Page 9 of Wolfsbane

My body swung at the sound of his voice, and I drew the sword I had stolen from him, aiming it in his direction as he remained peacefully still, a gentle smile curling from his mouth. It had been days since I last laid eyes on the king of darkness, oddly eased to see him returned from Hellbore in one piece.

The king’s eyes reluctantly moved from me to the mushrooms, spying the recently planted fungi. I could then feelhis gaze as it traveled along my skin, noticing my rough and dirty appearance.

“Your dress,” he stated, pointing to the dirt-stained wedding gown.

“Yes, well, it’s not exactly ideal to garden in. I simply tailored it to my needs.” I raised a brow, ignoring the fact that I had ripped the sleeves, using them to tie my hair from my face and make a sheath for his sword. The skirts had been stripped to a single layer; I’d created a small bed for myself, using what leftover scraps I had to assist me in gardening the little mushrooms.

My eyes rose to his, staring at the warmth of his amber eyes, like two suns setting on a cold winter’s night. They complimented his dark hair, the black almost a deep blue in the peeking sunlight. His pale skin was covered in scars, old and new, giving him an interesting rugged appearance. I noticed a fresh cut along his cheek, my eyes falling to the skin of his bruised neck. Intriguing.

Despite his soft smile, he seemed menacing and powerful. The stories of his appearance may have been farfetched, but they did get one thing correct—the king of darkness was the embodiment of night itself.

I had to shake the wandering thoughts aside, reassuring my grip on the handle of his mighty sword as I kept it aimed at him, ready to strike.

“You seem familiar with a blade.” He stepped closer as I adjusted my stance.

“I assure you, I amquiteskilled with a sword. It would be in the king’s best interest to keep his distance.” Despite my parents’ words, I hesitated. I knew it was my duty to seek him out, but something about him made my stomach flutter in a way that scared me.

“Any man would be a fool to cross swords with a daughter of Hellbore.” I gasped, his words nearly knocking me over as he moved swiftly, suddenly raising a sword of his own, our blades meeting as I deflected his swing and adjusted my stance once more. “But alas, I am no fool.” He grinned, mirroring my feet as he too stood with a skillful stance.

I had to harden my emotions, half surprised and half insulted by the idea of him doing such a thing. King or not, no man raised a sword to me and lived to walk away from it.

“You dare to strike at me?” I whacked his sword with my own, twirling as I swung, barely missing his arm. He moved gracefully, attempting to strike back but also missing me. We stood, moving opposite the other as we planned our next moves.

“I mean you no harm, Hesper.” I lunged at my name as it fell from his lips, his hand gripping my wrist, stopping my blade as it reached inches from the side of his waist. He looked down at me as he smiled, his hair falling in front of his eyes and casting his face in a thick layer of shadows. He leaned close enough that it tickled my ear as he whispered deeply. “You can’t keep hiding here in my garden, daughter of Hellbore. Boletus is looking for you.”

My eyes widened at that traitor’s name, fueling my anger as I lost control of my temper. I raised my head, preparing to slam it into his, when he dodged me once more, my body instead falling forward into the snow. I rotated onto my backside, glaring up at him as he kicked the sword from my hand and towered over me.

“I can offer you protection.Myprotection.” He threw his sword aside and reached his hand out to me, offering it as I stared at his pale hand. I raised a brow and launched a fistful of snow into his eyes, causing him to stumble back. I returned to my feet and ran straight for him, tackling him back into the snow, my legs straddling his large torso. I lifted what was left ofmy wedding skirt, exposing my thigh as he watched me retrieve a micro blade, aiming it at his exposed, bruised neck.

“I don’tneedyour protection. I can handle Boletus and his pet, Hystrix, all on my own.” His smile only grew as he flipped us, knocking the blade from my hand as he slammed me onto my back.

“I do not doubt your capabilities, princess, but the king and queen of Hellbore—your parents—were my friends. You are safe here, Hesper. I give you my word.”

“Forgive me, but the last king I trusted betrayed my kingdom and murdered my parents. How do I know your word means anything more than the wind that blows through the trees?” A small crystal fastened around his neck fell from his tunic and hung in the air between us.

“Your crystal,” I whispered, resisting him no longer. His eyes fell to it then back to me, confused by the change in my demeanor. “Where did you get it?”

The king released my hands, sitting back as he remained over me, gripping the small crystal close before tucking it back under his tunic. He gave an odd expression as a dark cloud hung over, painting him in a more fitting image of his title. The king of darkness.

“It was my mother’s.”

“Your mother was a daughter of the night?” He seemed to hear my words but not the meaning behind them. I gently rose as he moved away, allowing me to sit up. “May I?” My hand extended towards the crystal, waiting as he eyed me closely before hesitantly removing it from his neck. He placed it in my open palm, his skin meeting mine as a wave of electricity shot through my veins. I nearly gasped at the surprisingly gentle touch; the clear crystal rested in my palm, instantly glowing.

“What did you do?” he asked, his tone surprised.

“Nothing.” I smiled, looking at him as his eyes remained fixated on the now glowing crystal. “I too am a daughter of the night, blessed at birth by the moon goddess herself. You asked me how I came to be skilled with a sword? Well, this is how. Each daughter is granted a gift by the goddess. I wonder what your mother’s gift was. She must’ve been powerful to possess such a token.”

“If my mother did possess any talents, I’m afraid my father snuffed them out long ago.”

“I’ve heard stories of Queen Mellea. She was quite a beauty, but she had a raw thirst for knowledge and a love for all living things. I wonder if you possess those gifts as well.” My eyes met his as he stared at me, transfixed.

“She did love her death caps.”

“Herdeath caps?” My eyes slowly gazed around us, realizing the garden I stood in was not his, but his mother’s.

I had to force my eyes away, extending my arm as I presented the crystal back to him, watching as he concealed it once more beneath his clothing. The king stood, offering his hand to me.

“Forgive me, I did not?—”

---