Page 17 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

“The bleeding has stopped, but he will still need to see a healer immediately,” I said to his mother. I turned to Gabriel and asked, “Can we get him the help he needs?”

Gabriel looked at his soldiers, at me, then at the crying mother. “Of course. Norling! Quickly get the youngling and his mother to the nearest healer and then meet us back at the castle.”

I took the shaking mother’s hand into mine. “Bonvis is going to be alright. He’s a strong boy. What’s your name?”

Her bloodshot, brown eyes met mine. “Sorah.”

“Sorah, from one mother to another, I want you to know that you saved him. You didn’t remove the dagger, and that was smart thinking. You did everything right. Now go get him to a healer, and give him some extra sweets while he heals.” I smiled and gave her a wink.

“Thank you,” she whispered and tightly smiled back.

Norling picked up Bonvis and led a weeping Sorah to his awaiting horse. As they took off down the path at a breakneck pace, I silently thanked Airmed that what I did worked. I rubbed my hands together, the blood coating them starting to dry, and I stayed rooted on my knees in the dirt, needing a moment to process what had occurred.

Cora approached me quietly. “Mom? Is that boy going to make it?”

“I believe he will, sweet girl.”

“Rory, that was incredible. You are a wonder!” Gabriel exclaimed.

“My training kicked in. That’s all,” I dismissed.

His smile disappeared, replaced with a somber intensity. “I must impress upon you, though, not to run off into dangerous situations. There was no telling if that was a ruse to lure us in to rob or even hurt us.”

I wanted to argue that, as a mother, my intuition screamed at me that it was real. The genuine fear in her eyes and the boy’s limp body were something I had seen on more than one occasion. I held my tongue, though. Arguing with him wasn’t wise when he was the one trying to keep Cora and me safe. I cast my eyes to the ground and nodded, just as any noblewoman would. It made my flesh crawl.

Gabriel helped place the contents of my bag, thrown unceremoniously on the ground, back into it. “Did you happen to hear what that mother was mumbling?” He asked without looking at me.

“I couldn’t make it out, but I would think it was a prayer. I have seen many mothers pray to deities to spare their child or loved one.”

He tightly smiled with an eyebrow raised and pulled me to my feet. Once up, he poured water over my hands to clean them. “Let’s get you back on the horse. I hate to rush, but we don’t want to be caught out here at night.”

I dipped my head and led Cora back to the horse, passing the soldiers who stared at me. I suspected they had never seen human ways of healing before. Cora and I were giving them a lot to talk about.

Gabriel picked up the discarded bloody dagger and stuck it in his saddlebag. “Are you ready?” he asked, tipping his head.

“Yes. I think we have had enough excitement for one day.” I hugged Cora, seated in front of me. Her dirty, messy hair was a relief. I breathed her in, closing my eyes and thanking Clotha that she was safe in my arms. My heart wept for what Sorah was going through. Her desperate pleas and screams rattled around in my head. I hoped that what I did was enough, and what I will continue to do will be enough…for Cora’s safety and my own.

The light gradually dimmed as the sun started its descent, lowering slowly behind the distant mountains. The snowcapped peaks reached toward the light, beckoning the sun to warm the cold landscape. As our group crested over a forested hill, a city emerged in the distance. A large castle as white as the snow on the mountain tops sat directly in the center of the labyrinthine streets of the city. It was intimidatingly beautiful and far grander than what we had in Edenalee.

“Home,” Gabriel exhaled. “Well, Cora, did you pick a name for your horse?”

“Yes! Her name is Celeste!”

“Of the Sky,” he exclaimed. “I like it. A fitting and proud name.” Cora beamed. “Let’s see if she can live up to her namesake and fly.” A sly grin spread across his face before turning to me. “Care for a friendly race to the castle gate? It is a straight path once you get into the city.”

“Oh!” I looked down at a quickly nodding Cora and back to Gabriel. “Sure!” In a split second, he nudged his horse and took off at high speed. I squeezed my calves into Celeste’s sides and took off behind Gabriel. Cora whooped, the wind whipping our hair wildly about as Celeste speared into a full run. Gabriel’s horse, Eli, might have been bigger, but Celeste was fast, and we easily caught up to them. A look of shock momentarily passed over Gabriel’s face when we overtook them, and I painted on a playful smile. The first true smile since arriving on this side of the barrier.

I careened Celeste through a cobblestone street that led straight to the castle. Vendors, shops, and seraphs whipped past in a blur. The gates for the palace came into view quickly, and I pulled Celeste back into a trot once we crossed a bridge to the main gate.

Gabriel chuckled as he pulled up beside us. “Well, I guess she does fly, Cora! You picked a perfect name. I rarely see any horse able to overtake Eli in a race.”

Cora gave a sparkling smile.

My heart galloped in the best way possible. “She is a quick little thing! I haven’t done that in years. Feels amazing!” I patted the side of Celeste’s neck in praise, and she huffed out a vibrating breath in response.

The gate of the castle loomed over us, and I finally took notice of guards on the other side, watching Gabriel, Cora, and me.

“Commander.” A guard nodded to Gabriel, catching his attention. “Captives or guests?”