Page 40 of A Tale of Treachery

“Of course not,” I clucked and moved away, shaking some sense into myself. “Ryken. I know the answer to the question she asked, and it’s not good. They will open a rift to the otherworld, where the shadow gods dwell. It will be war all over again. It will mean the end of our world as we know it.”

“If you make a scene,yourworld will be over as you know it.”

He had a point, but what The Crown thought of me was of no importance at this time.

“We need to stop it,” I begged.

Emotions warred across his face; his jaw clenched as he thought it through. Finally, Ryken groaned and cursed, grabbing my hand to lead us back toward the crowd. His grip on my wrist was harsh and his feet slammed heavily against the ground as he dragged me behind him. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but something like hope kindled in my chest.

We still had time to stop it.

But upon reaching the square, I realized it was too late.

The execution was already in progress. The women’s horrific sounds slammed against my eardrums, and I pressed my palms over my ears to block out the noise, but it did nothing to ease the stench. My stomach churned as the crowd’s bloodthirsty cheers rang out in delight.

Ryken grabbed me around the waist and pressed my back tightly to his frame to hold me steady as I watched my world come crashing down.

The cheers quieted as the women left this cruel reality with a whisper. And I dropped my hands from my ears, my breathing growing increasingly rapid.

I was so screwed.

My throat swelled closed, and I gasped in nothingness.

Ryken held his hand on my chest and whispered, “Breathe, little crow…breathe. Feel what I’m doing and copy me.”

I imitated his deep inhalation, feeling his body pressed to mine, our diaphragms swelling with each gulp of air, my chest rising while his hand rested atop it. “That’s right, focus on your breathing. Now exhale with me.”

We both exhaled, my chest falling with his gentle guidance. My head grew dizzy, and my blood rushed as I leaned against his body for support. We stood like that for minutes, breathing in and out.

“Thank you, Ryken,” I whispered, pushing him away. He released me but gripped my shoulders until he was sure I could stand alone. My cheeks burned. “Sorry.”

“You’re going to explain what just happened,” he commanded.

But he didn’t need to know about Malachi or my history or my concerns about him being set free, so I lied. “I already told you.”

His fists clenched, and a ghost of a scowl appeared beneath the shadows of his hood. “A rift, so you said.” His words bit at me accusingly. “But here’s the thing: I know what you are, and a rift to the otherworld shouldn’t terrify you like it just did. Whatever just happened, whatever just scared you witless, is personal.”

I tensed. It was personal, but I wasn’t willing to talk about it.

Ever.

He shook his head, silver eyes scanning the horizon. “Everything feels and looks fine. I think you overreacted.”

I looked at the sky, soft blue highlighted with golden sun. He was right. Everything felt…normal. The ritual was a failure. I breathed out a deep sigh of relief. “Yes. I think you’re correct.” I said, my shoulders moving in a slight shrug. “I might have blown things a bit out of proportion.”

A tremor shook the ground from deep below, and my eyes widened.

I’d spoken too soon.

The stone walls surrounding the square started to shake, and Ryken’s alarmed eyes clashed with mine. The sky above us darkened into a stormy gray, and we shifted our attention toward the Scourged Forest.

Something was coming.

The shaking of the earth increased. The same people who had recently been cheering for death were now screaming for their lives. The bailey around the village square split in two as chaos broke out. People fled and dove to the ground. Others prayed.

I looked to the podium and noted that Aiden and his father were long gone, having been whisked away to safety. A sudden surge of relief lightened my shoulders at knowing he was safe, despite the fear and chaos bubbling in my bones.

Somewhere beyond the Scourged Forest, an enormous dark funnel cloud took form, threading its way across the sky. The tempest tore a path through the trees, tearing them from their roots. Birds screeched as they flocked from the forest, filling the sky with a dark cluster of wings, only to be swiftly struck down by an odd maroon lightning.

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