Page 42 of Secrets and Ruin

“Landon…”

“We don’t have much time. If Niko is out there, he’s probably holding his own, but he grew up in the area and has lived here for centuries as a werecat, so he’s more than capable of fighting off most types of fae. Dirk doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I know, and it’s already been some days.” Closing my eyes, I knew what we had to do. I couldn’t bring myself to rush past the important preparation, though. This was something I never thought I would encounter. I had no idea what to prepare. “Help me think of questions. We need… anything. Information is key right now.”

“We need to know if this estate is the only safe place. He mentioned something about paths. We should ask what that meant. It could have meant getting lost in the woods, but it doesn’t feel like anything is that simple here.”

“Right… I was thinking of asking if Niko had an emergency plan if fae did get inside… weapons, safe rooms, anything like that.”

“I like that.”

We threw options back and forth for half an hour and had a list when Ansel came back, pushing a tray with two meals. I began to question where his food was until he pulled a plate from the lower level and showed me.

“Are there any other safe places in Niko’s territory or beyond it?” Landon asked first before taking a bite of his food. “You mentioned paths. Can you explain that?”

“Yes…” Ansel seemed a little put off by the question. Maybe it was that Landon wouldn’t hold off on the conversation until after the meal.

I sniffed my drink, making sure it was proper water before I took a sip.

Landon and I waited expectantly until Ansel sighed and put his plate back on the cart.

“The roads have iron tracks under them, making them clear of fae unless you upset one enough to come for you, anyway. The paths in the woods have iron markers the fae won’t move. Due to the nature of woodland trails, Nikolaus couldn’t install proper tracks for the trails to keep them as safe as the roads. Too narrow, too winding, and they disappear over time. Niko tries to keep some well-worn, certain paths to other areas of the forest. Those are the ones he marked.”

“Other areas?” I asked, needing more.

“You know a werewolf pack once lived in these woods. The other safe areas are old structures from the original werewolf pack. There used to be a thriving, large community, and they had multiple small homesteads in the area around this keep. Now, they’re dilapidated buildings, but they can offer protection to anyone who wants to pass through. Nikolaus has been slowly renovating and rebuilding them over the years, hoping to give himself and us places to stop safely if we needed to go deep into the woods for an extended period. We don’t often go beyond the perimeter, but sometimes it’s necessary.”

“Why?”

“We forage for plants and other organic magical material in the Black Forest that can’t be found anywhere else in our world. They can be found in the fae realm, but the varieties here are unique to this place. It’s a large source of income for Nikolaus and the household. We don’t take too much when we go harvesting, and we only harvest one week every year under Nikolaus’s protection. It’s somewhat of a festival for us because we know we’re safe. There are games like races, encouraging the staff to volunteer so we can have fun together. Everyone gets a portion of their own harvest as a personal bonus, which keeps many in this household going out there every year. Many of the Berlin staff enjoy the distance they have from the strangeness of this place.”

“How much does a week’s harvest bring?”

My curiosity was matched by Landon’s as he asked that question.

“Depending on the quality of the harvest, somewhere between five and twenty million US dollars,” Ansel answered quickly, clearly having memorized those numbers. “Volunteers for foraging often take home between two hundred and fifty thousand to five hundred thousand. Sometimes, someone will do well enough in a year with a good return, and we’ll see a million-dollar bonus.”

“And what… What is this stuff used for?” I asked, wanting to know about my brother’s secret life.

“Much of it is very prized by herbalists who know what they can use it for. There are no potions of invisibility like fantasy would tell you, but these things are full of raw magic, and witches use them to power effects they might be doing through spells or to help reach a desired effect with a spell.”

“We should get back on topic,” I said, rubbing my temple. The world of magic was a world I still didn’t fully understand. I didn’t think I ever could. Every time I looked into it, it only grew more complicated. Even the witches in my family were only scratching the surface of it or had their own ways of doing things that weren’t conventional, thanks to their power.

“Are there any known creatures we should be watchful for?”

“If you meet anyone in the woods, you should avoid them. Animals can’t always be trusted, either.”

“Even if we see Niko?”

Ansel looked haunted for a moment, his face paling as he looked at me with an expression that scared me because I could see the nightmares in his eyes.

“Especially if you see Nikolaus. He’s lived in this area for centuries. The fae here know him and will absolutely use that familiarity to mimic him better than anyone else could.” Ansel’s throat bobbled with a swallow. “It would not be the first time they have lured people to their demise with his face. It’s the first thing we tell people when they come here. Nikolaus will never ask one of us to leave the property from outside the border. He will never beckon us like that. If it appears he is, then it is most certainly someone else wearing his face. You will not have the benefit of the iron protections to make sure it is him.

“If you see him, call to him. If he doesn’t move, stay on the path and do not approach him. If he doesn’t reply quickly, stay on the path and hurry back to the estate. If he walks away, do not follow and stay on the path to the estate. Nikolaus will always verify his identity immediately and will come to the path, showing he can painlessly walk on it. Only with that verification will you know it’s truly him.”

“Stay on the path seems like an important thing to remember,” Landon muttered as he paced, mulling over what we were learning.

“And Dirk?”

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