Page 10 of Oath of Revenge

“Growlers?” Eirwyn asked.

Scarlet shook her head slowly, staring once more into the fireplace as her spine tingled. “No, I don’t think so. They didn’t sound like Growlers. This was something entirely different.”

She looked up and met their gazes one at a time, trying to make them see how bad it was outside of the relative safety of the Feral Forest.

“The queen is wielding that fear like a double-edged sword. She claims that those who die are those who oppose her rule and break the laws. It’s no coincidence that the so-called monsters only descended on the villages and valleys after the queen passed through on her grand-tour of the country.”

“How can the Council just let this happen?” Eirwyn asked.

Eirwyn was the former princess of Busparia. Her brother had ruled with the Council for decades before his death six months ago. That’s when their entire world was turned upside down.

Scarlet replied, “I don’t think the Council has a choice. Between Bella, the General, and the Chancellor, it’s practically martial law in Busparia.”

She rubbed her temples, her head hurting yet again from the balancing act of antlers.

“The Chancellor is a yes-man. He’ll do whatever he has to stay in power,” Eirwyn said.

Scarlet nodded, “That power has finally settled in the capitol. There haven’t been elaborate, fancy balls, but she has begun to wine and dine the nobles and the Council. Those who oppose her disappear, and it’s not the Hunters still in Busparia responsible for it, either. Most of the Hunters who remain are no longer getting contracts. When we arrived at the Guild house, they asked us for guidance and help.”

“What did you tell them?” Knox asked.

Scarlet shrugged. “Exactly what you said. There’s shelter in the forest for any who swear fealty to the two of you.”

“And what of the war? Any word on that?” Knox put his empty tea cup on the cart and stepped behind Eirwyn to massage down her arms. Scarlet sighed, ignoring the pain in her chest as she watched the two of them together.

It was almost nauseating to watch all the love between them. The little touches. The heated glances. The tender care.

It reminded her too much of her parents and of what she would never have.

“The General is preparing more troops to launch another invasion when winter fades in a few weeks, but I wasn’t able to get as close as I wanted to confirm that rumor. I had to rely on other Hunters to get in and out, as these fucking antlers kept getting in the way,” Scarlet muttered, scratching where one came out of her head.

Knox murmured and began to pace. “How are we supposed to get her to break the curse and stop the war once and for all?”

Eirwyn bit her lip and her eyes watered. “Maybe we can visit her? Surely she’ll see us. It’s been months, and we were friends for years before—before...”

Scarlet’s lips twisted. “Before the king was eliminated and she cursed everyone within a league’s distance?”

Eirwyn’s face nearly crumpled as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Scarlet’s chest ached, but her friend needed to come to terms with what had happened last summer. She needed to accept her brother’s death for what it was.

No one had let Scarlet wallow in grief when she’d lost either of her parents. Eirwyn had had months to process, and it was time to face the reality of life.

“You were friends before we declared the Feral Forest a separate country too,” Knox said, scratching his temples again. “You know she’s probably upset about that.”

Eirwyn shook her head stubbornly and a tear rolled down her cheek, before she wiped it away angrily. “No, I don’t think she’d care about losing this territory. She was a fair and honest woman.”

“Before she got married,” Scarlet said.

Eirwyn glared. “She can be again. Maybe once the devastation of my brother’s death fades?”

Knox knelt in front of her, taking her hand gently. “Hey, maybe you’re right. Maybe once she’s back to her normal self, we can meet with her. After the egg is hatched, that is.”

Scarlet shook her head. “And she’ll suddenly be sane? Eirwyn, you of all people should know how grief can take a toll. You’re both still in mourning. We can’t rush into a meeting with her. If her emotions are too raw, who knows what might happen. I mean, last time, she cursed us, remember? And now she’s controlling monsters?”

Knox rubbed his hands up and down Eirwyn’s arms, and she sighed as she leaned her head on his forehead, holding her hands under her enormous stomach. Scarlet’s huge ass ears meant she heard every whispered word between her step-brother and his wife.

“I know,” Eirwyn said. “But she’s my friend.”

Knox kissed her temple. “And you want to be there for her. It’s understandable, my love. But we can’t go see her until after the egg has hatched. You’re due to deliver any day now.”

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