Page 25 of Consort

We walk in silence as they lead me back to the main entrance of the castle. I’m relieved to see that the map I drew in my mind yesterday is accurate. Even more than that, I’m glad I’m being led away from the queen’s chambers.

While we wait for the doors to be opened, one of the guards turns to me and grunts, “Find a replacement for Mitah.”

“Make sure it’s a powerful one,” Folas sings from behind me.

That fae grates my nerves, but I decide not to acknowledge him. I might suffocate if I don’t get out of here soon. Arguing with him isn’t something I’m willing to waste time on.

“Don’t come back until you’ve found one,” he adds before striding off down another corridor.

Don’t come back until you’ve found one...If I give a half-hearted effort, it could take months to find a replacement. That would make me look busy and keep the queen down one powerful soldier at the same time.

The guard hands me a sack of coins and a small parchment with three names on it. “We’ve been watching these three fae who are rumored to have telekinetic magic. Start here.”

Well, there goes that. It’s unlikely that all of them, or even two of them, would have the rare power. This task should only takeme a couple days. But at least I can leave. I need to get away from this place. And I need to find Farris.

As soon as I make it outside, I gulp in deep breaths of the lighter air. The memories of last night’s sick affair burrow themselves somewhere deeper inside, allowing me to ignore them for now. I walk swiftly toward the forest until I get past the castle grounds. When the hard path turns to soft grass beneath my feet, I finally feel like letting me leave wasn’t a trick.

A familiar beetle flies past my face and enters the forest in front of me.

“Thank fuck you’re here,” I say under my breath.

Once we’re under the cover of the trees, Farris removes the illusion, and I tell him all about what happened.

“I’m sorry, Durin,” my friend says squeezing my shoulder.

A heavy shame settles in my chest. I remind myself that this is Farris. He’d never judge me for what I’ve been forced to do. I grunt in response, still unable to look him in the eye.

“I told your parents the queen discovered your magic and took you to the castle,” he says. “I assured them you’re fine. You might want to stop by and speak with them, though. They’d probably like to see for themselves that you’re well.”

I probably owe them that, but I just can’t face them. I pushed them away for years then walked out on them without even saying goodbye. I can’t come back and pretend that there’s hope for us to get to become close again.

“I’ve been commanded to fill Mitah’s position,” I tell Farris. “I should probably hunt at least one of the fae on this list down before running a personal errand. If someone from the castle checks up on me, I need to be seen giving priority to the queen’s orders.”

Farris frowns and snatches the list from my hand. “At least they made it easy for you,” he mutters after reading over the names and locations.

I shrug, knowing he doesn’t realize howunfortunateit actually is. “Let’s just start with the first one. He’s the closest.”

I’ll have to come up with another excuse not to visit my parents after that, but I’ll worry about it then.

“I know a shortcut,” Farris grins as he heads in the opposite direction I would have chosen.

He’s explored a lot since learning Vernan can’t see through his layered illusions. Spying on unsuspecting fae is one of his favorite things to do. Why he’s leading me through the thorniest plants and most uneven ground he can find, though, I don’t really understand.

“Couldn’t have found an easier path?” I ask a bit later, slightly annoyed at the rough terrain.

Farris simply laughs and continues to lead the way. I follow, carefully watching my step over the rocks and giant roots jutting out of the ground. I realize I’m incredibly lost at the same moment I hear a loud cry ahead of us.

I shush Farris and yank him to a stop by his tunic. My magic awakens defensively and flows into my fingertips. Despite the security of my new title and cloak, I don’t trust anything or anyone except my friend.

We peer around the cover of a large tree and find a cave carved into the side of a steep rock face. The sound we heard must have come from inside. I want to investigate, but a huge russet-colored gryphon is standing guard at the entrance.

She’s already seen us. Her wings are spread, and she begins pacing back and forth along the opening, clearly not happy about our presence. She’s intimidating, but I’m more interested in the pained cries echoing in the cave behind her. They take me back to the moment when the small shifter died at Mitah’s hands. His screams haunt me still, even after avenging him. I don’t fear the gryphon nearly as much as adding another cry to haunt me.

The wails grow louder and more desperate. Whoever she is,she’s in terrible pain. My chest tightens with each one, but the gryphon remains on guard, her stare unwavering.

“I have to see what’s happening,” I whisper to Farris.

“I’m not sure that’s wise,” he says, trying to pull me back behind the tree. “Whoever’s in there will be fine. Gryphons don’t take prisoners.”

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