Page 23 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“Are you alright, my darling?” He laid me on the soft bed.

“I feel weak.” Something burned in my chest, like a trap had been triggered. A fire lit in my chest, burning my lungs. I gasped for air. “It burns.”

“Quickly, a cold compress,” Tharan ordered one of the servants. A satyr returned a moment later with a damp cloth. Tharan placed it gently on my sweat-beaten forehead. “Is there anything you can do, Elrida?”

She mixed milk of the poppy with some thistle and handed it to Tharan. “This is the best I can do right now. The pain should fade. We must not disturb it again.”

I drank the cool liquid, letting my body go slack. My brain remembered this feeling. Similar to dust, but less potent. I’d have to be careful.

Tharan patted the cold compress on my forehead. “Sleep now, my darling. I’ll be right here.”

With heavy eyes, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke to the sound of the wind rattling a shutter. Tharan was gone, but being the gentleman he was, he left a note.

Had to do kingly things. Be back soon. Meet me for dinner in the dining room.

I rubbed my chest where the knot had burned. No wound marked my skin. Sliding my feet into satin slippers, I padded down the hallway to Baylis’s room.

She greeted me with a smile. “Oh, hello.” Setting down the book she was reading on herbs and medical plants, “I was just honing up on my herbology. I was wondering… When we return, could I have a bit of earth in the greenhouses? I’d love to get back to cultivating my own species of plants.”

“Of course,” I said, my head still buzzing from the milk of the poppy. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

“Oh, yes, that would be lovely.”

We made our way down to the great dining hall. I grappled with whether or not to tell my sister about what Elrida had found. On one hand if our father wasn’t our real father, it could inhibit her healing. On the other hand, I had a duty to tell her. Weight settled itself over me. How much could I tell her? How much could Baylis take? I pushed it aside. I could tell her later.

Chandeliers made of elk antlers hung over a table laden with delicacies from far and wide—succulent fruits and berries, nuts and cheeses, along with roasted elk, and sauteed root vegetables.

My stomach grumbled at the aroma of herbs and roasted meats. Tharan stood at the end of the table, red hair shining in the flames. He wore a tunic of green and gold. My mouth went dry at the sight of him.

“Let me help you, my darling.” He rushed to my side, wrapping an arm around my waist, and pulling the chair out for me.

“I’m fine. I feel much better after my rest.”

I took my seat between Tharan and Sumac, who was running a cloth over her dagger. Her dark hair tied back in a neat knot, the way all military women wore their hair.

Tharan cleared his throat.

“I think we should leave before the next full moon. No doubt our enemies are already on the move. Plotting against us. We can’t waste time, and we all have long journeys ahead of us. I suspect it will take the better part of a month to get to the elven capitol.”

I sighed, shoveling a forkful of elk meat into my mouth.

“Who is going with you?” Hopper asked, not bothering to look up from the pile of papers stacked next to his plate.

Tharan thrummed his fingers on the oak table.

“You and Sumac, obviously, and I supposed at least eight of the Hunt. We don’t want to seem too threatening.”

Sumac and Hopper nodded.

“Very well, I shall see it done. And will the Hunt accompany Aelia and Baylis?”

“Yes, they are to escort them to Ruska, where they will stay in my townhome. But they are not to step foot on the Isle of Fate. Do you understand me?”

Sumac nodded. “Yes, my King.”

Tharan turned to Baylis.

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