Page 72 of Crownless King

Tired from fighting the storm to stay airborne, Sauria descended from above and landed on the bench seat next to me. She clapped her hands, and the harness on the deer glowed brightly, illuminating the way.

“Are you having fun?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Fuck you,” I snapped, catching my breath and collecting my wits after the terrifying ride.

She laughed heartily. “Hey, you lived!”

“No thanks to you.”

“And you gained a new skill.” She tipped her chin at the deer trotting ahead at a much more manageable pace. “Now, if anyone ever asks you if you’ve ever done it, you’ll say you have.”

“Great. One thing off my bucket list that I don’t even have. Yay,” I quipped, feigning enthusiasm. “Where are we going, anyway?”

Mirth melted off Sauria’s wrinkled face. She glanced around cautiously.

“You know what…” She pulled out of her satchel a long, gray cloak identical to the one she was wearing. “Put this on. And pull the hood up, too, just in case. You don’t want to stand out.”

Handing her the reins, I quickly wrapped the cloak around myself and pulled the hood over my head, hiding my hair. The cloak was thin, but warm, which proved handy in this miserable weather.

“Are you taking me to the place where the hags live?” I asked.

She snorted a laugh. “You mean like a Hag Court or a Hag Palace?”

I shrugged, sensing it was best not to reply to that unless I wished to be made fun of again.

“We don’t all live together,” she explained. “We aren’t ants or the Royal Court of Elaros, you know?” She chuckled.

“Where do you live, then?”

“Everywhere.” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm, encompassing the fields around us and another forest far in the distance. “I have a wagon, like Sova. I also have a hut. And when I go to the summits of my Council, I stay in a cave.”

“You don’t have a court or a palace, but you have a Council?”

“Right. A Council and a Coven.” She gave me a sideways glance. “Anyway. I have many places, but none is suitable for a human woman void of magic and her future baby.”

I bit my lip, gripping the reins tighter. Soon enough, I might be responsible for another person, and I had no idea how to support us.

“There must be something for me to do in this kingdom, other than being someone’s pet,” I said bitterly. “I’m not useless. I can work. I may not do things as perfectly as fae with theircalling, but I can learn to do something well enough to earn a living. Just point me in the right direction, please. I know very little about life out here.”

Sauria fell silent, sitting uncharacteristically still for a few moments.

“Well, the only thing I can think of is…” She squinted in concentration. “I have a friend… No,” she stopped herself, “not a friend. One simply can’t be friends with this guy, no more than one can befriend a tree stump. He’s my neighbor, of sorts. My hut is in the woods next to his farm. That’s where we’re going.”

“Will he give me a job?” Hope twitched in me.

Sauria made a face. “He doesn’t really employ anyone. The man is as strong as a bull and does everything himself. But his farm is an ideal place for you, I think. It’s far away from any town. Bavius is a loner. He never has any visitors. No one will find you there.”

That, indeed, sounded ideal for my situation.

As a dark, low-set building came into view up ahead, however, anxiety gnawed at me.

“Are you sure he won’t mind?”

Sauria shrugged, not looking very optimistic. “We’ll see.”

“What’s his name again?”

“Bavius. He’s ataurean. He lives alone, doesn’t talk much, and always looks grumpy. But he hasn’t hurt anyone. Not that I know of, anyway.”

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