Page 14 of Veil of Blood and Bone

The other two watch.

We’ll wipe the floor with any challengers.

I stifle a laugh. Mortals would have no idea what to do with the woman if they managed to catch her. Hell, half the time I can barely handle her.

Then pain, all-consuming, temporarily blinding. I hunch against the breeze and the richness of decay, the change of seasons in this small corner of the world.

Nothing is the way it used to be, and yet somehow it’s exactly the way it needs to be.

I came for her. I know I did, but not. The wind carried me here to this little shieldmaiden, and I’ll find out who, what, she is.

The more I watch, the clearer her form, the more muddled the inside of my head. Thoughts churn and crash together like waves on an angry sea.

Her eyes strike like hammer on anvil. Even if her costume leaves little to be desired. The tight lines of the fabric over her heaving chest, the short and loose threads keeping the inaccurate skirt connected to the rest of the ensemble, is a tragedy and reeks of some stale, forgotten closet.

Had speaking to her as a human been a mistake?

I crane my head, chittering.

Showing my face, my truth, means heartbreak. It leads to pain. Yes?

Well met, Forest.

The voice in my head might be mine. I stiffen, caw, but the howl of a group of children swallows the sound. Beyond them, the river stretches out and through the gaping wall of woodland.

With a shriek I leap off the ground and wing toward the banner over the tent. Curls spares me a glance before helping more of the customers waiting in line.

This isn’t a bad place. It’s different. Odd.

But the rich scent of the moss near the bank, the detritus of leaves and the press of flesh is universal. Another time, it would not be so ordered. Swords would flash and test their strength in worthy and unworthy hands. Blood would spill, feeding the metal, establishing hierarchy.

Those longboats would pack full of warriors eager to expand their horizons and territory.

Even if the time is long gone, and this charade only brings torment. I am here.

Time is pain. Time is endless.

The woman’s haunting eyes threaten to change the fabric of the world, the foundation it stands on, the roots of the great tree…

Mob thinning, people in the area churn together, restless. The heartbeat of the land changes and clangs and they hurry without knowing, turning their backs on this corner of the event.

Most of them gather near the shores of a river like melted silver and cheer on a mockery of men lifting fists in the air.

Why?

Do they sense power revolving beneath the surface, ready to erupt?

Do they know about the others?

Do they feel eyes on their skin and understand it’s something different than the rest of the festival-goers? A chill roots in the bird’s bloodstream, and the blonde-haired woman peers up, searching for me and meeting my gaze.

“Ah, good, you’re still here,” she tells me with a wink. “Do you wanna bring more friends? I’ll try to get more snacks for you.”

My feathers fluff, and I take off from the top of the tent, the brush of her attention tracking the movement.

Careful.

She needs more care, more observation. Wind rustles my throat, the elongated and delicate plumes on my front. I close my eyes and lift out the thermals, adjusting.