Page 16 of Of Serpents and Ruins
The gruff man kept his arms akimbo, his tone stern as he looked me up and down, taking in every aspect of me. He clicked his tongue. "You remember me, then?"
I hesitated, then lifted my shoulders apologetically. "Your face is familiar, but I don't know your name."
"Hord."
"Arch General Hord," Elias added, his tone sharp. A clear note of disapproval rang in his words.
"Just Hord here. If it's really Stella, then we were all friends once," he responded, his gaze moving back to me.
A softness entered his burgundy eyes, a softness I hadn't expected. Or maybe it was sadness.
His breath hissed through his teeth as he sighed. "Looks like you. Sounds like you. Is it really you, though? And why would Brandt have attacked you and Kine? There were at least eight hours before the curse was to take hold again. How do we knowthis isn't some other manifestation of magic? An illusion preying upon our desire for Stella to return."
Kine stepped closer. "We don't have time for this," he said, hand still over his freshly healed side. The tunic and sash did not appear to be damaged either, and no more blood dripped through his fingers. Was that because he had been wounded in the serpent form? "Something is wrong with the magic. Maybe the curse is drawing out the magic once more. Maybe it's something else, but the curse took hold, and he was trying to kill her. This is Stella. Our Stella. Our queen."
Queen? My eyebrows flicked upward. Had he just said I was a queen?
Brandt struck another boulder with his snout, an angry roar following. I cringed and covered my mouth, my eyes starting to squeeze shut. That had to hurt! I couldn’t look away—couldn’t really focus on much else.
"We've got to get her out of here," Elias said firmly, standing as close to me as he could without touching me. "The destabilization of the magic puts Stella at risk any time she is near Brandt. It could happen again! And if the others find out that she's here… We just need to get her somewhere safe."
"The Master of Sight's sanctuary," Kine said with equal conviction. "We'll need her help. Stella doesn't have her memories back. She's only got impressions. Maybe it'll come back in time. Maybe that chasm she got stuck in messed with her head. We don't know, but Auntie Runa can help us."
"I need proof. Just because our magic is weakened doesn't mean other magic isn't strong or that it couldn't mask this," Hord said firmly. "This could be some elaborate ruse to undermine the king's authority. We could all be deceived."
"How can we prove it?" Elias demanded, stepping between us. His hand moved to his belt, but there was nothing there. Noteven a sheath. "After all she has been through, you would put her in harm's way and demand proof?"
Kine placed his hand on my arm protectively, his eyes narrowing as well. He was looking stronger by the second. A low sigh followed. "Hord, I know you're doing your duty, but these are strange times. We have to get her to the Master of Sight. Would you be willing to take her word for it if she testifies that Stella is who we claim?"
Hord considered this, though his expression suggested he did not like the thought of letting us leave. "You and Elias are both still criminals for your actions," he said. "If you all return with us to the palace, we could send for the Master of Sight."
"We can't risk going back to Castle Serpentfire or any of the other locations," Elias said sharply. "One among the factions may decide to eliminate Stella just to see if it ends the curse. The one thing Brandt was right about is that we can't let Stella's return be known by any more than it already is, especially not when there are still so many important questions to answer."
As they continued debating, my gaze remained on the fight between Candy and Brandt. The arguing voices faded. My insides clenched. The way Candy and Brandt darted and battled was like a dance, one where he chased her and she responded with grace and poise.
Bile rose in the back of my throat. Yes, he'd tried to kill me. Yes, it had hurt. Yes, I was scared. But I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave him here. Tears rose in the back of my eyes. I was supposed to be with him, and he had replaced me?
Was that the right word? Replaced?
That was what it felt like, even if something inside me warned that the word didn't exactly fit. Fear made that word appealing. It slipped into place so easily.
He was mine, and I was his. There was a word that wanted to form on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't find it quite yet.
The way he had held me in those brief moments… The playfulness he had brought out in me… He'd gazed at me in the way I had always wished a man would. The thought of him looking at anyone else like that soured my stomach.
"Wait." Hord lifted his hand, the sharpness of his deep voice snapping my focus back to him. His eyes narrowed though the faintest hint of a smile curled at the edges of his broad mouth. "I know how to fix this. Magic can't fool some creatures, and there's one reason Brandt was out here tonight." He gestured toward the hill. "Buttercup."
Elias and Kine looked at one another. Their brows smoothed.
It sounded significant, but my heart tightened again. Buttercup? Who was Buttercup? Did Brandt haveanotherpossible girlfriend? First Candy, now Buttercup. Heat flared in my cheeks even as I tried to talk myself down from it. Jealousy wasn't a good look on anyone, and I didn't have any reason to feel or be jealous. What was wrong with me?
"Oh." Kine hesitated, then nodded. "That'll work. No magic or spell could fool that girl." He chuckled and gave me a reassuring pat on the arm.
"I don't want to leave," I said as firmly as I could. "I don't know what I am to him or what all is going on, but whoever it is, bring them here. I don't want to go. I…I belong with Brandt."
"Buttercup won't like seeing Brandt like this," Hord said. "No one does, and if you are who you seem to be, then we need to get you away from here to somewhere safe until we have a better solution. Don't worry. If you really are Stella, we'll have you back with your husband as fast as we safely can."
"My husband?"
