Page 33 of The Fated and the Damned
“Well, your bet paid off,” I replied, sitting down on a log once the bespelled water returned to normal. “We’ll reach Mistvellen tomorrow. I’ve sent a messenger bird to the castle asking my father to send troops to escort the caravan to safety. We might have delayed Sylvie, but who knows what other monsters roam the woods.”
Kitarni frowned, her gaze darting to the trees surrounding us. “I don’t like how exposed we are right now. The Sötét Erdo is no place for children, and that’s when it’s not dripping with corruption.”
Nora settled onto the log beside me with a weary sigh. “The children will be protected. The witches would give their lives before allowing a single hair on one of their heads to be harmed.”
“The táltosok too,” I said. “They will be safe, Kitarni. I swear it.”
Her face softened as she looked at me, but I could tell the worry ate at her insides by the way she kept glancing into the darkness surrounding us. Somewhere along the encampment, a baby wailed, its mother hushing it softly.
I shifted uneasily. I’d heard of creatures in the Under World that stole away children in the night, whisking them away to feed on later. None of these creatures existed in our realm, but after seeing the demon Caitlin had conjured back in the village, I’d begun to wonder what other monstrosities we might see.
There were spells to harness dark magic, of course, but a summoning was an altogether different feat. To allow darkness to enter our realm, however briefly, was to allow carnage, and as Caitlin had never dismissed the demon … was it possible it was still roaming the Kingdom?
If one entered our realm, it was a very real possibility that others could too, and I’d begun to wonder if the doorway between realms had been opened.
Opened and perhaps … left ajar.
The concern niggled at me, burrowing deeper beneath my skin, but it was a theory I wasn’t yet ready to discuss with Kitarni. She already had her hands full with her new position as High Witch, and I didn’t want to worry her any more than she already was.
No, we’d discuss it upon our return to Mistvellen, and hopefully Margit would have some insight into the matter. Better yet, she’d haveseensomething that would help us in the days to come.
I worried about my cousin. Fierce as she was, she was alone in ways no one else would ever understand, assailed by her visions in waking moments and whatever nightmares ailed her in rest. Despite the respect and courtesy afforded her by her station, she was still seen as strange by those at court. A beautiful, odd creature. In my opinion, her uniqueness made her even more precious, but I knew she didn’t feel the same way, much as she pretended otherwise.
It's why she spent so much time in that damned dungeon beneath the library, keeping company with spiders as they weaved their webs in that dusty chamber and she weaved visions with her mind. The books, at least, I could understand. Sometimes I wanted to hide away myself, forget about my responsibilities and just lose myself in a fictional world. But such luxuries weren’t meant for lords and ladies with the end of the world just a stone’s throw away.
Kitarni climbed into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck as she stared deep into my eyes. “What’s on your mind?”
So much for not worrying her, though the gods knew honesty and communication was exactly what we needed right now. After everything we’d been through—everything I’d put her through in the last few months—it was the best fresh start I could offer us. I smiled, pressing a kiss to each of her wrists.
“I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that Sylvie’s actions have consequences that extend beyond our realm. When Caitlin summoned that demon back in your village, she would have had to open a doorway to allow it through. But she never sent the demon back, and by failing to do so …”
“She left the door open,” Kitarni said, frowning. “You think more demons can pass through?”
“It’s just a theory, but if I’m right, then it means we have more problems to worry about than just Sylvie. I’m not sure how the witches’ magic will stand up against dark magic, not to mention demons.”
“It won’t,” Nora said, her mouth set in a grim line. “Earth magic is bound by nature’s rules. We can harness it, borrow it, but what is life in the eyes of creatures who crave ending it? Demons don’t abide by the laws of man, and they certainly don’t balk in the face of nature’s gifts. The proof of that lies in the dying forest around us. Dark magic is, and always will be, unsatiable.”
That declaration didn’t sit well with me, but every word spoke the truth. The witches of this coven would not be able to stop the creatures from the beyond, and neither would the táltosok. Our powers of animation were useless against monsters neither dead nor truly living.
“What about my powers?” Kitarni asked, settling back in a way that rubbed against my cock. Not that she noticed, too deep in thought.
I cleared my throat, shifting her ass to perch on my thigh instead. “Can you defeat them with the blood magic running through your veins?”
Her brow creased and she cocked her head, silent while she considered it. “No, not defeat them, but perhaps control them. I couldn’t say for sure until I learn more about it. Maybe Margit will have some answers.”
I nodded, coiling a strand of Kitarni’s curls around my finger. She moved back into my lap, wriggling her ass back and forth like a cat readying for a nap. I was all too aware of her mother sitting right beside me, even as my dick wanted to spring to attention.
“Keep grinding on me, and I will be forced to fuck you in front of the whole camp,” I whispered into her ear.
My little hellcat only chuckled under her breath.
Good gods, this girl was going to be the death of me. Since we’d fucked ourselves stupid in the temple the other night, I’d been craving her touch like an addict. I couldn’t get enough of this woman.
My finger traced down her outer leg, settling on her thigh protectively. As soon as we got back to Mistvellen, I’d be showing her just how much I approved of her victory over Sylvie.
Nora stood up, smiling fondly down at us. “I’m going to check on the children and Eszter. She’ll be so excited to see Mistvellen.”
“She’s going to love it,” Kitarni said. “You both are.”
