though I should run. As though everything was about to unravel.
“I’ve been away from home, too long. I need sleep.” I grumbled and made for the exit of the raft, but Tayln stood still, still chewing with that weathered face that saw far too much.
“Why don’ you settle down, Caspyn?” he suggested. “Stop with this nonsense. You have a girl. Make her honest.”
“Always the same with you, old man,” I chuckled. He had suggested many times that Jayse and I settle down. He wasn’t the first to suggest it, either. Everyone always wanted to see us together, possibly because we always had been. That didn’t make it a good match.
I pulled another gold coin from my purse and handed it to him. He looked at it and went back to coiling rope, the wind tugging at his threadbare shirt.
