Page 5 of Court of Rivals
The twins look like they might argue, but my father’s expression makes them head outside without a word. Both my parents sit down at the table, so I follow suit, sitting next to my dad.
“Is something wrong?”
My dad sighs and rubs his face, jaw moving once, twice, before locking shut on whatever he was about to say. My mom forces a smile and steps in. “Not at all. It’s just… we’ve been wondering if this marriage to Tesson is really what you want?”
Every muscle in my body stiffens. “I don’t know what you mean, I–”
She rests a hand lightly on mine, her touch halting the protest. “Harper, you’re not as good at hiding how you feel as you think. Watching you with Tesson, your father and I can’t help but wonder if you really want to be with him, or if you agreed to this engagement because of who his father is.”
I open my mouth, then close it. I don’t know what to say.
“Just be honest,” my father says, his dark eyes watching me carefully.
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I say, “I think he, and his father, could make our lives very unpleasant if I don’t marry him.”
Their expressions instantly change. I see a range of emotions. Surprise, worry, confusion… and then that stubbornness our family is famous for.
“The engagement is over,” my father says simply.
My mom nods. “We’re not throwing away your life because of some unpleasantness. We can handle Tesson and his father. Don’t worry about it, dear. When we have them over for dinner in a few days, we’ll make it clear that the engagement needs to end.”
“But–”
Both her hands close over mine, warm and certain. “You may be thirty years old, my dear, but we’re still your parents. We’ll handle this.”
It feels wrong to let them handle Tesson when I’m the one who created this mess by getting his attention in the first place, but I simply nod. If they say there’s a way to get me out of this without it causing issues for my family, I need to trust that they can do that. And, honestly, I’m relieved more than words can say to get out of this situation.
“Thanks,” I say, then hug each of them.
My mom waves me away. “Go get ready, or you’ll miss the light.”
I rush for my room and dress in simple leathers and my good boots. I place a dagger at my waist and make sure my bag is packed with my healer’s kit. Getting hurt in the area of the forest I’m going to could be a death sentence without the proper help. I quickly braid my long blonde hair and let it fall down my back, then head back out to the main part of the house, grabbing my heavy lunch and stuffing it into my bag.
My parents each give me a kiss and remind me to be careful. Outside, one twin noogies my hair, rubbing the top of my head until I’m sure my hair is tangled. Cedric gives me a nod, and Eamon squeezes me in a quick hug, reminding me that there are lots of dangerous magical creatures in the woods, so to stay diligent. Not that I needed to be told.
I take off into the woods. The trees here are estimated by witches to be nearly four thousand years old. Beside them, I look tiny. Hurrying through a forest of the giants reminds me of how fragile we humans are in the greater scheme of things. Circling around one tree, I run my hand along the rough bark, breathing in the green scent of life. A cool wind whistles through the thick leaves overhead, but my leather jacket and pants keep me warm.
Hours pass as I maneuver through the woods, getting farther and farther from any humans. This deep into the woods, most of my walk is in shadows, created by the canopy of leaves overhead. Occasional patches of brilliant sunlight make their way through the leaves, making my journey feel even more magical. Like I'm the first human to ever touch these lands.
It’s nearly lunch time, and I’ve been hiking uphill for some time. The mandrake root is located in a small valley just up ahead. Even though I can’t see it, I know what I’ll find once I reach my destination. There’s a beautiful clearing, a river nearby, and plenty of other herbs to gather too. I’m hungry, but I decide to wait until I reach the valley to eat, so I can have a true picnic in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I finally reach the top of the hill, then scale down into the valley below.
It takes another thirty or so minutes to reach the bottom of the valley, and then I head for my favorite spot. I’m about to leave the shade of the trees when I hear a sound above me. A roar. A rush of wind. Alien sounds that I can’t identify. Suddenly, something hits the earth, and the ground around me shakes from the impact.
What the hell was that?
As I inch forward, I get the feeling that something is very wrong. Everything is quiet.Reallyquiet. I freeze. There’s not a single insect or bird making sounds anywhere in the trees.
And then, a roar echoes through the silence that makes every hair on my body stand on end. It’s not just because it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before, or that it screams of danger, but because it’s so close. It’s just in front of me, through the last patch of trees.
Heart hammering, I freeze for a long time, waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. There are no more sounds. No motion. Just silence.I guess I should keep going.I creep forward, and a terrible smell fills the air. Sulfur. Memories scratch at the back of my mind. Sulfur means something.But what?
Again, I freeze. I’m waiting for something, anything to indicate where the smell is coming from, where the sound came from, but there’s nothing. No further signs of danger.
I keep inching forward until I see motion. Curiosity fills me.If I’m careful, I can keep going and figure this out.Taking a deep breath, I move even closer, curious to know what all these seemingly unrelated puzzle pieces mean. As I poke my head free of the trees, my jaw drops, and I blink several times, trying to understand the scene before me.
A massive black dragon lies sprawled on the ground not twenty feet from me. I’ve never seen a dragon up close before, but even I can tell something’s wrong. Animals don’t collapse like this unless they’re hurt. It’s eyes are rolled back, body slack.
Creeping another foot forward, I get a better look at its body. There are open wounds all over it. Not just gashes, but also patches where its scales are just… gone, leaving behind nothing but raw skin.But nothing can hurt dragons, nothing except…
