Page 49 of Bound By Blood
This was not a solution she had considered. But maybe—maybe it could work?
“Besides.” He tilted his head slightly and flashed her a mischievous smile, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly as he spoke in a soft yet playful tone. “You just said you owe me soup. It would be much easier for you to fulfill the terms of our bargain in the castle rather than me having to chase you around the edges of the Barrens Wild or wherever else you’d take it in your head to go.”
She stared up into his beautiful amethyst eyes, then nodded slowly. “All right. Let’s go.”
FLEE
Moving into the castle with Ryul didn't resolve the problem of the wish, nor would being in close proximity with him result in anything aside from an intensification of those feelings. But suddenly, it felt like the most sensible thing in the world to do.
Buttons yipped and scampered about, excitement shaking his body. It was as if he had realized all was well now, and he made up for all his previous silence.
She really didn't have much at all. A few items of clothing for different seasons that fit handily into her old rucksack that she'd first come here with. A couple additional odds and ends as well as her lute.
"One day, perhaps, you'll play it for me. I'd love to hear your songs."
"Maybe."
She hadn't ever played for anyone to hear her except Buttons after she realized the truth of her skills thanks to the night fae, but she was glad to be taking it with her.
She filled the one rucksack and then one other smaller woven bag. In this one, she placed that beautiful purple-pink gown she'd bought on impulse as well as her hairbrush and her last handkerchiefs. The bag was so light it felt like nothing over her shoulder.
One last thing was to write a note to Nan, explaining her decision. Nan would likely be disappointed, but in the end, it was better this way. And nothing said she couldn't return to visit some other time.
Ryul picked up the rucksack and slung it over his shoulder as she protested. "I can help at least a little," he said, "and if someone needs to carry Buttons, he'll prefer you."
"Fair enough."
As they stepped through the door into the coolness of the night, she took one more look over the soup cottage. For so many years, it had been her home. A temporary place that had become something so much more long term. If she ever found some fortune of her own, she hoped to return and repay Nan and Loto's kindness. She hoped also that things would go better for them as well, even as all their granddaughters returned and all the challenges that would bring.
Tears stung her eyes. Saying goodbye to the soup cottage was like saying goodbye to an old friend. The weathered wood with its charmed and warded trim and the grey stones that formed the rough path had faded even faster over the course of the past summer and autumn. Bits of moss and mushrooms grew on the north side, and the roof sagged a little to the east. But all these years, it had stood secure, chimney always streaming a low line of woodsmoke and the air permeated with all the delicious scents of soup and home.
Ryul waited for her a pace or two ahead, his expression contemplative and his hand on the rucksack.
"I'm sorry—" she started.
"There's no need for apologies. It's a good little cottage. If it had a consciousness, I think it would be similar to yours."
"If it had a consciousness, it would probably have quite a lot of stories to share."
She turned her gaze up into the darkness of the night. What time was it? The hours were passing fast, but surely they could still make it.
"I'm assuming we cross the boundary marker, but after that, I'm not so sure."
He extended his hand to her, his eyes bright with emotion. As she placed her hand in his, he drew her closer, his touch warm and reassuring, sending a shiver of delight down her spine.
"I'll show you the way."
With that, they made their way toward the boundary marker. Then, together, they stepped beyond it. A sense of adventure and anticipation filled the air as they ventured forward.
She walked over the scrub, her boots crunching lightly over the dry grass. Ahead lay the great wall of tall trees with high boughs that blotted out the sky and seemed to slice the Barrens Wild in half. Over the years, she'd made a few brief excursions out that way but never far.
The air smelled damp and thick with earthy scents as she stepped into the forbidden forest space. The change in the air struck her at once, almost suffocating in comparison to the open air beyond the boundary marker. Every time she had dared to come out here, it had always struck her how much harder it was to breathe. How much more unnerving.
Even if she hadn’t seen much to terrify her in this place, she knew it existed here. Not evil, perhaps, but cruel, hungry, and unfriendly.
Yet Ryul guided her forward, his manner calm and unafraid. Why would he be? How many times had he traveled through this place to come see her? It had been nightly now for weeks. Had he ever been afraid of it?
The darkness deepened, and the path grew more difficult. With every step, Ryul seemed to know exactly where he was going—picking out faint trails in the undergrowth and taking them deeper and deeper into the old forest. After a few minutes, she picked up Buttons so that they didn’t risk losing him.
